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

Patricia never imagined she'd bump into Christina here. Seeing Christina, who she thought was miles away, standing right in front of her was a delightful surprise. She was too caught up in the moment to even think about getting upset -her face simply beamed with joy.

"What... what brings you here?" she asked, eyes wide with disbelief.

But Christina wasn't about to play nice. She brushed off Patricia's hand with a sharp look. "You've got some nerve showing your face here and laughing!"

If Jackson hadn't handled the situation, she'd be sipping tea at the police station right now. She had narrowly escaped a deadly encounter!

"Is my brother here too?" Patricia remained blissfully unaware of the gravity of the situation and kept on grinning. "Can I get his autograph?"

Christina could hardly believe the nonsense she was hearing. She slapped Patricia again, her nails leaving a scratch on her cheek.

Patricia let out a startled scream, but seeing the look on Christina's face, she quickly clammed up.

"Did Fiona really kill someone?" she stammered, swallowing hard. "Am I in trouble? Do I have to go to the police?"

It was only now hitting Patricia just how deep a mess she was in.

But Fiona was just a high schooler-how could she possibly commit murder?

When she hadn't seen the body behind the rocks, she thought there was no way Fiona could have done something so crazy. But Christina's demeanor...

She was utterly dumbfounded.

...

Fiona was nestled against Jackson's shoulder, listening to Nina call him "brother," while she enjoyed the candy Jackson had peeled for her, thoroughly content.

She closed her eyes, feeling at peace. She'd caught a glimpse of Christina earlier and figured she was headed to confront Patricia.noveldrama

Watching those two go at each other was quite a show, and dealing with the Patricia issue was a bonus.

"Where to now, Jackson?" Nash asked, turning around.

The car kept moving, the air inside tense and chilly, and he was itching to get away.

Jackson shot him a frosty glare, effectively shutting him up.

"Fiona, are you worn out today?" Jackson asked.

Fiona knew he was alluding to the two bodies, but she had no plans to give a straight answer.

"Not too bad, although we did get

chased on the mountain,” Fiona replied casually, as if she were discussing the weather. "Those two seemed to be after Nash, but they accidentally took a tumble off the cliff."

Jackson caught her drift perfectly, responding only with a doting smile.

"Don't worry, I sorted it out," Jackson assured her, gently tousling her hair with undeniable tenderness. "You must've been scared, Fiona."

Fiona nodded, curling up against Jackson like a timid fawn, looking every bit the picture of vulnerability.

Nash: "..."

He must be dreaming!

Fiona, who was normally a force to be reckoned with, turned into a sweet little lamb only in Jackson's presence.

Once they reached the lodge, Fiona watched Jackson drive off, then turned to find Christina. Their eyes locked, and Fiona, with a confident

grin, acknowledged her. "Fancy seeing you here."

"Quite the chance meeting!"

Christina's gaze lingered on Fiona,

having seen her step out of

Jackson's car. With a hint of

sarcasm, she added, "Feeling pretty smug, aren't you?" '

"Not smug, just savvy," Fiona replied, leaning against the doorframe with a carefree smile. "You decided to burn bridges, so I see no reason to keep things cordial."