Miss Josefina: Nobody's Princess

Of course, Billy had to cough up everything he hadn't yet gotten his hands on.

Jade had no idea what Josefina meant by that, but she couldn't help thinking Josefina was just too cool for words!

Alex's face was a patchwork of bruises and cuts, a sight that was hard to stomach. Jade's gaze shifted from Josefina's striking beauty to Alex's battered face, and she couldn't suppress a gasp. "Alex, you look like you've been through the wringer."

Alex managed a wry smile. "You finally remember me, huh?"

Josefina took charge. "First things first, get to the hospital and get those wounds checked out. Make sure you keep all the paperwork tidy. It'll come in handy later."

She handed Alex a business card with Percy's name on it. "Go see him. He'll patch you up and make sure you get all the reports you need."

Having someone on the inside at the hospital sure made things easier.

Alex and Jade had complete faith in Josefina. After all, she had saved their lives. Who else could they trust if not her?

Josefina continued, "Take a few days off. Don't worry about work; just focus on getting to the hospital and getting checked out."

After thanking Josefina, Jade helped Alex on his way out.

Billy had scrubbed himself raw in the shower. His skin was nearly rubbed off, but he could still smell the stench of filth.

Lauren instructed the maid with a disgusted expression, "Dump all of his clothes in the trash no, the dumpster at the end of the block! They reek!"

The maid, donning gloves, packed up Billy's discarded garments into a bag and took them out.

Billy emerged in a bathrobe, having

metProperty belongs to Nôvel(D)r/ama.Org.

doused himself in a generous amount of cologne to mask the nauseating odor. Lauren caught a whiff of the familiar scent and winced, realizing it was her favorite, now-discontinued perfume.

Seething, Lauren confronted him, "Billy, who on earth threw that muck at you? It wasn't that Josefina, was it?"

Billy was livid. "That little bitch doesn't have the guts for this kind of stunt! Whoever did this had some serious muscle. Josefina? Not a chance."

The culprit had to be strong to lug a bucket like that, and Josefina surely didn't have that kind of strength.

Lauren prodded further, "Who have you crossed, Billy?"

Billy snapped back, "How should I know who I've offended? Why can't it just be bad luck?"

Lauren's temper flared at his

response. "Billy, are you insinuating something? Are you pointing fingers at our Ruby? Don't forget. It was Ruby's friend who joined the company and started raking in profits. Ruby's been working her tail off for us. Accuse her, and you're

beyond ungrateful."

Billy's brow furrowed. He sensed something off about Lauren's attitude towards Ruby. Was it all just guilt over a mix-up eighteen years ago?

He didn't agree with Lauren's

approach, but since Ruby had indeed contributed to the company's success he wasn't going to pick a fight over it. "Would I say something like that? I see how hard Ruby works for the company, for our family, and it breaks my heart. In the end, isn't she the one who'll be running our empire?"

Lauren softened at his words, "That's more like it."

Billy affirmed, "Ruby's my kid too. How could I not care for her?"

The couple shared a smile, turning what began as a spat into a moment of affectionate teasing.

Just then, the police arrived at Billy's door. Seeing the officers, Billy assumed Lauren had called them to catch the culprit.

He demanded, puffing up with indignation, "Have you found out who's trying to take me down?"