Miss Josefina: Nobody's Princess

Chapter 100

"Josie, I swear, Oliver's dad—my own flesh and blood—is such a headache. From now on, he's history as far as Oliver's concerned, and you won't have to deal with him either. Trust me, I won't let this hot mess affect you or Oliver. You won't have to worry about a thing."

With a mix of laughter and tears, Josefina clarified, "Grandpa Brandon, you've got it all wrong. Oliver and I aren't an item." She had nothing to do with Oliver.

"Josie, just because there's nothing now doesn't mean there won't be something in the future, right?"

Brandon's words left Josefina blushing, and just then, Oliver showed up. "Grandpa, are you here to see Josie? Why didn't you give me a heads-up?"

"What's it to you? Is Josie your girl now? Do I need your permission to see her?"

Brandon shot Oliver a look that silently teased, "Can't believe you still haven't won Josie over. You're useless."

Oliver ignored Brandon's jab, his gaze settling on Josefina. "Have you eaten?"

She nodded.

Oliver handed her a document. "The contract—I've signed it. Take a look."

While Oliver sat down to eat, Josefina opened the contract and saw his signature, bold and strong, a reflection of his character.

Brandon noticed the contract and curiously asked, "You two are working together?"

Oliver was busy eating, so Josefina explained, "Oliver's collaborating with our company. We're about to launch a new fall line."

Although Brandon didn't quite grasp the specifics of the partnership, he didn't miss a beat in praising Josefina. "Josie, you're amazing. Everything you do is spot-on, and you run the company so well. You're truly outstanding." Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

Josefina was modestly embarrassed by the praise. Back when she lived with the Antonios, life was a series of put-downs. Then she met her mentor and strived to learn and grow, his praise was her greatest motivation.

No one else had ever complimented her. Now that she was back with her biological parents, she was surrounded by admirers. No matter what she did, the praises kept coming.

Flashing back to those moments, Josefina smiled at Brandon's compliment. "Thank you for your kind words, Grandpa Brandon."

"Josie, I've got to run some errands. You and Oliver have a good chat."

With a knowing look at Bennett, they left the private dining room. The room quieted down, leaving only Josefina and Oliver. They exchanged glances, and she shyly looked away. His gaze was too intense, too much for her to handle.

"You finish up. I need to get back to the office."

As Josefina stood to leave, Oliver caught her arm. "I haven't put medicine on my wound yet."

Josefina sighed. She strongly suspected Oliver was using this as an excuse to see her. "Why didn't you have George help you at the office?"

Oliver simply replied, "I'm not comfortable with that." He handed her the medicine and skillfully shed his white shirt.

The daylight was perfect, and as Josefina gazed at Oliver's back, she involuntarily swallowed hard. Her hand touched his skin, and the contact made her cheeks burn even redder.

Only after she applied the ointment and saw his wound healing did she feel at ease.

"I really have to go," she said, standing up.

Josefina dashed out of the restaurant, her phone ringing as she reached the street.

Kale sounded anxious, "Ms. Josefina, you need to come back. There's been a problem."