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
Mr Chris Walton scoffed as he felt even more annoyed by Josh's presence, ‘What a fucking loser,’ he thought, his mind filled with disdain. Mr Walton was convinced that he was speaking to someone who really looked up to him. However he wasn't flattered by that, instead he was even more annoyed, not understanding why Amelia would pick someone who was clearly inferior.Mr. Walton’s eyes narrowed as he glared at Josh. “It seems the feeling isn’t mutual,” he said, his tone cold and blunt. “I’m not sure what you’re doing here, but you’ve picked a terrible time to show up.” Josh was at a loss for words as Mr. Walton’s response registered in his mind. He hadn’t expected him to be so rude. To say the least, Josh was very disappointed, because this was someone he really admired. Walton had been nothing but dismissive and disdainful towards him, and his behavior left Josh with the impression that he wasn't the polite, high-profile individual he always pretended to be. The interaction had been u
As the event continued, Josh and Amelia found themselves engaged in conversations that ranged from light banter to more serious topics. Josh found himself having to dodge a lot of Amelia's questions as she kept asking questions that if he answered might reveal his real identity. But apart from that the rest of their conversation was enjoyable. This was the first time Josh had ever spoken to Amelia on a serious level and gotten to know her well enough, and he hated to admit that she was different than he had thought. His initial impression of her wasn't very good, however he realized he might been wrong. As they continued to converse, the elegant surroundings and the buzz of high-profile guests provided an elegant backdrop to their dialogue. Amelia glanced around the room, before returning her gaze towards Josh and and mentioned, “So, I heard Giovanni De La Cruz is here tonight.” She said, her gaze showing just how curious she was. She didn't get to see him arrive with her own
Amelia glanced at Josh with a curious expression, her eyebrows slightly raised. “So, how do you know Marco Ramirez?” she had to ask, as her curiosity was eating at her. She had been trying to find out who Josh really was and his background for so long now, however he never disclosed anything, but this seemed like the perfect opportunity to ask him about it.Josh, who had been engrossed in the woman speaking on stage, was startled by Amelia’s question. He turned to face her, momentarily caught off guard. The unexpected question caused him to hesitate, his mind racing as he thought of a response. He wondered if he should reply to her or not. And how much should he even reveal to her? He wondered. He knew that admitting his connection to the Ramirez family could address Amelia’s curiosity and potentially throw her off from doing some more digging into his more sensitive family ties. It was very important to Josh that no one should ever find out he was a member of the De La Cruz crime f
Josh hoped that by giving this explanation to Amelia, he could finally put her questions to rest. He hoped that the more he revealed, the more convinced she would be that there was nothing more to uncover. If Amelia accepted his claim of being a Ramirez at face value, she might finally stop pressing for more details, believing that he was a Ramirez and there was nothing more to learn about him. Amelia studied Josh closely, her gaze intent and thoughtful. As he finished speaking, her expression gradually shifted from curiosity to acceptance. She seemed to examine his words carefully, searching for any hint of deceit but she found none. With a nod, she signaled her acceptance of his explanation, indicating that she was satisfied with his answer and would no longer pursue the matter further.She had to be satisfied with the answer, as his claim of being Emiliano Ramirez’s grandson made sense to her and explained the source of his apparent wealth. “Alright.” She said as she glanced at hi
Josh walked over to the bar, which was in the middle of the venue. The bar was well kept and stoked, with an array of premium spirits and elegant glassware. The atmosphere around the bar was relaxed, with a few guests enjoying their drinks and engaging in quiet conversations.Getting to the bar, Josh took a seat on a plush bar stool and signaled to the bartender. The bartender, a well-dressed man with a well kept mustache and professional demeanor, approached with a friendly smile. “What can I get for you, sir?”Josh, unsure of what to order due to his limited experience with high end drinks, replied, “Uhm… Surprise me.”The bartender nodded in understanding. “Certainly,” he said. The waiter started crafting the cocktail for him as he waited.At that same time, as Josh was seated down, waiting for his drink to be made, he noticed a figure approaching where he was seated. It was a woman, dressed in a striking red gown. She took a seat on the bar stool next to him. The woman looked ele
Although Josh appeared to be completely unfazed by the men, in truth he was intimidated by them, noticing that they were all staring at him weirdly, and they probably had bad intentions too. To make matters worse one of them moved towards the door and closed it.Josh's eyes darted between the four men, scanning them. “What's going on?” Josh asked, confused as to what was happening? What did these men want from him? He didn't understand. He didn't remember upsetting any of these four guys as he had never run into them before. And they were probably goons sent by someone, however, he didn't remember upsetting anyone before. “Can… I help you?” He asked, as he noticed that one of them was taking a step towards him, looking at him menacingly.Without a word, the men surrounded Josh, giving him no room to escape. One of them, the burly one with the scar, abruptly grabbed Josh by the collar and shoved him against the cold tiled wall. Josh’s heart raced, and he tried to push back, but the ma
Chris Walton had no idea that he was dealing with the grandson of Giovanni De La Cruz. Had he known, he would have thought twice before crossing him. But Walton, blinded by his own arrogance and by his considerable power and influence. He was unaware of the seriousness of his misstep. His belief in his own untouchability led him to underestimate Josh, disrespecting him in ways he wouldn’t have dared if he had been aware of Josh’s formidable lineage. Walton’s arrogance came from his perception that he had ascended to a level of power where few could challenge him, and this delusion of invulnerability fueled his disrespect.“Consider this a reminder of what happens when you cross me,” Walton continued, his words dripping with icy malice. He let the threat hang in the air, his gaze fixed on Josh with cruel satisfaction. “Now, let’s see if this experience teaches you the lesson you clearly need. It’s time for you to learn your place.” With that he walked out of the restroom, signaling for
The students' eyes locked onto Josh, his posture straightening as he tried to intimidate him. "You really think you can tell me what to do, huh?" He sneered. "Move the fuck away or you're going to get it!"Josh didn’t move, "You’re the one who should," he said, his tone calm but commanding. "You’re bothering her, and I’m not going to ignore it."Andrea shifted uneasily beside him, glancing at the guy before looking back at Josh. She wanted to tell him to just leave it, to avoid any more confrontations with Ace, but she stayed quiet, hoping Josh could finally scare him and his friend Ron into leaving her alone. Ever since she started at this college, Ace and Ron had been relentlessly bothering her, asking her out over and over. She had turned them down countless times, but they never stopped, it had turned into harassment at this point.Ace took a step closer, chest puffed out as he tried to make himself more intimidating, hoping Josh would back off,"Why the couch are you still on my f
The next day, at around 7 in the morning, Josh arrived at college, he walked down the campus grounds, passing by a group of guys standing near the main hallway, their excited chatter filtering through as he moved by. He didn’t know what they were talking about but neither did he care at first, however when they mentioned a familiar name he was slightly curious."Did you see Isabella’s stream last night? Man, she looked incredible!"Some guy dressed in red jeans and a jacket said in enthusiasm.Isabella. Was one of the hottest girls on campus and an online streamer, who played video games, with quite a good following. Josh had heard the name plenty of times, seen her once or twice in passing, but he didn’t pay it much mind. He even donated to her stream a few days ago, but he had done that for fun, and nothing else, not because he wanted to be noticed by her or something, unlike the other people.But he had to say that the way people seemed to talk about her like she was some goddess
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.