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

Fiona, unfazed by the hustle and bustle around her, kept her eyes low, giving the old man a brief look before grabbing her fork and starting to eat. These folks clearly had no intention of letting her leave with Tyler anytime soon, but she wasn't too concerned about their plans.

Worried that the food might have been tampered with, Tyler quickly stopped Fiona, shaking his head in warning. "I wouldn't poison my own food," the old man grumbled defensively.

"Who can say? It's not like this is your first rodeo with dirty tricks," Tyler snapped back, his words hitting a nerve.

The old man was thrown off by Tyler's boldness, clearly not used to such pushback. Tyler wasn't the type to back down easily.

"Jules, how can you talk to Grandpa like that?" The young woman jumped up, stepping between them, her eyes filled with disappointment. "Grandpa's always been good to you, never asking for anything, and yet you..."

"Good? More like keeping me locked up," Tyler retorted sharply. "I wish I'd never had anything to do with you guys."noveldrama

He glanced at Fiona, worried she might think poorly of him for his outburst. But Fiona didn't seem bothered in the slightest.

...

After dinner, the young woman led Fiona to a guest room upstairs. "Here's your room. I laid out some pajamas for you on the bed. Just change and get some rest," she said, turning to face Fiona at the door. "If Grandpa hadn't insisted, I wouldn't be looking after someone like you!"

Fiona said nothing, though she didn't look particularly well.

"Fiona," Tyler called out, hurrying over to her. The young woman, seeing how familiar they were and hearing how he addressed Fiona, was nearly fuming but could only stomp off in a huff towards the old man's direction.

"Don't worry about what the old guy said. He's stuck in his ways, clinging to outdated traditions. Tonight might be rough, but I have no idea what he's up to. We just need to be careful, and we'll leave first thing in the morning."

With that, Tyler slipped an SD card into Fiona's hand, his eyes darting around as if he feared being watched. "Fiona, I know you can figure out what's on here. I don't have anyone else to turn to

"Okay," Fiona replied with a nod. "Do you still have your phone?"

"They took it the day I texted you," he said, sounding a bit let down.

Fiona pulled a small smartphone from her pocket and handed it to him. "Keep it hidden. Reach out if you need anything."

"Now, get some rest. Finding this place must've been exhausting," he added, though he left his gratitude unspoken.

Once Fiona was inside her room, Tyler lingered at the door a moment longer before finally leaving.

After locking the door, Fiona quickly scanned the room for any hidden cameras or recording devices. Satisfied there were none, she relaxed.

She took off her jacket and pulled a small earbud case from her pocket. Using a hairpin, she triggered a hidden compartment just the right size for the SD card.

"Looks like the Reynolds family is more intricate than I thought," Fiona chuckled to herself, sliding the SD card in. She popped in the earbuds, but there was only silence.