Never Judge

Cedric found Eric by the Koi Pond outside. He had already finished a cigarette and was lighting a new one.

"You normally don't smoke." Cedric said as he approached Eric.

"Katerina, she tests me." Eric grinned and shook his head.

"I, of all people have the least right to comment, I wasn't around for all that." Cedric told Eric.

"Back then, Katerina and I were getting close. It's odd how from seeing her as my little sister she was all of a sudden someone I wanted, and she was the only one I wanted." Eric said with a sigh.

"She liked you too, didn't she." Cedric said as he pushed a rock into the pond.

"I guess, but she never said anything." Eric said with a sad laugh.

"When did Calathea come into the picture?" Cedric asked.

"I was twenty four, my parents told me that they wanted me to marry Calathea Carpio. At that time Calathea was only seventeen, so it would be an arrangement where we could get to know each other over a few years. It was then that I decided I wanted to keep acting and that I didn't want to play a role at Saints." Eric explained.

"Eric, if you still like Katerina you should just tell her." Cedric said as he turned to leave. "Calathea is someone in your past, you need to turn to your future now."

After dinner Eric drove Katerina home.

"Do you think they'll talk things out?" Adrianna asked Cedric as they watched Eric drive away.

"Katerina will probably try to avoid talking about it." Cedric laughed.

"I don't like Calathea." Adrianna said.

"Then I'll do my best to make sure she doesn't come near either of us." Cedric said as he hugged his wife.

"You did see that she tried to say I'll be fat after giving birth right?" Adrianna asked her husband.

"I did. I don't care, do you?" Cedric asked.

"I kind of do. But not because you'll lose interest in me. It's for my own vanity." Arianna told her husband.

"Whichever you choose, you'll always be perfect to me Adrianna." Cedric told Adrianna.

The next day, despite it being a weekend Cedric was busy on his laptop studying something.

"You're working too hard Cedric." Emilio said as he came in from a round of golf.

"Your meeting with Katerina yesterday got me thinking about something dad." Cedric said.

"What is it?" Emilio asked, intrigued by what Cedric said.

"There have been a number of projects within Reyes Group that have not fallen through, and it seems like they eventually go to another company with the profits exceeding what the people at the Reyes Group Project." Cedric explained.

"Maybe the other companies just got lucky." Emilio said as he looked at the data Cedric was studying on his laptop.

"I don't think so dad. It's too consistent." Cedric said as he looked at the information in front of him.

"Do you think it needs investigation?" Emilio asked his son.

"I do. But I'm not sure if this is something Marco can just dig up." Cedric said as he leaned back on his seat.

"Why don't you come over to investigate it? Hand Mor Co. temporarily to someone else." Emilio suggested.

"I can ask Ian and Camilla to look after Mor Co. and just work here at night." Cedric said agreeing with his father.

"You'll need to enter the company in the traditional way, I think you can manage." Emilio told Cedric.

"Alright dad." Cedric said as he continued to stare at the information in front of him.

"Cedric." Miguel said as he strolled in the house.

"Yeah?" Cedric didn't pay that much attention to his friend that came in. He was too busy studying the data.

"Ced." Veronica said a bit louder.

"Oh both of you. Why?" Cedric asked.

"Can you move the reservation for the church?" Miguel asked.

"Of course. To when?" Cedric asked.

"Um… Well…" Miguel said inaudibly.

"Speak louder Miguel." Cedric scolded.

"Tomorrow." Miguel said.

"What?!" Cedric looked at his friend with surprise.

"Yup, to tomorrow." Veronica said, confirming that she agreed to the rush wedding.

"Why? What's the rush?" Cedric asked.

"Miguel promised me that I can be as independent as I want, as long as I don't cheat on him, when we are married." Veronica explained.

"Aren't you worried that you'll be moving from the Abads to the Chans? They're also quite traditional, in case you've forgotten." Cedric was still curious about why the two would rush their marriage. He was sure Veronica didn't want to be married just yet.

"I've considered it, and as long as we stay in your house they won't interfere." Veronica explained to Cedric.

"Fine, I'll move it. But the two of you better start building you house. You can't live in mine forever." Cedric said.

"Great! Thanks Ced. We'll tell the others. Can you still cancel work tomorrow?" Miguel asked.

"Yeah. I'll be moving from Mor Co. to the Reyes Group so I just need to give Ian and Camilla instructions." Cedric said waving his friends away.

That night Cedric had asked Ian and Camilla to come over so he could give them instructions about his move. Five minutes after he sent them a message Nicole began to call him.

"How dare you ruin my date night!" Nicole shouted over the phone.

"It's a work night Nicole." Cedric told Nicole.

"Ian is yours from 9am to 6pm, after that he is his own man." Nicole lectured Cedric.

"Nicole, I'm not a slave owner, I don't own people. Don't you have some urgent meeting for an operation tonight or something." Cedric told Nicole.

"You watch too many Medica shows. That's not how it works." Nicole said.

"Look, it's urgent. And didn't Ayanna warn you at the start? You saw how Marco's life was growing up, he can't even date the girl he likes. He follows dad every day. He picks dad up in the morning and sends him home at night. He's worse than a wife." Cedric teased.

"I know what kind of relationship I'm getting into Cedric! I'm not a little girl anymore." Nicole complained.

"So it's official?" Cedric asked.

"Shut up." Nicole said, dropping the call.

An hour later Camilla and Ian arrived at Mountain View. They were led by a maid to Cedric's office on the third floor. Since Cedric's move to the Reyes Group would be a secret he planned to tell only them, aside from his family and friends of course.

"Ian, your girlfriend called. Apparently, I ruined date night." Cedric teased.

Ian blushed and Camilla burst out into laughter.

"I swear Ian, she's only quiet around you. It's like she wants to shout all of our ears off sometimes." Cedric said as he rubbed his ears pretending that they hurt.

"I'll make it up to her." Ian said with a grin.

"Well she can't be sleepy tomorrow, we have a wedding to attend, after that, well up to you. It's not my business." Cedric said with a laugh.

"Sir, you called us here?" Ian said in an attempt to change the topic.