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

Connor's intense gaze cut through the room, and Flora, feeling the heat, glanced over and locked eyes with him. The moment she saw him, a smile broke out on her usually composed face, and she walked over to him with purpose.

Connor, seeing her heading straight for him, felt the tension in his body ease a bit at her smile, although the jealousy still smoldered inside him. When Flora was about six feet away, Connor swiftly closed the gap, wrapping his arm around her waist like a claim before planting a firm kiss on her lips.

The kiss was intense and commanding, lasting a solid half-minute before Connor finally pulled back. Flora, catching her breath, looked at him with confused, misty eyes.

What's up with Connor today? Something felt off. Usually, he's so restrained, rarely showing affection in public, and only giving in to her advances when he couldn't resist any longer.

Feeling her eyes on him, Connor looked down to meet her gaze. His eyes were slightly reddened, giving him a vulnerable look. His grip on her waist tightened, and his breathing grew heavy. When he glanced at Shawn, there was a clear wariness in his eyes.

It suddenly clicked for Flora, and she couldn't help but chuckle. Was Connor seriously jealous because he saw her with Shawn? It was totally something Connor would do.

Just then, Shawn walked over, and Flora immediately sensed Connor's breathing get heavier, the darkness in his eyes deepening.

Indeed...

Flora was both amused and exasperated.

Shawn stopped in front of them, giving Connor a curious glance and asked, "Flora, who's this?"

Without missing a beat, she introduced them, "Shawn, this is my fiancé, Connor."

Shawn was taken aback; he hadn't expected Flora, just a freshman, to be engaged already. After his initial surprise, he extended his hand warmly, "Nice to meet you, Mr. Connor. I'm Shawn."

Connor had zero interest in making nice, giving Shawn a brief, cold handshake before pulling his hand back. Shawn felt a chill run down his spine. This was their first meeting, right? So why did Connor seem to hate him so much?

Watching Connor's awkward behavior, Flora laughed silently to herself, "If there's nothing else, we should get going."

Shawn had hoped to invite Flora to lunch to discuss her joining his lab, but with her fiancé there, who clearly didn't like him, it didn't seem like the right time.

"Alright," Shawn said with a touch of regret. "Flora, I hope to see you in the lab on Monday."

Flora smiled but didn't respond. Instead, she linked her arm with Connor's and walked away with him.

As soon as they got into the car, Flora tackled Connor onto the back seat. The drivers, Moss and Beck, discreetly raised the privacy partition, pretending not to notice.ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

"So, you've learned to get jealous, huh?" Flora, straddling Connor, leaned down to look at him.

"Yeah, I got jealous. You smiled at him, and it made me jealous."

But more than that, Connor had seen a look of admiration in Shawn's eyes - a look a man gives only to a woman he's interested in. Maybe Shawn hadn't realized it himself, but Connor had, and the thought of Flora being desired by another man stirred a storm inside him.

Seeing the raw jealousy in his eyes, Flora leaned in, her lips brushing against his earlobe before biting down hard. "No more unwarranted jealousy, or I'll have to punish you."