Where Petals of Vengeance Bloom

Chapter 385

Claire was led into the interrogation room.

The cramped space pressed down on her, making it hard to breathe.

"Take a seat," the detective said, his voice cutting through the silence. He pulled out a notepad and pen, ready to record her statement.

Claire sat slowly, her hands gripping the edges of the chair until her knuckles turned white.

"Let's get specific," the detective continued, his questions rapid-fire. "Who did you kill? Where did it happen? How did you do it? And why?"

Claire drew in a shaky breath and began.

"I killed Hank Brown. Scarlet. Vincent. And..." Her voice was low and hoarse. With every name she spoke, bloody memories flickered in her mind: Mandy's wild eyes, the twisted faces of her victims.

With each confession, the detective's eyes grew wider. He never would have guessed that this frail-looking woman sitting in front of him had killed four people let alone in such a brutal way.

himself to remain calm, but

four?" he pressed, trying to catch a tremor in

steady and

notes. "Then tell me

if bracing herself against a tide

suffered: Hank Brown's violent assault, Scarlet's calculated betrayal, Vincent's lies and cruelty. She spoke, too, of the beatings

have to. Every word was the

detective listened, his horror mounting. His hand moved faster and faster across the page. He'd never imagined

detail. He repeated the same questions again and again, refusing to let anything

he was finally done, he closed his notebook and prepared to have Claire held in custody pending further

then, Claire

unscrewed the cap, and, before the detective could react, downed its contents

bottle clattered to the floor as

eyes wide

the bottle was empty and Claire's body was already