Hearing Josh claim that he was Giovanni De La Cruz's grandson, everyone was stunned. The store fell into silence as they thought about what Josh had said. It wasn't everyday that someone claimed to be Giovanni De La Cruz's grandson, so it was definitely shocking. Patrons exchanged looks and whispers, their eyes wide with shock."Did he just say De La Cruz?" one woman whispered to her friend, disbelief evident in her voice."There's no way," another patron murmured. "Giovanni De La Cruz? The Mafia boss? Is that kid's grandfather?""That's impossible. He doesn't look like someone who comes from a wealthy background," someone else added, shaking their head in doubt.It was understandable that they would doubt Josh's words, seeing as he looked like someone who didn't come from a wealthy background, judging by his casual outfits. He seemed to come from a normal, humble background than one filled with wealthy.Giovanni De La Cruz, on the other hand, was a very famous name in the city, the
The store manager turned to Mr. Bruno, and he could see the fear in his eyes. He couldn't help but feel a little bit of sympathy for him knowing that it bad for him. If Josh wants it, Mr Bruno could get wiped off the face of the earth, and no one would ever know what happened to him, that was the power of the De La Cruz family.Just moments ago, Mr. Bruno had been so arrogant and mocking, but now he was visibly trembling. "What are you waiting for?" the store manager demanded. "Apologize." Urged him.Although he wouldn't have listened to the store manager under normal circumstances, Mr Bruno listened to him this time, knowing that it was for his own good. He had to apologize to Josh, because it was the only way he can survive.Mr. Bruno, visibly shaken, approached Josh with a noticeably more humble attitude, a big difference to his earlier arrogant and smug attitude “I… apologies, Mr. De La Cruz. I didn’t know!” he stammered, his earlier attitude replaced by a desperate plea for forg
“Why do you want to keep your background a secret?” she asked, her voice laced with curiosity. The idea that he might be ashamed crossed her mind, but she quickly dismissed it. The way he had handled the situation at the store suggested he was far from insecure. Josh glanced at her, his expression serious as he answered her question. “It’s... complicated,” he said simply. He understood the power of his family’s name. Giovanni De La Cruz was indeed a powerful figure with many admirers, largely because of the charitable work and positive public image he maintained throughout the years. However, the reality was much darker. The De La Cruz family, as leaders of the city’s most feared mafia, were deeply involved in criminal activities that had caused significant harm and suffering. And Josh having grown up poor, understood, and knew what type of harm mafias and gangs caused. Josh knew that revealing his true identity could lead to mixed reactions: admiration from those who only saw t
Josh thought of ignoring the notification, however since he had nothing better to do for the next hour or so until the boring movie was over, he decided to tune in to the stream. Plus he was also curious to see what she streamed, so he tapped on the stream and started watching. Isabella was enthusiastically playing her game, but seemed to be struggling with a challenging level. He watched for a few minutes, amused by her commentary and the interactions with her viewers. As he continued watching, Josh couldn’t help but notice how captivating Isabella looked on camera. Her expressive face, combined with the way she animatedly reacted to the game video game she was playing, highlighted her natural beauty. Her enthusiasm and the glow on her face made her appear even more stunning. She wore a casual yet stylish outfit. Feeling a bit generous and wanting to distract himself from the movie, Josh decided to donate to her stream. He clicked the donation button and entered a substantial amoun
When Josh stepped out of the mansion, he scanned the surroundings, hoping for any sign of the mysterious sender. The night air was cold, and he shivered slightly, regretting that he hadn't thought to wear a jacket. The cold was an afterthought, though, as his mind was consumed by the purpose of his visit.The area around the mansion was eerily quiet. As he looked around he noticed the armed security guards stationed around the perimeter. He approached one of the guards and asked if they had seen anyone unusual or if anyone had been here recently. The guard shook his head, indicating that there had been no unusual activity or visitors.Puzzled, Josh considered that the message might have meant outside the estate, not just outside the mansion. He walked toward the gate, stepping out of the compound and into the street. The area was equally quiet, and there were no signs of anyone waiting for him. The streetlights cast long shadows, but they revealed nothing.Josh sighed, feeling frustra
The next day, when he got up from bed, Josh went to college as usual. After arriving at college he made his way to the library and settled down. He took out his stuff from his backpack as he tried to focus on his studies, but his mind kept drifting back to the events of the previous night. What was the meaning of the photo? Josh was bothered by one persistent question: Who exactly was the man in the photo next to his grandfather? The same individual had approached him at the café just a few days earlier, and throughout their entire conversation, had acted as if he didn’t recognize Josh at all. This pretense only fueled Josh’s growing sense of curiosity and suspicion. Why had the man approached him in the first place? What was the purpose behind the deliberate act of pretending not to know him when it was clear that he did? Moreover, what could be the man’s connection to Giovanni? From the photo, it was clear that there was a connection between the two of them, however he couldn't
"Hey, Josh," Amelia said with a flirtatious smile as she stood across from him. Her tone was light and slightly flirty,"Mind if I join you? It looks like you're having so much fun studying all alone."Josh glanced up, momentarily surprised by her appearance. He was so engrossed in his assignment that he didn't notice someone approaching him. "Sure. Have a seat." He replied.“What are you working on?” She asked, although she could clearly tell what he was doing. However she was just trying to start a conversation with him.Before Josh could respond to Amelia's question, he noticed someone walking into the library. It was Andrea, who walked in with a casual yet impressive presence. She was wearing a fitted, red top that showed off her curves, paired with dark skinny jeans that accentuated her figure. Her outfit was completed by shiny boots and a simple leather belt. Her hair was styled in waves, falling around her shoulders. Although she wasn't dressed in the most expensive outfits com
Around evening, an armored SUV pulled up at the De La Cruz mansion. The doors opened and Josh, Mario, and Antonio emerged from the sleek vehicle.The vehicle's dark tint reflected the fading light of the day. The three of them had just returned from another one of Antonio’s dealings. Antonio had Josh and Mario tag along, as per Giovanni's instructions. Giovanni wanted the two of them to be tagging along so they could learn the ropes, grooming them for future roles within the family.However, Josh didn't like that. He hated having to tag along and he had grown tired of being involved in these drug deals already. His consciousness ate at him and he didn't want to be involved in the dirty dealings. And every time he accompanied Antonio, he was reminded of the risks and the shadowy world he was now involved in. But, despite his growing unease, he didn't have that much of a choice but to participate. The thing that scared him the most was getting in trouble with the law for his involvemen