In that moment, as the henchmen closed in on him, Josh felt the familiar sensations of fear and desperation. These were two emotions he had sadly grown accustomed to, and now they swelled within him, leaving him with a sinking feeling of helplessness.
He instinctively began to back away slowly, searching for an escape route, but the henchmen were quick to surround him, swiftly cutting off any chance of getting away.Carlos Rodriguez had a satisfied grin on his face as he observed the look of desperation and fear in Josh's eyes. Even though tried to hide the fear, it was becoming visible with each passing second, and Carlos couldn't resist mocking him. "What's the matter, boy, suddenly lost your voice?" He then turned his attention to the henchmen and gave them a cold command, "Teach him a lesson." Saying that he put his arm around Kathy.With no way out and facing the overwhelming presence of the henchmen, Josh knew he was in serious trouble. But even so, he still refused to back down. He couldn't believe that not only did this man steal his girlfriend, but he had also ordered his henchmen to teach him a lesson.As the henchmen approached him, Josh attempted to fight them, but it was no use.They were bigger and stronger than him, plus they greatly outnumbered him, so they beat him up easily.As Josh couldn't stand anymore he fell to the floor, groaning in pain. Two of the henchmen grabbed his hands and made him stand up, and then the other one of them landed a punch in his abdomen making him grunt in pain.After landing a number of punches in his stomach and face, the henchmen let go of him. With the brutal beating he had just gotten, Josh was out of energy, so he couldn't stand and just collapsed on the floor. Josh had been bullied and beaten up by his classmates his entire life, but this was the worst beating he had ever received, it made him feel like he might not make it.And the fact that the person he loved the most and trusted, would be responsible for this, made Josh want to die, it was a heartbreaking and painful experience.Carlos Rodriguez and Kathy both had wicked smiles on their faces the whole time. Watching Josh get put in his place by the henchmen seemed to give them a lot of happiness.Kathy shifted her attention to her new boyfriend, her expression turning sympathetic,. "Honey, I want you to make him apologize to you," she said, her voice dripping with affection as she gave Carlos a passionate kiss on the lips.Carlos smirked, he liked the idea of josh apologizing to him. After all, Josh had insulted him not long ago, and it was only right that he apologized to him. "Honey, that's a great idea."Kathy replied smugly, "I know."Carlos gestured for his henchmen to make Josh get on his knees.As Carlos gestured, his henchmen moved swiftly, forcing Josh to kneel against his will. Josh was in excruciating pain, barely able to maintain his balance as they made him kneel before the older man. His body ached, and his pride was shattered, but he refused to let them see how much he was hurting.It was both humiliating and painful. As he raised his head, Josh's gaze drifted to Kathy, and his heart couldn't help but break even more when he saw the smile she had on her face. It was a smile devoid of any empathy for him, it was like she was enjoying seeing him in this state. He didn't know what was worse, the pain he was feeling because of the beating, or the pain his heart was in.Carlos leaned forward, a satisfied look in his eyes as he looked down at Josh, who was clearly struggling. "Now, boy," he said,"apologize for your insolence."Josh raised his head, his gaze meeting with Carlo's eyes, and he said, "Go to hell." There was no way he was going to apologize to the old man for nothing. Not after the man had put him in this state. He'd rather die.Honestly, Josh was hoping for that. He just wished everything would just end, because he had nothing left anymore. No family, no friends or anything. He had just lost his job about an hour ago, and what hurt him more was that he had also lost his girlfriend to this old man, leaving him with nothing to live for anymore. He simply felt like…. nothing.Kathy frowned at Josh, she was annoyed at him for refusing to apologize to her boyfriend. Approaching him, she looked into his eyes, saying, "Don't be stupid Josh, apologize and we'll let you walk out of here."Josh gritted his teeth as he looked up at her and replied coldly, "Screw you, Kathy."Not liking his response, Kathy slapped him across the face, her anger flaring. She leaned in close, her eyes locked onto his, and she said, "You wanna know something? I never really liked you, let alone loved you. The only reason I ever dated you in the first place was because me and my friends made a bet."Josh was shocked to hear that. