Where Petals of Vengeance Bloom

Adah shook her head. "Claire, this is far too dangerous."

Claire just shrugged, unbothered. "That's exactly why I need your help. All I'm asking is that, after I'm taken, you call the police right away. That shouldn't be too

hard for you."

Of course, it wasn't hard-but Adah couldn't bring herself to take that risk.

She still remembered, all too well, what had happened in her past life. She knew exactly how cruel Nathan and Sophia Shaw could be.

What if, in this life, Claire ended up losing a kidney to them again?

"Claire, I..."

"What? You're not willing?"

Adah shook her head quickly. "No, it's not that. I just don't want to see you hurt, not ever again."

A mocking smile flickered across Claire's lips. "I'm afraid it's not about what you want anymore."

Adah's brow furrowed. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Your precious son saw me come back. Do you really think he won't tell Nathan and Vanessa?"

Adah's eyes widened. She shook her head in disbelief. "No, Ethan would never do that."

No matter how cold Ethan was to Claire, she was still his sister. Adah couldn't accept the idea that her own son would ever hurt his sibling-especially not for Vanessa, that illegitimate child Nathan brought home after his affair.

"You don't believe me?" Claire scoffed. "Why don't you go check on Ethan right now and see what he's up to?"

Adah desperately wanted to believe Ethan would never harm Claire. But a knot of dread twisted in her stomach.

She crept over to the study door and quietly eased it open. She didn't even have

to step out—the sound of Ethan's voice drifted in from the living room as he spoke on the phone.

"Dad, did you find a donor for Vanessa?"

"No? Why's it so hard to find a match?"

“I..... I have something to tell you. Claire—she's back. After eight years, she just showed up. She's here in the house, talking to Mom in the study."

"What? You think Claire's kidney might match Vanessa's? You want me to bring her to the hospital and have her donate?"

"But... knowing her, she'll never agree. She can't stand any of us."

"Okay. I understand, Dad. Don't worry-I'll bring her in."

When the call ended, Ethan just stood there in the living room, staring into space for a long time, lost in thought.

After what felt like ages, he

murmured to himself, "People can

live with one kidney. But

einet

Vanessa her body can't take it anymore. If she doesn't get a transplant, she'll die. Claire would only lose a kidney, but Vanessa would lose her life."

"And anyway, sure, Dad was wrong to send Claire to that orphanage, but if he hadn't, she never would've been

adopted by the Tempests in

North@rest. She grew up like a princess. In a way, Dad did her a favor."

Ethan's heart was with Vanessa. He wanted Glaire's kidney, but he didn't want to feel like the villain, so he kept justifying it to himself, spinning excuses for why it was all perfectly reasonable. noveldrama

Adah heard every word, clear as day. For a split second, she nearly lost control- almost stormed out to slap her own son.

How had she raised such a fool?

Claire was abandoned at an orphanage, and Ethan thought she was lucky?

In her last life, Claire had suffered so much-she should have been cherished, treated like a rose in full bloom. But because of Nathan, her young life had wilted far too soon.

Now, at last, Adah understood exactly what Claire had meant.