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
Amelia frowned, her face flushed with a mix of offense and hurt, she couldn't believe Josh would think so low of her. Why would he think she would ever do something like that? “Of course not!” she snapped. “I would never compromise my dignity like that. Just because we're in a tight spot doesn’t mean I’ll betray my principles.” She replied, making it clear, however the stress of their situation was still evident. Amelia sighed to calm herself down. And then she continued. “Walton, that bastard proposed that he’d only invest if I entered into a personal relationship with him. He’s using our desperate situation to manipulate us into a deal we can’t afford to refuse.”Josh's eyes narrowed, a mix of anger and concern crossing his face. “That’s a terrible situation. I’m sorry you’re going through this… anyway I can help?” He asked. “Yeah, I hope you don't mind.” Amelia replied, feeling embarrassed for having to ask help from him, although they were friends or close to being friends, she d
Josh was slightly taken aback realizing that the famous actress was trying to start up up a conversation with him. He really didn't expect her to speak to him or even notice him at all. Not that he considered himself ugly or anything, it was just that he was used to being looked down on for being poor. And he wasn't poor anymore, however he didn't expect people to all of a sudden treat him differently.Josh usually was ignored and looked down upon, because people would assume he wasn’t worth their time. However, dressed in a $20,000 suit and looking far more refined than he used to, it made sense that he might catch someone’s eye now. Josh managed a polite smile as he replied, “Sure, go ahead.”He couldn't believe how nice she was actually was. Josh had always assumed that, as an actress, Bianca held herself in higher regard than others and wouldn't waste her time on people she deemed less significant. The fact that she was engaging with him now was surprising, given her high profile