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
Josh was taken aback when, out of nowhere, his grandfather suggested that he and Lilith should get married. Shocked by the unexpected proposal, Josh felt a wave of disbelief and discomfort. Marriage was nowhere on his agenda, especially considering he didn't know Lilith at all.The fact that his grandfather would make such a decision without consulting him first, made Josh feel hurt and unimportant. He felt like his grandfather didn't value his opinion or care about his feelings. It seemed to Josh that his grandfather was treating him as a tool to strengthen his own relationship with the Washington family. Josh couldn't help but feel bad about himself and his place in this new world he had just been thrown into. The suddenness of the announcement left him confused and struggling to understand the strange dynamics of his newfound family.Josh and Lilith shared a common feeling of disagreement with Giovanni's suggestion. Josh, was still a a university student, and he was just 20 years o
Mr. Washington's unease deepened and his entire family looked back at Giovanni with a mix of concern, anger and confusion in their faces, "Changed your mind? Giovanni, this is serious business; you can't just change the terms like that." Mrs Washington exclaimed.“Oh, my dear, but I can change the terms whenever I want.” He said nonchalantly, still seated back in his seat, his gaze drifted towards Mr Washington and he said, “Oh, by the way, Michelle, if I were you, I would do a good job, hiding the people who I do business with.” Mr Washington raised his eyebrows, surprised, wondering what Giovanni was going on about. “What do you mean? Why would I need to hide the people I do business with Giovanni? All my business especially are legal.” Antonio who had been quite the whole time, finally joined in, saying, “We are talking about you doing business with our rivals, the Santos family.” He said cold, his words sending a shiver down Mr Washington's spine. The revelation hit Mr. Washingt
What was even more worrying was that he didn't know what she wanted, or was trying to accomplish by agreeing to this relationship.Coming back to his thoughts, Josh looked towards Antonio, realizing that he was still deep in conversation with Rafael. “Did Giovanni see him?” Rafael asked.“No he didn't, luckily I was there, so I made sure they didn't see each other.” Antonio replied, referring to a few days, when Vincenzo showed up at the event, despite knowing that Giovanni would be there.Rafael gritted his teeth, “Then what the hell was he doing there? Doesn't he know the risks.”Antonio’s expression darkened. “He said he was there for business, but I think he was trying to send a message to Giovanni, that he won't be intimidated by him.”Rafael scoffed. “If Giovanni had seen him, things could have gotten very bad.”Josh couldn't help but listen closely as he heard Rafael and Antonio’s words. They were talking about Vincenzo as if he was some outsider, who was Giovanni's enemy. But
Josh didn't want to take Lilith’s story at face value. That could be a risky move, because she could be lying and twisting the truth to her advantage. He eyed her suspiciously as he asked, “How do you know all this?”Lilith explained. “It’s not a secret. Everyone in the underground world knows. “She revealed, " Don't believe me? Ask anyone, even Sofia.”Josh tightened his grip on the armrest slightly, his eyes filled with irritation. Everyone knows about this? And he had never thought to ask Sofia or Antonio about it.He felt annoyance flare in his chest. It was understandable that he would be annoyed at himself now, because he had just made a deal with Lilith for information he could have gotten on his own.Lilith watched him closely. Although she didn't show it on her face, she was clearly enjoying the realization dawning on his face. She thought of how easy it was. She made an offer, and he agreed without hesitation.Whatever. She was just glad he did. Now, she didn’t have to wor
She did not expect him to ask her such a direct question. But she was ready to answer him. Lilith tilted her head to look at him with a playful look. “Maybe I changed my mind.”“Why did you change your mind?” Josh pressed on.Lilith rolled her eyes before she finally answered him. ”Maybe I realized that fighting this marriage is pointless. Our families will make sure this happens no matter what. And honestly it's not the worst thing that could happen.”Josh studied her, his expression lacking any emotion, unreadable. Unlike her, there was no warmth in his gaze. “That’s not a convincing answer, Lilith.” His voice was dry, but firm. Then, with quiet certainty, he accused, “I know you’re up to something. What is it?”“Hmmm?” Lilith hadn’t expected that. She thought he was clueless, easy to manipulate. But, the fact that he already realized that she was up to something, proved to her, that he was smarter than she gave him credit for.Her smirk returned, lazy and amused. “You’re not an ea
At a police station, inside the chief's office.Three people were in the office, the chief of police and two officers, engaged in discussion.The chief of police sat back in his chair, while Detective Reynolds and Martinez stood across from him.“These are all the findings we have on Giovanni De La Cruz so far,” Detective Reynolds said, sliding a thick file across the table to the chief. The contents on the file were evidence the two detectives had found on Giovanni. According to them, it was enough evidence to cause Giovanni problems.Martinez added. “Sir, we think with this, we can at least get a search warrant against Giovanni.”The chief of police reached for the file, pulling it toward him before flipping it open. His eyes scanned the documents, photos, and reports inside. He picked up one of the photos, a grainy image of Antonio De La Cruz carrying a briefcase while Mario and Josh followed behind him and entered a hotel. Even at a glance, it was clear they were involved in som
Mr Ramirez turned to Mr Delgado saying, “A word with you Mr Delgado?” Mr Delgado gave a nod before walking away with Mr Ramirez, leaving Josh alone. Josh was too preoccupied with his thoughts to fully pay attention to them as they walked away.He moved towards the grand windows, gazing out at the estate. The villa was beautiful, but that wasn’t what occupied his mind. It was what this place meant to him: A piece of his past, one he could barely remember, but was now in his hands.His fingers lightly brushed the nearby table as he walked, trying to find some sort of connection to this place. He closed his eyes, trying to remember some memory that would surface. But there was nothing. Just emptiness.He was too young to remember ever living here, so he couldn't remember everything. But, how could he expect to recall a place he left when he was just a toddler?The sound of footsteps pulled him from his thoughts. He turned to see his grandfather walking back inside with Mr. Delgado.“Ar
Josh pushed the thought aside. He wasn’t ready to deal with that yet. Besides, this was his grandfather he was talking about, so why would Giovanni discard him aside?Mr Ramirez studied him for a second. “I'm sorry for how everyone else treats you. I'm sure they'll come around eventually.” He assured. Josh could only hope that will be the case soon. He let out a short laugh. “Are you sure about that? Catalina looks at me like I don’t belong. Marco and Isabella don’t even bother hiding it. Matteo’s the only one who treats me like an actual person.” It was not his intention to let everything out, however the words slipped out before he could stop them.His grandfather was quiet for a long moment. Then he said, “Catalina loved your mother.”Josh’s expression shifted. Really? He didn't want to believe that. If Catalina and his mother were indeed close, she wouldn't look at her sister’s son like he was the problem.Mr. Ramirez continued, “She loved her deeply. Losing her… broke something
“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 turn
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