Miss Josefina: Nobody's Princess

Grandpa Brandon felt the firm grip on his arm as Oliver spoke with calm assurance. "Grandpa, stay here. I'll handle this. If he can't see me, he will keep making a fuss." Striding purposefully upstairs, Oliver led the way with Shay trailing close behind him. Below, Josefina watched the two figures ascend the staircase, her brow furrowing.

In the room upstairs, Rowan gripped a paring knife with a crazed intensity, hovering it dangerously near his throat. But it was more of a threat than an action, and he hadn't begun to cut. Sydney shouted in a panic, "Oliver, please, talk some sense into your dad! He's threatening to hurt himself. If he really needs to go out, let him. Being cooped up is driving him insane." Oliver let out a derisive laugh. "Is it him going mad, or is it driving you up the wall?"

Stung by his words, Sydney's face flushed with embarrassment. Around Oliver, she felt as insignificant as a scolded child, simmering with anger but too afraid to speak.

Shay, standing to Oliver's right, was visibly distressed, her hand on his arm. Oliver, sensing this, deftly stepped aside to avoid her touch, keeping his sleeve pristine. His eyes blazed with fury as he snapped at Shay, "Don't touch me."

Shay stood frozen, her hand still raised in the air. Was a simple touch on the arm too much to ask for? Tears quickly filled her eyes. "Oliver, I didn't mean anything by it."

harsh? Why take the issues between adults out on a child?"

mother's arm, shaking her

ungrateful bastard." As the knife came at him, Oliver dodged and grabbed Rowan's wrist, disarming him and pressing the blade against his neck just

wouldn't endanger

while Shay gaped at Oliver, her disbelief written all

"Oliver..."

in hand, blood dripping from the tip. Rowan clutched

"Thought about ending it all, huh? I was

at Oliver, his lips quivering with rage.

you don't want to die, stay put. If you do, I have a myriad of ways to go about it. Feel free to pick one." He tossed the knife

as he fixated on Oliver's retreating figure. He retrieved