Where Petals of Vengeance Bloom

Chapter 363

Claire stood some distance away, watching Adah in silence, her gaze clouded with a tangled mix of emotions.

Adah Jones Linwood, have you ever truly reflected on your choices? Just because you fell for a worthless man and rushed into marriage, you managed to drag your entire life into utter ruin.

Your son is behind bars, your daughter is crippled for life, and you yourself lost an

eye.

You should have had a brilliant future, but your narrow-mindedness and sheer stupidity have left you with nothing but regret.

You-of all people-deserve every bit of this.

A cold, mocking smile played on Claire's lips. Having a mother like Adah was the greatest shame of her life.

She hated Nathan Linwood, but she hated Adah even more.

Looking back on her two decades of misery, Claire knew Nathan was the root of it all, but Adah was hardly blameless.

Her expression hardened as she stared at Adah.

was gently rocking a ragged old doll in her arms, cooing and pretending to lull it to

my precious girl," she whispered. "Mommy will protect

to believe me, sweetheart. Mommy loves you

a gentle kiss to the doll's cheek, as if she were

the

was all this

losing everything, Adah finally cherished what she'd taken for

life, eased something inside Claire. She saw no reason to linger here. During those dark months when she'd been wrongly imprisoned, Adah hadn't visited her even

own eyes, the miserable ruin of the woman who had caused her so

It

to leave, a wild-eyed figure suddenly lunged at Adah, snatching the doll from her arms and taking off

vanished from Adah's face, replaced by panic and fury as her “daughter” was ripped

baby! Stop! Give her back!" she screamed, her voice

too fast. No matter how desperately Adah chased

she wailed, her voice raw with

to realize Adah wasn't gaining on him. He stopped, turned, and—seeing Adah's tear-streaked, devastated

This is fun-so