Never Judge

Before leaving his home Ian had made one final call with Cedric to see if everything was in place.

His best friend and the most powerful businessman in the country assured him that things would fall into place on his signal.

Ian trusted Cedric with his life, he knew that Cedric would not tell him that things were set if they weren't, but still, Ian couldn't help but worry.

Everything needed to go as they wanted it. The Rajas needed to play a part they weren't aware of, and they needed to play it perfectly.

After rejecting to meet with the Rajas for two weeks, Ian was now on his way to a private island owned by the Lim family.

It was one of the few properties that they did not lose when the family fell. It held sentimental value to his father and grandfather.

As his helicopter landed at the center, he was greeted by several staff. The only people they had allowed to work here were those that they trusted fully. Everyone on the island was loyal to the Lim family and the Lim family alone.

"Mr. Lim." The head butler on the island greeted Ian as soon as Ian was out of the helicopter and walking towards the main villa on the island.

"How long have they been waiting?" Ian asked the elderly man.

"Three hours, sir." The butler informed him.

"Have they said anything?" Ian asked, he knew the way the Rajas viewed staff and help. He was sure that they would have slipped up at one point.

"Some very interesting and intriguing stories, sir." The butler said with a nod. "But they are also quite guarded, not as loose lipped as we expected."

Ian took a moment to consider the situation.

The people he would be dealing with today were not the false leaders he had been presented with last time. These people would be more cunning and much more careful, he even considered that they could be feeding his staff false information.

"Have someone write what the staff discovered, I will read through them after the meeting." Ian instructed as they neared the cream colored villa.

The butler nodded as he waved for another member of the staff to approach and quickly passed on Ian's instructions. The other man ran off to do as they asked as well as probably to replace the staff that were waiting on Ian's guests.

"Have someone prepare the chopper for our guests as well, I already know that they will be in a rush to leave." Ian added as the butler pushed open the door, nodding at his instructions once more.

Ian breathed a sigh of relief as the cool air inside the villa replaced the hot one outside. As he walked towards the dining room where his guests were waiting, he could hear them speaking as the door was left slightly ajar.

"It's been hours." One man grumbled.

"Patience." An elderly voice warned the younger one.

"I don't understand why we need this Lim kid. His family has been out of the loop for a generation, we can handle things ourselves." The man hissed, complaining to his companions.

Ian raised a hand, telling his people to stop, he wanted to hear more of the conversation.

"We don't have a choice!" A woman said in a stern tone, making the men in the room stop talking.

Ian held back a laugh as he realized that even among the Rajas, it was a woman that managed to silence them.

"We tried doing things ourselves, this man might have knowledge we don't. Add to it the fact that he is loyal to us, but can control the Reyeses, he is an important ally if not a member." The woman scolded them, leaving the men silent.

Taking the opportunity Ian pulled the door open and entered the room, acting as if he did not hear the conversation that had just transpired.

"So you are the real leaders of the Rajas, I should have guessed." Ian grinned as he waved one of his people to serve his guests food and drink as he sat across six people.

He knew all six of them, he wasn't even surprised that they were the people behind the Rajas. Their families had been friends with his grandfather and they were among those on his list of people he suspected to be members of the Rajas.

"Ian, I think we need to start by-" Jasmine Ortega was cut off when Ian raised a hand, telling her to stop speaking.

In all honesty, ouf all of them, she was the person he was most disappointed to see.

He had suspected her family, yes, but he had been hoping that she wasn't among them.

"I should have known you were one of them. I can't believe you lied to me about this as well." Ian said with a frown as he looked her directly in the eyes, his look piercing through her soul.

He could see the pain and sadness in her eyes, she had chosen someone else over him. She already had him in the palm of her hands and yet she let him go.

"We can pick up where we left off." Jas sounded practically desperate making Ian throw his head back in laughter.

"I'm already married with two sons to carry on my name, Miss Ortega." Ian said in a poisonous tone as the others were left speechless by their conversation. "My wife's family is many times more powerful than yours, and soon enough I'll have control of their assets as well."

"Lies! You aren't married." Jasmine shouted, unable to accept the truth Ian had just told them. "The Chans would never let a marriage go by without it being made public."

"Whoever said that the Chans know?" Ian said with a grin as Jasmine turned pale.

She suddenly realized how dangerous Ian had become, how much he was willing to do, legal or not, to get what he wanted.