After his lessons were over, Josh made his way out of the lecture hall. His backpack slung over his shoulder, he walked down the hallway, making his way out of the building. He let out a sigh, feeling exhausted from the long day at college.As he stepped outside, into the warm afternoon sun, his eyes landed on Amelia as she was engaged in a conversation with some of her friends. When she noticed Josh walking by she smiled faintly and said, “Hey Josh.”"Hey, Amelia," Josh replied, giving her a faint smile as he continued walking. He couldn't help noticing that her friends rolled their eyes when they saw him.Not surprising, he thought. Ever since Amelia had started showing interest in him, her friends didn't hide their disdain for Josh. They looked down on Josh still and didn't like the fact that Amelia was interested in someone like him. They came from affluent backgrounds, their lives filled with designer clothes, luxury cars and more. While Josh was a nobody in their eyes. He didn'
So the text from Antonio lay unread. As he glanced at his cellphone screen, Josh was reminded of the life he was reluctantly being pulled into. He sighed, looking around the luxurious cafe as he was trying to push the thoughts of his involvement with the Mafia to the back of his mind. The calm atmosphere of the café was very different to the dangerous world he was now part of. Although his life was calm now, he couldn't help feeling like sooner or later, chaos would erupt. For now, Josh wanted to enjoy a few moments of peace before deciding if he should embrace being part of a Mafia family or not. It was a hard decision for him to make, since it was thanks to Giovanni, the head of the Mafia that he now could live a luxurious life, however at the same time he was afraid of the consequences that came with being part of a Mafia family.A few minutes passed. And Josh had settled on the seat and was immersed in his work. Josh's eyes darted towards the entrance and noticed a man in his mi
After the man had departed, Josh was left sitting there, his mind filled with questions. The encounter had certainly left him intrigued and puzzled. “Strange.” He muttered to himself. How did the man know his name? Josh didn't remember sharing it, making it very suspicious that the man would know who he was. And then there was the pendant. It looked like the same one his mom had always worn, however he couldn't confirm if it was the same one or not. He was really young at the time she died so he didn't really remember how the pendant really looked, but when he saw the one the man had, he felt like it was very similar to the one that belonged to her.When his mom died, he tried to recover it, but he was told it had been lost. Seeing the similar pendant around the man's neck brought back a flood of memories.Still, he was aware that just because the pendant was similar it didn't mean it was the same. Yet, Josh couldn't shake off the feeling that there was more to this encounter that me
Josh was shocked when he read the text from the unknown number. ‘I know what really happened to your mother,’ Was the message from the unknown number.Josh's heart skipped a beat. He reread the message a few times, a look of disbelief evident on his face. He was feeling puzzled and uneasy as he stared at the message. Who could this be? And what did they mean they know what really happened to his mom? His mom wasn't around anymore so it didn't make any sense to him. He glanced around the lecture hall, feeling suddenly out of place. The usual loud chatter of the students filled the lecture, however he couldn't hear it as it felt muffled and distant. His thoughts raced, trying to piece together who might have sent the message and what it could mean. It had been years since his mom had passed away in a car accident, so what did the person who sent the message really mean, by that message?Inhaling deeply, Josh decided to reply to the message. Hesitantly he typed: ‘Who is this?’ pressin
After thinking about it for a few seconds, he decided that it was best to tell Antonio about the text he had received. Knowing that it might potentially be a trap, it was better to tell Antonio about it. Josh sighed as he said, “Hey, Antonio, listen, something weird just happened. I got this text from an unknown number.“Oh….What did it say?” Antonio asked, it was evident in his voice that he was curious.“It said: I know what really happened to your mother.” Josh replied.There was a pause, as Antonio didn't reply for a few seconds, probably processing what Josh just said. After some time he finally replied, “Whoa, that's……” he trailed off, not finishing his sentence. “Do you have any idea who It could be?” he asked.“No, Idea, but they want me to meet them at Northwood park.” Josh replied.Antonio hesitated before speaking again. "Okay, that sounds really suspicious. How about you wait for me and we'll go there together?"Josh nodded in agreement, grateful for Antonio's willingness
Josh stared at his phone in disbelief after the call with the unknown person ended. He knew that whoever the person was, was there at the park watching them, that's how he could have known that Josh had come with someone. What surprised Josh was the fact that they knew who the person he came with was. It made him realize that whoever was behind this knew more than he anticipated. How did they know that the person Josh had come with was his cousin? For them to know that, they must know a lot about Josh, more than he had expected. Josh attempted to call the person again, however the call didn't go through. He tried a few times, with no luck. He sighed in frustration, knowing that it was impossible to reach the unknown person as they probably had switched off their phone. It seemed like they were going through great lengths to hide their identity, determined to not have their voice recognized, they were even using a voice changer. Because he couldn't hear their real voice, Josh couldn'
