Flora’s Guide to a Second Chance at Love and Life novel Chapter 1975

Explosion?

Bentley’s mind flashed back to the mess on the floor when he’d come in earlier. He hadn’t thought much of it at the time—just noticed Amy lying there, with bits of what looked like an antique vase scattered around her. But now it clicked: those scraps of fake skin had to belong to the imitation Amy.

He remembered, years ago, agreeing to this deal, already knowing the fake Amy wasn’t human. She was a chip-based android, perfectly lifelike on the outside, but programmed to self-destruct to protect her code if things went south.

Bentley stepped forward and grabbed Amy’s hand, gripping it tight. “Did she say anything to you before she died?” he asked, voice low and urgent.

Amy shrank back, putting on the perfect show of fear—her eyes wide, trembling like a helpless little thing.

Tears welled up as she looked at him, voice barely more than a whisper. “No, nothing. As soon as I got downstairs, she started hitting me. Just like before, when she’d lock me up and go crazy. I was terrified, I just curled up in the corner. She kept shouting about being conscious, about being a real person, and then... I must have blacked out. I didn’t hear anything else.”

Tears streamed down her cheeks, so pitiful that anyone watching would feel sorry for her.

The more she acted like the fragile victim, the safer she was.

Lucy, who already felt guilty for everything Amy had been through, only believed her more after that.

Lucy shot Bentley a glare and shoved him aside, then wrapped Amy up in a hug. She stroked Amy’s back, comforting her like a child, and eventually soothed her to sleep.

Bentley tried a couple more times to pull Amy up and get answers, but every time, Lucy shut him down with a look.

Frustrated and out of options, Bentley finally stormed off.

“Then what is there to worry about? She’s been locked up for years. What could she possibly be planning? She’s scared of her own shadow now. You really think she’s capable of causing trouble?”

Lucy shrugged it off, but Bentley’s face was still clouded with worry.

It wasn’t that he cared that much about Amy, but the whole thing was just too strange—everything happened so fast, they barely had time to react.

“Enough already. Grace self-destructed, so go talk to our contacts. Ask them what they want us to do next—they owe us an explanation.”

“You’re right. I’ll go now. This can’t just end here. Grace’s exposure has caused so much trouble for the Gregory family. Even now, our stocks are still falling. Watch Amy for me—make sure she keeps her head down. Maybe send her back to school, let everyone see her playing the victim. Remind people she’s still around.”