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

Ben and his crew were completely stumped.

A drill? Seriously? Did they expect anyone to buy that? They'd been on the brink of disaster, and it was being brushed off as just a "drill"... Karter was the picture of calm. After he got the antidote from Flora and administered it, he sent them off with a promise to explain later.

Ben and the others couldn't get out of there fast enough. Flora was just too much for them. Her presence alone was a haunting reminder of how close they'd come to the end. As seasoned veterans in positions of power, they hadn't felt fear like that in ages. Once they were sure Karter was safe, they made a quick exit.

With their departure, the Reyes house felt oddly empty.

"Mr. Shen, Flora, could you come upstairs with me for a bit? I need to talk to you," Karter said after a pause.

Raul nodded, and Flora followed suit, albeit slowly.

Connor and Kruz stayed back in the living room.

your dad's room," Karter said, leading them to a room on the third floor, all the way at the end. He opened the door.

Flora took it all in, her eyes eventually landing on a framed

The woman held a baby, while the man had one arm around her waist and the other supporting

the woman. Her head was slightly bowed, her demeanor cool and a bit aloof, but with him, her edges softened, and there was the hint of a smile on her lips. Flora looked a lot like the man, but her vibe was more like the

parents. They were some of the most incredible people I've ever known," Raul said, his

his life once. When he was on the streets, starving, they had given him a

friends' photo tugged at Raul's heartstrings, filling him with a

sighed, "Your dad, James Rivers, was my half-brother, the second son of the Reyes family, and a famous medical scientist. Your mom, vy-well, your dad never told us much about her

a lot like

your dad had a knack for medicine from an early age. He joined a research center at eighteen, then disappeared for six years, only to come back with your mom and you,