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
The way the woman's gaze had lingered on Josh was like she had an interest on him or something.And when she had faced him, he also couldn't help to notice her striking facial features and realized she was quite attractive, with green eyes and pink lips. Despite himself, Josh felt a moment of unexpected attraction towards her. However, he quickly pushed his thoughts aside, trying to concentrate on the conversation between his grandfather and the woman.The woman continued, “He knows too much and refuses to reveal what we need. If we don’t handle him soon, his knowledge could jeopardize the entire operation.”Giovanni’s expression darkened slightly after hearing the woman's report. He nodded in understanding, and then he leaned back in his chair, his hands put together on the desk in thought. “How secure is our leverage with him?” The woman sighed, showing her frustration. “We’ve used all our usual methods, but he’s proving remarkably resilient,” she replied her facial expression unre
Having had enough, josh turned towards Mario with annoyance visible un his eyes, “Can you not smoke in here?” Josh asked, trying to keep his tone calm but unable to hide his irritation. He was annoyed by Mario. The sharp, acrid smoke was stinging his throat and making his eyes almost water.Mario gave Josh a brief, he didn't say anything, before turning his attention back to the window. He stared outside the limousine, his eyes following the fast-moving city lights, which passed in a blur. Seemingly not giving a care in the world, he took another slow drag from his cigarette. It gave him happiness knowing that what he was doing was bothering Josh, hence he wasn't planning to stop. Feeling even more annoyed, Josh’s patience snapped. Without a word, he snatched the cigarette from Mario's hand and tossed it out of the open window. Mario stared at him, surprised, as the cigarette disappeared into the night. He couldn't believe that Josh would dare do that, the audacity he had to snatch
Walking behind Giovanni, Josh entered the venue and took a moment to glance around the room. The lavish decor and the elegant attire of the guests clearly indicated that this was a high-profile event. Everyone was dressed in luxurious suits and gowns, adding to the event's air of sophistication and exclusivity.Josh noticed that paparazzi and media personnel were present at the event, their cameras flashing as they captured the high profile attendees. As they turned their attention to him, Mario, Antonio, and Giovanni, Josh's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly looked away to avoid having his face captured. He felt uneasy at the thought of being photographed and potentially appearing on the front or back page of a newspaper. The idea of his connection to the De La Cruz family being exposed made him nervous, especially since he was concerned about possible repercussions at college.Despite his growing awareness that Giovanni was also known as a respected business tycoon Josh couldn't
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
Kathy's eyes snapped to Josh, her glare sharp as she processed his words. When she threatened to have him kicked out of college, she expected him to be so afraid. After all, Josh valued his education so much and he would do anything to not get kicked out of the only college that accepted him. It was his only escape from the poverty he was trapped in, and he would do whatever it took to stay enrolled.But his response wasn’t what she expected.What did he just say? The audacity of him to speak to her, as if he were her equal? As if he had the right to challenge her?In reality Josh wasn't even close to being her equal, he was nothing but a pauper, and so seeing him try to challenge her, annoyed her.And it wasn’t just her. The entire lecture hall seemed to be stunned into silence.Josh wasn’t known for standing up for himself before. He was supposed to keep his head down, to be grateful for even being here. But now? Now he was looking at her like she was the inferior one.It was immed
Having had enough, Josh was about to react. His fingers formed into fists and clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white. His jaw was locked, barely containing the words he wanted to spit back at Kathy and the rest of them.But just as he was about to unleash everything he was holding back, his attention was drawn elsewhere when someone called out to him.“Josh!” a familiar voice echoed from the doorway. Josh’s head snapped toward the sound, his eyes widening as he spotted Mae walking into the lecture hall. He was taken aback. What was she doing here in his class?The whole class turned to see who had interrupted them just as they were about to get what they wanted: Josh's reaction. And to their surprise, it was a pretty girl, around twenty years of age. Mae stood there, her gaze fixed on Josh, a friendly smile lighting up her face as she approached him.The atmosphere in the room shifted. Who was this girl, and how did she know this loser Josh?What surprised them even more was