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Were the words coming out of her mouth true? Was it all pretend to her? "What?""What?" Kathy scoffed, her tone filled with disdain. "You really believed that I would date a nobody like you? Just look at yourself, Josh, you're so poor that it's embarrassing." Her words pierced through Josh's heart, adding even more pain to his already battered body and spirit.Kathy then turned towards her boyfriend, saying, "Honey, let's go. You have to take me shopping, remember?"Carlos smiled, turning his attention to Josh for a moment before looking at his security guards and instructing. "Boys, since this nobody won't apologize, I want you to break a few bones in his body before letting him go." Saying that he and Kathy made their way out of the restaurant, with two henchmen following behind them while the other two remained at the restaurant to carry out their orders.Despite the intense pain coursing through his body, Josh summoned every ounce of strength and determination he had left. He gritted his teeth and forced himself to his feet, fueled by sheer willpower. He knew that the henchmen were likely to put him down again, following their orders, but he refused to remain on his knees any longer.As Josh stood there, bracing himself for another round of beatings, the henchmen prepared to strike. The other diners in the restaurant, although watching in anticipation, remained passive, not wanting to get involved. They couldn't care less about the young man who they had seen getting beaten up, it was none of their business.As the henchmen were about to advance on Josh, their intent clear, a sudden interruption caught them off guard. A woman, armed with a shotgun, appeared and aimed it squarely at the two henchmen. Her voice carried authority "Don't even think about putting your hands on that boy again," she warned, her finger lightly resting on the trigger, her eyes cold and determined.The entire restaurant fell into uneasy silence, shock written all over their faces.Josh was surprised, more than that relieved to see someone defending him.The henchmen looked at the young woman, giving each other looks, before one of them said, "Lady, we don't know who you are, but mind your own business." He threatened. He worked for a powerful man and that gave him confidence to threaten the woman.However the woman didn't show any fear after being threatened, she instead fired the gun in the air, and loud deafening noise filed the restaurant, followed by scream from some of the customers. Some of the customers couldn't stay after that and left, while some were to curious to see what was going to happen to leave.The fact that she had fired that gun, just showed the henchmen that she meant business, and if they didn't do as she said they might end up getting shot. The henchmen shared a glance with each other, before they looked at Josh and then at the woman with cold expressions, but they didn't say anything and left.As the two men left, the woman turned her attention to Josh, a concerned expression on her face. She approached him and asked, "Hey, are you alright?"Josh, still in pain but immensely grateful, nodded and replied, "Yeah, thank you very much." He couldn't help but wonder why this woman had chosen to help him, but his physical discomfort made him reluctant to ask questions at that moment. He couldn't help but take a seat at a table.The woman observed Josh carefully, her concern evident in her eyes. She knew he had taken quite a beating from those henchmen, and she wanted to ensure he received the necessary medical attention."Listen," She began, her voice gentle but firm, "You should really go to the hospital. You might have some injuries that need to be checked out, I'll drive you if you want."Josh, still feeling the pain coursing through his body but too stubborn to accept help, shook his head and replied, "I'm fine, really. I've been through worse. Thanks for your help, though." He didn't want to bother her, she had already helped him a lot by standing up for him, something people rarely did for him.The woman sighed, clearly unconvinced, but respected his decision. "Alright, but please take care of yourself. If you change your mind or need any assistance, don't hesitate to reach out. My name's Emily, by the way."Josh offered a weak smile. "I'm Josh. Thanks again, Emily. You saved my skin back there."With that, Josh headed towards the exit, a mixture of pain, gratitude, and confusion swirling in his mind. 'Wow, maybe there are still good people in this world,'he thought to himself. He pushed the glass door open and stepped outside.Josh made his way out of the restaurant, his body still aching from the encounter with Kathy, Carlos, and their henchmen. He couldn't help but replay the events in his mind, the betrayal and humiliation, the heartbreak he felt. It was all so overwhelming. Even now, he couldn't believe that Kathy would turn on him like that.As he stepped out onto the sidewalk, he spotted a sleek black limousine parked just a few feet away from the entrance of the restaurant.However, his thoughts were still clouded with the recent events, and he decided not to dwell on it for too long. He continued walking. Just as he was about to pass by it, two well-dressed men in dark suits exited the vehicle simultaneously, their movements precise and calculated.Before Josh could react or even voice his concern, the two men swiftly closed the distance between them and him. They grabbed him by each arm and began to forcibly drag him towards the waiting limousine, their