Kathy had attempted to make Josh's experience in the boutique awful, however to her disappointment, Josh simply ignored her as it she was nothing. And of course that bothered her to the core. No one ignored her as if she was nothing, especially not a loser like Josh. Who did he think he was? Watching Josh ignore her and walk away as if she didn't even exist only served to exacerbate Kathy's irritation. Every feature of him seemed to step on her nerves, from his detached demeanor to the way he seemed to effortlessly disregard her presence.Despite initially coming to the boutique for her own personal reasons, the sight of Josh had ignited a desire within Kathy to mock and embarrass him. And when she saw that he was there with Amelia, that desire grew even more, wanting to show Amelia how much of a pathetic loser the man she had associated herself with was.Her gaze followed him as he walked away, each step fueling her simmering rage. Kathy seethed with frustration as Josh walked away
Feeling the pressure of Kathy's constant belief that he had no money, Josh wanted to show her she was wrong. But the challenge lay in finding a way to demonstrate his solvency without succumbing to the pressure of her skepticism.Amelia, who was standing beside Josh, couldn't believe what she was hearing from Kathy. At this point, it became very clear to her that Kathy was not as good a person as everyone thought. If anything, what was happening only showed that she was bitter. For some reason, she seemed intent on making Josh's life difficult. It was evident that Kathy harbored a lot of hatred towards him. But why? Weren't they once a couple? So, why did she hate him so much? Amelia pondered to herself.Hearing that Josh's account had been frozen for fraudulent activities, the receptionist believed Kathy instantly. It was easy for her to believe Kathy someone she knew over Josh someone she didn't know. Darting her gaze towards Josh, she gave him a disgusted look as she handed him the
Amidst the chaos of the confrontation, the pepper spray discharged into the air, its sharp and unpleasant scent filling the room. Amelia quickly stepped back, closing her eyes as she looked away to avoid the pepper spray from reaching her eyes. Josh instinctively moved to shield her, knocking the bottle out of the security guard's hand. And luckily Amelia had looked away in time, and Josh had managed to keep the pepper spray from getting into Amelia's eyes with his hands.As he watched as the pepper spray canister clatter to the floor, Josh then narrowed his eyes into a glare directed at the security guard. His frustration quickly shifted into anger at the unjust mistreatment they were enduring. They had intended to leave peacefully, but the guard's ego-driven hostility had escalated the situation unnecessarily.Amelia was left seething with anger and disbelief at the security's actions. How dare a mere security guard, someone she deemed unworthy of even breathing the same air as her,
Josh was stunned when he heard Mr. Sanchez, the store owner, order his security to search him for anything he might have stolen. It was disappointing to see how easily Mr. Sanchez had believed Kathy's words without conducting any further investigation. Even when Josh tried to object, pointing out that they didn't have the right to search him, Mr. Sanchez made it clear that he didn't care about such concerns. With a dismissive wave of his hand, he ordered his security to search Josh forcefully if necessary, leaving Josh feeling powerless and violated.Kathy, the one who suggested it, watched with a satisfied expression as the security guards searched Josh for any stolen item. Although she knew that Josh was not that type of person, that didn't stop her from making up that lie and accusing him of being a thief. And all because she wanted to embarrass him, and show him his place.The security guards thoroughly searched Josh, their hands going through every pocket and crevice, but they fo
Upon witnessing Mr. Sanchez's drastic change in attitude towards Josh, everyone, including the receptionist and Vanessa, was shocked. Wasn't this the same man who had been rude and cold toward Josh earlier? He had even ordered his security guards to search Josh forcefully, despite having no proof of any wrongdoing. But now all of a sudden Mr Sanchez had become nervous. He was sweating profusely and was speaking to Josh as if he was some important person, when in reality he wasn't. It made no sense to anyone.As she looked over at her boss, the receptionist couldn't help enquiring “Boss, is everything alright.” However her question went unanswered, and instead Mr Sanchez just gave her a stern look that made her wonder what she had done to upset him. And the thought of upsetting her boss, and being in trouble and possibly losing her Job because of it, sent a shiver down her spine.Kathy was among those who couldn't believe what she was witnessing. What on earth was going on? Why was Mr
In Mr Sanchez's eyes Josh was not someone to be messed with because of his background. And knowing that he had been totally disrespectful towards Josh earlier because of his ignorance Mr Sanchez was scared. He regretted even listening to Kathy in the first place. If only he had taken the time to learn about Josh before acting disrespectfully. Now, he couldn't help but wonder how deeply he had offended Josh and whether retaliation was imminent. Mr. Sanchez understood the urgency of rectifying his mistake swiftly to prevent Josh from making him regret his actions."Josh," Mr. Sanchez began, his voice a bit shaky despite his efforts to sound as composed as possible. "I must admit, I'm... surprised by what I've just discovered." He paused for a moment , as he collected his thoughts before continuing. "That card of yours, it's quite... exceptional."Josh smiled faintly and gave Mr Sanchez a nod. He acknowledged Mr Sanchez's words without saying anything in response or revealing much emotio
“You're banned from ever coming back here?” Mr Sanchez informed Kathy, his tone cold and with a hint of finality in it. And it was surprising for him to speak to Kathy like that. Knowing about Kathy's background Mr Sanchez always showed her the most respect because he wasn't stupid enough to upset her, but this time for some reason he was speaking to her coldly? He even told her that she was banned from the boutique!Kathy looked over at Mr Sanchez with a surprised expression, his words hitting her like a torn of bricks. She couldn't believe that Mr Sanchez just told her that. Why was she suddenly banned from the boutique, and how could he do that? “Excuse me?” Kathy asked, not sure if she heard him right. She must not have heard him right, because there was simply no way in hell he would speak to her that way, or even consider banning her from the boutique considering how much of a valuable customer she was. Why would he even do do that at all?However, Mr. Sanchez remained unmoved
Moreover, why would Mr. Sanchez fire his own worker and kick out possibly one of his most valuable customers because of Josh? There was definitely something about Josh that he wasn't revealing to everyone. Vanessa was determined to uncover the truth.As they walked back to campus, it was awfully quiet between them the whole time. And when they reached the campus, Josh broke the silence, expressing his gratitude to Amelia for her assistance. He promised to repay her kindness before hurrying off to his class. Despite the time lost dealing with Kathy's antics, Josh managed to arrive just in time for the next lecture, a stroke of luck that eased the frustration of the day's events. As the lectures came to an end, Josh rose from his seat, nonchalantly making his way out the lecturing hall, as he got outside he entered his luxurious sports car, making sure no one saw him, and drove off the campus.A while later, he pulled up to the mansion and stepped out of the car, his strides purposeful
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 tur
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
Reaper stepped back, yanking the knife free from Mateo's side.Mateo staggered backward, his hand instinctively flying to his side, pressing against the wound. He felt weak, struggling to stay on his feet.Warm blood seeped between his fingers. His breath came out in uneven gasps, his body refusing to keep up with what had just happened. He did not think Reaper would pull a knife and take this too far.Josh was in shock for 5 full seconds,but as soon as he was back to his senses he called out, “Mateo!” He lunged forward, catching his cousin before he could collapse completely.The garage fell into stunned silence. Even The Ghosts looked momentarily unsure, shifting uncomfortably as if they hadn't expected Reaper to take it this far.Leo swore under his breath and rushed to Mateo’s side. “Shit. Quick, we need to get him out of here. Now.”Dante, who had been frozen in shock, suddenly snapped back to reality. He turned to Reaper, his expression unreadable. “What the fuck did you just do