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.

and pretending to lull it to sleep. Then she started talking softly to

will protect you.

have to believe me, sweetheart. Mommy loves you so, so

she were holding her

only deepened the

all

everything, Adah finally cherished what she'd taken for

Adah so broken, so punished by 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

come here out of concern. She just wanted to see, with her own eyes, the miserable

she'd seen enough. It was time

to leave, a wild-eyed figure suddenly lunged at Adah, snatching the

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

her back!" she screamed, her voice ragged, as she hurled herself

No matter how desperately Adah chased him, she

baby-my Claire!" she wailed, her

man seemed to realize Adah wasn't gaining on him. He stopped, turned, and—seeing

crying! This is fun-so much