Glancing back and forth between Josh and the college students that had just arrived, the saleswoman was surprised by the fact that they knew who Josh was and they were also calling him a thief. The fact that they called him a poor guy and a thief, just confirmed what she thought of Josh. ,"You guys know who this is?" she asked, pointing at Josh with a disgusted look.A blonde girl, wearing a black short school skirt, laughed sarcastically and chimed in, "Miss, don't be fooled by him; he can't afford anything here.""Yeah, just look at the way he dresses, does he look like someone who can afford anything here to you?" Another student added, "Yeah, she's right. I suggest you be careful, 'cause he's known to be a thief. It's best to kick him out."The situation was escalating quickly, and Josh found himself getting made fun of again by his college mates. At this point he didn't know what to do. He couldn't defend himself because no one was going to believe him. Deciding that it was best
Josh looked at the manager with a puzzled look, surprised that she had addressed him by his name. They had never met before, at least that's what he thought. So how did she know his name?Furthermore, he couldn't understand how she had learned his name since no one in the vicinity had addressed him by his actual name. Instead, they had consistently called him derogatory names such as loser or street rat, when speaking to him. Nevertheless, he decided to accompany the manager to learn more about the situation, plus it was a good opportunity to finally get away from Nate and his bully friends.Josh and the Managers gazes met, and she smiled faintly at him. "Let's have a talk in my office." She said with a subtle smile, turning around and making her way towards her office.With a weak nod Josh followed her closely, still perplexed, wondering how did she know who he was and why had she invited him to her office. Was he in trouble? He couldn't help thinking that. And he wouldn't be surpris
Alexandra fixed her employee a look, and she couldn't help feeling embarrassed by her actions. It was really important for her to make a good first impression on Josh, but her employee was making that impossible with her accusations. How on earth did she even come to the conclusion that Josh was a liar. "Kyra, watch it, what's wrong with you?" She asked coldly. She knew she had no choice, so she took out her phone and showed Kyra a picture that Giovanni had posted in the group chat. The picture contained Josh, seated at a large table with Giovanni, and it served as proof that Josh was indeed Giovanni's grandson. The moment Kyra saw the picture, and the caption: 'Meet my grandson' her eyes widened in shock, she couldn't believe what she was seeing. How was that even possible, she thought. The picture was an undeniable proof that Josh was indeed an important person, regardless of his outfit."Wait, what? You're Mr. Giovanni's grandson?" Her tone had changed from suspicion to surprise.
Josh eyed the man who had kidnapped him once before, and his heart raced with a mix of fear and anger. He didn't want to be a victim again, and he knew he had to be careful. Glaring the man in the eye he asked, "What do you want?" Even though he tried to sound tough, his voice was still laced with uneasiness. He really didn't know why the man standing before him was so adamant on kidnapping him. Josh was curious, he wondered if maybe by any chance he had offended someone powerful who might be after him, but he had always tried to be on good terms with everyone, even those who picked on him, so it was very unlikely that this man was being sent by someone he had offended, or knew.As they stared at each other with Josh, thethe man didn't flinch. "You know what I want, Josh. Are you going to come with me willingly, or do I have to force you into my car?" he replied, his tone equally cold and resolute.Josh stared back at the man, his mind racing with a lot of thoughts. He didn't know
"You're saying that, you guys had managed to plant two undercover cops on our organization?" Rafael asked with a surprised expression. Even though he already knew that, and was also present when Giovanni had shot the two guys, he acted as if he knew nothing, and saw nothing.A head of sweat almost formed on Josh's forehead as he recalled how his grandfather has cold heartedly shot two the two men during breakfast, it must have been the two undercover cops. The sight of the two men lifelessly collapsing on the table, their faces hitting their plates of food was still fresh in his mind, and he was sure that he was going to have nightmares.The detective noticed Josh's unease, casting a speculative glance in his direction, suspecting a potential link to the deaths of the two undercover cops. He was on the brink of initiating questions for Josh when he was interrupted by Rafael."Now, Backwood, what leads you to believe that my boss is involved in the deaths of those two cops?" Rafael int
“You look familiar.” Amethyst added.Josh hesitantly replied, “Maybe. I'm not sure.” She looked like someone he knew too, he felt like he had met her before somewhere, but he just couldn't remember where and when.Amethyst, studying his face, asked. “Where have I seen you before?” Observing their interaction, Antonio, sensing their struggle to recall, intervened, surmising they might have crossed paths casually. “Oh, come on, Amethyst. You two have probably just seen each other around.”Amethyst nodded, she looked at Antonio briefly before returning her gaze back to Josh. “Maybe. But I feel like we've met somewhere more specific”Antonio chuckled lightly as he said. “Well, whatever the situation is, I'm sure you two will get along great.” Josh and Amethyst exchanged another look, still feeling the familiarity. “Well, I'm going to leave you two.” Antonio said, before heading for the door, leaving Amethyst and Josh in the bedroom. Amethyst then shifted her gaze towards Josh, saying,
