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.What was even more worrying was that he didn't know what she wanted, or was trying to accomplish by agreeing to this relationship.Coming back to his thoughts, Josh looked towards Antonio, realizing that he was still deep in conversation with Rafael. “Did Giovanni see him?” Rafael asked.“No he didn't, luckily I was there, so I made sure they didn't see each other.” Antonio replied, referring to a few days, when Vincenzo showed up at the event, despite knowing that Giovanni would be there.Rafael gritted his teeth, “Then what the hell was he doing there? Doesn't he know the risks.”Antonio’s expression darkened. “He said he was there for business, but I think he was trying to send a message to Giovanni, that he won't be intimidated by him.”Rafael scoffed. “If Giovanni had seen him, things could have gotten very bad.”Josh couldn't help but listen closely as he heard Rafael and Antonio’s words. They were talking about Vincenzo as if he was some outsider, who was Giovanni's enemy. But
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