Where Petals of Vengeance Bloom

Chapter 474

"Your mother was so heartbroken she couldn't eat or sleep. To comfort her, I adopted Vanessa-only then did your mother's spirits finally settle down."

"But Claire, your father never stopped searching for you. For five years, I've been looking for you everywhere, and now that I've finally found you, I couldn't be happier."

As Nathan spoke, he inched closer to Claire.

"Claire, darling, will you let your father give you a hug?"

Nathan was a master performer-his teary eyes and trembling voice easily fooled those who didn't know the real story.

Everyone present only knew that Claire had been adopted from Cresthaven Orphanage by the Tempest family. Most assumed her birth parents had abandoned her simply because they'd wanted a son instead.

No one expected the truth to be so different.

"So Miss Tempest wasn't abandoned by her real parents-she was kidnapped as a baby."

"That's right. Poor child, suffering so much from the moment she was born."

"I actually think her birth parents are the ones who suffered the most. Imagine waiting ten months for your baby girl, only for her to be stolen away by some heartless criminal. Any parent would be devastated."

"If you ask me, the Tempests should return Claire to her real family."

her

before they get too

they should do the right thing

was hanging on his

to speak

even pulled out their

crowd's reaction, Nathan

Tempest family is powerful?

clueless fools believed him, Nathan was sure

the Linwood family, Nathan

to Mr. and Mrs. Tempest and suddenly dropped to his

I'm begging you—please, give me

little girl. I'm utterly devoted to her. Ever since she was kidnapped, I've

learned Claire is my daughter, I haven't even needed my Just give her back to me and I'll do anything for you-anything at

acting were a crime, he'd

sympathy, but Claire-who knew

he could be just

Tempest, too, looked at Nathan with faint, inscrutable

curled in a cold smirk. "You say Claire was kidnapped