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

All the contestants were on edge, hands hovering over their buzzers, ready to jump in. The audience was just as tense, holding their breath and silently rooting for their favorites.

Honestly, the theory questions were way tougher than just designing something. Most people couldn't remember all those design principles from school-they were the kind of facts you only crammed for exams, not something you used every day.

The tension in the air was electric as everyone raced to answer.

"Let's give it up for Country M! They've scored the first point!" the host called out, her voice booming across the hall.

The crowd exploded in cheers. Country M's quick lead made the other teams grit their teeth and sit up a little straighter.

Fiona sat quietly in her seat, eyes fixed on the stage.

A few rows behind her, Jackson watched her with a look of quiet longing, his shoulders slumped in loneliness. Next to him sat Amy, who kept turning to chat with him, her tone light and familiar.

Amy was here as the Gregory family's representative, and since the Gregorys had made a deal with the Woods family, she and Jackson seemed to get along just fine—or at least, that's how it looked from afar.

But Fiona had always disliked Amy. Actually, "dislike" was putting it mildly-she could barely stand her.

and talking with Amy just twisted the knife

could've been

a look straight at Fiona. She knew perfectly

got a little dirty," Amy said, her voice just

something dark flickering

into your own growth as you do into snide remarks, you might actually get somewhere," he

from Center College in a couple of years.

so carefree that anyone watching might think she and Jackson were

her tone teasing. "You and Ms. Fiona used to be

your business," Jackson said flatly. "You'd do well to focus on your own life. The Gregory family is all you've got.

it hurt. Her smile dropped, her

like a storm

Did everyone really think being

rose and