Chapter 1043

It was late when Leah had to report back. Even though the mission didn't pan out, she had to face the music. Armed and astride her motorcycle, she zipped over to the riverbank.

"My mission was a bust. Fiona's guard is up there with the best. Even when I tried the baby powder trick on her man, she didn't bite," Leah admitted, frustration evident in her voice.

The woman in the dark cloak stood tall, exuding authority. "You took my deposit, and that's your excuse?"

"You knew this gig was no walk in the park, which is why you shelled out the big bucks. You must've seen this coming, right?" Leah countered, testing the waters.

"Anticipating something and you failing to deliver are two different things. The deposit you took? You'll need to cough it up."

"That's a load of crap!" Leah shot back, whipping out her gun and aiming it at the cloaked figure.

Unfazed, the cloaked woman edged closer, taunting, "You really think you're up for shooting me?"

Just as Leah was about to pull the trigger, she was hit with a swift, lethal strike. A silver needle from the cloaked woman's hand found its mark in Leah's body.

The once fierce Leah suddenly weakened, and as she crumpled, she was unceremoniously tossed into the river. The cloaked figure dusted her hands, her demeanor icy and detached.

Josefina had spent three days at home, sifting through Oliver's assets. The sheer magnitude was mind-boggling. Yet, she thought Oliver deserved every bit of it.

Her phone buzzed, slicing through the quiet. It was Alex: "Ms. Josefina, could you swing by today? We've got a pretty intricate order. I've gone through ten design drafts and still can't crack it."

Alex felt awkward. Josefina had handed over the reins of the company to him, appointing him as the design director. Yet, he still found himself needing her insights.

"Sure thing, I'm on my way," Josefina replied.

She hung up and let Linden know she needed a driver for a trip out. Overhearing, Hattie chimed in, "Josie, let me tag along."

"Mom, you've got a meeting in an hour. We'll head out together,

the meeting, and I'll tackle the

design work, Once we'reitet

done,

we'll head back together."

"But..." Hattie hesitated, concern etched on her face.

"Don't fret Tori and Jett will be my shadow, Josefina assured her, having brought Ton and Jett back for her safety. In the end, they both set off together.

Josefina wore a custom-designed black coat, a labor of love made from fabric that resisted fire, water, and knife stabs. It had tak

It had taken ages to

down the materials, and she'd

ent a small fortune on it.

As she walked into the office, Deanna was brewing coffee. Spotting Josefina, she

prepared a pot of herbal tea and brought it to her office.

Josefina had just settled in with Alex when Deanna arrived with the tea.

"Ms. Josefina, my friend sent me this rose tea. Care to try some?"

"Thanks," Josefina replied, though she didn't take a sip.

Alex spread his designs out for her, "Here are my sketches, take a look."

Standing nearby, Deanna softly asked, "Ms. Josefina, may I stick around and listen in?"

Josefina glanced at her and, with a welcoming smile, agreed. "Sure, stay. You can draft a design for me too."

"Thank you, Ms. Josefina, for the chance." Deanna beamed, sharing a knowing smile with Alex as they settled in for work.

Josefina reviewed the client's needs, examined Alex's designs, and dove into her tasks.

...

Oliver's call came through just as Josefina was wrapping up her work.