Flora’s Guide to a Second Chance at Love and Life

Jackson lifted his head slowly, a curious look in his eyes as he glanced at her. "Did Scott give you this?"

Kimberly nodded.

Scott had certainly left them a significant parting gift before he took off. He was always one to have a trick or two up his sleeve.

"He got nabbed over in the States. His family's stashed away in a suburb near New York."

Jackson immediately caught Kimberly's drift, a sly smile tugging at his lips. "So, he's counting on me to look out for them, huh?"

"If it comes to it, yes, make sure his family stays safe," Kimberly explained.

"He's certainly playing his cards right."

Jackson leaned back into the couch, crossing one leg over the other, his mind racing with thoughts. The Woods family had an impressive reach.

A little caution wouldn't hurt at this point.

Fiona was knee-deep in preparations for the designer competition and dealing with the Stonnell family's pressure, leaving her no time to think about anything else.

"If you're here to get me to apologize, you can save your breath," Fiona said, casting a glance at the man in front of her.

He was an uncle sent by the Stonnell family, someone she hadn't seen in ages.

The only reason she recognized him was because Jasmine had shown her some photos from a Stonnell family shindig, where all the big shots in the States had shown up, eager to stay in their good books.noveldrama

"I'm not here to twist your arm, Fiona. But you should know you're not getting any younger. It's about time you came back to the Stonnell fold. There are things that are rightfully yours, and you need to have a firm grip on them."

Fiona took a sip of her lemonade, set it down gently, and spoke softly.

"What's mine isn't going anywhere, but..." Her eyes narrowed, a cold edge creeping into them. "Not just anyone can pull my strings."

These old-school power plays were still in use, and now they were targeting her.

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"You're a sharp cookie, Fiona. You should get what I'm saying. This time, you've crossed the Stonnell family, and they won't just brush it off. You're without power or influence, and you've been away from the States for ages, with no roots here. If it weren't for your parents, you wouldn't have made it this far."

With a loud thud, Fiona slammed her glass onto the table.

The lemonade spilled over, trickling down the back of her hand, icy cold.

"I get your concern, but I don't need reminders about my so-called lack of roots. Since you all claim I've only survived thanks to my parents, fine. Here's the deal: if the Stonnell family even tries to touch me, I'll make sure they're erased from the family tree."

She couldn't stand being threatened, especially with such lousy, pathetic excuses.

After showing the Stonnell family man the door, Fiona was still in a foul mood. She leaned back into the sofa lost in thought, until a ringing phone snapped her out of it.

The designer competition team had been calling non-stop to lock in her attendance at the live event, ready to schedule the competition around her availability.

It was quite the concession.

Fiona took a deep breath and said, "Alright, let's get it done before the year's out. You pick a date."

The person on the other end was thrilled when Fiona agreed.

"Miss H, how about January 7th? The week after New Year's."

"Sounds good. You handle the details. Just send the plan to my email."

After hanging up, Fiona left the café.

Meanwhile, the designer competition team, having announced that H would be making an appearance, quickly stirred up a buzz online.