Where Petals of Vengeance Bloom

Chapter 145

Ethan's expression grew increasingly grim. He took a deep breath, striving to maintain his composure, but his voice trembled with emotion.

"Dad, Claire's missing, and all you can think about is your business deal with Mr. Foster?"

"If only you'd shown Claire a fraction of the concern you have for Vanessa, she wouldn't have been driven to such despair."

"Who is your real daughter, Dad?" he asked, his voice strained with barely restrained anger.

Nathan, feeling his temper flare, slammed his hand on the bedside table. "So Claire's gone missing-does that mean we all just stop living?"

"It's not like I told her to disappear. If she wants to vanish into thin air, so be it. At least I won't have to see her moping around, which frankly improves my mood."

His face flushed red with anger, Nathan continued, his voice laced with bitterness. "Ever since that troublemaker came back into the house, I've had no peace."

better if she never returned. Whether she's dead or alive is of no concern to me. What I

were cold and detached,

ice water had been

lips trembling as he finally voiced the question that had haunted him all night. "Dad, five years ago, did you already know it wasn't Claire who

was unyielding, scrutinizing Nathan's face for any flicker of

stiffened, a flicker of panic in his eyes before

do you mean by

know it wasn't Claire?" Ethan's

speaking coldly. "That's all in the past. What matters now is securing the Eastborough Project deal with Mr. Foster. Everything else

broke into a wild, mocking

her, claim she was a murderer. What did Claire ever do to deserve this? She's your daughter, and you pushed her into the depths, forcing me to help