Where Petals of Vengeance Bloom novel Chapter 274

Brian's face went pale, memories of that chaotic day at the hospital flooding his mind.

Back then, Claire had been desperate to prove her innocence, her emotions spiraling out of control, eyes brimming with despair and helplessness.

But Brian had looked the other way, stubbornly blocking Irene from naming Vanessa as the culprit.

Now, recalling how it all unfolded, he couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt—the ache for Claire only deepened inside him.

He spoke at last, voice heavy with remorse, every word weighted with regret. "No… it wasn't Claire."

"Then who was it?" Karin demanded, eyes locked on Brian, her voice trembling with fury. "Who could be so cruel? Who pushed Irene down the stairs? If she hadn't been lucky, she'd be dead."

Brian fell silent once more.

He and Karin had grown up with Vanessa; if anyone knew what Vanessa was really like, it was him.

Even if Claire hadn't done it five years ago, Brian was certain Vanessa would never have hurt Irene on purpose. Maybe Vanessa had accidentally bumped into Irene, who'd lost her balance and tumbled down the stairs.

Besides, Irene was Vanessa's closest friend. Vanessa had no reason to harm her.

If anything, Brian thought, Irene had always been the careless type—never sitting or standing properly. It was no wonder she ended up falling.

And as for Claire—if she didn't do it, why did she confess? If she'd kept quiet, she wouldn't have spent five years in prison, and Brian wouldn't be carrying this guilt.

He convinced himself it was as simple as that, conveniently forgetting that Claire never even had the chance to defend herself.

Ethan had lied on the stand. Adah had wiped the security footage. Vincent, the defense attorney, twisted the truth, and Brian himself never gave Claire a chance to explain.

The people Claire trusted most had been the ones to shove her into the abyss.

Now, Brian found himself blaming Claire for not proving her innocence, ignoring the fact that she never had any evidence to clear her name.

"Say something!" Karin's voice shook with emotion as she shouted at him.

Still, Brian kept his lips firmly shut, refusing to say the name on the tip of his tongue. His stubborn silence—protecting the real culprit—finally pushed Jarrod and Karin over the edge.

Irene was their youngest, the apple of their eye. She'd been doted on since birth, the darling of the entire Cole family. As the heiress to Cole Enterprises, she'd had everything she wanted; nothing was ever out of reach.