Not Weak, Just Stronger

Chapter 63: Are We Becoming Boring?

A/N: Welll this book is coming to an end but I did listen to those who don't want it to. I got you. This chapter is just setting SOME of you up for book 3 (the last of the series). I hope I did a good job with Not Weak, Just Stronger. I had the utmost pleasure writing it, so thank you guys for the support. I'm ending it with a graduation, expect some time jumps.

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December 31st, 2024
Sunday, 10:47pm, Miami, Florida
Cabello-Jauregui mansion

False alarm—it was all a set up. Winston wasn't really gone, he was protecting Lauren and had to sell an act. A couple of thugs followed Lauren to New York and planned to murder her, Camila, and Cruz if Winston didn't trade himself in and every valuable thing Lauren owned to make up for her killing Alessandro. He was Frank Muccio's money maker and very important to other organizations all over Italy and California—plus the man had a family that was supposed to protect him. Lauren pissed them all off and Ruby's former associates were to blame for not covering up her tracks as well as they did Ruby's. Like Winston said, it was an eye for an eye deal. This also counted making up for Lauren sending a massive amount of traffickers to prison and giving out information to the FBI as to where all of them operated and hung out. Winston gave them anything that could potentially land Lauren in jail as well; all of that was fake made up evidence.

What he also didn't tell Lauren at first was that he hired extra security to follow her around New York even though she insisted she'd be fine. Those six men got to the thugs while ten took out the ones who held Winston hostage at the docks and forced him to say his goodbyes. Winston knew what he was doing and he sold act pretty well. He meant it when he said all of them were gone now and Lauren's safety would be guaranteed. The one catch now was that she had to put an end to her "heroic strategies" and leave that line of illegal "business" alone.

"You need to keep a low profile. Like it or not, Mrs. Jauregui, this is a man's world. Yes, women are on the rise and I could not be more proud to witness it. But the government, these organizations, those in a position of great power are men you do not want to mess with," Winston had told her when she got back from New York a day later. "You're also coming into a great deal of money, which makes you a target for plenty of other people. This is a pool full of sharks you're in and everybody's hungry. When you make a name for yourself, you don't do stupid things and play superhero. You don't be loud and brash about it. You move in silence and you protect yourself and your family. You got lucky this time."

Lauren knew Winston before she hired him and other body guards after coming back from Italy. Winston worked at Jauregui property group as a valet attendant for many years. Since she was a child, he'd give her and Chris lollipops whenever Mike and Clara picked them up from school and forced them to stick around in the lobby until they were finished working. Lauren liked him a lot. He was the only adult male around her family that was kind to her. Growing into a teenager, she barely saw him at all until she hit age 22. A couple of months back, he was about to be evicted and he owed a lot of money to a loan shark. Lauren got him out of debt and promised to keep him and his family stable if he came and worked for her as her chauffeur. Once Winston proved himself worthy enough and earned her complete trust, he became her butler. Lauren kind of saw Winston as more of a father to her than she saw Mike, though she'd never admit it to Mike when he's done a lot for Lauren to get to where she is.

Today was the last day of 2024. A very promising year was upon the group of friends that survived the many storms and hardships this year gave to them. Every New Years Eve was a big party any one of them (usually Lauren) hosted. And although it could've been spectacularly big this year, Lauren decided she'd keep things small. Everyone she knew personally was invited to the little get-together happening in her mansion. Chris, Mike, and Lulu made an appearance and so did Stephanie Sosa and Cruz's best friend Ray. Hell, even some of Camila's family members came by. The house party was alive and kicking but Lauren couldn't attend just yet. There was business as usual that she needed to take care of.