Flora’s Guide to a Second Chance at Love and Life novel Chapter 1853

Now all that was left was for the little troublemaker to handle her business. With the whole afternoon ahead, Fiona grabbed Jackson’s hand and dragged him through the busiest streets she could find. The more people there were, the more she seemed to shine, every step catching someone’s eye.

Unbeknownst to her—or so he thought—a guy was tailing them, sneakily livestreaming Fiona’s every move. Word spread fast, and soon the shopping mall was packed, people flooding in just to catch a glimpse of real-life high society. The guy couldn't stop grinning as his stream filled up with viewers and gifts. For him, this was payday.

He tried to zoom in on Jackson and Fiona, but before he could get a good shot, he walked smack into a couple of girls coming the other way. His phone flew out of his hands and hit the floor, screen going black.

“Seriously? You can’t just walk around glued to your phone with this many people!” one of the girls snapped.

He scrambled to pick up his phone, smacking it a few times, but the screen stayed dark. Weirdly, he could still hear faint music from the stream—unless he was just hearing things. How could a dead phone still play music?

“You two must be crazy! Pay up! I was just walking, you ran into me and busted my phone. You should pay for it!” he shouted.

Then he realized it was just two young girls. Both were pretty, and with his stream down, he threw them a sleazy grin. “Or you could just come hang out with me. I’ve got plenty of money, you know.”

One of the girls rolled her eyes. “Are you nuts? You were the one glued to your phone, not looking where you were going. The mall’s packed, and you barreled straight into us! If anything, you owe us for the trauma. And who cares how much money you’ve got?”

The guy realized he’d pushed his luck and slunk off, but not before glancing nervously at Jackson and Fiona standing nearby. It almost felt like they’d set him up.

Jackson closed the file and tossed it aside, his eyes lingering on the way Fiona lounged against the desk, all curves and attitude. Without a word, he got up and swept her into his arms, carrying her over to the sofa. On the coffee table, a plate of sliced fruit was waiting.

He picked up a piece of watermelon and held it out to her, his gaze softening. “Yeah, it’s all settled. I think it won’t be long before the truth about what happened back then comes out.”

“That’s good. Now that you’ve got your feet planted with the Woods, I guess I need to step up my game too,” Fiona teased, biting into the watermelon.

She paused for a moment, thoughtful. “Hey, Jackson—do you think Josie’s really dead?”