Never Judge

"Spit it out sister, my son is dying, I don't have time for your dramatics." Ivan Lobo said coldly to his sister.

"Cedric is actually the Reyes Heir, and tonight your son met and became friends with all the five princes and more." Gracia explained to her family. 

"Then why did my son have a bullet in his head! Tell me! If he were really the Reyes Heir then my son wouldn't have been ambushed like that!" Ivan Lobo shouted at his sister.

"He got shot as he was entering the hotel. Someone was waiting for him." Cedric explained. "My security and I were watching till he entered the hotel, it was at the door that he was shot." 

"So you're blaming my son for his own death! How shameless!" Ivan Lobo told Cedric.

"This discussion can wait for another time." Cedric said as he looked into Ivan Lobo's eyes. "Your son is in the VIP ward, I had Nicole arrange the best room for him. I really liked Jam, uncle. He was nice and happy."

The Lobo family said no more and went to the VIP ward leaving Cedric and Miguel with his bodyguards in the waiting room. 

"Be honest with me." Cedric began as he slumped on a chair. "What are the kid's odds?" 

"He'll be gone soon." Miguel said in an extremely sad tone. "Normally, I wouldn't even go near a case like his. It's impossible to survive it, I only tried because of you."

"I'm sorry for ruining your perfect record. I didn't think." Cedric just knew that at the moment he had to try everything, maybe if they had stayed a few more seconds they would have noticed the gunman. Maybe if he had asked someone to escort Jam to the door he would be safe right now. Maybe if Jam hadn't gotten out of his car he would have survived. Maybe if he hadn't let the kid stay with them he wouldn't die. A lot of maybes ran through Cedric's mind, there were so many things he could have done that would have resulted in a different end with Jam alive and well.

"I don't mind. I like the kid." Miguel said with a shrug. "Who knew spending a few hours with him would make us feel so connected."

"He would have lived if I didn't let him join us." Cedric said as he continued to look at the floor.

"You don't know that. The man could have been waiting for him from the very start. He didn't die because of you Cedric. He died because of a man with a gun." Miguel said as he attempted to comfort his friend.

"They weren't supposed to stay at Constellations. They were supposed to stay at Mountain View. Adrianna asked me to reveal my identity to them on this trip, but because of what happened at the restaurant I had to change my plans. If we didn't, Jam wouldn't have walked into that trap," Cedric was full of regret, he blamed himself for everything.

"If you didn't do that earlier, they would have pressured Amanda into marrying Aiden. I don't think Jam would want that for his sister." Miguel reminded Cedric. "Adrianna should be here. We have ample security and Jam is in the VIP ward, it will be difficult for anyone to come in without your consent." Miguel advised Cedric.

Cedric simply nodded in response and called his wife to come over with little Emilio.

When Adrianna arrived she too passed the back entrance as the Reyes family now poured a big chunk of it's security team to practically lock down Saints Hospital. People quickly caught wind of this and began to speculate that someone incredibly important had been hurt, and they weren't wrong. As Cedric's cousin-in-law Jam Lobo was definitely someone who could have influenced the business world, if he woke up. 

Cedric met Adrianna at the ground floor of the hospital and they took the lift to the VIP floor. By the elevator six bodyguards stood and bowed when their boss came in. Cedric was not taking any chances, whether or not the people behind this incident were after them or Jam or someone else entirely, Cedric wanted to ensure his family's and his wife's family's safety.

Inside the ward there was a sense of dread, Miguel had told them that the boy may not make the night. Patricia Lobo cried as she held her son's hand.

"Jam, Jam, it's mommy, please wake up. Please don't go." Patricia Lobo cried. The pain in her voice ripped Cedric's heart into pieces. No matter what anyone said, Jam was in this condition because of him. 

"It's not your fault." Adrianna said as she squeezed her husband's hand.

"Don't absolve him of this, girl!" Ivan Lobo shouted.

"It's not Cedric's fault. It's the murderer's fault." Adrianna shouted back.

"You lied to us, to all of us. You had all of these resources and you failed to protect your cousin-in-law!" Ivan Lobo accused. "And where is the murderer? If you truly cared or were truly as powerful as you are showing now, find him!" 

"He is dead." Cedric said in a distant tone.

"What?" Ivan Lobo asked.

"The murderer is dead. He committed suicide when my men caught him. It was clearly premeditated." Just speaking was hard for Cedric. He felt the guilt, he felt the pain, he felt the anger. Jam was one of the few members of the Lobo family that Cedric liked, even when he didn't know about Cedric's identity Jam didn't treat him badly.

Suddenly the instruments connected to Jam began to blink and make loud noises making everyone in the room panic. Amanda quickly jumped to press the button to call a nurse.

Nurses and doctors suddenly burst in with Miguel leading the way. Cedric and the rest of the family watched in horror as Miguel tried desperately to revive the boy. 

"Save him, please I'm begging you, save him." Patricia Lobo cried out.

"Take your aunt out." Cedric told Adrianna. He knew that watching Miguel try to save her son would only drive the poor mother mad. He pleas and screams was not doing the doctors and nurses any good either.

Adrianna nodded and gently convinced Patricia Lobo to come out with her and little Emilio, eventually with the help of her mother and her grandparents they managed to get Patricia Lobo out of the room.

After thirty minutes of trying to revive Jam, Miguel suddenly stopped and cursed. Cedric saw him close his eyes and let out a sigh.

"Time of death, 2:46 AM." Miguel said gravely.

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