Where Petals of Vengeance Bloom

Chapter 198

Under the pressure from the demanding hostess, two wealthy women reluctantly hoisted the barely conscious Claire, dragging her towards the banquet hall. Her legs, devoid of strength, left trails of blood on the polished floor. The remnants of her gown slipped further with every tug, leaving her nearly exposed.

Brian stood frozen, watching the scene unfold with a storm of emotions churning within him. He wanted to intervene, to stop the indignity, but as he took a step forward, Vanessa caught his arm firmly.

"Brian, you can't afford to offend the Foster family," Vanessa cautioned, her voice low but insistent. "You're here tonight to make connections with them, aren't you?"

Brian's eyes reflected his inner turmoil as he watched Claire being dragged away, his heart heavy with guilt and pain. Yet Vanessa's words kept him rooted in place, trapped between his desire to help and the fear of jeopardizing his future ties with the powerful family. He could only watch as Claire was led toward an uncertain humiliation.

stubborn, to provoke Mrs. Foster, to refuse to beg for mercy? The humiliation you're

dragged away, fear enveloping him. He knew all too well the lengths Sean could go to. The thought of what Sean might do if he saw Claire in such a state sent a shiver down his spine. Sean's ruthlessness was infamous

stairs, causing her to lose the baby. He had even

by Yvonne, Andie couldn't imagine the reaction. Nor could he bear the thought of becoming a target himself. Fueled by desperation,

avoid it, Andie fell heavily to the

...

attention drawn to the unexpected disturbance. Lucas Foster frowned, turning to Yvonne Smith. "Yvonne, what

catching a cheater!" she declared, pointing at Claire with a face full of smugness and