Chapter 1281

The mood at the table was getting heavier by the minute. Josefina caught the worried looks on everyone's faces and decided to break the tension.

"Seriously, you all don't have to stress about me. It's just some company drama. Worst case, we close up shop—it's not the end of the world. I'll be fine, I promise,” she said, trying to sound as casual as possible.

Garrett backed her up. "Josie's right. We're the Harrisons, remember? So what if one company goes under? We've got plenty more to look after."

Seeing Josefina stay so upbeat, Garrett knew he had to match her energy. As her dad, he wasn't about to bring her down.

Hattie jumped in, "Honey, eat something first, okay? Let's save the heavy talk for after dinner. You'll feel better with some food in you."

Dorian spoke up, "Legal's on it already. And all that media gossip? Don't waste a second worrying about it, Josie. We've got people handling everything."

Reid added, "Sis, our team's pushing all those fake stories down the search rankings. They'll disappear soon enough."

Calix grinned at her. "Josie, you've gotta make me a few more outfits. I'm only wearing stuff from your line from now on!"

He meant it—he'd support his sister, no matter what.

With everyone rallying behind her, Josefina couldn't help but beam. Their support made her heart swell. She was touched, excited, and more confident than ever that she could handle whatever came next.

...

When Brandon caught wind of what happened, he didn't bother calling ahead-he just showed up at Cole's place.

The Cole family had been about to dig into a feast: perfectly cooked steaks flown in from overseas, paired with a bottle of red wine. The food looked and smelled amazing.

Brandon's unexpected arrival threw Cole and Makiko off. They exchanged nervous glances, caught off guard.

"Dad, you should've let me know you were coming. I would've picked you up," Cole said, hurrying over to help.

Brandon waved him off and headed straight for the sofa, settling in without so much as a word.

With Brandon in the house, nobody felt like eating steaks anymore. The four of them followed him to the living room, leaving dinner behind.

"Cole, what happened at Josie's show? You and Makiko were both there—tell me exactly what went down," Brandon said, voice serious.

Cole answered, "Dad, it all happened so fast. The models were walking the runway, then suddenly one of them just collapsed. I rushed over to check and saw she was covered in red spots looked like a bad rash or something."

Makiko nodded. "It was chaos. Josie got everyone to the hospital as fast as she could. Honestly, Dad, we have no idea what caused it."

Trying to change the subject, Cole said, "Dad, have you eaten yet? If not, stay for dinner with us."

But Brandon just sighed. “I can't eat. I can't sleep. I can't just go ask Oliver or Josie straight out—they've got enough on their plates. Cole, I honestly can't force down a single bite right now."

Cole was at a loss for words. Was he supposed to skip dinner too?

He forced a polite smile, doing his best to play the dutiful son. "Dad, you ne to keep your strength up f something happens to you, what are we supposed to do? Josie and Oliver still need your advice. Please look after yourself."

But Brandon wasn't letting it go. "Cole, you were there. Did you notice anyone acting strange? This wasn't an accident-someone's trying to hurt Josie. Whoever it is, they're nothing but a jealous rat, threatened by her talent fer success, everything she's accomplished at her age."

Makiko and Cole shared a look, wishing they could just disappear.

"Dad, it was pandemonium in there. There were so many people, it was impossible

to keep track," Cole said, trying to keep his voice steady.

Brandon narrowed his eyes, studying Cole's face, trying to figure out if he was

hiding something.