Miss Josefina: Nobody's Princess

Chapter 96

Calix clutched his finger, wincing as he went in search of a band-aid. In the hallway, he spotted Josefina clad in comfy loungewear. With puppy-dog eyes, he approached. "Josie, could you help me find a band-aid, pretty please?"

Josefina asked, "You're hurt?"

Calix nodded, "I wanted to slice some fruit for you but ended up cutting my finger. It hurts like heck."

Josefina felt a wave of empathy and told Calix, "Wait here, I’ve got some band-aids in my room."

"Okay, I'll wait right here for you."

As Josefina took the elevator up, Lena appeared. "Calix, I have a Band-Aid right here. Let me put it on for you."

Calix, hand over the wound, shook his head. "No, Lena, I'd rather Josie helps me. It might bring us closer, you know? Josie's had it rough. We need to look out for her, treat her with extra TLC."

Lena was visibly irked. This was not how she wanted to spend her days! Josefina was pitiable, but what about her?

They were both equally pitiable, so why did everyone fuss over Josefina?

"Lena, why are you so silent? Don’t you agree with me?"

"No, Calix, you're totally right," she replied awkwardly, slipping the band-aid into her pocket as if she never had it. Property of Nô)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

When Josefina returned, she expertly dressed Calix's wound and handed him a few extra band- aids.

"Josie, I’ve never seen these band-aids in stores before."

"They're homemade," Josefina explained. "The medicine inside is specially formulated for bleeding cuts."

"Josie, you're amazing. You even know medical stuff!"

Calix was astonished to find the bleeding had stopped, and the pain had eased. He was amazed.

Impressive!

Josefina, a bit embarrassed by the praise, got up to pour herself a glass of water.

Soon, the family gathered for dinner. Five servants presented a delicious spread. Ten dishes graced the table alongside Robert’s, Garrett’s, and Hattie’s creations.

Robert ladled some seafood chowder into a bowl for Josefina. "Josie, try Grandpa's specialty. I'm quite proud of it."

"Thank you, Grandpa," Josefina said, accepting the bowl with both hands.

Garrett chimed in, "Josie, those pies in front of you are my handiwork. Give them a taste, will you?"

He turned to Lena. "Lena, you should try some too."

Hattie also encouraged Josefina and Lena to sample her homemade pasta. Josefina enjoyed the dishes prepared by the her family, finding them delightful.

Lena ate mindlessly, her emotions numbed. Despite Garrett and Hattie having also prepared food for her, she felt it was all for Josefina, not her. Lena’s heart twisted with bitterness. Each bite of the dumpling felt like swallowing a grenade.

Meanwhile, Josefina savored her pies with a contented smile.

…

When Rowan returned home, his wife, Sydney, greeted him at the door. "Rowan, what happened to your hand? How did you get hurt?"

Rowan slumped onto the sofa, fuming, "That brat Oliver shot at me!"

Sydney gasped, sitting beside him. "Rowan, calm down. Oliver's always been reckless, sigh. He can't see that you're his father. Why won't he show you respect?"

"He’s never taken me seriously! The Baldwin family would still thrive without him."

Sydney echoed his sentiment, "If he won’t hand over the company, let him be. I married you, not for these material things."

"Hmph, he wants control over the entire Baldwin family? He'll have to get through me first!"

With a painful backhand and steely gaze, Rowan declared, "I've set things in motion. By tomorrow, he’ll learn who truly calls the shots around here!"