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.

rocking a ragged old doll in her arms, cooing and pretending to lull it to sleep. Then she started talking

she whispered. "Mommy will protect you. I won't let anyone hurt you

me, sweetheart. Mommy

a gentle kiss to the doll's cheek, as if she were holding her beloved, living daughter instead of a battered

only deepened the scorn in Claire's

all

after losing everything, Adah finally cherished what she'd taken for granted. But

to linger here. During those dark months when she'd been wrongly imprisoned, Adah hadn't

come here out of concern. She just wanted to see, with her own eyes, the miserable ruin of the woman who had caused her

enough. It

figure suddenly lunged at Adah, snatching the

replaced by panic and fury as her “daughter”

Stop! Give her back!" she screamed, her voice ragged, as she hurled

too fast. No matter how desperately Adah chased him, she couldn't catch

she wailed,

on him. He stopped, turned, and—seeing Adah's tear-streaked, devastated face-he grinned, revealing

This is fun-so