Where Petals of Vengeance Bloom

Chapter 301

"You stay away from my son!" Sophia Shaw's eyes blazed with fury. "He's never hurt you not once! He's innocent in all of this."

Claire Linwood's voice was icy, her words sharp as glass. "Not once, you say? Every meal your son ate overseas, every roof over his head, every privilege-who do you think paid for it all? The Linwood family did. If he's enjoyed the easy life your family gave him, he can bear the consequences of your crimes too."

"A son paying for his father's sins one kidney. That's all I'm asking. Hardly unreasonable." Claire's tone was measured, almost calm, but every word hit Sophia like a hammer, splintering her hope.

"No! You can't-if you want revenge, take it out on us. My son doesn't know anything," Sophia sobbed, her voice breaking.

For the first time, real terror overtook Sophia. She loved Garnett Brown too much —without him, she was nothing. To keep her alive, Garnett had swallowed his pride, endured her affair with Nathan Linwood, even shared her with him. Garnett's love was vast, forgiving beyond measure.

She could not let Garnett's bloodline end. Her son-nothing could happen to her

son.

pounding, Sophia steeled herself and looked at Vanessa Linwood with a gaze full

her mother in disbelief, frozen to the spot as the truth dawned. She watched, speechless, as Sophia pleaded with Claire. "Claire, I accept your terms. If... if Vanessa dies, I'll

want to us, but

your daughter too!" Vanessa's scream was ragged, desperate. "If you agree to

her grief overwhelming. In twenty-three years of life, she'd never felt agony like this-the raw heartbreak of being abandoned by her own parents. It

to see. But not a single person in the room

was suffering now, Claire had once

wounding her without mercy. Now, the tables had turned;

justice Claire had

Claire had been pure, kind, desperate for her family's love. She'd humbled herself again and again, hoping for affection that never came. But that Claire had died behind

with the Linwoods. Back then, she had no taste for revenge-no strength to