Never Judge

While the Baron Family was stressing over the news that had broken out, Cedric and his friends were ushered by Ian to a spare room next to where the Barons waited. 

"The Baron Family is full of idiots." Katerina said with a laugh as she scrolled through social media on her phone. "How could they have assumed they could blackmail Cedric?"

"You know what's funny?" Cedric asked as he smiled with a mischievous glint in his eyes. 

"What?" Katerina asked, entertaining Cedric's question.

"They hired a troll army to make people think the public hated me." Cedric said with a laugh. "Now it seems they have hired the same people to accuse me of faking this video."

"Everyone with eyes can see that this is the real one." Katerina said as she rolled her eyes.

"It's lunch time, boss." Dave said as he handed Cedric a menu. "Would you like to eat now or after your meeting with the Baron family?" 

"Let's have a quick meal now, let them wait for a bit." Cedric said with a nod as he pointed at what he wanted for lunch.

Dave went around and asked for the orders of everyone in the room, even the other assistants and the staff of the other four princes.

"Won't your guests be hungry?" Miguel asked with a smirk as he looked at Cedric.

"It's all part of the wait." Cedric said with a grin as he looked at the clock. It was only eleven o'clock. He was planning to make the Barons wait for him for an hour, or until they threatened to leave.

It didn't take long for the waiters to arrive with their food.

Cedric and his friends happily ate their meal as the Baron family waited anxiously next door. Cedric knew that they wouldn't be able to wait for him to finish his meal before threatening to leave.

He wanted to appear as they were getting up, so he had strict instructions for his people to closely monitor their behavior and to notify them when the Baron Family was nearing their limit.

As Cedric was about to finish his meal, he noticed a bodyguard enter the room and whisper something to Ian.

The assistant simply nodded and sent the bodyguard back to his station, before walking to Cedric.

"They're ready?" Cedric asked, treating the Baron Family as if they were some meal he had people cook.

"Our men in the other room think that they will get up at any moment." Ian said with a nod as Cedric put his plate away and wiped his lips with a napkin. 

"Anyone want to join in on the fun?" Cedric asked as he looked at his friends with a smirk.

"Of course I have to be there." Alexi said with a laugh as he too got up. "Katerina?" He asked as he glanced at his sister, he knew that Katerina wouldn't miss this moment.

Katerina simply nodded and got up as well.

"I don't think I should be seen for this." Ray said with a laugh. "I'm trying to keep as far away from anything involving the underworld right now."

"I'll stay here too." Ram said as he continued to eat. "You don't need me, plus we can watch live online." He said with a laugh as he pointed at the TV in the room.

"Same, but if anyone needs medical assistance, I'll be here." Miguel told Cedric.

"I guess it's just me and you Sebastians then, come on." Cedric told Alexi and Katerina as they walked out of the room and moved to the next one.

"Have they seen the news online?" Cedric asked Ian.

"Yes, we didn't cut the signal, we even let them connect to the hotel's wifi." Ian replied with a laugh. "It's funny because Adolfo has been tracking their usage and it's obvious that they are looking for ways to escape their situation."

"They were fools from the moment they thought I could be blackmailed or that I would offer to bribe someone." Cedric said as he shook his head.

Cedric took a step and opened the door to the meeting room where the Barons could be seen making a move to stand up and leave.

"Ah, I'm glad you are still here." Cedric said with a malicious smile as he entered the room followed by Ian, Dave, Alexi, and Katerina. 

He looked each of the members of the Baron family in the eyes, there were more of them than he had expected. 

It was not only the Mayor, Evan Baron that was around. He brought along with him his wife, son, niece and three other members of the Baron family that Cedric couldn't recall. 

He only recognized them based on the file that Ian and Dave had given him before the party. From what he recalled they also held some position in the local government.

Cedric could see the fear in their eyes as they glanced at Alexi and Camilla. If Cedric ruled the business world, and Ray ruled the underworld, the whole political landscape was dominated by the Sebastian family.

With the family patriarch, Jose Sebastian, Alexi's father, seated as the current president, and Alexi himself a Congressman in their hometown, the Sebastian family was already powerful enough. 

But they had been a political family for a long time and their influence had spread beyond imagination.

Their relatives and allies were spread across various positions all over the country, and crossing them was like signing a death wish on your political career.

The Barons had not only attacked Cedric, but they had also accused the Sebastians of taking bribes, something that was illegal and had very dangerous repercussions. 

"Ah, I see you recognize my friend and my lawyer." Cedric said as he pulled a seat and sat down across Evan Baron.

Alexi and Katerina did the same thing, mirroring Cedric's actions, sitting to his left and his right.

"If I'm not mistaken, Mr. Baron, you accused my friend and his family of taking bribes, how horrible of you." Cedric said with a grin as Evan Baron visibly froze in front of Alexi's glare.