Miss Josefina: Nobody's Princess

Tiger, Luke's right-hand man, couldn't hide the worry from his voice as he spoke to Josefina, "I can't reach Livia. She was at the auction bidding on some herbs, and we've been in touch the whole time. But now, she's just gone silent."

Josefina's face darkened with concern, "Have you sent someone to check on her?"

"People are already on their way, but they're still en route. I came along too, so I'll keep you updated as soon as we get any news."

Josefina felt frantic, wishing she could be there with them.

"You should stay put for now. We'll handle the recon. If you leave Westwood, there might be a bigger mess. Better you stay and keep things running here."

Josefina gripped her smartphone tightly in hand, her brows furrowing, and in a hushed tone, she said, "I understand. Stay safe. I'll send backup to meet up with you."

"Thanks, Ms. Josefina," Tiger said before they ended the call.

No sooner had Josefina hung up than another call came through from Luke.

"Ms. Josefina, I'm feeling better now. I should go look for Livia," said Luke, restless and worried.

"Your wounds haven't healed yet. I've got Tiger taking a team to look for Livia. You just focus on getting better. Livia's got more lives than a cat. She'll be fine." After soothing Luke's nerves, Josefina was still inwardly panicking. In a moment of unsteadiness, Josefina stumbled, only to fall into a warm embrace.

Oliver, sensing the shift in Josefina's mood, held her close, his eyes filled with concern, "What's happened?" Josefina clung to Oliver's arm, looking into his eyes with a raspy voice, "A friend of mine has gone missing."

His thoughts immediately raced to a possible romantic entanglement. What man could leave Josefina so distraught?

Before a twinge of jealousy could surface, Josefina added, "It's Livia. You've met her when we had dinner together."

A wave of relief washed over Oliver, replacing his worry with resolve, "Where did she go missing? Tell me the place, maybe I can help."

Considering his extensive connections, Josefina thought that Oliver might indeed be of assistance. "It's Westsand Isle," Josefina revealed.

Oliver's mind raced, connecting

Westsand Isle to the recent auction. "Livia went to Westsand Isle for the auction, right?" he surmised. "I know people over there, and I have

contacts inside the auction as well. I'll send a message over there now and ask for help in finding your friend."

Josefina looked up incredulously, "Really?"

Oliver playfully stroked her nose, "Silly girl, would I lie to you?"

Caught off guard, Josefina's eyes softened, making Oliver's desire surge. "Don't tempt me here," Oliver whispered, closing in on Josefina, his voice commanding.

Josefina pushed Oliver away, stepping out of his embrace as he took out his phone to send messages, a mischievous smile playing on his lips.

Lena, standing not too far off, had

tried to snap a candid shot of the two sharing an intimate moment. In the play of light and shadow, their gaze seemed to weave together, intense and intimate.

Frustrated, Lena deleted the photo. She had been hoping to catch an unflattering shot of Josefina to send to that person. Damn it, every picture she took was too damn beautiful. Annoyed, Lena turned around to find herself caught in Annika's piercing gaze.

Startled, Lena snapped, "Annika, did you mean to scare me like that? You almost gave me a heart attack."

Unfazed, Annika chuckled, "MissContentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!

Lena, I've been here the whole time.

You just didn't notice. You were busy taking pictures of Ms. Josefina, snap after snap. Why are you snapping photos of Miss Josefina?"