Where Petals of Vengeance Bloom

Chapter 486

"Oh, right—she vanished eight years ago. No one's heard a word since. So what if she was a genius? So what if she aced every class? It never brought her a good life, did it? She was doomed from the start. She's probably dead already—a wretched little thing, gone before her time."

Adah's temper flared. She raised her hand, ready to slap him across the face.

Ethan, his face smeared with blood, stared back at her defiantly. He didn't even flinch.

"Go on. Hit me. You could beat me to death and I wouldn't care. Without Vanessa, there's no reason for me to stay in this house. I'd be better off dead."

"Your own daughter's gone. If you finish me off too, you'll have no one left. The family line ends with you."

"You-" Adah was shaking, so furious her whole body trembled.

Just then, a soft, melodic female voice echoed through the living room.

"I'm afraid you'll be disappointed, Mr. Ethan. I'm very much alive."

Adah's head snapped up. She saw Claire walking through the doorway.

The moment she saw Claire, tears streamed down her face-she simply couldn't hold them back.

"Claire? Is it really you?"

at eighteen, looked exactly as Adah remembered-yet, somehow, like

features were a flawless blend of Adah's and

nothing like

had been pretty, yes, but so painfully thin and small, her collarbones

healthy figure, every inch the result of a good

contrast made it painfully obvious how little the Linwood family had

the sofa and walked toward her,

finally come back to see

herself, firing off one

perfectly calm, unmoved by her

Claire had longed for in her past life, but

different now. She had a real family-a father, a mother, a brother

hesitation, Claire

several steps; she nearly

her, wounded. "Claire, you

a look of cold contempt. Adah faltered. She

to

ssment, forcing a b

to her