The next morning, Josh woke up to the sound of his alarm. Feeling refreshed after a good night's rest, he got out of bed. He walked to the window and pulled the blinds open, letting in the sunlight. He then glanced at the clock on the wall to see the time. It was still very early, however he had studies so that meant he needed to prepare for another day of college. He went through his usual morning routine: a quick shower, brushing his teeth, and grabbing a cup of coffee before heading out the door.At college, the day went on smoothly without any incidents. Which Josh appreciated a lot. In the past it was rare for things to go smoothly at college due to people just picking on him. However things were starting to change and he could see it. Lectures were a blur to Josh, he didn't really pay attention to anything, although he tried to focus. For most of the lesson's he found it difficult to concentrate on his studies. His mind kept wandering back to the mysterious text from the previ
Giovanni cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. Once everyone had focused their attention on him to hear what he was going to say, he said, "We have decided on the date for Josh and Lilith's wedding," he announced, his voice final, as it left no room for negotiation. Josh didn't like what he heard. He didn't not like the idea of getting married to Lilith however he didn't say anything or show any reaction to it. He tried to remain composed. After everything Giovanni had done for him, he didn't want to show ungratefulness by refusing to do this one thing for the family. It was thanks to Giovanni that his life had changed for the better, and for that he was very grateful, he was willing to get married to Lilith to repay everything. But he felt that even that wouldn't be enough.Giovanni glanced at Josh, expecting him to object or say something that would show that he wasn't happy with this. However to his surprise not a word from Josh.Giovanni was happy to see that Josh didn'
Josh moved quickly down the stairs, his heartbeat thundering in his chest as he pursued the mysterious figure. Hoping to catch up to him and ask him questions.The shadowy intruder was swift, sprinting through the mansion’s dimly lit corridors with ease, his footsteps barely making a sound. Despite Josh's best efforts, he struggled to keep up, his shoes hitting the polished floor heavily as he turned corner after corner, desperate to close the distance."Hey! Stop!" Josh called out, but the figure showed no sign of slowing down. Josh picked up pace, and he could feel frustration building up inside him, with each second, the man’s elusive speed almost mocking him. Although Josh was trying his best to run fast and catch up,his attempts were futile, he couldn't catch up with the man.They reached the grand staircase leading to the main entrance, and just as Josh rounded the last bend, he caught a little glimpse of the figure slipping out of a side door into the night. By the time Josh ma
Josh knew some people had expected him to act differently, more ruthlessly, more like a true ‘De La Cruz.’ Giovanni hadn’t said much, but the silence bothered him. It was a silence that spoke volumes, making Josh wonder if his grandfather shared the same doubts as the others.Not wanting to dwell on it any longer, Josh pulled out his phone, deciding to put the night behind him. He quickly dialed his bodyguard and driver to come and pick him up, hoping to escape the weight of the evening as soon as possible.Not long after he made the phone call, a sleek black Rolls-Royce pulled up in front of him. His bodyguard stepped out of the vehicle and silently opened the door, waiting for Josh to get in. As Josh took a step forward, ready to leave the night behind, he heard the soft but distinct sound of footsteps approaching him from behind.Josh paused on his tracks, his hand resting on the car door, and glanced back over his shoulder, catching sight of a familiar figure moving toward him. H
Lilith had no comment on Josh’s actions. She could see Mrs. Washington’s disappointment, the frustration appearing on her face as she watched the man who was supposed to be the future son-in-law of their family display complete weakness in front of more than a hundred people. Mrs. Washington shook her head in disdain, her voice dripping with scorn as she continued to speak on Josh. “What a disgrace,” she murmured, loud enough for those around her to hear. Her displeasure with Josh was justifiable according to herself. How could a soon to be son-in-law of hers act like that? He let someone who had put hands on him earlier walk away without a consequence? To her, it wasn’t just a show of weakness from Josh, it also revealed a lack of self-respect. If Josh had any, he would show no mercy and would have taught the man who dared to disrespect him a lesson. “Giovanni must be very disappointed. Total weakness from Josh. A real De La Cruz would’ve made Walton pay. No hesitation, no mercy.”
