Never Judge

Priscilla Reyes led their guests inside the Reyes House.

Gracia and Charles couldn't help but stare at the opulent and extravagant surroundings. They had never been inside a house this big, nor had they ever mingled with families that belonged to the top of the social and financial pyramid.

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"Do you need a second to accept who Cedric is?" Adrianna asked her parents.

"How is it possible?" Charles asked his daughter.

"Well, mom gave birth to my brother then to me." Ayanna said coldly.

"Mom, Dad. This is Ayanna. My younger sister." Cedric said, introducing the clearly upset Ayanna.

"And these are my parents. Emilio Reyes III and Priscilla Clarin-Reyes." Cedric said as Emilio stuck out his hand to shake Charles'

"I'm confused." Gracia said.

"Why don't we go to the dining room and eat while we explain things?" Priscilla said.

Gracia could only nod and follow.

"Be nice." Cedric told his sister.

"Ced, she doesn't have to." Adrianna argued back.

"No Adri. Cedric is right. I wasn't raised to be like that. I'm sorry." Ayanna said, coming back to her senses.

At the dining room, Priscilla was trying to coax the couple into a normal conversation, but the Hernandezes were in too much shock to continue a decent conversation.

"Mom, Dad. Mr. and Mrs. Reyes are just like normal people. I actually think they are nicer. And they have been extremely kind to me these past few weeks." Adrianna said in an attempt to pull her parents back to the real world.

"Why don't I explain why we are only meeting now?" Emilio asked.

"Sure dad. I'm sure they have a lot of questions." Cedric said.

"It's tradition in the Reyes Family that the heir has to undergo poverty training. At the age of fifteen, we are stripped of all our luxuries and sent to the world to survive on our own. We are allowed to come home once a year, but our relatives cannot help us in any way. We only come back to the family on our 28th birthday." Emilio explained.

"Why would you do this?" Gracia asked.

"For the future head of the Reyes family to understand people. Our businesses thrive because we know what the ordinary person wants. It is also to give the heir an appreciation of the money and all the comforts he or she has in life. We believe that it will make for a better leader." Emilio said.

"What if the heir refuses the poverty training?" Charles asked.

"Simple, the next eldest has to go. That's what happened to me. I was not born the heir, my elder sister, Aurora Reyes, was supposed to become the heir. But she couldn't stand the training. She quit in the middle and I was sent to learn in her place." Emilio explained. "The Reyes family is bigger than what people know. Most of our relatives prefer to stay behind the scenes. Living in luxury out of the public eye."

"Are you mad at us?" Charles asked.

"I'm not happy. But it's not my place to be mad or to punish you. My children are my greatest treasure, and I will do anything and everything to protect them." Priscilla Reyes said with a smile.

"Mom, Dad. I know you didn't want me for Adrianna, but you never stopped us either. And to me that is already a big deal." Cedric said.

"Cedric, we owe you an apology. And I am not apologizing just because you are suddenly rich. We should have treated you better." Charles said.

"Dad, you thought I was pulling Adrianna down. I understand you weren't happy with me, but I promise you, from this day onwards I will do everything to make sure that Adrianna is the happiest and luckiest woman alive. I will give her everything I have, and I will protect her with my life." Cedric said.

"Cedric, we've never questioned if you loved Adrianna. All we wanted is for her to live her best life." Gracia explained. She was clearly embarrassed by the way she had treated Cedric in the past.

"I'll be honest, mom. I wasn't happy the past few years." Cedric said.

"We will make it up to you I promise!" Charles said.

"When the rest of the family hears this they will change their behavior towards you, towards all of us!" Gracia said excitedly.

"We are not telling them mom." Adrianna suddenly said.

"But Adri, Cedric, this will change everything." Gracia complained.

"It's not your decision to make!" Adrianna argued.

"They will stop looking down at you if they find out who Cedric actually is." Gracia said.

"They will not stop, they will only think I got to where I am because I married a rich and powerful man." Adrianna told her mom.

"We are not telling them." Cedric said in a frigid tone.

Emilio suddenly chuckled.

"Ah, my son is being more like a true leader more and more each day." Emilio said, praising his son.

"Adrianna decides when we tell people." Cedric said. The only person's opinion that mattered to Cedric was Adrianna's

"I need time." Adrianna said. "For now, we would like to invite you to live with us in our new home." Adrianna continued.

"Here? We couldn't impose Adrianna!" Charles said.

"Not here. Cedric had a house made in the Mountain View community. It's too big for just me and Cedric to live there. So I want to invite you to move in with us." Adrianna explained.

"You'll have a whole floor for yourselves, my parents and sister will also have their own rooms. But as you can imagine they won't be staying that often." Cedric explained.

"What about our current house?" Gracia asked.

"That's up to you." Adrianna said.

"Then I don't see why not." Charles said, agreeing to move in with Cedric and Adrianna.

"Why don't we all go over to take a tour of the house?" Emilio suggested.

Emilio had the drivers fetch cars for them and the group headed to Mountain View to see Cedric and Adrianna's new house.