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 build and intimidating demeanor added to Josh's unease. "Can I help you sir?" Josh asked, wondering what the man wanted.The man outside the door, despite his intimidating appearance, spoke to Josh in a humble tone . "Good morning, sir. Mr. De La Cruz asked me to inform you that you should freshen up and then come outside to meet him."Josh nodded in understanding and replied, "Okay, I'll be there."The man acknowledged Josh's response with a simple nod. He turned around and walked away.As the man left, Josh walked back inside the bedroom, closing the door behind him as he made his way to the luxurious bathroom.Once inside the bathroom, he couldn't help but admire the opulence of the shower. Water cascaded from multiple shower heads, creating a feeling of pure satisfaction. 'Damn, this place is perfect, I haven't felt this good, while taking a shower.' He thought to himself.As he stood under the warm spray, Josh's thoughts once again drifted to the events that had happened the previous day, from getting fired at his job, and then catching his girlfriend with another man, meeting Rafael and finding out that he had a grandfather. He couldn't believe how much his life had changed in such a short time, finding himself in a luxurious mansion. However, while he was excited, he also couldn't help but feel unease at the same time, the knowledge that his grandfather was a Mafia drug lord weighed heavily on his mind. Despite the opulence surrounding him, he couldn't help but wish his grandfather had been involved in a more respectable business.Josh's deepest desire was to form a meaningful relationship with his grandfather, regardless of his wealth or financial standing. He truly didn't care if his grandfather had money or not; all he longed for was a genuine connection.However, the revelation of his grandfather's involvement in the criminal underworld as a Mafia boss seemed to put a strain in their new relationship. The difference between his own moral values and his grandfather's criminal activities had put a significant strain on their newfound bond.After stepping out of the luxurious shower, Josh realized he had no other clothing options at his disposal. With a frustrated sigh, he timidly put on his shabby, worn clothes. Fortunately, the maid had kindly provided him with clean pajamas and offered to wash his clothes last night. While the attire was far from stylish, it was at least free from the stains and dirt.After that, Josh stepped outside the grand mansion, making his way to the backyard.The moment he reached the beautiful and expansive garden, a breathtaking sight unfolded before him. The mansion's backside was a beautiful display, especially in the morning sunlight. A beautiful garden with thoroughly trimmed lawns led to a stunning pool shining in the morning sunlight. Tall, elegant palm trees swayed gently in the breeze, creating the perfect atmosphere.As he walked in the garden, admiring the view, Josh spotted his grandfather, Giovanni, seated around a large, beautifully set table. Joining him were about ten other individuals, all dressed elegantly. The table was filled with an array of exquisite dishes, and chefs were diligently serving delights to the assembled guests. It was a scene of opulence and extravagance that Josh had never experienced before.As he approached the group, Josh couldn't help but be overwhelmed by the splendid setting and the wealth that surrounded him. Despite his mixed feelings about his grandfather's involvement in the criminal world, there was no denying the allure of the lifestyle he now found himself thrust into.When Josh's grandfather spotted him walking over to the table, he smiled at him and gestured to him to take a seat beside him. As Josh sat down on the table, his grandfather introduced him to everyone at the table. "Everyone, this is my grandson, Josh."Josh nodded politely, but he couldn't make eye contact with any of them, feeling a little out of place in his shabby clothes. He wished he had something more presentable."Josh, this is your cousin, Antonio," his grandfather said, gesturing to the man seated to his right. The man's looked like he was in his early thirties. He was wearing jeans and a shirt, which looked like they had cost a lot of money.Cousin? Josh was glad to discover that he had a cousin, and he was even meeting him. Smiling faintly, Josh greeted him, "Hi, nice to meet you."Antonio smiled back at Josh, his smile was warm and welcoming and it put Josh at ease, making him feel like he belonged there at the table. "Nice to meet you too cousin, welcome to the family." Antonio began, "I hope you're ready for the wild ride of being a part of this strange family. We may look all calm and composed, but deep down, we're all a bunch of goofballs!"His remark caused laughter around the table, and Josh found himself chuckling along with the others, appreciating the warmth and humor within his newfound family.Giovanni then shifted his attention to the other people seated at the table. "And these are some of my most trusted associates and colleagues." He said.Josh nodded, acknowledging the other people. "Nice to meet you all." He said. He then shifted his attention to the delicious food on the table and started eating.As they enjoyed their breakfast in the opulent garden, the atmosphere was light-hearted, with laughter filling the air. The morning sun bathed the scene in warm light, adding to the beautiful atmosphere.But that was all about this change, the pleasant atmosphere was about to become not pleasant anymore. Suddenly, a man dressed in a casual polo shirt and trousers approached Giovanni De La Cruz. He leaned in and whispered something into his ear.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 couldn't help but be taken aback by the saleswoman's words. The sheer cruelty of her comments struck him. He wondered how she could be so heartless to a customer. However, he knew he shouldn't be surprised; it wasn't the first time someone had looked down on him due to his appearance. Things like this always happened to Josh, and it was a constant reminder of the stark divide between the haves and the have-nots in this world.Noticing how hesitant Josh was to leave, the sales woman disgustingly scowled as she glared at him and demanded. "Young Man, did you hear me? I said leave?" Just one look at Josh was all she needed to know that he was not someone who could afford anything in the store. Josh sighed inwardly, deciding that it was best to leave and go look somewhere else. However, since the saleswoman was looking down on him, he felt the need to show her that he was not as poor as she was thinking, well at least not anymore. He had recently discovered that he was the grandson
Glancing back and forth between Josh and the college students that had just arrived, the saleswoman was surprised by the fact that they knew who Josh was and they were also calling him a thief. The fact that they called him a poor guy and a thief, just confirmed what she thought of Josh. ,"You guys know who this is?" she asked, pointing at Josh with a disgusted look.A blonde girl, wearing a black short school skirt, laughed sarcastically and chimed in, "Miss, don't be fooled by him; he can't afford anything here.""Yeah, just look at the way he dresses, does he look like someone who can afford anything here to you?" Another student added, "Yeah, she's right. I suggest you be careful, 'cause he's known to be a thief. It's best to kick him out."The situation was escalating quickly, and Josh found himself getting made fun of again by his college mates. At this point he didn't know what to do. He couldn't defend himself because no one was going to believe him. Deciding that it was best
Josh looked at the manager with a puzzled look, surprised that she had addressed him by his name. They had never met before, at least that's what he thought. So how did she know his name?Furthermore, he couldn't understand how she had learned his name since no one in the vicinity had addressed him by his actual name. Instead, they had consistently called him derogatory names such as loser or street rat, when speaking to him. Nevertheless, he decided to accompany the manager to learn more about the situation, plus it was a good opportunity to finally get away from Nate and his bully friends.Josh and the Managers gazes met, and she smiled faintly at him. "Let's have a talk in my office." She said with a subtle smile, turning around and making her way towards her office.With a weak nod Josh followed her closely, still perplexed, wondering how did she know who he was and why had she invited him to her office. Was he in trouble? He couldn't help thinking that. And he wouldn't be surpris
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.