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

Fiona had never despised anyone as much as she did Josie now. She was determined to settle the score.

Fiona had been holed up at the base for over two weeks. During that time, Shelly had taken up residence in a little gazebo nearby. Every day, she'd deliver three meals to Fiona, knocking on the door before quietly slipping away.

In those first few days, Fiona was consumed with grief over Jasmine. But soon, she threw herself into studying the strange creatures she'd discovered.

After about twenty days, Fiona finally emerged from her self-imposed exile, holding a small yellow bottle. She glanced at Shelly, who was sitting by the gazebo. Shelly, who was usually surrounded by an entourage of servants and bodyguards as the future matriarch of the Bryant family, was now sitting on the ground, propping her chin with one hand and fanning herself with a piece of cardboard.

Fiona walked over and handed her a bottle of cold water, her face a mask of indifference.

"You don't need to stick around here with me," Fiona said. "No matter what you do, you can't replace Jasmine."

Shelly's eyes dimmed, her expression turning rigid in response to Fiona's bluntness.

"Go back to the States," Fiona instructed.

Shelly didn't say a word, just trailed behind Fiona like a scolded child.

Fiona didn't pay her much mind. Before boarding the plane, she got a message from Jackson asking about Jasmine's funeral. Jasmine had been cremated, but her ashes still needed a final resting place.

Fiona tersely replied that she was en route and hung up. She hadn't been idle these past twenty days; she'd rallied her forces back in the States and launched an all-out assault on the Larkin family. Despite their longstanding influence, the Larkin family crumbled under Fiona's relentless pressure.

Outwardly, International Glam had severed ties with the Larkin family, whilenoveldrama

behind the scenes, Fiona's covert operations led to the takeover of several Larkin enterprises.

Shelly hadn't been sitting idle either.

Besides looking after Fiona, she'd been lobbying the Bryant family matriarch nonstop to restore Jasmine's rightful place in the family. She wanted Jasmine recognized as a Bryant, regardless of her parents' lineage, and buried in the family mausoleum. To push things through, Shelly had even threatened to give up her

inheritance, forcing her parents to agree.

Jackson knew the Woods family inside and out and was quietly targeting the Larkin family. The Woods family suspected something was up but didn't dare challenge him. Everyone knew Fiona was his top priority, and her actions against the Larkins were clear to those paying attention, even if not openly acknowledged.

When the plane landed, Tyler and the crew were there to greet them. Jackson was tied up with the Woods family patriarch and couldn't make it. He had recently acquired several Larkin subsidiaries and wasn't showing any signs of slowing down. The Larkin family had approached Grandpa Woods multiple times, but he brushed them off with excuses.

“Let's head to the Woods family," Fiona said as she got into the car, holding a small, ornate urn. It was decorated with Jasmine flowers, Jasmine's favorite, crafted just for her.