grips firm.Josh struggled and tried to break free, but his earlier beating had left him weakened and in no condition to resist the two imposing figures. Panic set in as he realized he was being abducted by these mysterious men, and he had no idea why or where they were taking him. "Hey- HEY! What are you doing?" Josh asked.Once Josh was inside the luxurious black limousine, the two men released their grip on him and closed the door with a heavy thud. Josh tried to open the door, but it was locked.Panic welled up inside him, and his gaze darted around the limousine. Across from him sat an elegantly dressed older man, puffing on a cigarette.The man's eyes met Josh's, and Josh immediately knew who he was dealing with. This was the one calling the shots."Sir," Josh said, his voice trembling. "I don't know what's happening, but you have the wrong guy."The man took a long drag of his cigarette before saying. "Josh, right?"Josh was surprised that the man knew his name, he wondered how was that possible? He stammered as he asked, "How do you know my name?"The man met his gaze as he replied, "I work for your grandfather."Josh responded firmly, "As I said, you've got the wrong person, and the wrong Josh." He explained that he had been an orphan his entire life and didn't have any grandparents. After explaining that, Josh was hoping that the man would finally realize that he had the wrong person and let him go.However, the man still insisted. He leaned forward and said, "Josh, I assure you, we have the right person. Your grandfather has been expecting you for a long time." As he said that, the man took out a document and handed it to josh, "Just to make sure that you were really the person we were looking for, your grandfather even did a DNA test a few weeks ago."Josh took the DNA test results and looked at the them, while they were positive that still didn't convince Josh was thinking, 'This must be a mistake,' he was still unconvinced.Josh's mind raced as he tried to make sense of the situation. The mention of a grandfather he had never known was perplexing. Could this be some kind of mistake, or was the man right.The man looked at Josh and said, "All your questions will be answered soon enough, Josh. You're about to embark on a journey that will reveal the truth about your family and your destiny."The man's words left Josh surprised. He couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions, he was confused, doubtful, and a bit hopeful all at once. It was hard to believe that this stranger claimed to work for Josh's grandfather, someone Josh didn't even know existed until now.At first, Josh didn't want to trust the man's story, thinking that the man had the wrong person. But when he showed Josh some scientific proof with DNA results, Josh began to wonder if it might be true.The man looked at Josh, seeing the skepticism in his eyes and he felt like he had to convince him even more. Going back to his master without Josh was not an option, so he had to do anything to convince him."Your mother's name was Lyra, right?" He asked, then continued by saying her last name, "And her last name was Smith." Josh was surprised that the man knew his mom's name, it only showed that the man might be telling him the truth. "Yes, how do you know that?" He asked curiously."As I said, I work for your grandfa
Josh's curiosity was piqued by his grandfather's words. He leaned in, his eyes fixed on Giovanni de la Cruz, as he couldn't help but wonder about the enigmatic world of danger the old man was alluding to.Giovanni De La Cruz leaned back in his chair, studying Josh carefully. "Have you ever heard the name Giovanni de la Cruz?" he inquired, his voice carrying a weight of expectation. Everyone in the city knew the name, so he was expecting his grandson to know it too.Josh took a moment to think about it. He had indeed heard the name before, it was a name that was always on the news, so it was hard for Josh to miss it.Giovanni De La Cruz,was not just any name. It represented one of the most powerful and influential Mafia bosses in the country. Giovanni controlled vast territories and businesses, from legitimate enterprises to more shadowy operations. He was known for his ruthless tactics and the web of connections that allowed him to maintain his grip on power.The city where he held sig
Josh slept soundly in the king-sized bed, feeling incredibly comfortable and pampered. This was his first time experiencing such luxury in both the room and the bed, and it had undoubtedly been one of the best nights of sleep he had ever had.When he finally rose from the bed, he couldn't resist the urge to take in his opulent surroundings, his eyes sweeping across the lavish room. He still couldn't believe the event happening in his life. Only a day ago, he believed that he was all alone in this world, with no family, but he was proven wrong as he had discovered that he had a family, his grandfather. As he lost himself in thought, reminiscing about the whirlwind of recent events, the sound of someone knocking at the door abruptly snapped him out of his thoughts. Josh walked towards the door, opening it to see a man dressed in a black suit standing outside the door. "Hello." Josh greeted hesitantly, he couldn't help but feel slightly intimidated by the man's aura. The man's muscular
