Never Judge

"I missed my trip home last time because of Cedric's accident. I have to fly at least once a week to the province to join in board meetings. I honestly can do it virtually, but those old men need a kick in the ass once in a while." Cedric heard his mom say as he entered the living room.

"Ced! You're back." Adrianna said as she saw her husband. She stood up and pulled him to sit next to her on the couch.

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"What are you guys talking about?" Cedric asked as he threw a worried glance at his mom.

"Oh nothing much. I was just telling your in-law about the scare you caused us last week!" Priscilla told Cedric.

"Don't worry son. You mom hasn't regaled us with stories of her shopping trips yet." Emilio Reyes said with a laugh.

"Gracia you must come with us! The girls are planning a trip to Milan, don't worry about the expenses, I'll foot the bill." Priscilla said excitedly.

"I think, for once, my mom is speechless." Adrianna teased and the whole group burst into laughter.

Cedric hugged his wife from behind and kissed her. Adrianna was slowly getting used to Cedric's public display of affection in front of his family and friends. In the past Adrianna and Cedric would be affectionate in private, but in public Cedric avoided even touching her due to her family's dislike of him.

"Adrianna, you might forget, but it's Asia's wedding on friday." Gracia reminded her daughter in an attempt to change the topic.

"Is this that brat that got pregnant with the Chu kid?" Priscilla asked.

Cedric laughed at his mom's straightforwardness. "Yes mom. The one that tricked Mark Chu into getting her pregnant." Cedric told Priscilla. "Have you ever met the Chus?" Cedric asked.

"Aside from the party on Kashmere? I think Benedicto invited them to a handful of parties. According to him they are indebted to them." Emilio said.

"How is the wedding going to work with uncle Fredrick and John in jail?" Adrianna asked.

"I think your uncle asked to be allowed to attend the wedding. If he isn't allowed then your uncle Matthew will walk her down the aisle." Charles told his daughter.

"Will they be let out?" Adrianna asked Cedric.

Charles and Gracia suddenly had a puzzled look on their faces.

"Do you want them to be let out?" Cedric asked his wife.

"They are family, so I should want them to be let out." Adrianna said as she thought out loud.

"Honey, if that's what you want I can just call Alexi." Cedric said to his wife.

"I think they should stay where they are. It's only fair, after what you said they did." Adrianna said looking up at her husband.

"Family can be quite toxic and disappointing sometimes." Emilio commented on the side.

"Did you have anything to do with your uncle being in jail Adrianna?" Charles asked his daughter.

Before Adrianna could say anything, Cedric answered for her. "No. I sent them there. They went too far against Adrianna." Cedric said in a stern voice. "Aside from that, the crimes Alexi and Ray discovered were so disgusting that Katerina placed more effort into the case."

"What crimes?" Charles, who normally distanced himself from his older siblings' scheming, was unaware of the charges against his eldest brother.

"****, sexual harassment, bribery, extortion." Cedric said without any attempt to soften the blow on his father in law.

Charles simply frowned and nodded.

"I'm tired. Let's go to bed." Adrianna told Cedric.

"Sure. Do you have anything to wear to the wedding?" Cedric asked Adrianna.

"No. But I don't want to outshine the bride." Adrianna told her husband.

"I'll ask the girls to help you find something. Maybe Nicole can pick something less glaring. I just hope she doesn't go crazy over pink this time." Cedric said with a sigh.

"Will you be wearing one of yours? Or one of those tasteless ones you used to wear?" Priscilla asked her son.

"I'll buy a new one, something less eye catching. Everything that you and Ayanna bought are too much." Cedric complained.

"I guess you need to dress that way to pretend to be poor still. At least wear the watch Ayanna bought you and the wedding ring Ray gave." Priscilla instructed her son.

"Mom, I only take the ring off when I'm posing as the Reyes Heir." Cedric explained.

"You never pose to be the Reyes Heir, you are the Reyes Heir, you're actually pretending to be a poor man when you have all the power and the riches you could need." Emilio scolded his son.

"Dad, we both know it's safer to be low profile, especially now." Cedric told Emilio.

"We'll head to bed then." Gracia said, feeling a bit awkward to have witnessed the exchange.

"Let's all call it a night." Priscilla said.

"Dad, I need to talk to you about something. Can we speak in the study?" Cedric asked.

Emilio nodded. Everyone else headed to their bedrooms while the father and son went into the study.

"Dad, we found Hannah G." Cedric revealed.

Cedric continued to tell Emilio about how Hannah's son was actually his bully in highschool as well as in Mor Co.

"I can't believe you ended up meeting her son. What a small world!" Emilio exclaimed.

"For now, I want to keep an eye on him. If I do anything it could alert Carlos that something is wrong, especially since Ray visited Hannah G." Cedric told his father.

"I think that's the smart thing to do. I'm sorry you have to suffer for the trouble I caused." Emilio said, apologizing to his son.

"It's alright dad. I too have people I want to seek revenge on. Chris Garin just so happens to be one of them." Cedric told his father.