Josh's heart was beating rapidly in his chest as he watched the news and heard the news anchor talk about how his grandfather was the prime suspect in the murder of two police officers. His anxiety intensified knowing that it was true, his grandfather was the one who had killed those guys. And the reason he knew that was because he was present at that time when that had happened.A brief flashback flashed in Josh's mind, vividly recalling the moment his grandfather had risen up from his seat, walked to the other side of the table, took out a gun and fired two shots into the two men's heads. He could still hear the echo of the gunshots, see the men collapse motionless, their heads hitting the table. 'Yep, I'm not going to forget that, will I?' Josh thought to himself, resenting the haunting image of the two dead men etched in his memory. Sometimes, even at night, he found himself plagued by nightmares of that horrific scene. Feeling a sense of panic creep in, Josh didn't know what to
Upon hearing Antonio's assurance, Josh's fear of potentially getting in trouble with the authorities because of his involvement with the Mafia family disappeared. And he was also glad to be reassured that Giovanni's potential incarceration wasn't a concern. And although Giovanni was indeed the person who had shot the two police officers, it didn't matter because he had powerful people under his payroll. Antonio's confidence in dismissing the threat put Josh at ease. After all, Antonio had been a loyal part of the De La Cruz family for years, and his understanding of their influence far surpassed Josh's, so Josh believed him and understood why he wasn't worried. Josh exhaled, relief washing over him. Initially, two fears had gripped him. One, that his presence during the incident and his familial ties to Giovanni could make him an accomplice if authorities charged Giovanni with murder. Two, that his silence as a witness could incriminate him as well. “That's a relief to hear.” Josh
Upon spotting Lilith making her way inside the cafe, Josh let out a sigh in relief. Glad that at least she was not very late, and he didn't have to wait for her any longer. ‘I thought she was going to make me wait forever.’ he thought to himself, watching as she walked over to the table where he was sitting. Lilith's gaze met with Josh for a brief second before she looked away. Lilith gave off an aura of effortless elegance as she strode into the cafe, her presence catching the eyes of the other people in the cafe. People couldn't help but sneak glances her way and admiring her beauty, especially the men. She was dressed in a well fitting red dress that hugged her curves in all the right places, accentuating her slender figure. Her flowing hair fell in loose waves down her back, shining under the gentle lights of the cafe. She looked stunning to say the least.Lilith walked over to the table Josh was seated and sat down across from him.Offering her a faint smile Josh greeted her. “
The waiter in shock and sweat dripping down his forehead, looked over at Lilith with an apologetic expression. He tried to apologize, but because of his fear he kept stumbling over his words. And him being scared was nothing surprising given the fact that Lilith was the daughter of one of the most powerful people in the city: Mr Washington. And with that knowledge, the waiter's fear intensified, understanding that he would surely face consequences for his mistake. Like many others in the city, the waiter had heard of Lilith Washington. Anyone familiar with the name Lilith Washington trembled in fear, as she was reputed to be cunning and cold-hearted. From what the waiter had heard about her, she had inflicted harm on individuals for offenses less severe than his. Why? Because she was wicked. "M-Ma'am... I'm sincerely sorry," he apologized, his voice trembling, "It was a mistake." He added.Lilith didn't care about his apology however. Why would she forgive him after he had spilled hot
After Lilith demanded the waiter's hand be cut off for a simple mistake that didn't even deserve such a punishment, Mr. Moretti didn't hesitate. He signaled for his men to execute Lilith's order. And, even though he knew that decapitating someone's hand for a clumsy mistake was too extreme, he didn't try to go against her. Fearing the consequences of going against her due to her powerful background and ruthless reputation, he felt he had no choice but to comply.On their boss's order the two men moved towards the waiter. However as they grabbed the bodyguard to carry out the order given to them, Josh suddenly intervened, telling them to stop, much to everyone's shock. All eyes, including those of the waiter and Mr. Moretti's men, turned towards Josh, their expressions a mix of astonishment and curiosity. Why did he demand the release of the waiter? Who did he believe himself to be?Hearing Josh's demand, Mr. Moretti turned his gaze towards him, his expression hardening as he scanned
A frown made its way to Mr Morreti's face as he heard Josh's words. He couldn't help feeling irritated by Josh, itf was like Josh was threatening him and he didn't like it. “Is that so? Are you threatening me young man?”Josh met Mr Morreti's gaze, not showing any sign of being intimidated by the man. Not even the knowledge that he was standing before someone so dangerous and influencial that he could make people disappear easily made Josh feel afraid. Usually he would be intimidated by figures like Mr Morreti and he would never even think of crossing them, but for some reason it seemed that the fear had gone away. He stopped being afraid of influential people. Guess knowing that he was now a part of the De La Cruz family gave him confidence. Moreover, Josh's empathy for the waiter fueled his determination. Having worked a similar job in the past, he empathized with the waiter's sorry condition and refused to stand by while unjust punishment was being given out to him.Josh met Mr Mo
Mr. Moretti scrutinized Josh from head to toe, attentively examining his features in an attempt to find out the truth behind his claim. The question echoed in his mind: was this young man truly Giovanni's grandson? The mere possibility sent a chill down his spine, for he understood all too well the consequences of his actions. If Josh turned out to be really Giovanni's grandson, he was afraid it would all be over for him. Everything he had worked for, including his reputation, flashed through Mr Moretti's mind. He understood the seriousness of his actions, knowing full well that Giovanni wouldn't tolerate hearing or seeing his grandson treated with disrespect by anyone. The thought of facing Giovanni's wrath sent a shiver down his spine, as he feared the repercussions of his defiance. Giovanni was a ruthless man, who showed no mercy to his enemies. Many had crossed him and had met their demise, some had even disappeared without a trace and it was all Giovanni's doing. The mere possi
"Yes, I think so too. Otherwise, why would he be asking for forgiveness in the first place? I bet he belongs to some influential family," the conversation continued, soft whispers and murmuring filling the air.A man seated nearby to where Josh and Mr Morris were, could overhear every word of apology coming from Mr Moretti and Josh mouth, unlike the other patrons who were seated far away and couldn't hear anything. Swiftly the man, took out his phone, a look of excitement in his eyes."I can't miss this," he muttered to his group of friends who were seated around the table, tapping eagerly on his screen. "I have to record it. I bet it will blow up on social media."“Yeah, that's a good idea.” One of his friends encouraged him.With a few quick swipes, he activated the camera and began recording, focusing on the scene unfolding before him. As Mr. Moretti, once a figure of authority, now appeared humbled and apologetic before Josh. One could say that Mr Moretti looked pathetic begging fo
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.