Never Judge

"You know you could have just called them, right?" Mae said as they drove across the city towards Saints Hospital.

Cedric shook his head and sighed. 

"There are some things that need to be asked face to face." Cedric explained. "Today there is a board meeting and most of the members of the Chan family will be there. If none of the siblings know the answer then their parents might."

"Andrew Chan wasn't even the first born, he didn't hold any significance to the family, why would someone inside want him dead?" Mae asked.

"There are many reasons to want a child dead, I have my suspicions, but I don't want to just assume things. I need it to be proven and I need to know." Cedric told his assistant as they pulled up in front of Saints Hospital.

A guard quickly ran to the car and opened the door.

They all knew Cedric's car, everyone was trained to recognize that familiar Rolls Royce Ghost whenever it pulled up. It meant that one of the most important men in the country had come for a visit.

"Mr. Reyes." The guard said as he bowed to Cedric.

"Are Nicole and Miguel in?" He asked, he knew that the guards at the entrance would know if either of the siblings had left.

"They are all still inside, the meeting seems to have taken longer than expected." The guard informed him.

Cedric nodded and thanked the guard as he marched into the hospital lobby.

His bodyguards quickly cleared the way, Leon had added a new mandate to them, no one was allowed within five meters of Cedric. If they let anyone too close, it would give an attacker the opportunity to harm Cedric.

"They are probably arguing over Nicole's pregnancy." Cedric told Mae as his assistant pressed the button to summon the elevator.

"Why would her pregnancy be an issue?" Mae asked as the elevator doors opened and they stepped in.

"Because she is unmarried and this is her second child with Ian." Cedric said with a shrug as the doors closed.

"Don't they want her to marry Ian?" Mae asked, she had honestly been confused by the couple from the very beginning. She didn't understand how their dynamic worked.

Ian was a very good businessman, he simply chose to stay with Cedric to help him during difficult times such as this. But Ian's family business was booming once more, and it was growing really fast.

He had already made it to the list of the richest men in the country.

"They want the Lim name now." Cedric said with a sigh. "In the past marrying Ian was unacceptable to them, but now that Ian has managed to get his family back up they want to force the marriage."

"Nicole isn't one to take orders." Mae said with a laugh as she thought of Nicole defying every single thing that her elders wanted her to do just because she could.

"She doesn't like her life being dictated. None of the girls do." Cedric said as he shook his head and the elevator doors opened to the administrative floor of the hospital.

As soon as he stepped out of the elevator Nicole's assistant quickly got up and went over to greet them.

"Mr. Reyes." She said as she avoided looking Cedric in the eyes. "Miss Nicole never said anything about you coming over."

"I didn't tell them." Cedric said in an emotionless tone. "Are they done yet?"

"With the meeting sir?" She asked.

Cedric didn't say a word, to most people he hated repeating himself or answering useless questions. 

For some reason he turned cold to the public while he was a nice person in private.

"I mean, no sir, they aren't done, and it seems like quite the discussion." She informed Cedric.

"Let Miguel and Nicole know I'm here. Is Eric there too?" He asked.

"Yes, sir, the whole family is present." The assistant said with a nod. 

"I'll be waiting in Nicole's office. Tell them it isn't urgent, I just need to speak to them as soon as that meeting is over." Cedric told the assistant.

Cedric didn't wait for her to show him to Nicole's office. He had been there multiple times, and he knew the place quite well.

He marched up to the large double doors that led to the president's office and pushed them in.

When he saw the sight inside he wanted to laugh. Despite moving up to becoming the President of Saints Hospital, Nicole was the same woman. 

The room was clean, but it was cozy. It felt like a place where you wouldn't mind working all day and all night.

Cedric decided to sit on one of the couches as he texted Adrianna an update of his whereabouts. 

Within minutes the doors suddenly opened, catching Cedric by surprise.

"Cedric, why are you here?" Eric asked as he, together with Nicole and Miguel entered the office.

"Don't you have a family meeting?" Cedric asked.

"You were the perfect excuse to get out of there." Nicole said with a laugh as she sat down behind her desk. "All those old people insisting that I marry Ian and ask him to give us a project." Nicole complained as she rolled her eyes.

"It's not like you don't want to marry Ian." Eric said as he rolled his eyes at his sister.

"I don't like them getting what they want. They've dictated my life for way too long. I'm sick and tired of it!" Nicole grumbled.

"She's cranky. Ignore her." Miguel said with a laugh. "So, why are you here?" He asked Cedric.

"Something doesn't add up in our investigation into Andrew Chan." Cedric told the siblings. "Someone wanted a kid dead, why would they want him dead? Your uncle Miguel wasn't the first born son, it was your dad. Andrew wasn't the eldest grandson, it was Eric. Why go after Andrew."

"Maybe because of his mom." Nicole said as she thought of the situation. "She wasn't someone they wanted to be a part of the family, meaning Andrew came from a family they didn't want."

"Do you really think the Chan family elders could do that? Want a child dead?" Eric asked his sister.

"They have killed for much less." Nicole said with a sigh as she shook her head.