Where Petals of Vengeance Bloom

Adah turned her cold gaze to Vanessa.

Vanessa was already trembling uncontrollably. "Mom..."

"Shut up. I'm not your mother," Adah spat, her voice icy and sharp. "A brat like you doesn't deserve to call me that."

"Oh, you love to eat, don't you? Always snatching things from Claire? Fine. Today, I'll let you eat your fill."

With that, Adah grabbed Vanessa by the collar, yanking her close, then seized the remaining pastries from the table and began shoving them into Vanessa's mouth one after another.

“Eat! I said eat! If you don't finish every last piece, I swear I'll beat you senseless."

Vanessa's mouth was crammed so full she could barely breathe. Her wide eyes brimmed with terror.

She gagged and wretched, but Adah kept a firm hand clamped over her mouth, refusing to let her spit anything out.

In the end, Vanessa was forced to swallow everything, stuffing herself with five times her usual amount of food.

She collapsed on the floor, clutching her stomach, crying so hard she couldn't even make a sound.

It was only then that Ethan snapped out of his shock.

"Mom, how could you treat Vanessa like this? Dad's the one who made mistakes, not her. Vanessa's innocent!"

He pleaded, "Please, take her to the hospital. Can't you see how much pain she's in?"

Adah glanced at Ethan again. "If you care about her so much, why don't you go back to her real mother with her?"

"Mom, I'm your son! How can you be so cruel to me?"

Yes, Ethan was her own flesh and blood. But Claire was her daughter, too, and hadn't Claire suffered enough at the hands of her own father, mother, and brother?

Three years with the Linwood family, five more behind bars—eight long years of torment. Claire had been battered and broken, inside and out.

Those responsible didn't deserve a single day of peace. Everyone who hurt her should pay.

"Get out," Adah said, her tone ice-cold and final.

Ethan clenched his jaw. "You'll regret this, Mom. One day, when it's too late."

He struggled to lift Vanessa in his arms and, step by step, carried her out the door.

Outside, Nathan, his right eye still blinded, had finally come to. When he saw the battered state of his son

20ter, rage shot through him

like a bolt of lightning.

Adah, just wait. The day will come when I pay you back for this-tenfold, a hundredfold.

You care so much about your precious daughter, don't you?

Well, I'll make sure she suffers the same way.

With Ethan and Vanessa at his side, Nathan led his broken family away, each step heavy with hatred.

Adah just watched them go, her face stony and unmoved.

Time passed-two days slipped by. On the third day, it was time for Claire to

enroll at her new university.

Mr. Tempest cleared his entire schedule, and together with Mrs. Tempest, drove Claire to campus.

In the car, Mrs. Tempest hugged Claire tightly, reluctant to let go.

little darling, you're still so you bet

There's no way I can let you live

alone at school."

“Besides, everyone else at college will be adults, and you'll be the only kid. It'll be

so inconvenient for you."

"You absolutely can't live in the

dorms. I've made up my mind-while you're at university, I'll be right there with you. I'm going to buy a house near campus so you can come home every day." noveldrama

Mr. Tempest nodded. "Absolutely. Taking care of our daughter always comes first."

Orion, sitting in the backseat, pouted. "Mom, can I transfer schools too? I want to see my sister every day."

Laughter filled the car as the family basked in their warmth and togetherness.