Where Petals of Vengeance Bloom

Chapter 295

The very first thing she did upon waking was look for Claire.

Her gaze darted desperately around the room, and the moment she spotted Claire sitting quietly on the sofa, she forgot all about her own weakness and disheveled state. Nothing else mattered.

Propping herself up with trembling hands, her legs barely supporting her, she half- crawled, half-stumbled toward Claire, inching forward with sheer determination.

Tears streamed down her face, unchecked and uncontrollable.

"Claire, I was wrong. I swear I'll never take Vanessa's side again. Please, please forgive me. Your brother-your brother's in prison because of Nathan, that monster. Claire, you're all I have left."

Adah's voice cracked with sobs, hoarse and filled with despair. As a mother, she collapsed at Claire's feet, weeping bitterly, pouring out her regret. She looked utterly broken, as wretched as a person could possibly be.

But Claire remained as she had been before-expressionless, unmoved, cold as stone.

She only glanced at Adah briefly, her eyes indifferent, before turning away.

That coldness, that utter lack of feeling, drove a knife straight into Adah's heart.

what it meant

was done with her. There would be no forgiveness

Adah's heart,

are you really going to be this heartless? Are you

on her. She didn't hear, or didn't

silence, this complete indifference, that

have no right to call Miss Claire heartless. In

she spent fifteen years suffering in a group home, and when she finally returned to her family, you ignored her. Every month you sent a fortune to Vanessa, but not a penny to

same school uniform all year round. You saw it and

day, but every year you threw a birthday party for Vanessa alone. You only bought presents for Vanessa. Not once

sometimes didn't even get a warm meal. Meanwhile, the rest of you sat at the table together, laughing, eating, enjoying yourselves. When

growing, buried in homework—so hungry she was pale and

like Vanessa, but your cold indifference, your utter neglect those wounds cut

dare you accuse Claire of being heartless? How dare you blame her for

had kept these words bottled

told, during the five years Claire spent in prison for a crime she didn't commit, May had more than once considered leaving the