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

Joey was scratching his head when Flora refused to hop into the car. He stared at her for a moment and then figured she might be turning her nose up at it. "Ms. Flora," he said, trying to explain, "Martial Town isn't exactly overflowing with cars, and this is the best we could rustle up. Can you make do with this one for now?"

Martial Town did have some nicer sedans and SUVs, but those were reserved for folks with deep pockets, which wasn't their situation.

Flora rubbed her temples, clearly not thrilled about getting in.

Just then, the sound of a car horn cut through the air!

Flora looked over to see a shiny new SUV heading their way. Her eyes lit up. Now, that was what she called a ride!

Joey, on the other hand, went white as a sheet and quickly hopped off the tractor. "Abby, don't go shooting your mouth off later. That's a bigwig from the Fund," he whispered, thinking Abby, fresh to Martial Town, might not have a clue about the Fund. "Just stick close and keep quiet."

As they talked, the SUV rolled up right in front of them.

Joey tensed up.

The door swung open, and out stepped a man in a green military uniform. He was tall and imposing, and he made a beeline for them.

Joey's knees nearly buckled.

"Is there something we can assist you with, Officer?" he asked, trying to sound brave. The Gilbert family hadn't stepped out of line recently, had they?

The man ignored him and kept walking until Joey realized his target was Flora. Joey's expression changed, and just as he was about to step in, the man stopped and bowed deeply.

"Miss Flora, I'm here to pick you up. Welcome to Martial Town."

Flora raised an eyebrow.

He was here for her?

She glanced at Joey, who still looked like a deer caught in headlights.

Having someone from the Fund personally show up for Flora was hard to wrap his head around.

And was it just his imagination, or were they treating Flora with an unusual amount of respect? Flora's phone buzzed with a message from Connor.

[Flora, that's my guy. You're safe with them.]

Ah, so it was Connor's doing.

Flora's apprehension melted away, and she smoothly followed the man into the SUV.

Joey snapped back to reality, trying to stop her, but the car door had already shut, leaving him choking on exhaust fumes.

He didn't have the luxury to dwell on it and hurried back onto the tractor to give chase.

He wasn't too worried about the Fund causing Flora any harm. They were all about keeping the peace in Martial Town and only went after wrongdoers, not someone like Flora.

But he still felt uneasy, so he had to follow. He wished he could use some fancy footwork to catch up, but someone needed to get that tractor back; they couldn't just leave it behind! The Gilbert family only had that one vehicle; losing it would mean a world of trouble for him!

...

The SUV cruised into the town

center, which was starting to buzz with activity. Rows of Western-style buildings lined the streets. There weren't many pedestrians, but those who saw the SUV made way trying to sneak a peek inside.

The windows weren't fully up, and you could barely make out a young lady in the backseat, though her face was a mystery.

"Who is that woman, to have the Fund personally chauffeur her around?" folks began to gossip.

"I know all the big family gals in

Martial Town, but she's a new face..." someone speculated, slapping their thigh. "I heard today's the day the global champion Flora arrives in Martial Town. Could that be Flora in the car?"

The suggestion got some skeptical looks.

"Are you nuts? There's no way that's Flora inside. No matter how good she is, she wouldn't catch the Fund's eye."

Everyone nodded in agreement, speculating about the mystery passenger.

Meanwhile, Flora had arrived at the Gilbert family's place.

The man let her off a street away from the Gilbert family's house.

Joey hadn't made it back yet; judging by the tractor's speed, Flora figured he'd take another half hour.

Not one to wait around, she headed straight for the Gilbert family's house.

The gates were wide open, with guards stationed on either side. Seeing Flora approach, they asked cautiously, "And who might you be?"

"Flora," she replied.

Both guards were surprised!

The Gilbert family was expecting a guest of exceptional talent named Flora today, also a young lady, but wasn't Joey supposed to pick her up? How did she end up here alone? Sensing their doubt, Flora didn't bother to explain further. She simply showed them her ID. They checked it and immediately straightened up, treating her with newfound respect. "Ms. Flora, please come in!"

Meanwhile, in the Gilbert family's backyard.

A bunch of teens were huddled together, deep in discussion.

"She's here already?" one of the teens, wearing a martial arts gi and sporting bright red hair with a matching bandana, jumped up at the news.

"She finally made it!" exclaimed a girl

next to him, excitement sparking in her eyes. "Let's go see her. They say she knocked out Lillian with one move. I want to see if she's really as legendary as they claim."

"Do you really buy that? Without any inner strength, how could she have taken down Lillian? I bet she used some sneaky tricks! If that's true, we can't let her stay with the Gilbert family!" "Exactly, the Gilbert family isn't for just anyone. If she wants to stay, she'll have to get past us first!"

With that, the group stormed out, ready for confrontation!