Where Petals of Vengeance Bloom

Chapter 58

Ethan's eyes sharpened immediately. He knew Victor too well to believe things could be this straightforward. "Just say what's on your mind, Victor."

Victor's Adam's apple bobbed as he struggled to speak. "Ethan, Claire's scar... her left kidney is missing. From what I've observed, the scar is about a year old. A year ago, she was in prison..."

Ethan felt as if thunder had struck him on a clear day. He stood frozen, his mind buzzing.

His eyes widened as he stared at Victor, his face a portrait of shock and disbelief.

"Victor, you must be joking. How could she lose a kidney in prison? That's impossible, absolutely impossible."

Victor pressed his lips together and silently took out his phone. He pulled up a photo he had taken and handed it to Ethan.

In the picture, the scar on Claire's lower back twisted grotesquely, resembling a centipede clinging to her skin. The scar was a dark hue, and the surrounding skin had a few faint wrinkles.

Ethan's face turned ashen at the sight.

His sister had had a kidney removed while she was in prison!

to tremble violently, legs almost

quickly reached out to steady him.

chest as if invisible hands were squeezing his heart, making it hard

willpower, he suppressed the pain and steadied himself before gently pushing Victor away. His voice was icy,

you?" Victor

out who dared to harm my sister," Ethan

his

to the spot for a

darkness, the faint glow of his cigarette briefly illuminating his stern,

mind replayed the information Quinn had dug up

had been admitted to

different cell. If that visit involved a forced kidney removal, it made sense that, weakened by the loss,

needles driven into his heart, the pain nearly

suddenly, he quickly dialed

the hospital visit Claire

find out which hospital she went to, what happened,