Where Petals of Vengeance Bloom

Chapter 7

The crowd gathered around, drawn in by the voice emanating from the phone receiver. Everyone was stunned.

While the Linwood family might not have been the wealthiest in Cresthaven, they were certainly one of the most prominent. It was common knowledge that children from such families received generous monthly allowances, sometimes reaching hundreds of thousands.

But they'd never heard of a wealthy heiress who didn't receive a single dime in allowance each month. The Linwood family was a unique case.

No wonder Claire was dressed so modestly, without even a decent gown to wear to the party. Though she wasn't raised in the family home, she was still the Linwood's true heiress. Yet, she received nothing while their adopted daughter enjoyed a lavish monthly allowance of a hundred thousand. It was a scandalous situation the Linwood family was allowing to happen, showing they were quite out of touch.

As the guests whispered among themselves, Ethan felt a prickly sensation of embarrassment crawl up his spine, his face flushing with shame. He couldn't believe such a disgraceful thing was happening in the Linwood family. They had wealth and stature, certainly enough to spare a paltry allowance for their own flesh and blood.

Ethan coldly confronted Claire, "Even if the finance department didn't transfer the funds, surely Mom and Dad would have given you some spending money?"

Claire's expression was sardonic as she glanced towards the crowd where Nathan and Adah stood. "If Mr. Linwood and Mrs. Linwood have given me an allowance, perhaps Mr. Ethan should ask them directly. After all, if you don't believe me, you'd surely trust your parents' words."

contact with

given her some allowance, right?"

you would give it

as she spoke, "I thought you would... Claire, why didn't you tell me you had no money? If you'd told me earlier, I would have given you

I didn't notice earlier and let you suffer. But you have

gave a wry smile, her gaze meeting Adah's,

learn that her own mother had instructed the finance department not to give her any money. Not

was absurd. A high-society matron, accustomed to luxury, would surely notice that her own daughter's clothes were all cheap fabric, totaling less than a hundred dollars.

nothing but a performance

Her heart, having endured so much, was now

mother's apology, publicly shaming the Linwood