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

In the lab, Eula was pacing, rubbing the back of his head where a tuft of hair hung messily. He caught a glimpse of the surveillance footage and saw someone turn off the poison gas switch, letting in the folks from Club 257 and Empire Base. That someone looked like a

bodyguard, and Eula recognized him it was one of Aiden's guys!

"The nerve of that kid," he muttered, "betraying me over a woman, doesn't even care about his own skin!"

Did he really think he could make a run for it now that the 257 and Empire Base crew were here? Eula knew his number was up, but at least the lab would hold for a bit longer. It was built like a fortress; not even a truckload of explosives could blow it open, and breaking his security system was no small feat for anyone.

Just as he was thinking this, alarms blared through the lab. Eula's face went white with shock. Someone had breached the security already?

"Damn it!" he cursed, shooting a deadly glare at Flora, who was tied up against the wall. This was all her fault! If he was going down, he wasn't letting her off the hook.

Eula dashed into the lab and came out about half a minute later, no one knew what he did in there. When he re-emerged, he clutched Flora, holding a vial threateningly as if ready to pour its contents on her.

Flora stayed silent, her body marked with wounds, looking drained of energy. But Eula didn't notice her eyes were sharper now, and her breathing was steadier than when she was first poisoned. Her hands, hidden beneath her sleeves, were subtly moving. Just as Eula grabbed Flora, the door was kicked open! Flora lifted her gaze.

A man stood there, tall and striking, exuding a chilly confidence. Right now, his chest was heaving, his breath unsteady. His amber eyes were filled with tension, urgency, and a rare flash of fear, especially at the sight of Flora's injuries. Their eyes locked, and Flora swallowed hard.

A young man, trailing just behind Connor, saw Flora being held hostage and his eyes flared with anger: "Eula, let Flora go!"

"You ungrateful punk, did you forget who pulled you out of the fire?" Eula raged, "Throwing me over for a woman!" The young man fell silent.

"Hmph, I know I'm not walking out of here, but I'm not making it easy for you," Eula sneered. "This vial's got a chemical that can eat through anything. One drop on Flora, and she'll die a horrible death!"

"You're cornered, let her go now," Connor demanded, his eyes locked on Eula's hand holding the vial. He had been through a lot in his life, but this was the first time he felt his breath catch with panic. The gun in his hand shook.

He was sure he could hit Eula, but that would risk spilling the chemical on Flora.

He couldn't gamble with Flora's life.

"You all act like you care about this woman, don't you?" Eula taunted, "People are naturally selfish. I'm curious, how far will you go for her?"

"Drop your weapons, grab that

scalpel from the table, and start

cutting yourselves. I'll let you ki ét

when to stop." Eula paused, a wicked grin spreading across his face. Or maybe I'll just finish her now and see whose trigger finger is quicker."