Miss Josefina: Nobody's Princess

Chapter 21

Lena waltzed in, standing at a neat 5'3", donning a white dress, with her long hair flowing straight down. Her features weren't exactly stunning, but she sported a gentle smile that made her look like the epitome of a delicate little girl.

Pretending she was clueless about Josefina's identity, Lena beelined for Hattie, grabbing her arm and cooing like a spoiled child, "Mom, did you have the designer send over some new clothes for me again? You know, I have plenty. No need to splurge!"

Hattie gazed at Lena with motherly love, a bit taken aback. "Lena, you're back! Why didn't you give us a heads-up? I would've sent the driver to pick you up."

"I wanted to surprise you guys! The food abroad was just awful, and nothing beats home cooking. I rushed back as soon as the conference was over, hoping to catch you and Dad before you woke up."

Hattie affectionately patted her arm. "You and your surprises."

Lena turned to Josefina with a scrutinizing look. "Mom, who's this?"

After Hattie had Josefina sit down, she filled Lena in on the situation. Lena felt like the sky was falling—she was a complete wreck, scared out of her wits.

"I'm not a Harrison? How can I not be your daughter..." Her eyes brimmed with tears that streamed down her face.

She was a pro at playing up these emotions, and Hattie, holding her hand, spoke in a soothing tone to calm her down. "Lena, we've found out about your birth family, and sadly, they're no longer with us. But you're still my daughter and will continue to live with the Harrisons. You're just as much my own."

Her eyes softened even more when she looked at Josefina. "Now that Josie's back, you'll be calling her 'sister.' She's just a month older than you."

Lena knew things had changed. Everything had changed. Now that Hattie and Garrett's biological daughter was back home, would they truly treat Lena like their own? She wasn't buying it!

Despite the chaos within, Lena's expression remained as pitiful as ever. She looked down, biting her red lips, a tumult of emotions within, struggling to come to terms with her new reality.

How did this happen? Why wasn't she the daughter of the wealthy Harrisons? If word got out, she'd be the laughingstock among those heiresses! Property of Nô)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

The old Lena was so haughty and never gave any of them the time of day. Her pride made her feel superior. But now, she felt like a boulder was crushing her, leaving her breathless and cornered.

No way, she couldn't let anyone find out about this! Absolutely not! If that man found out, he'd surely dump her!

Lifting her head, Lena's eyes, wet and innocent, looked up like a helpless fawn. "Mom, how I wish I were your daughter. But now you're telling me I'm not a Harrison. Maybe I should leave. Josefina is back, and you all are a family. She... she needs you more than I do."

Josefina could not believe what she was hearing. She watched Lena's performance quietly, sensing that her grandmother's situation might've been linked to her.

Without evidence, Josefina couldn’t jump to conclusions. She'd wait for the investigation results.

Josefina blinked her bright and clear eyes. "What are you getting at? I'm not pushing you away. The family's raised you for so long. How could they feel no affection for you? Even if we had a little cat or dog, we'd grow attached to it, so why would we kick you out? We're not that heartless."