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

Patricia jumped a little, startled, and turned to see the girl beside her.

"Are you out of your mind?" Patricia rolled her eyes dramatically.

For a split second, she'd thought it was Fiona who'd caught her. She had no desire to experience the fear that came with being under Fiona's thumb again.

Once they reached their destination, everyone quickly set up their easels. Fiona, with a piece of gum between her teeth, strolled around, taking in the scene. The place looked idyllic, but she couldn't shake the feeling that something dangerous lurked beneath its peaceful exterior.

"Alright, folks, we're in the wild here-so let's not wander too far, alright? That goes for students and parents," Keaton called out through a megaphone.

Fiona glanced his way and then shot Patricia a deliberate look, causing Patricia to quickly look away. Fiona got the message loud and clear.

"Nash, feel like checking out those rocks over there?" Fiona asked, giving his arm a playful nudge and flashing a teasing grin. "I bet there's a surprise waiting. Care to wager on it?"

A surprise?noveldrama

Nash raised an eyebrow at Fiona, intrigued. Without another word, he confidently headed towards the rocks.

Fiona trailed after him, taking her time. Before long, she caught a glimpse of Patricia in her phone's reflection, chatting away on a call, grinning as she hung up. Clearly, everything was falling into place smoothly; otherwise, Patricia wouldn't be looking so pleased with herself.

Fiona wasn't keen on getting too wrapped up in this drama, but she knew the issue had to be dealt with. Letting it linger would mean sleepless nights and lack of sleep was a beauty killer!

Patricia meandered over, pretending to casually drift toward Fiona and Nash. It was her first time in a setting like this, and despite the group's size, an uneasy feeling lingered in her gut.

But as she got closer to Fiona and Nash, they seemed as relaxed as if they were in their own backyard, their faces calm and clear, utterly unfazed by their surroundings.

It was as if they'd been in places like this countless times before.

With an earpiece tucked discreetly in her ear, she fed Christina updates on Fiona's movements.

Then her phone buzzed with a notification-ten thousand dollars had been transferred! That was her parents' annual salary. Smugly, she thought, Fiona must be worth a lot. If she'd known sooner, she would've teamed up with Christina way back.

Lost in thought, Christina's voice crackled through the earpiece: "I've got people set up near the park. All you need to do is get Fiona there."

Patricia snapped back to reality, quickly confirming.

Standing less than a meter from Fiona, Patricia felt Fiona's gaze on her. Fiona was tempted to tell her that her earpiece was terrible and with Fiona's sharp hearing, she'd overheard the entire conversation between Patricia and Christina.

Talk about awkward.

Under Fiona's scrutiny, Patricia barely dared to breathe. She knew if Fiona's temper flared, she might just get tossed down the steps.

They were on a rocky staircase, standing in a small pavilion. Keaton and the others were in another pavilion below, separated by over a hundred steps.