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

After leaving the Reynolds family, Fiona made her way out of the quaint little southern town. The drizzle was coming down softly, so she caught a cab straight to the school gates.

Her first stop was a nearby restaurant that was known for its tasty dishes. She settled in for a leisurely lunch. Just as she was wrapping up, her phone buzzed with a message from Jackson.

She glanced at it briefly, but before she could respond, she heard Nash calling out to her from behind.

"Just got back to campus today?" Nash asked, sliding into the seat across from her, eyeing her bowl of spicy noodles with a raised eyebrow. "How can you eat that with so much heat?"

"Got caught in the rain, and spicy food helps warm me up. Why do you ask?"

Fiona kept on slurping her noodles. Maybe it was because she was really hungry, but one bowl just wasn't enough, so she signaled for another.

Watching her, Nash couldn't help but wonder if the noodles were really that good. Curiosity getting the better of him, he ordered a bowl too, then got to the reason he'd approached her.

"Remember last time when you asked where Tyler went? Well, guess what?" Nash said, his tone dripping with a hint of mystery and a chuckle. "I spotted him in the cafeteria today, and he was with a girl who was just drop-dead gorgeous."

Fiona got the gist immediately. She didn't comment, just kept eating her noodles, throwing in a few more spoonfuls of chili because it still wasn't spicy enough for her liking.

"You wouldn't believe how many guys lined up to get her number."

"You didn't join them?" Fiona teased, swallowing a mouthful of broth. "Sounds like she might just be your type."

"Please, Fiona, give me some credit. I'm not that shallow. It's what's inside that counts for me."

Fiona set her chopsticks down and gave him a playful look. "Oh, so you're into girls with 'inner beauty.""

With that, she stood up to leave, calling back to the restaurant owner, "He's picking up the tab!"

"Got it!" the owner replied with a grin.

Nash sat there, dumbfounded. Did he just get stuck with her bill? And hey, he's not into ugly girls!

Fiona sent

text to Tyler, arranging

the school's playground.

Just as she thought, thenoveldrama

girl

was tagging along with him!!?

Fiona leaned lazily on a swing, her legs dangling as a gentle breeze swept

through. It was a moment of pure bliss.

Without all these headaches, life could be pretty darn sweet.

Soon enough, Tyler showed up with the girl, stopping near Fiona and taking seats

a bit away.

The girl clung to Tyler's arm, her

eyes showing a mix of innocence et

and unease. But Fiona knew

better-this girl was far fromo ordinary.

The three of them sat there, glancing at each other, wordless for a few minutes. Finally, it was Fiona who shattered the silence.

"Let's hear it."

Tyler took a moment, then sighed deeply.

"Her name is Yvenne, and she's my cousin," he began.

Bringing this up seemed to stir up unpleasant memories, as Tyler's brow knitted tightly, refusing to relax.

"The Reynolds family has this

bizarre tradition: the eldest legitimate son has to marry the second daughter born out of wedlock. They save the blood from the wedding night for the elders to drink, claiming it brings them a longer life."

Fiona nearly toppled off the swing in shock, her feet fumbling as she stared at Tyler.

This wasn't just some old-fashioned custom. What kind of outdated, creepy mindset was this?