Where Petals of Vengeance Bloom

Chapter 369

Nathan's words came out slurred and broken, but his eyes were pleading— desperate, even.

Unlike Vanessa's wild madness or Adah's vacant confusion, Nathan, though left partially paralyzed by his stroke, still had full awareness. His mind was sharp; he just couldn't move like he used to.

Returning to these mountains had been a never-ending nightmare for him. The people here treated him with open hostility. His own father was the worst—if he wasn't beating or berating Nathan, he'd simply withhold food and water, leaving Nathan to lie helpless in his own filth, completely indifferent to the fact that this was his son.

Now, seeing Claire, it was as if Nathan had caught sight of his last lifeline. All pride forgotten, he begged her-begged her to have mercy on her father.

Claire lowered her gaze, meeting Nathan's desperate eyes. A cold, cruel smile spread across her face.

"Nathan, what makes you think I'd ever take you home?"

"Was it when you dumped me in an orphanage? Or maybe it was when you carved out one of my kidneys for Vanessa?"

Her voice grew icier with every word, each syllable a knife twisting in Nathan's chest.

destroy your own wife and child. Whatever hell

words landed, Claire lashed out,

numb to the pain. He kept crawling after her, his mouth working desperately, still trying

him, unmoved, watching him

already told you," she said coldly, "I came back just to see with my own eyes how you and Vanessa would

shrank with

stay here. He wanted

forgive your father, won't you? It was all Sophia Shaw's fault-she and Garnett Brown tricked me. Everything was

no matter how hard he tried, the

from Nathan and landed on

dog dragged from a river-soaked,

my kidney's been in your body

didn't matter. Meeting Claire's cold, merciless stare,

until she tumbled right back

her, step by step, and found Vanessa curled up in a corner, arms wrapped tight around herself, shaking like a leaf.