Josh was used to receiving that kind of treatment from almost everyone, so the fact that when he had introduced himself politely she had ignored and rolled her eyes disdainfully at him didn't surprise him, nor did it offend him in any way. Josh simply focused his attention somewhere else.Mrs Washington noticed her daughter's impolite attitude towards Liam, and she couldn't help feeling embarrassed by her. Leaning over to her she said in a whisper. “Lilith, what's wrong with you, why are you being so mean? He's simply introducing himself.” She whispered into Lilith's ears angrily.Lilith responded to her mother's reprimand with a disdainful eye roll, casting another glance towards Josh, who, engrossed in Antonio's conversation, remained focused on their discussion. She had no idea who he was, but she suspected that he was just one of Antonio's gangster friends.Around the same moment, Mr. Washington rose from his seat and signaled to Giovanni, he asked in an urgent tone, “Giovanni, ca
As Josh listened to their conversation, he couldn't help but wonder about who Vincenzo was. The name had been mentioned in the context of Lilith's marriage, and Josh's curiosity grew. Antonio had a nonchalant expression on his face as he looked over at the old couple and replied, "Actually, that's why we invited you here, we wanted to talk about that."Giovanni nodded, acknowledging Antonio's words. The air in the room seemed to shift slightly as everyone's attention focused on the impending discussion about Lilith and Vincenzo's marriage.Mrs. Washington, a hopeful look in her eyes, pressed further. "So, what do you think, Don Giovanni? When can we plan the wedding?"Giovanni, known for his calm attitude, leaned back in his chair, thinking about the matter. "Well, I hate to inform you, but Vincenzo isn't part of the family anymore.” Antonio nodded, his expression nonchalant and serious. “Yeah, a few weeks ago, we found out that he had been secretly working with our rival Mafia clan
“And when you find him? What happens then?” He asked.Josh watched his grandfather closely, waiting for his answer. Whatever Mr. Ramirez chose to do with Reaper would say a lot about the kind of man he truly was.It was safe to say Josh didn’t know his grandfather that well. He had power, control, and influence, but what kind of person was he underneath it all?“He’ll face justice. What do you think?” Mr Ramirez said. “We’ll hand him over to the authorities.”Josh hadn’t expected to hear that.If this had been Giovanni, Reaper wouldn’t have made it past sunrise. No trial. No mercy. Josh still remembered how effortlessly his other grandfather had executed those two men for betraying him, no hesitation in his actions.This was the difference between Mr. Ramirez and Giovanni. One believed in fairness, the other in ruthless control.Josh was happy to see that his grandfather from his mom's side was a different person from Giovanni.Just then, Catalina walked in, her sharp gaze immediately
Josh ignored Catalina. But he also didn’t bother trying to go with them to see Matteo. Mr. Ramirez shot Catalina a cold look in disapproval. “If it weren’t for Josh, Matteo wouldn’t have made it here in time.” He scolded.Catalina said nothing, but she had a slight look of realization across her face. No matter how she felt about Josh, it was thanks to him and the other two people that Matteo was here at the hospital in time.She, Dean, Marco, and Isabella went inside the ICU where Matteo was.Josh stayed back, leaning against the wall. He didn’t show it, but the rejection bothered him.When Marco and Isabella made it clear they didn’t accept him, it bothered him, but not that much. Catalina, though… She was his deceased mother’s sister. He expected her to treat him with at least some kindness. Guess he was wrong for thinking that.Josh exhaled slowly, pushing the thought aside. He wasn’t about to beg for acceptance. If they didn’t want him around, fine.Without another word, he tur
Mr. Ramirez’s gaze remained cold as he looked at Dante. “Where is this… Reaper?” he asked Dante hesitated, shaking his head in denial. “I… I don’t know, sir.”Mr. Ramirez studied him for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Before he could say anything else, the waiting room doors burst open.Mateo’s parents, Catalina and Dean, rushed inside, their faces filled with worry. Marco followed closely behind them, equally as worried.“Dad, how is my son? Where is Mateo?” Catalina asked, her voice shaking.Josh tensed as he watched them. It was the first time he had ever seen Mateo’s parents in person. Since Matteo was his cousin, then the woman must be his mom's sister, his aunt. Josh also noticed a resemblance between her and him, it was subtle but still noticeable. Mr. Ramirez turned to them. “I have spoken to the doctor. He is stable… we’ll be able to see him soon.”A shaky breath of relief escaped Dean's mouth. “Thank God.”Catalina clutched her husband’s arm, but the worry in
