Where Petals of Vengeance Bloom

Chapter 25

Although Claire had long known they didn't care about her, Nathan's words still pierced her heart.

He didn't even bother to pretend to love her.

Fortunately, she hid her emotions well. From her stubborn exterior, no one could tell how deeply she was hurt inside.

"Fine," she said coolly.

Nathan's eyebrows furrowed. "What did you say?"

Looking up with determination at the family of four standing on the second floor, Claire replied calmly, "Fine. I'll leave the Linwood family now. From today, I sever all ties with the Linwoods. Mr. and Mrs. Linwood, rest assured, I will never bother you again." In her heart, she added a silent vow that even if she died outside, she would never return.

With those words, she felt no regret for leaving this family behind.

After three years of being hurt to the core, she had learned her lesson well; she would never again yearn for a familial love that was never hers.

This time, she walked quickly despite the pain in her injured leg. The light in her once-dull eyes began to shine with the promise of freedom as she shook off her chains.

opened the door to

did she look back. Her departure was

shock, and he wanted to chase after Claire, but the stomach pain left him too weak to stand. All he could

living room,

Claire didn't turn back; she barely registered the

it

of the Linwood family mansion,

for about

of night, spotting a man suddenly made Claire's heart skip a beat. Instinctively, she stepped away from the streetlight and

man drew closer, she recognized

Victor.

Ethan's friend.

Victor was his

first meeting vividly when he had looked her up and down and remarked, "So shabby. If you didn't resemble Ethan a bit, I'd never guess you

there, yet he hadn't stopped Victor's malicious words-he only let out a

not Victor's deliberate provocation

only fifteen then, supposedly with a family, yet when bullied, not a single family