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

Jane had to grow up at some point-Fiona knew she couldn't shield her forever. Besides, Jane was born to inherit the Kidd family business; this was always going to be her reality. But that didn't mean she had to take whatever people threw at her.

The alcohol was hitting Jane hard. Her stomach was a mess, her head spinning, eyes unfocused. She barely managed to stay upright. Instinctively, she shoved away the person holding her up from behind. She figured it was one of those sleazy old guys from the private room, the ones who had been getting a little too handsy.

She pushed them away, but deep down, she understood she couldn't afford to make a scene. If she lost it now and the deal fell through, she'd be the one paying the price.

"Don't touch me," she muttered, voice raspy and weak. "I feel sick. I'll throw up on you, Mr. Brown."

Fiona's hand stilled on Jane's arm, her heart tightening with sympathy. Sure, she'd gone after Jane's dad, but in doing so, she'd also destroyed Jane's only real safety net. Maybe her father deserved what he got, but Jane? Jane was just caught in the middle.

"Jane, look at me." Fiona gripped her wrist and turned her around, lifting Jane's chin so their eyes met. "You're not supposed to end up like this. This isn't what business is about."

The second Jane realized who it was, her tears broke free. She wiped at her mouth and then collapsed into Fiona's arms, sobbing so hard she couldn't catch her breath. All that strength she'd forced herself to carry just crumbled away. Clinging to Fiona, she cried like a child who'd finally found someone she could trust.

"Fiona, I'm exhausted. I mean it-I've never been this tired in my life. I don't get how those business people do it, drinking like it's nothing. I had two or three glasses and I feel like I'm dying."

Fiona didn't say anything, just

guided her through the entrance and found a quiet corner on the first floor. She got Jane settled into a soft armchair and asked a server to bring over two bottles of water. When the hot towel arrived, Fiona gently wiped away Jane's tears and the sick at the corner of her mouth.

It struck Fiona how strange this all was. Back when they first landed in the States, she and Jane had butted heads nonstop, and now here she was, cleaning Jane's face. Life really did have a sense of humor.

Jane drank a few gulps of ice water and started to look a little less miserable. Her head cleared, her cheeks got some color back, but she still looked so fragile, like one wrong move and she'd shatter.

"So, what happened?" Fiona asked quietly.

Jane didn't hold back. She spilled everything: the chaos of taking over the company, dealing with her scheming stepmom and annoying half-brother, the constant headaches, the sleepless nights that had already etched new lines on her face.

"All this for one partnership? And it's only a two-million-dollar deal?" Fiona's tone was sharp, more frustrated than before.noveldrama

The Kidd family had been in the States for years—they shouldn't have to stoop so low, drinking themselves sick for a deal like this. If Fiona hadn't run into Jane, would she have just kept throwing up outside and then gone back in for more?

And really, why was Jane doing this alone? There was no way the rest of the Kidd family had just vanished, leaving a twenty-year-old to negotiate deals on her own. Even if Jane could handle the negotiation, there had to be someone else at Kidd Group who could at least shield her from this kind of thing.

"You sober now?" Fiona's voice was flat and cold, with anger simmering beneath the surface. She tapped something out on her phone, slipped it back into her pocket, then looked Jane in the eye. "If you're feeling clear-headed, take me back in. I want to see for myself what kind of men think it's okay to gang up on a young woman and force her to drink."