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

It didn't take long before they were standing face-to-face with the director of the Country M research base.

Before Jackson or Fiona could say a word, the director hit a button, and two people appeared behind them almost instantly.

Jackson's entire expression changed in a split second. Those two people-it was his parents. The ones he'd spent years searching for.

Fiona's temper spiked the moment she realized what was happening. She moved closer to Jackson, glanced up at his tense profile, and whispered, "Jackson?"

She could see the pain written all over his face, the heartbreak in his eyes.

"I'm okay, Fiona. Don't worry about me," he said softly, but she saw the truth-the longing and panic he was trying so hard to hide.

Really, who could stay calm in this situation? After all these years, his parents were right in front of him. No one else could understand what that felt like.

The research base had always seemed to have the upper hand-until this arrogant cyborg tried to take over by swapping identities.

But a cyborg will always be a cyborg. No matter how well it mimics a real person, it can never really escape its own programming.

"Come here quietly, or I'll kill them. You've been looking for them for years, haven't you? They're right in front of you now. What are you waiting for?" the director taunted.

His words had barely faded when a sudden explosion rocked the building. The entire electrical system blew, backup generators and all.

cyborg was totally unprepared,

two figures beside him collapsed, black charging cables falling

even get a chance to say a

they'd already figured out-these weren't

hard they tried, they couldn't make perfect duplicates. In the end, his real parents died in the

If the parents were so hard to copy, maybe the children—both so talented—would make even better test

authorities wasted no time distancing themselves from the

managed to destroy everything,

it was all over, Jackson and Fiona headed home to

Woods and Stonnell families trusted them completely,

old guard to step aside and let the kids handle things their

the big news: Jackson

knew them felt

they'd been through, all anyone wanted was to bless them and wish

when I graduate, let's get married," Fiona

"Absolutely. Then we'll really be

finally having a place by each

years later, Fiona graduated from

and Stonnell families had started planning months earlier. It was a rare joyful event-everyone