The room was filled with the murmur of the crowd, their astonished whispers growing louder as they wondered what Giovanni's grandson was going to do to the person who had wronged him earlier. It was no longer a secret that Chris Walton had dared to attack Josh De La Cruz at this event earlier. No doubt a foolish and dangerous move from Mr Walton. Everyone knew he was about to face serious consequences for that. So, would Giovanni's grandson exact his revenge on Mr. Walton? The anticipation filled the air, with everyone eager to see how Josh would handle the situation and what retribution Walton would face.It wasn't about if he was going to get his revenge or not? The answer was already obvious. He was A De La Cruz, so of course he was going to get his revenge from the person who had wronged him! The real question was; how was Josh going to take his revenge? What was he going to do to Mr Walton?The event attendees watched intently as their gaze shifted between Josh and Giovanni, eag
Chris Walton struggled to accept the revelation. How on earth could Josh be related to Giovanni De La Cruz, let alone be his grandson? It all sounded like a made-up lie to him. However Giovanni had no reason to deceive him, so Chris had no choice but to believe it. It had to be the truth.It wouldn't even matter whether he chose to believe it or not anyways, because either way, Giovanni was involved and he was on Josh's side.The truth was undeniable, Josh was indeed Giovanni's grandson. A wave of regret washed over Chris as he began to realize how bad this was. He had made a big mistake. Only if someone had told him that the young man who had approached him and introduced himself earlier was actually a De La Cruz, then Chris wouldn't have been so rude to him. Chris had taken the fact that Josh had been nice and humble towards him earlier as weakness. He thought Josh was just a nobody who wasn't on his level and was unworthy of his respect or attention. Plus the fact that Amelia was
Giovanni’s face darkened, his expression turning icy upon hearing Mr. Walton's disrespectful reference to Josh. He couldn't believe that someone would be bold enough to insult his grandson in front of him. Even if Giovanni hadn’t been there earlier, Giovanni wondered why anyone would disrespect his grandson in the first place. Hadn’t they realized who Josh was already? Giovanni had made a point of introducing Josh to many people that night to ensure his identity was known, so he assumed Mr. Walton was aware of who Josh was. The fact that Mr. Walton had still gone on to insult him seemed baffling to Giovanni. It was as if they were daring fate itself, how could anyone be so reckless as to insult his grandson in front of him? Were they tired of living?The insult aimed at his grandson was unacceptable, and Giovanni couldn’t stand by silently. Fixing his gaze on Mr. Walton, Giovanni’s voice was low but filled with menace. “You’ll refrain from insulting my family in my presence,” he said
After speaking with Vincenzo for a while, Antonio left him upstairs and returned to the venue. As he approached Giovanni, he appeared deep in thought.Giovanni, noticing Antonio’s preoccupied expression, asked, “Is everything alright?”Startled from his thoughts, Antonio quickly forced a smile and replied, “Yeah, everything’s fine.” He chose to lie, not wanting to reveal his encounter with Vincenzo. Antonio knew that if Giovanni discovered that Vincenzo, the traitor, was at the event, it would only lead to trouble.Meanwhile.As the night progressed, Josh and Bianca finally parted ways. However they exchanged numbers, something Josh didn't expect to happen, but he was atill very happy. He was still surprised that she had taken a liking to him. Because he wasn't used to people taking a liking to him. That was one of the reasons he never had many girlfriends in his 20 years of life, and the only girlfriend he had turned out to be the worst human being, only dating him because of a bet.
Mrs Washington looked at Lilith, her response seemed to surprise her. The indifference in her daughter’s voice and demeanor was noticeable, and Mrs. Washington’s eyebrows raised in a mixture of surprise and concern. She had expected a different reaction from Lilith, one that might have aligned more closely with her own sense of decency and respect. Mrs Washington was deeply concerned that her family’s reputation might suffer if word got out that her future son-in-law was behaving like a playboy. Though she could tell that Josh wasn’t truly a playboy, his recent actions were troubling and contradicted the image she expected him to uphold. The way he was acting at the event, instead of being with Lilith, he was with someone else and she worried what the people who knew about his engagement Lilith would think. They would probably say he didn't respect them.Knowing she had to do something and put an end to Josh's disrespectfulness of her family, Mrs Washington had no choice but to walk
As he reentered the venue, Josh decided to not think much about the mysterious caller, or about Chris Walton. He found himself trying to focus on the present. The pulsating pain was a constant, but so was his desire for revenge. He was determined to make Chris Walton regret ever crossing him, but he needed to keep his composure and look for the right opportunity. For now, he would have to navigate through the night with a balance of patience and resolve.Returning to the bar, Josh felt a mix of relief and anticipation. The evening had taken an unexpected turn with the phone call and another clue sent to him by the mysterious person in the envelope, but he didn't want to think about that for now. He was eager to return to the pleasant company of Bianca. he felt a genuine connection with her, something he hadn't expected.The brief but enjoyable conversation they’d had before the interruption had been a welcome distraction, and he found himself looking forward to continuing their chat.