Chapter 529

Josefina rummaged through her makeup bag and fished out her foundation, carefully blending it along her neck. The mark was conspicuous, a telltale sign that spoke volumes without a word. Unsatisfied with the coverage, she reached for her concealer palette, hoping to obscure the evidence of last night's escapades.

Just as she finished, a knock came at the door. She opened it to find Dorian and Oliver, both looking as if they had sprinted a half mile without a break, beads of sweat dotting their foreheads.

"Have you guys been racing or something?" Josefina quipped.

Dorian, a bit taken aback, managed a smile. "Josie, why'd you hole up in here? Someone giving you trouble?"

Josefina just blinked, speechless for a moment. Oliver, unflustered, beamed at her with a smile that could light up the room.

"Dorian, relax, no one's been bothering me," Josefina reassured him. Her

expression didn't suggest deceit, and Oliver's gaze lingered on her, filled with an adoring warmth.

Dorian, still skeptical, cast a sideways glance at Oliver, convinced somehow he was involved. "Josie, you gotta promise to tell me if anyone messes with you. I've got your back," Dorian said, his protective instincts kicking in.

Josefina thought of the mark on her neck, now safely hidden, thankful Dorian hadn't seen it, or who knows what kind of ruckus that would've caused. "Dorian, I can handle myself. Besides, Grandpa Brandon's here. Let's go down and join the family," she suggested, changing the subject.

Dorian nodded, trailing behind Josefina with Oliver bringing up the rear, not contesting his position. They were, after all, in the Harrison household, and Oliver intended to make a good impression. He couldn't afford any slip-ups that might give the family reason to oppose his marriage to Josefina. If it were up to Oliver, he'd whisk Josefina away to the altar right now, but the Harrisons weren't on board with the idea just yet.

...

Descending in the elevator, they overheard Grandpa Brandon making his case for matrimony. "Oliver is head over heels for Josie, and I say why not let them tie the knot sooner rather than later. You all know I'm all for modern arrangements. Josie wants to come back home after the wedding, she's welcome anytime. And when the kids come along, they can carry both the White and Harrison names, how's that?" The Harrison family exchanged looks - Brandon sure didn't beat around the bush! Grandpa Robert was the first to object. "Brandon, I knew you had an agenda, bringing Oliver here just to snatch away my granddaughter. You listen here, it's not happening, not on my watch!"

Emily spoke softly, "Oliver's fondness for Josie hasn't gone unnoticed, and I've heard as much from Garrett. But Josie's just starting college, she's too young for marriage, and I'm sure she's not ready for that either."

Garrett chimed in, visibly annoyed, "We've only just gotten Josie back. She hasn't even been with us for long. Mr. Brandon, I can't consent to this."

Hattie offered a gentle suggestion with a knowing smile, "Mr. Brandon, why don't you ask Josie herself how she feels about getting married? After all, it's her life." Hattie was confident about Josefina's stance; they had discussed it before, and Josefina had made it clear she had no intentions of walking down the aisle anytime

soon.

Dorian spoke up in support of his sister, "My sister's still young. Marriage can wait." The tide of opinion was against an immediate wedding, and Oliver found himself without a counterargument.

Josefina made her way over, sitting beside her mother, Hattie. "Grandpa Brandon, I'm not planning to get married anytime soon or even thinking about it. You know the situation our family is in. Right now, I just want to focus on resolving these issues and securing our family's future," she said firmly.

Hearing it straight from Josefina, how could Grandpa Brandon press the issue? "Oh, look at me, getting ahead of myself with wishful thinking! Josie, whenever you're ready to get married, that's when it'll happen. I'll just have Oliver wait a bit longer," Brandon conceded with a chuckle, his grand plans gently set aside for the time being.