Shay nudged Finley, snapping him out of his daze.
"Shay, when did you get here?" he asked, looking puzzled.
Shay touched her face, voice tinged with hurt. "Finley, can you believe what Livia did to me? It stings like crazy. How could she be so vicious, like some kind of shrew?"
Finley’s gaze was distant, a stark contrast to his usual warmth and concern, leaving Shay without the comfort she had expected.
"What's going on, Finley? Did Livia come by for something? She was all dressed in black... did someone die in her family?"
Finley's reaction was cold and abrupt. "Shay, I'm exhausted today and can't deal with this. Please, just go home," he said before turning away and heading inside, leaving Shay simmering with anger.
Seated outside, Shay waited until Finley's housekeeper appeared, speaking in hushed tones. "Shanna came by, and she was like a totally different person. She knocked me out cold with a smack to the head, and I've only just come to."
"Incredible," Shay muttered. "She hit you?"
"Yeah, and it really hurt."
Shay, now boiling with anger, stood up and left, dialing a number as she got into her car.
The person on the other end broke the news, "Tiger and the crew got caught, and that woman, she got away but someone saved her. I heard she was all bloody. Ms. Baldwin, why didn't you tell us she was pregnant? What if something had happened to her? What would we do then?"
A lightbulb went off for Shay, "Pregnant?"
"It's just a guess; I'm not sure."
Seeing her, Emily and Grandpa Robert stood up excitedly, commenting on how Josefina had lost weight yet looked more beautiful.
Sitting beside her grandmother, Josefina complimented their good health.
"Thanks to you, Josie. I've been taking the medicine you gave me on time. How else could we look this well?" Emily said gratefully.
Grandpa Robert then presented Josefina with a gift, a box containing a stunning pearl necklace, its white sheen gleaming with a satin luster.
"This is a South Sea pearl, it’s gorgeous," Josefina exclaimed, surprised.
Emily beamed, "We're glad you like it, Josie. Your grandpa and I thought it suited you perfectly, so we had to get it for you."

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