Never Judge

Despite the late hour, Cedric's Mountain View mansion was a buzz with life. Maids were walking back and forth preparing Cedric's office as well as food and refreshments for the guests.

Several butlers and drivers moved Cedric's cars in order to make space for his friends'. The staff of Mountain View were quite used to these high profile individuals visiting, so they moved like clockwork.

The maids knew which each person preferred to drink, who was a coffee person, who was a tea person, and who preferred to simply have hot chocolate (it was Nicole). 

The drivers and butlers also knew who would most likely arrive first and which spots to park each car. They knew that Alexi was probably going to be the last to arrive and last to leave, he also never brought a driver so he would definitely be handing one of them the keys.

Ram on the other hand always had a driver with him and over time his driver and Cedrics' had become friends. They looked forward to these gatherings since they themselves would have time to catch up.

As Cedric and Adrianna entered the sophisticated yet simple foyer of their home, Adrianna smiled as she noticed the maids efficiently doing their job.

"I'll go up and change." Adrianna told Cedric as she planted a kiss on his cheek. "I really want to wear something more comfortable."

"Alright." Cedric told her with a nod. "I'll set things up in the office then I'll join you. Everyone should be here in a n hour."

Adrianna smiled as she walked away and got into the elevator to their floor.

As Cedric did some work on his laptop, Leon stood close by. Tonight he wasn't there for protection, but to help in any way possible.

Sometimes Leon doubled as an assistant for Cedric, especially when everyone was spread thin due to the amount of work needed. Leon was a capable man, as a matter of fact before joining the army he had been in business school, he just hated working at a desk.

Cedric glanced up and looked at the time. When he noticed that he only had a few minutes to prepare, he quickly closed his laptop and told Leon that he would be back in an hour.

Leon nodded and informed Cedric that he would be at the security office since he needed to tighten security with so many VIPs coming over. 

It wasn't a unique activity to Leon, he did it often especially when Cedric and Adrianna invited friends and relatives over for meals and celebrations. As a matter of fact Leon's men already had protocols to follow.

Despite everything having been set in place however, Leon still liked checking on things, making sure that the protocols were executed perfectly. He refused to let an infiltration like Benedicts happen again. They had been lucky that Benedict had no ill intentions against them at the time.

Cedric's first guests to arrive were his assistants.

"Where's the boss?" Dave asked one of the maids as he and Mae arrived together.

Dave was carrying several bags which two butlers took. One took one set of bags to Cedric's office, while another took his set to two separate rooms where Dave and Mae would be staying for the night.

"He changed and took a bath." The maid told Dave.

"Let's set up then." Mae said with a nod. "Can we have coffee?" Mae asked the maid.

"Of course, the usual?" The maid asked.

Mae and Dave simply nodded before walking towards Cedric's office. 

The staff of Mountain View were familiar with all of the assistants' preferences. They knew how they liked their coffee, what they preferred for each meal of the day, even how they wanted their rooms prepared. 

Cedric had hired the best not just in the Reyes Group but at home as well. Everyone was the best at their fields and we handsomely compensated, they were also discrete and trustworthy, something Cedric valued above all.

Dave and Mae didn't have to wait long as Ian arrived.

"You didn't bring Nicole?" Mae asked as the older assistant entered the office.

"She went up to Adri." Ian said with a shrug as he sat on his usual spot at the corner. "Any information on Louisse?" He asked. 

"No, nothing yet." Dave said as he shook his head. "I'm hoping that Camilla and Benedict know more, it will save us a lot of time and resources if they did."

"It's possible." Ian said, scratching his chin. "They were there, her identity could have come up in the middle of a conversation. I wouldn't discount the possibility." 

"The possibility of what?" Cedric asked as he entered the room in more casual clothes. 

"The possibility of Camilla and Benedict having answers to who Loiusse actually is." Ian said as a maid entered with their coffee.

Mae smiled at the maid as she placed the drink down in front of her. She lifted it and took a sip, closing her eyes as she waited for the caffeine to take effect. 

Among everyone in the room, Mae was the most exhausted. They had just returned and they were pulled back into work. 

"Mae, are you okay?" Cedric asked with a concerned look on his face.

"Yes, I'm just tired." Mae said with a frown as she leaned back on her seat.

"Maybe you should rest tonight." Cedric told Mae as he looked at his assistant with an expression of concern.

"I'm fine boss. Just tired." Mae said as she closed her eyes.

"Are you sure?" Cedric asked as he glanced at Dave and Ian who were also quite worried about Mae.

"It's been a long day. We just got back. I need to rest a bit." Mae told Cedric.

"You don't need to be here." Dave said with a frown as he looked at Mae worriedly. "I can fill you in and cover your work."

"Dave is right, Mae." Ian said with a sigh as he looked at Mae who was turning pale.

"What's wrong with Mae?" Adrianna asked as she and Nicole joined them in the office. She too had changed into something more casual and wiped off the make up from her face.

"She's tired and needs to rest." Cedric explained. 

"Mae, go and head over to your room, Cedric is right. You need to rest." Adrianna said in a stern tone.

Mae was too tired even to argue, she stood up only to suddenly collapse as everything went dark.