Reaper stepped back, yanking the knife free from Mateo's side.Mateo staggered backward, his hand instinctively flying to his side, pressing against the wound. He felt weak, struggling to stay on his feet.Warm blood seeped between his fingers. His breath came out in uneven gasps, his body refusing to keep up with what had just happened. He did not think Reaper would pull a knife and take this too far.Josh was in shock for 5 full seconds,but as soon as he was back to his senses he called out, “Mateo!” He lunged forward, catching his cousin before he could collapse completely.The garage fell into stunned silence. Even The Ghosts looked momentarily unsure, shifting uncomfortably as if they hadn't expected Reaper to take it this far.Leo swore under his breath and rushed to Mateo’s side. “Shit. Quick, we need to get him out of here. Now.”Dante, who had been frozen in shock, suddenly snapped back to reality. He turned to Reaper, his expression unreadable. “What the fuck did you just do
Mateo exhaled loudly, his irritation evident. “I can’t believe Dante invited those guys,” he muttered, shaking his head.Just then, as if summoned by the complaint, a man around Mateo’s age approached them. “What’s up, fellas?” he greeted cheerfully, completely ignorant to Mateo’s scowl.Mateo frowned as he glared at him. “Dante, what the fuck! You invited that guy here?” He asked angrily, but in a hushed tone. Dante frowned. “What are you talking about?” Mateo gestured toward the Ghosts with a glare. “Why the hell are they here?”“Oh, you mean Reaper and his friends?” Dante rubbed the back of his neck, realizing what he had done by inviting Reaper here. He didn't think Mateo would be here when he invited Reaper. But now, he realized that he shouldn't have, not only was Mateo probably feeling betrayed by him, but the whole party was nervous and they were right to be so. “Yeah… I told them to stop by.” Dante replied.“Why?”Dante sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Look, it’
Four people walked through the door, and strolled in like they owned the place.Josh didn’t recognize them, but the party’s reaction told him everything he needed to know. These guys weren’t just regular party guests.He overheard snippets of whispers around him. Everyone was surprisingly talking about how much trouble these guys were. That they shouldn't be here.“Shit, what are they doing here?” Someone asked irritably.“Who the hell invited the ghosts here?”“This is about to get messy…”As Josh listened more he caught the name. The four guys who walked in were members of The Ghosts, a gang known for their ruthless reputation and the fear they left in their wake.They weren’t just infamous, they were the kind of people no one wanted to cross. Wherever they showed up, trouble followed, and from the way the entire party fell silent, it was clear everyone knew it.The group walked in confidently, completely unfazed by the attention they were getting. One of them, a tall guy, known as
Josh's eyes widened slightly at Mae's question. What made her think she was a De La Cruz? Well, the De La Cruz family was one of the college's sponsors, so it wasn’t surprising that some people might assume things.Plus, Mae didn't assume anything wrong. Still, no one was supposed to know he was a De La Cruz, yet.Just as Josh was about to answer Mae’s question, the professor’s voice sounded in their ears."New girl, Mr. Josh, if you're done with your little conversation, perhaps you’d like to pay attention to the lesson?" The professor sad sternly.Josh immediately turned back to face the front, straightening in his seat. Mae also did the same, however there was an amused glint in her eyes.Josh exhaled quietly. He was glad that the professor had intervened because that was close. He wasn’t sure how much Mae actually knew about him, but for now, the topic had been dropped, at least for the moment.After classes ended, Josh left campus and arrived home in the evening. The moment he s
“Uh... umm...” The student stammered, his earlier confidence disappearing. Josh’s calm yet commanding demeanor, his unblinking gaze, and the way he stood there , blocking his exit, made it clear this wasn’t the same Josh they were used to seeing. He was scary.Kathy scoffed, leaning forward with a look of smug amusement. "Oh? Or what?" she challenged, her voice still filled with mockery. "What’s your next move if he doesn’t pick it up?”Josh’s eyes shot to her briefly before he replied simply, “You’ll see.”“Is that a threat?”At that immediate moment, right behind Josh, the principal entered as well. His expression remained unreadable as he scanned the room before his gaze landed on Kathy."Kathy.” He called out to her, and without any hesitation he said, “You're expelled from this university.”Kathy felt the blood drain from her face upon hearing the principal's words. “Excuse me?” Her voice broke as the words sank in. She blinked rapidly, sure she must have misheard him. Expelled?
A murmur of confusion filled the lecture hall upon hearing Josh's bold words. A few students exchanged uncertain glances. It was hard to tell if he was simply putting on an act to show off to Mae, or if he was being serious. They were certain at first that he was putting on an act, however now they weren't any more. No one would be this confident when their future was on the line, especially someone like Josh, who supposedly had everything to lose.“What does that mean?” someone whispered.“Is he still pretending?” another scoffed, though there was a slight hesitation in their voice now. The initial impression that Josh was acting had started to crack, and the possibility that he might actually be serious lingered.Kathy, too, hesitated for a brief moment, her smirk wavering slightly as she considered the possibility that Josh might actually be serious.But she caught herself quickly, rolling her eyes. “Please,” she scoffed. “You’re just embarrassing yourself at this point.”Just t