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

So, when Fiona stepped out of the restroom, she immediately spotted Jackson lounging casually against the wall. He had one hand tucked into his pocket and the other fiddling with his phone, his leg bent in a relaxed pose.

With his head slightly bowed, his profile looked like it was chiseled by the gods-smooth yet strong, with a full forehead leading down to a striking nose, and those slightly pursed, cool lips. His Adam's apple shifted subtly, disappearing into the open collar of his black velvet shirt. He radiated an effortless air of mystery and restraint. He was undeniably attractive.

Fiona felt her heart do a little flip, and while she was still caught up in admiring him, Jackson seemed to sense her gaze and turned his head slightly to look at her. His eyes were deep and unreadable. "Hey, big brother!" she greeted him, moving closer.

"What brings you here?"

"I'm here with Adam for dinner. It got a bit stuffy inside, so I stepped out for some fresh air," Jackson said, straightening up a bit and offering her a smile. "What a coincidence running into you."

Yeah, quite the coincidence-wait a second! Her uncle was still inside the room!

Fiona's internal alarms went off, and she quickly said, "Yeah, what a coincidence, huh? It's pretty chilly out; you should head back inside where it's warm."

"I'm bundled up enough, not cold at all," Jackson chuckled softly. "But you, wearing so little, might be feeling the chill."

Fiona forced a laugh; she was definitely not cold! In fact, she felt like she might start sweating from panic! If her uncle came out and saw Jackson, she'd have a lot of explaining to do!

"Are you here for dinner too?" Jackson asked, catching her flustered look but keeping his expression calm, his eyes holding a gentle smile.

"Yeah, I'm here with a friend," Fiona replied, feeling like she could cry from the sheer bad luck of bumping into him.

Jackson watched her for a moment, noticing her mix of panic and forced calm.

Alright, he thought. It wasn't fair to put her on the spot like this. Whatever she wanted to do was her business, and he had no right to interfere. He just hoped she wouldn't get fooled by anyone, given her young age.

"Alright, go back in. Don't keep your friend waiting. I'll head back too," Jackson said softly. Fiona nodded eagerly, clearly wanting him to leave.

Her acting wasn't the greatest. She couldn't hide anything. Jackson paused for a moment, his lips pressing together, but he didn't say anything more. He stepped aside and walked away with long strides, his tall figure disappearing around the corner.

Fiona finally exhaled a sigh of relief. Damn it. She really wasn't good at lying. One lie just led to more lies. What a headache.

She slipped back into the room, where Henrik was putting her favorite dish, sauerkraut fish, into her bowl Seeing her sneaking in, he looked surprised and teased, "Fiona, Weaky business were you up now? Show your uncle."

Otherwise, why look so guilty?

Fiona: "..."

She wasn't up to anything!

Meanwhile, Jackson picked up his phone and made a call. "Get me the details on who's in private dining room number six."

He wasn't trying to control Fiona's

life. It's just that, no matter hownoveldrama

savvy she seemed, she was still young and could easily be misled. If she was indeed seeing someone, maybe a new boyfriend, he just wanted to make sure everything was alright.