Never Judge

"Gabriel was arrested and they asked me to testify. The owner of the hotel is my boss and a friend of Mr. Sebastian. So I was also asked to handle it." Cedric explained. "I'm sorry for tonight Adrianna."

Adrianna just smiled and gave Cedric a hug. ​​

"Let's go home." Adrianna said.

Cedric and Adrianna bid his friends goodbye, unknown to Tom and Jo, tomorrow their lives would suddenly change for the better.

The next day, after an eventful night Adrianna braised herself for another encounter with her family at grandpa Hernandez' home.

She knew that she would get scolded for her behavior the previous week, even if she had managed to secure the deal and her uncle had accused her of lying to the whole clan, as the younger member she was expected to apologize. This was one of the things Adrianna hated so much about her traditional family, their attitude to women and the younger generation were so old fashioned.

Growing up Adrianna had followed everything her elders asked of her. She took all the lessons and classes they thought a proper lady should take. She dressed the way they expected her to dress. She made friends with the people they wanted, she even chose her university degree and school based on what her family wanted. There was one thing however, that she was not able to give up, the man she loved.

When Adrianna was in university, her family had already been setting her up to date the young rich heir of a political and business clan. Should they get married it would have brought the Hernandez family to new heights. They had pushed her to date the son of the Ching family, a boy that was notorious for having a new girlfriend every month.

Luckily Adrianna met Cedric. He was someone who was not from her world, someone different. She didn't have to act a certain way, or know certain people, in front of Cedric she was her genuine self.

"Hey, are you feeling alright?" Cedric's voice drew Adrianna back into reality. He was driving them to her grandfather's house.

"Yeah, I was just thinking about what's going to happen when we get there." She sighed.

"Just know, that no matter what, I believe in you, and I will always back you up." Cedric said in a soft and tender voice. Cedric had spent the whole day in meetings with his directors working on the expansion plans for Mor Co. He often held a strong and cold facade in the office, a total opposite to how gentle he tended to be around his wife.

When they finally arrived at her grandfather's home, everyone was silent. On a normal day her relatives would be quite noisy, talking to one another and sharing the latest gossip about their friends. Today however, an eerie silence fell as people began to arrive. Adrianna felt that it could somehow be related to them, but she decided to just shake off the feeling.

When everyone had taken their seats Adrianna's grandfather stood up. Her uncle, Fredrik, was about to stop him but no one could tell him what to do.

"Before anything, I would like to acknowledge Adrianna. She has always worked hard for this family and has always put our family first, and I feel that we do not thank her enough for that." Some of Adrianna's relatives clapped and nodded, agreeing with what grandpa Hernandez had to say.

"I would like to announce that starting tomorrow, I am giving Adrianna the task of handling all of our new partnerships." Everyone was surprised. This role was held by John Hernandez, Fredrik's eldest son whom everyone had been expecting to lead the family in the future.

"Grandpa! You can't!" John stood up complaining.

"Adrianna was able to close the biggest deal we've had in years. On top of that she's shown her ability in making the right connections that will help us expand in the future. My decision is final." Grandpa Hernandez said.

"The right connections grandpa?" Adrianna was curious as to what her grandfather meant. For years her relatives had attacked her for not making the right friends or marrying the right man for the sake of the family. Why was it that all of a sudden grandpa Hernandez was saying that she was making the right connections.

"You've been all over the news recently Adrianna. You never told us you knew Miss Ayanna Reyes." Her grandfather said as he sat back down.

"I met her by accident. Also Cedric works for her brother so we met at the launch." Adrianna intentionally left out the part where Ayanna had kidnapped her outside of her office to go play dress up for that night. She still hadn't even returned the jewelry or dress that she used. She had asked Cedric to return it but he told her that she was supposed to keep it.

"None the less it seems that the daughter of the Reyes family is quite fond of you. I hope you can maintain that good relationship with her." What grandpa Hernandez said was a compliment and a task at the same time. He expected her to use her friendship with Ayanna to benefit Island's Inc.

"I won't do anything to offend her grandpa. I promise." Adrianna finally said. "But grandpa, I think it's about time that everyone here acknowledge that Cedric played a big part in me getting the Island's Inc. deal, he is after all Mr. Reyes' assistant." Adrianna had always hoped that her family would accept Cedric. They didn't need to love him the way they loved Mark Chu, but at least they should give credit where credit is due.

"About time he finally did something for this family." Her grandfather said. He was clearly still unhappy with Cedric.

"Cousin, stop insisting that Cedric belongs with us, or that he can contribute to this family. We've all already tolerated your choice." Asia spoke as if Cedric was not there at that time. She was lucky that she was related to Adrianna, if she weren't Cedric would already have asked Leon to drag her out.

"It's okay Adrianna, I really don't mind. Let's just eat and celebrate your new position." Cedric whispered to Adrianna while massaging her hand.