Where Petals of Vengeance Bloom novel Chapter 330

The husband and wife hurried toward the bar, clearly in a rush to find Brian.

But before they could step inside, a woman suddenly appeared, blocking their path.

"Move," Jarrod Cole snapped, impatience heavy in his voice.

The woman didn't budge. Instead, she fixed him with a cold, almost mocking smile, her eyes sharp and menacing. "Mr. Cole, have you forgotten me already? You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting to see you since I got out."

Jarrod froze, scrutinizing the woman before him.

She looked to be in her thirties, plainly dressed, but what stood out was the long scar slashing across her face—impossible to ignore.

Her gaze radiated danger; it was obvious she was not someone to mess with.

"So, you do remember me," she said with a chilling calm.

As soon as Jarrod and Karin Cole recognized her, their faces drained of color, as if they'd seen a ghost.

This woman had gone to prison around the same time as Claire.

She'd lost out to competitors in business, so she’d taken to harassing people for revenge.

During one particularly violent confrontation, she’d stabbed a rival—right there on the street—lashing out at the world for her own misfortunes. For that, she’d been sentenced to twenty years in prison.

She shouldn't have been released so soon.

But once she was inside, the Cole family had approached her, offering her a deal: if she made Claire’s life hell in prison, they’d pull strings and get her sentence reduced.

From that point on, Claire’s time behind bars became a living nightmare.

It wasn’t just this woman who beat Claire at will; there were others, too—people paid off by Nathan Linwood, Sophia Shaw, and Vanessa—who took turns tormenting her without mercy.

Now, out of prison, the woman had come looking for the Coles.

The woman’s laughter rang out, sharp and cold. "Go ahead, call them. If I end up back in prison, I’ll tell the world everything about our little arrangement."

Jarrod paled further. If word got out, he wouldn’t just lose everything—he could end up behind bars himself.

After a long, tense pause, Jarrod clenched his jaw.

"Fine. I’ll pay you. But you’d better keep your word and leave Cresthaven."

The woman shrugged. "Relax. I have no desire to go back to prison. I just want to live out the rest of my life in peace."

Standing nearby, Mandy listened to the exchange, her fists so tight her nails dug into her palms.

Claire’s life had been destroyed, and now the person responsible wanted a fresh start?

Did anyone bother to ask Claire if she agreed?