Never Judge

After dinner, Cedric and Miguel sat by the pool to have a drink. Cedric looked up at the peaceful skies and wished things would be this peaceful everyday for the rest of their lives, but Cedric knew that that was impossible. Life never truly stays peaceful.

"You settled one grudge, what about the others?" Miguel asked as he took a sip of his drink.

"I was supposed to start working on them as soon as the Mor Co. expansion got on its feet. But with the issues at the Reyes Group and Adrianna's pregnancy, l I haven't had time to work on them." Throughout Cedric's poverty training he had not only experienced many ups and downs but many people had also pushed him down. But back then he was too poor and too weak to stand up and fight them.

"Why not just ask Ian and Camilla to deal with them? Surely that's easier. Why do you have to go through the hassle of doing it yourself?" Miguel knew that Cedric didn't have to settle every score and every grudge on his own. He could ask Ian and Camilla to take down a company for him and the Reyes Group will spring into action.

"Miguel, there are just some things that you need to deal with on your own." Cedric laughed at how naive his friend could be to the real world. Unlike most of them, Miguel had very little competition in his field.

"It's just such a hassle to do the dirty work yourself." Miguel said with a sigh. "Won't your wife be mad at you?" Miguel vaguely asked.

"About the Hernandezes?" Cedric clarified.

"No. About buying her a company." Miguel laughed at his friend since it seemed he didn't think about his initial deal with his wife. "Did you really forget?" Miguel asked.

"I guess I did. I was just thinking about her and her career." Cedric said with a slightly worried look on his face.

"I'm sure the two of you can figure it out. You're like the perfect couple." Miguel nudged his friend.

"It hasn't always been perfect." Cedric thought about how people would often look down at Adrianna for marrying a man like him instead of someone they considered better. She still had to go through that now, but at least she knew who he really was.

"Well, I'll call it a night. I'm gonna try melting the ice queen's heart." Miguel said as a tease.

"I didn't think Veronica would be this cold to you. I thought she was just cold because she couldn't love because of you." Cedric said as he looked at the guest house across the pool.

"You didn't read my full dossier on Jason Evangelista, did you?" Miguel asked his friend.

"I skimmed." Cedric said with a guilty smile.

"Read it and you'll see." Miguel said as he waved goodbye and left.

Cedric went up to their bedroom expecting to see Adrianna already fast asleep. Due to her pregnancy and the recent events she was easily tired and was feeling emotionally unstable. To Cedric's surprise, Adrianna was standing at the balcony that overlooked the scenery people paid for to live in the Mountain View community.

"Is something wrong?" Cedric asked as he hugged her from behind.

"I was just thinking." Adrianna said with a sigh.

Cedric began trailing kisses along her neck when he was swatted away by his wife.

"I'm not in the mood." Adrianna coldly told him.

"You're mad." Cedric slowly said as he pulled his wife back into the room and sat her on the bed.

"I'm not mad about what you did to my grandpa." Adrianna told him.

Cedric knelt in front of her and caressed her hand. "Tell me, what did I do wrong?" Cedric asked.

"You placed Island's Inc. in my name. You bought me my family's company and made me president. To add to that, you placed key Reyes Group employees into the management. Cedric, I told you I wanted to achieve things on my own." Adrianna complained.

"I know I did wrong Adri. Let me fix it. I won't take Island's Inc. out of your name, but I'll remove my people and let you run it. I promise not to interfere anymore." Cedric said.

"You didn't say sorry." Adrianna said letting go of his hand.

Cedric laughed and got up to sit next to her. He hugged her tightly and kissed her passionately on the lips.

"I'm sorry honey. I'm really sorry." Cedric didn't give Adrianna the chance to respond. He kissed her deeply again until she gave in.

When their lips finally parted Adrianna let out a laugh. "Do you have to say sorry so physically?"

"Do you forgive me?" Cedric asked back.

"Don't interfere again." Adrianna said in a strict tone.

"I promise. I won't." Cedric said kissing his wife on the lips again.

At the guest house of Cedric's Mountain View home, Miguel was once more standing vigil outside of Veronica's room.

"V, come on, we're husband and wife. At least let me in your room." Miguel said as he leaned against her closed door.

"No." Came Veronica's quick response from the other side.

"Please?" Miguel asked in a tentative tone.

"No." Veronica said again.

"What will it take to get to sleep in the same room as you?" Miguel was already losing patience, he and Veronica had been married for more than a month now but nothing had happened in private. In public at least, she would let him hold her hand or kiss her, but in private she kept him at a distance.

"Time. Just time." Veronica said.

"This is annoying." Miguel said with a sigh as he left. He went to the study in the guest house and pulled out his documents on Jason Evangelista.

Miguel had planned to wait a little longer before acting on his plans against Veronica's ex-best friend, but maybe this was something he could do now to get Veronica to let him into her heart, even if it was just a little bit.