Miss Josefina: Nobody's Princess
Chapter 344

"Mrs. Lauren, is this your stuff?" Kale handed over a small pendant. "Ms. Josefina asked me to give it back to you."

Lauren snatched the pendant, a spark of anger in her eyes, and without a second thought, she tossed it into the nearest trash can.

Kale watched Lauren's retreating figure, shaking his head in a mix of frustration and pity. "Some folks don't know a good thing when they've got it," he muttered to himself. "Pushing their luck away, foolish really."

Back at home, Ruby was halfway through her lunch, seemingly unfazed by the world's dramas. Lauren's seething entrance, however, was enough to make Ruby lose her appetite on the spot. "Mom, what did Josefina say?" Ruby asked, with a tremble in her voice.

"What else could she say? That little brat refused to settle, demanding a whopping ten million dollars. Threatened to take you to court if you don't pay up," Lauren hissed.

The clatter of Ruby's fork hitting the floor echoed in the tense air. She rushed to sit beside Lauren, her mind racing with worry. "Mom, she is embarrassing you and Dad like this. How could Josefina be so heartless? Doesn't she care at all about you? She's just too selfish."

Lauren's expression was venomous. "I never thought she'd be so stubborn. That girl wants to make a mockery of the Antonio family."

"Mom, we've got to figure something out," Ruby pleaded.

"I'm working on it. Call your father. We'll brainstorm together. Ruby, I won't let anyone make a spectacle of you."

A faint smile finally broke through Ruby's worried facade.

...

At work, Josefina's phone buzzed. It was Annika. "Ms. Josefina, I just saw Lena leaving in a hurry, like she's got the weight of the world on her. She looked terrible. I'm following her right now. Maybe you should come?"

"Send me the address. I'll be there soon."

Annika messaged the details, keeping Josefina updated on Lena's whereabouts.

Grabbing her car keys, Josefina hurried out. It took her half an hour to catch up with Annika.

"Ms. Josefina, I'm not sure what's going on. Let me check it out first, and I'll signal if it's clear for you to come up," Annika suggested cautiously.

Josefina shook her head. "I'll go. You wait here. I've got the moves to get out if things get dicey."

Reluctantly, Annika nodded, and Josefina, donning a hat and a wig, slipped unnoticed into the hotel.

Lena sat in a hotel room, surrounded by five burly men.

"So, what kind of person requires our special attention?" one of the men inquired.

Lena smirked. "I hear she's got some moves. I lured her here, and now it's your job to keep her entertained. Do well, and there's extra in it for you."

"No problem," the man grinned. "There isn't a dame alive we can't handle. We'll make sure she's well looked after."

Lena smirked confidently, eager to see if Oliver would still want Josefina after she got violated by these men. To lure Josefina here, she put on quite the performance in front of Annika. With a satisfied smile, Lena got up. "I'll go check if our guest has arrived. If not, I'll lead her right to us."

"Sure thing," the men chuckled ominously.

Lena left the room, her face alight with the anticipation of victory.

Soon after, the door swung open, and the five men leered, ready to spring their trap.