Never Judge

Everyone was silent as Cedric declared Ian's plan.

Ian stood in silence as dared not deny what Cedric had just said, he couldn't deny it because it was the truth.

The moment Ian had heard from his father that everyone assumed his family was part of the Rajas. The fact that many assumed his grandfather was even a founding member, he couldn't help but want to take advantage of people's perception.

Ian took a deep breath and shook his head. His demeanor quickly changed as he tried to embody the man he was going to present himself as in front of the Rajas.

"All our attempts have been futile, and here we are with the opportunity to control the Rajas from inside, how stupid are you?" Ian was calm and yet cold as he spoke, it reminded Cedric of the times he had seen his friend lose his temper. The only difference was that this time, Ian was not mad.

He was too calm, his calm made Cedric worry.

"Ian there has to be another option!" Nicole raised her voice as she tried to get Ian to change his mind. Out of everyone in the room she would have the most sway, she was after all the mother of his children and would soon enough be his wife.

"Tell me, Nicole." Ian said her name as if he were spitting it in disgust. "Is there any other option? Will we spend years being slaves to their plans? Why shouldn't we just take charge and take command, after all, it's been too long."

Nicole shrank back at the tone Ian used towards her. Never had she thought that the man she loved could be that cold and cruel towards her.

The room fell silent as they waited for Cedric or Ian to say something, to make a decision about their future, but what happened next surprised them. Eric, who was seated next to Katerina, began to clap.

"If you can fool my sister into thinking that you want to harm her, then this might just work." Eric said as he leaned forward and observed Ian.

"Are you seriously going to decide on this based on his acting skills?" Nicole shouted at her brother, shocked that he would be willing to go with Ian's plans.

"His acting skills are the least of his skills." Eric said as he leaned back and looked towards Cedric.

"I won't decide on this." Cedric said as he shook his head.

"It's clear that you know I'm right." Ian responded in the same cold and distant tone that made him sound like a stranger to all of them.

"Ian. . . " Nicole looked at Ian with so much longing that she thought he wouldn't be able to keep his composure. To her surprise, Ian remained cold and calm as he ignored her pleading.

"Ian is right, we cannot let this go on forever. If we do nothing now things might just get worse." Eric nodded as he agreed with Ian. "Ian might not be the best actor but he is smart enough to get them to do what we want and to get the right information out of there."

"Not to mention he can plant spies for us on the inside without anyone knowing." Ray added, making Cedric glare at him.

"Ced, you can't keep trying to protect everyone. There are some moves we need to make, some risks we need to take. We can't keep hiding." Alexi said, joining in on the conversation.

"First sign of danger and you're out." Cedric said as he looked Ian in the eyes.

"Ian, you can't!" Nicole shouted. "I'm about to give birth, I need Ian with me."

"You know I can't promise that." Ian said, ignoring Nicole's pleading.

Cedric sighed and closed his eyes as he considered what his friend had just said. It was only a courtesy that Ian didn't lie to him.

"I won't miss the birth of our child, Nicole, nothing can stop me from caring for you or our children." Ian's tone suddenly returned to his old calm and kind tone. "What this mission needs of me is to betray Cedric, not my wife and my children."

"I'm not your wife." Nicole insisted.

"You say that, but we know that all we lack is a piece of paper. If you want I can get that pesky piece of paper settled within the day." Ian told her with a charming grin, making Nicold blush like a teenager.

Someone cleared their throat, interrupting the moment and saving Nicole from any additional embarrassment.

"How exactly do you plan on getting into the Raja organization? Right now I'm sure that they wouldn't trust you." Cedric seemed to be warming up to the idea, causing Ian to smile.

"Simple, by leaving Henry here but taking some assassins with me." Ian shrugged.

"The two that are still locked up at the police station?" Cedric asked.

"By keeping Henry here, it would keep your eyes off of me, you wouldn't think that I'm the traitor because Henry knows that my family is rumored to be involved with the Rajas." Ian responded with a nod.

"And how will you convince the Raja leadership that you are loyal to them?" Cedric asked.

"By giving them what they ask." Ian said with a sly smile.

"What if the original Rajas know that your family isn't a founding member?" Alexi asked Ian as he tried to help find loopholes in the plan.

"There are no living original Rajas, all I have to tell them is that my grandfather's involvement needed to remain a secret to ensure that the group survived." Ian said with a shrug.

"They will ask for more than just that." Miguel pointed out as he too joined in the plotting.

Ian smiled at them, making them worry. It seemed that this friend of theirs was much more ahead than they were when it came to planning the matter.

"My grandfather may not have been one of the Rajas, but it didn't mean he wasn't involved." Ian said as he pulled out a ring from his pocket. "Before his death, my grandfather gave me this, he said that it would get me help from people, but I must use it wisely since it will cost me to ask for their help."