Miss Josefina: Nobody's Princess

The lights in the office flickered out abruptly, leaving Josefina stumbling into the comforting embrace of warmth.

Oliver held her close, his voice a soothing whisper in her ear, "Don't be scared."

The dark had long been a source of terror for Josefina, a fear rooted in childhood nights spent locked in pitch-dark rooms. From those days on, she couldn't bear to be in the dark without light.

It was a scorcher of a summer, and with the air conditioner humming in the background, the office curtains were drawn, shielding the interior from the faint glow of streetlamps and leaving the room in an eerie darkness.

Josefina's grip tightened on Oliver's arm, her panic palpable to him, tinged with an undeniable dread.

"Hold on, I'll pull back the curtains. Once there's light, it'll all be fine," Oliver reassured her as he held her close.

Gritting her teeth, Josefina fought to quell the fear clawing at her insides, inching her way to the window with Oliver's guidance.

outside light spilled in,

resolute jawline. Their eyes met as she looked up and he gazed down, his eyes brimming with

get the door. Let's head back," Oliver suggested, worried that Josefina might unravel completely. He took her hand, leading

door lock. He

him, her silence

a rueful smile. "Do you really think I'd stoop so low as to trap us together? I'm no saint, but I wouldn't do that to

attempting to deduce who would resort to such shameless tactics against her. Using the dim light from outside, she hastily packed her belongings into her bag. "Oliver, step back," she commanded. She poised her right foot, ready to kick the

aside," Oliver said, taking her arm. "A gentleman

foot slammed against the

pulling the door down and taking her hand once more, guiding her toward the main

had to get out fast. "I'll get you out of here," he said as

first. I'll do

Shattered glass could hurt someone. Standing to the side, Josefina slipped a bobby pin from her hair and jimmied it into the lock.