Where Petals of Vengeance Bloom

Chapter 494

When Claire opened her eyes, Adah was sitting at her bedside, her face shadowed with worry.

"Claire, are you alright?" Adah asked softly.

Claire pushed herself upright in the hospital bed. The anesthesia had worn off, and she felt perfectly fine now-no lingering pain, nothing to worry about. She glanced at Adah, her expression cool and detached. "Thank you for this, but consider any past grudges between us settled. It's done."

A flash of hope lit up Adah's face. "Claire, does that mean you've finally forgiven me? You're willing to come home? You won't leave me anymore?"

Claire's tone was icy. "Ms. Jones, I'm afraid you're misunderstanding. I said the old resentment is over, not that I'm coming home with you, or accepting you as my mother."

She fixed Adah with a steady gaze. "Have you forgotten? My last name is Sterling now-not Linwood. I have my own parents, my own brother. Why should I go back with you?"

Adah's expression collapsed, pain flickering in her eyes. "Claire, I'm your real mother. The Sterlings took you from me."

Claire let out a cold, humorless laugh. "They never 'took' me. The truth is, I stopped needing you a long time ago."

this, but in my last life, the Sterlings visited the orphanage intending to adopt me. But back then, Vincent Lewis was my best friend—I refused to leave him and turned down the adoption. I thought I was making the

could have had a loving family, a brother who protected me, parents who cared. Instead, I went back to the Linwood family and

shoulders slumping as if the energy had been drained

I'm sorry. I know I

line so many times, I could recite it in my sleep. Every time, you say you regret it, but you never change. You

she didn't spare Adah's feelings in the

won't say it again." She fell silent,

hospital? After half a year at the research institute, it had been eight long years since she'd seen her real

to go home and see them. Eight years would they

her legs off the bed, Claire slipped on her

to her feet. "Claire, where are you

Northcrest City. I want

eyes was unmistakable. She was Claire's birth mother, but Claire spoke of the Sterlings with such affection as if Adah were

of her, hesitation