Where Petals of Vengeance Bloom

Regret was written all over Marina's face. "Orion, this is all a misunderstanding! I thought she was trying to seduce you, and I just... I wasn't thinking clearly when I did what I did. If I'd known she was your sister, I wouldn't have dared lay a finger on her not in a million years."

Mr. Tempest scoffed, his tone icy. "You hired thugs to kidnap someone without even understanding the situation. Someone like you isn't fit to represent my company."

He turned to Orion, voice stern. "Son, I absolutely forbid a woman like her from joining the Tempest family."

The truth was, Orion had never cared much for Marina in the first place. His sister was so remarkable-he'd always felt a responsibility not to be the weak link in the family. That's why, for years, he'd thrown himself into his work, barely sparing a thought for romance. Any rumors about him and Marina had been mostly her own doing-she'd pursued him relentlessly. In front of him, she always put on the sweetest, most innocent act. He'd even considered giving her a chance, just to see where things might go.

But now, before anything had even started between them, she'd gone and orchestrated the kidnapping of his sister. If Claire hadn't been so clever, Orion couldn't bear to imagine what those criminals might have done to her.

"Don't worry, Dad," Orion said coldly. "A woman like her was never worth my attention."

Marina was in tears, mascara streaking down her face. "Orion, I'm sorry! I swear I didn't mean for any of this to happen."

Orion shoved her away without a second thought. Desperate, Marina turned to Claire, begging for mercy.

She couldn't have picked a worse person.

Claire had been given a second chance at life. In her previous one, she'd suffered too many injustices, and this time around, she refused to let anyone walk all over her. She had no intention of playing the martyr.

Everyone here was an adult. You make a mistake, you pay the price.

Claire's voice was calm, almost indifferent. "Call the police."

"No-please!" Marina was nearly on her knees, pleading.

But not a single person in the room was moved by her tears.

In the end, Marina and her assistant were both escorted away by the police.

The brand ambassador deal for the virtual reality headset, of course, was off the table.

"Claire, are you alright?" Mr. Tempest and Orion both looked at her with concern.

Claire smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, Dad, Orion. I'm fine."

"Thank goodness you're okay. You scared us half to death," Mr. Tempest said, pulling her into a hug. "If anything had happened to you. I don't know what I would have done. We have Sean to thank for this-if he hadn't been there..."

The more Mr Tempest looked at Sean, the more he liked him. Sean was reserved, even cold at times, and his methods could be ruthless when dealing with outsiders. But Mr. Tempest had watched him grow up; entrusting his precious daughter to Sean gave him peace of mind.

The family sat together in the office, relief and warmth filling the air. As the conversation turned to the topic of the virtual reality headset, Orion spoke up decisively.

"Why don't we make Claire the face of the headset? Honestly, there's no one in the world more qualified."

Mr. Tempest nodded emphatically, then turned to Claire. "What do you think, Claire? Would you be willing?"noveldrama

Claire considered it for a moment, then nodded. "Alright, I'll do it."

And just like that, the matter was settled.

After Claire became the official spokesperson for the VR headset, and its launch took the market by storm, she became an overnight sensation.

When people discovered that she was the genius behind the revolutionary technology, the pride in the hearts of Vesperia's citizens soared.

Online forums exploded with discussions about her. The more people learned, the more amazed they became.

"Wait-she's that child prodigy who got into the National Defense Polytechnic at age five?"

"She graduated college at nine, was recruited straight into the national research institute, and her life has been nothing short of legendary."

"She spent eight years at the institute, and now-at just seventeen while most kids her age are still in high school, she's already the world's youngest scientist and the inventor of the first-ever global hotographic technology."