As the man's hushed words reached Giovanni's ears, his expression suddenly shifted, and a dark, intense expression crossed his face. He slowly, calmly stood up from the table, causing the conversation and laughter at the table to come to an abrupt stop."Looks like we have a rat in our family… someone among you, is working with the feds," Giovanni said in an icy tone, walking behind the guests. And then he took out a pistol, covered in gold.Seeing the pistol in Giovanni's hand,the shock and fear on everyone's faces couldn't be hidden no matter how hard they tried, and they exchanged puzzled, concerned glances. Giovanni's sudden change in attitude made them feel extremely suspenseful and anxious "Don Giovanni, what are you saying?" one of the guests questioned, voicing the collective confusion.Josh, unable to understand the developing situation, watched his grandfather intently, his heart racing anxiously. The presence of the pistol made him uneasy, and he scanned the faces around the
Wait! He had been unceremoniously booted out of his own home? Josh was absolutely flabbergasted by the news.The news hit him like a ton of bricks. Not only was he dealing with the difficult decision his grandfather had just presented, but he was now faced with the sudden reality of being homeless. It was a very unfortunate event, and Josh could hardly believe his situation.When he had met his grandfather he was so happy, he had even thought that things would start getting better from now on, for him, but that was looking very unlikely now.Giovanni studied Josh's expression and he could see that something was bothering him. "Is everything alright Josh?" He asked.Josh looked at his grandfather, a sigh escaping his lips as he said, "Guess, I don't have a choice…" He said hesitantly, he then raised his head to look his grandfather in the eye as he said, "Count me in." He agreed to be part of the family business.Honestly he didn't want to agree with his grandfather and be part of the
"They did what?! Are they trying to die?!" Giovanni exclaimed angrily, his voice laced with a hint of menace. He then briefly shifted his gaze towards Josh and stated, "Josh, we'll talk later." Without waiting for Josh's reply, he briskly walked away, heading for the waiting limousine.With Giovanni's abrupt departure, Josh felt slightly uneasy and curious about the situation. He wondered what it was that the henchman had said to his grandfather that had made him mad all of a sudden. As he stood there wondering, Rafael returned and addressed him respectfully, "Your car is ready, Josh."Josh nodded in acknowledgment, his thoughts drifting to the car. He couldn't wait for his car. He couldn't wait to get in the car and drive it around. He had never owned the car before, so one could imagine the excitement in his heart.Rafael led Josh to the garage where the car was kept. As they entered the spacious garage, he gestured toward a sleek, fiery red Ferrari 488 Pista.The moment Josh laid ey
Josh's mind raced, desperately searching for a way to prove his ownership of the high-end sports car. He glanced at the two women who had accused him of stealing, a furrow forming on his brow. He couldn't help but feel frustration and annoyance building up inside him. He was thinking, why did people have to jump to conclusions without knowing the full story? Why couldn't they just leave him alone? It was both irritating and disheartening that strangers, who knew completely nothing about him, saw him get out of an expensive car, and taken it upon themselves to label him a car thief and report him to the police.The two women, unmoved by his distress, rolled their eyes and shot him disdainful glances. "Look at him," one of them remarked with a sneer. "I bet he can't prove this is his car. Because it doesn't belong to him in the first place, he stole it."Her friend chimed in with a disgusted look, "I feel sorry for the real owner. They must be tearing their hair out wondering where the
Josh was taken aback by the officer's abrupt change in attitude, struggling to process the shift from suspicion to apologies. "It's alright," he replied, a mixture of confusion and relief washing over him. He understood that the officer was merely doing his job.The officer's tense expression relaxed as he nodded, relief washing over him after hearing Josh's response. Initially, upon discovering that Josh was a Cruz, he had been anxious, fearing possible repercussions for his perceived disrespect. However, to his relief, Josh displayed no signs of anger or cruelty. "I've confirmed your identity with our station," he explained apologetically. "I'm sorry for any inconvenience caused. You are free to go, Mr. de la Cruz."Josh nodded, glad that the misunderstanding had been resolved. "Thank you officerz." He said.However, the two women who had been eagerly awaiting the car thief's arrest were not pleased to see the officer's change of heart. What the hell was going on? Why was he apologi
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.