Never Judge

"The couple and I go way back." Cedric heard Lorisa boast. "We went to uni together and we were very good friends." 

"How can you stand her?" Selina, who was sitting next to Cedric asked. "I remember how she treated you at that restaurant. That was harsh."

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"We need her." Cedric said with a shrug as he stood up. He was going to attempt a friendly conversation with Lorisa in public.

"Lorisa." Cedric greeted in a forced friendly tone. 

"Cedric dear!" Lorisa greeted happily as she ran over and gave Cedric a hug.

Cedric had to keep reminding himself that he was doing this to finally capture Aiden and end all of the pain Aiden had caused to his family and friends.

He was so tempted to push Lorisa off of him, it took all of his self control not to send her away. 

"I hope our sons can become good friends when they grow up," Lorisa said loudy, it was clear that she wanted everyone to hear that she was friends with the Reyeses.

"I hope so too, your son is quite the charmer." Cedric said as he looked over to a group of children playing. He was sure that Lorisa\'s son was among them.

"Yes, my little boy is quite the charmer. He is very smart too." Lorisa boasted. "Would you like to formally meet him?" Lorisa asked Cedric. 

Cedric simply nodded in response and was led by Lorisa to a stroller by the side of the table.

"I didn\'t want him interacting with unworthy children." Lorisa said in a snotty tone. "If my son is to be friends with your son, then he should be as clean as possible." 

Cedric wanted to laugh at Lorisa\'s words, but he fought to keep it in. He found it stupid how Lorisa sounded at that moment.

"My son is incredibly smart. He just refuses to speak." Lorisa said as she picked the child up from the stoller. "Aren\'t you little one, like from mama\'s favorite novels. You\'ll be a rich brooding CEO with ultra popular friends."

Cedric heard someone stifle a laugh as Lorisa said this. He looked to his right and saw Alexi and Selina watching him.

Cedric simply shook his head and returned his attention to the conversation at hand. 

"Why don\'t we introduce your son Johnny to my son Emilio and to Tristan?" Cedric asked as he gestured towards the direction where Emilio and Tristan were playing with a few other kids. 

"It\'s Emilio." Lorisa suddenly said.

"Pardon?" Cedric asked as he gave the woman a confused look.

"Since you revealed yourself to the public, I\'ve decided to have everyone call my son Emilio as well." Lorisa said with a shrug, as if her decision was nothing.

"What? Come again?!" Cedric asked in shock as he gave Lorisa an annoyed look.

Alexi seemed to have noticed that something was wrong. He quickly came up and placed a hand on Cedric\'s shoulder to remind him of their mission.

"You alright bro?" Alexi asked as Cedric realized that he almost ruined their plan.

"Yeah, yeah." Cedric said, shaking his head. "Lorisa was just introducing me to her son, Johnny, now called Emilio." Cedric said as he gave Alexi a knowing look.

"Ah, you must really value Cedric\'s and Adrianna\'s friendship." Alexi said with an awkward laugh. "And you must be quite close to them, even I wouldn\'t name my kid the same as his."

"It will be so fun with our children growing up with the same name." Lorisa said excitedly. 

"Ah yes. It will be interesting." Cedric said, in an attempt to avoid a repeat of what happened earlier.

"Shall we let Emilio meet Emilio?" Lorisa said with a grin, to which Cedric simply nodded and led the way.

"Adri, have you met Lorisa\'s son?" Cedric said with a grin as he waved at his wife, who was watching over Emilio.

"I don\'t think so." Adrianna said as she smiled. "His name is Johnny right?" Adrianna asked as she recalled the name in the file Cedric had given her before the party.

"Why don\'t you put your son down first Lorisa, so he can play with the other children?" Cedric asked, interjecting into the conversation.

"Oh right, right." Lorisa said as she placed her son down.

Cedric watched as Emilio and Tristan walked up to the little boy and said hi to him. Lorisa\'s son couldn\'t walk yet so he crawled over.

Emilio looked up at Cedric and nodded at his dad. Before coming down for the party Cedric had given his son instructions to be kind and to play with all of his guests.

Cedric was proud of his son for being kind and outgoing to all the other children. He had initially been worried that Emilio would be too introverted to interact with others. But his son surprised him once more by being a gracious host.

