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

"Unbelievable!" Albert shouted, throwing the glass in his hand to the floor. The shards flew up, nicking Josie's left cheek and making her gasp in pain.

"Who do you think you are, talking like that?" Albert was fuming, pointing angrily at Fiona. "The Bryant family can't even hold a candle to the Larkin family."

Fiona, completely unfazed by the chaos, calmly approached Josie, a box cutter mysteriously appearing in her hand. In one swift motion, she hauled Josie up from the ground, gripping her head with one hand while brandishing the blade with the other. Fiona made a precise slash across Josie's brow, then quickly cut her collarbone and wrist.

Fiona's moves were deliberate, only skimming the skin's surface. It looked gruesome with blood trickling down, but it was far from deadly. Josie's screams filled the air, making it seem as if Fiona had been ruthless, even earning a begrudging nod of respect from Grandpa Woods for her audacity.

To act so boldly against Josie right in front of Albert took real guts. Fiona reminded

him of Flora from back in the day-fearless and defiant.

"You insolent brat!" Albert roared, attempting to kick Fiona.noveldrama

But Fiona sidestepped easily, making Albert accidentally kick Josie instead. Despite his age, Albert's training still had some kick to it. Josie was sent flying, and to everyone's horror, parasitic worms wriggled out of her wounds and onto the floor.

Grandpa Woods watched, wide-eyed and horrified, having never seen anything like it.

The worms flopped onto the floor, twitched a few times, and then went still, like they were dead.

Jackson and Nash exchanged glances. Nash nodded, grabbed a glass of water from the table, and poured it over the worms. Miraculously, they came alive. squirming vigorously and desperately searching for a new host, the smooth floor offering no hiding place.

"What on earth is that?" Grandpa Woods asked, his voice shaky as he turned to Albert. "Albert, you've got some explaining to do."

The situation was beyond bizarre, even for Grandpa Woods, who had always known about Albert's shadowy dealings. But he

doubted his old friend Un prek

now.

Albert stayed silent, while Fiona cut to the chase, tossing a smirk Albert's way. "Breeding parasites inside a body-quite the cunning approach."

The concept of "parasites" wasn't new, but in these elite circles, it was a big deal. Grandpa Woods leaned forward, hanging on Fiona's every word.

"It's a shame you've bought into the rumors, thinking these parasites are real. Even if they exist, this isn't how you cultivate them. Feeding them flesh and blood, hiding them under the skin, hoping no one notices until you pump your blood into Jasmine-did you really think it was the parasites that did her in?"