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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
Josh responded with a smile. “I didn't expect to run into you either.” He replied, shifting his gaze towards Mr Walton who was standing next to Amelia. Mr. Walton’s eyebrows raised slightly in surprise as he turned sharply to glare at Josh. His expression was a mix of irritation and confusion, clearly displeased by the interruption. Josh's abrupt intrusion into his conversation with Amelia was unexpected, and Walton's dissatisfaction was evident in the way he looked at Josh, scrutinizing and wondering who this newcomer was and why he had chosen to interrupt his and Amelia's conversation.Josh met Mr Walton’s gaze, noticing his visible angry facial expression. However, he brushed it off, assuming Walton’s stern demeanor was simply his usual expression. After all, Josh couldn’t think of a reason why Walton would be specifically upset with him. He didn't do anything to make him upset. Josh decided to introduce himself to Mr Walton, and he was just about to do so, when Amelia took his h
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.