"It looks like your son and mine will be good friends." Lorisa said excitedly as she watched the children play.

"So your son, Johnny?" Adrianna asked Lorisa.

"It was his name, but now I want him called by a different name." Lorisa said with an amused grin. 

"Oh, like a nickname?" Adrianna asked innocently.

"Well, no, I\'m having his name changed." Lorisa said in a cocky tone. "I mean since he and your son will be best friends, I decided that they should have the same name." Lorisa said with a shrug.

"Oh wow." Adrianna said, stunned with Lorisa\'s words.

"Aren\'t you flattered honey?" Cedric said as he grinned at his wife.

"Very much so." Adrianna replied, awkwardly. "But won\'t he have a hard time remembering his own name if you keep changing it? And what did his father have to say?"

"Oh, I\'m sure he will adjust to the new name." Lorisa said, waving the issue off. "As for Anton, well we got into a huge fight since Johnny was his grandfather\'s name and all that sentimental stuff. I just told him that if we want our little Emilio to become rich and famous one day he should have the same name as the richest child out there."

"Oh, and he just agreed?" Cedric asked, confused as to why Anton would allow Lorisa to change their son\'s name on a whim.

"Of course not." Lorisa said, shaking her head. "He is still furious at me. But we had a deal, if changing our son\'s name got us better partnerships and helped us climb the ladder, well then he would be fine with it." 

"Well you are in luck Lorisa." Adrianna said with a smile. "I\'ll be hosting an intimate dinner soon, just friends, maybe you and your husband would like to join us?" 

"Of course!" Lorisa said excitedly. "When is it?" She asked.

"On Thursday." Adrianna said in a calm and collected tone.

"Oh no." Lorisa gasped as she frowned at the date. 

"Why?" Adrianna asked, feigning curiosity. She already knew what the issue was, Cedric had chosen that date specifically.

"It\'s my father-in-law\'s birthday." Lorisa said with a sigh. "Who will be there?"

"Just the top families, of course. I don\'t really like hosting big events like this and I would prefer a smaller, more intimate one." Adrianna said with a shrug, "It\'s too bad, your father-in-law could have made acquaintances there as well."

"He could?" Lorisa asked, her eyes wide with intrigue. 

"Yes, my father is inviting some of his friends over as well." Cedric told Lorisa. "It could have been such an opportunity, I guess the fates simply don\'t want it to happen."

"No, no. I will find a way." Lorisa told the couple with a new found determination.

"Great! That\'s marvelous." Adrianna said excitedly. "So we\'ll see you then?" 

"Yes, of course, of course." Lorisa said, nodding her head vigorously.

"You and Emilio should return to your seats. The party is about to start." Cedric said as he pointed towards the stage, where a famous children\'s show host greeted everybody.

"We will." Lorisa said as she walked away. 

Lorisa suddenly stopped in her tracks and realized that she had left her son on the ground playing with the other children. 

She quickly walked back and picked her son up, before finally disappearing to her table.

"You were so good at acting today, honey." Cedric said as he pulled his wife to him and kissed her on the lips.

"It was annoying." Adrianna said in a tired tone as she turned her attention back to her son and his new found friends. 

"It\'s good to see him acting like a normal child." Cedric said with a smile, voicing out his observation.

"What you did was really sweet, you know, it shows that you care about more than just our family." Adrianna told her husband. 

"These children lost their families, they were either abandoned or their parents died." Cedric said with a frown as he watched the children play. "When I set up the foundation I just wanted to give them a better shot at the world."

"Bringing them here today made them feel like ordinary children, Cedric." Charles Hernandez said as he approached. "I\'m glad you gave me the opportunity to work with the orphanage and to your charities."

"Dad, it\'s your calling." Adrianna said as she smiled at her father.

"Just as it is your mother\'s calling to try to max out your husband\'s bank account." Charles Hernandez said, rolling his eyes.

"I assure you, she can\'t." Cedric said with a laugh.

"Plus I placed a limit on her card." Adrianna added, laughing at her father\'s and husband\'s stunned faces.

"Laugh while you can, Adri." Cedric said with a grin. "After this you\'ll be planning another dinner with Lorisa."

Adrianna elbowed her husband and walked away.