Where Petals of Vengeance Bloom

Chapter 259

Vincent's roar nearly shattered the cold steel bars between them, veins bulging on his neck as if he could tear apart the venomous woman who had destroyed his life and wounded Claire beyond repair.

"You witch!" Vincent's voice was raw, scraped by fury that seemed to erupt from the pit of his soul. In that moment, he looked less like a man and more like a wild animal driven mad with rage.

But Vanessa only lifted her chin and laughed, loud and reckless. Paired with her disheveled appearance, she looked every bit the demon she truly was.

Once upon a time, Vincent had been Cresthaven's star attorney-brilliant, ambitious, the kind of man Vanessa had found useful to keep around. When he'd had value, she'd played the sweet, gentle girlfriend, all honeyed words and coy smiles.

Now, Vincent sat slumped in a battered wheelchair, legs useless, wearing cheap, wrinkled clothes that hung off a sallow frame. He stank of sweat and neglect, and was a shadow of the man he'd been. To someone as selfish as Vanessa, he was now worthless—a tool worn out and discarded. Why waste any more false affection on him?

"If you hadn't been such a hopeless fool, do you really think I could've used you? Don't you dare blame me. If you want someone to blame, look in the mirror- blame your own blind stupidity!"

She paused, eyes glittering with malice. "Let me guess. The only reason you know it was Claire who helped you all those years ago, and not me, is because Claire told you herself, right?"

curled into a vicious smile as she pressed on, "Let me guess again, Claire must be so disappointed in you, so heartbroken that no

clutched her stomach, shrieking with laughter. "Oh, poor you. Boo-hoo-ha!

was in ruins, she needed somewhere to dump her pain—and Vincent made the perfect

her pent-up bitterness at him, savoring the way his face twisted with anger, guilt, and regret. Watching his suffering filled her with a perverse sense

shook the bars with all the strength his broken body had left, his

rot in

of Vanessa's betrayals flooded his mind. He'd spent Claire's hard- earned money to please Vanessa, and had even

remorse gnawed at him like a thousand ants devouring his

higher. "I'm the heiress to The Linwood Group, remember? My parents and brother adore me they'll do whatever

but then a cold,

Linwood Group is bankrupt. Your brother was hauled off by the police. Your parents crossed Foster

grim satisfaction. If Vanessa had tormented him,

expecting her to break—panic, rage, at least a flicker of shock. But