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

If Jasmine's dad caught wind of this from her, they could be in deep trouble, maybe even putting their lives on the line.

Fiona had it all figured out. Once Jasmine spilled the beans to her dad, she'd get whisked back home, leaving Fiona free to execute her plans without a hitch.

...

Before you knew it, the school year was already in full swing for over two weeks. The buzz around town was the upcoming engagement party between the Woods and Larkin families, set for three days from now. It was going to be a big deal, everyone was talking about it.

This semester's seating was based on grades, and Fiona ended up in the last row. She leaned against the wall, eyes shut, trying to catch a break.

"Hey, did you hear? Jackson and Zoe are getting engaged, haha!"

"Yeah, I saw it on the news. It's happening in three days, and they're having it on an island! Guess that means someone's dream of marrying rich just went up in smoke, huh?"

"Who cares about her? It's laughable. Did she really think Jackson would give her the time of day? If she hadn't been chasing him around, Zoe and Jackson might've tied the knot already. Did any of you score one of the giveaways on Twitter?"

"I snagged over three hundred bucks! Zoe's so generous."noveldrama

Every comment felt like a dagger to her heart.

Fiona kept her face emotionless until Tyler and Yvenne walked in, redirecting the spotlight to Yvenne. Tyler took his seat and shot Fiona a text.

Tyler: Here's the island map you asked for.

A bit of relief washed over Fiona as she made her way out of the classroom.

Yvenne, having clinched first place in the second round of the design contest, was the talk of the town. She was a star in the design world and adored by her classmates. Even the teachers gave her speciab treatment, as long as she kept bringing accolades to the school, Yvenne had it all.

Once Fiona left, Yvenne couldn't spot her anywhere. While she soaked up the admiration and love from everyone around her, she was desperate for Fiona to back out of the design contest.

Yvenne had managed to gather another four million, making it a total of ten million. She was ready to offer Fiona another ten million if she'd just quit.

Fiona left the classroom and headed straight for International Glam. She was expecting Jasmine's dad to give her an answer today. With only three days left, her patience was wearing thin.

She zipped through the streets on her motorcycle and, sure enough, found him waiting at the entrance of International Glam.

"Mr. Thompson," Fiona greeted with a polite smile.

"I figured it was you. You're the only one sharp enough to get Jasmine on board. No one else can handle her."

Fiona smiled, keeping her words to a minimum, while the man in front of her was quite chatty.

"Do your folks know about this?"

Fiona's eyes flickered, and she shook her head, asking, "Do you know where my parents are, Mr. Thompson?"

"Sorry, I don't. Your folks are like I

phantoms, popping in and out. If you don't know where they are, probably no one does. But getting tangled with the main branch of the Woods family is tough. Here's the info you wanted on the Larkin family and some inside scoop on the Woods family."

"Thanks a lot, Mr. Thompson," Fiona replied with a smile, catching the drift of his message. "As long as I'm around, the Bryant family's defenses are rock solid."

After seeing him off, Fiona headed back to Bayview Villa and sent the info over to Jackson.