Never Judge

Cedric sat in his office the next day, studying the letters Dave, Mae, and Mien had brought him. Some were already yellowed with age, and dated from over 30 years ago.

"Some of these letters are older than the three of you." Cedric said as he picked one up and unfolded it.

It was a letter from Fernando to his wife, telling her about his arrival in Italy.

"Mom said she started keeping them from the moment Fern- no dad left the country." Mae told Cedric.

Cedric could see how much of a struggle it actually was for Mae to adjust to calling Fernando her father. It was a much more difficult transition from calling Marisa her mother.

He suspected that this was because of the fact that Mae had know Fernando before learning that they were father and daughter.

"Your dad seemed to have loved your mom very much." Cedric said as he read through the letter. "And based on this he really didn't want to leave her."

"Did he tell mom why he had to accompany Miguel Chan to Italy?" Mae asked as she brought Cedric a cup of hot coffee.

Cedric thanked her and nodded.

"He did, he actually told her upfront." Cedric told Mae. "According to what your father wrote, he went there to help Miguel Chan's wife because she was having a difficult pregnancy."

"I'm hoping dad told mom more confidential information in their letters." Mien said as he took some of the letters from Cedric's desk and laid them out on the coffee table across the couches.

"It seems that they had a very secure way of sending letters between each other." Dave noted. "We didn't even know that Fernando was sending letters home, our investigations never showed that."

"I find it odd that the records don't even show him ever having been married or having kids." Cedric said as he placed down the document. "It also never showed him coming home from Italy, but according to your mom he would come home quite frequently."

"Yeah, and if he didn't come home, neither of us would have been born." Mae said with a laugh.

"So someone powerful was helping him return." Dave said as he considered who would have that much influence.

"I think it was uncle Benedicto and uncle Jose." Cedric told the group before him. "No one else has as much clout as that group."

"Mr. Laurence would have been the one to arrange for the flights. While the President, even when he was younger, had enough influence in the government to have all of those documents hidden." Dave said as he considered the possibility.

"But whoever was after Fernando and his family clearly had quite the influence." Cedric explained. "There are very few people that could get my father that worried, and you need to be someone with a lot of influence and a lot of money."

"Could it have been the older generation?" Mae asked. "It was clear that grandpa Chan did not approve of his son dating someone from a different social class."

"It's possible, but at that time my grandfather and his generation had taken a backseat to their sons. They weren't as much of a threat anymore." Cedric said as he considered the theory.

"Cedric." Ian said in a serious tone as he suddenly barged into Cedric's office. "Uncle Emilio is in the lobby and he is furious."

"Quick, hide the letters." Cedric told Dave, Mae, and Mien as he quickly gathered the papers on his desk and handed them to Dave to hide.

Dave quickly placed them in an ordinary paper bag and walked out. Cedric suspected that he was going to hide the letters under his desk.

"Mien, I'm sorry, but you will need to stay outside with Dave, pretend that you are old friends and that you came to visit him." Cedric instructed Mien, who quickly did as he asked.

"Mae, Ian, take out the documents regarding the latest project for Clarin Industries. We were supposed to discuss that today anyway." Cedric instructed, sending Mae and Ian out of his office.

He quickly started up his laptop and opened the documents regarding Clarin Industries.

Cedric frowned as he looked at the document before him. It was the last file his mother had been working on before she passed away.

He had been avoiding all of her projects, focusing on just the day to day operations which Ayanna was in charge of. He hadn't realized how tough it would be getting through this project.

"Here." Ian said as he handed Cedric a document, making Cedric jump in surprise. He quickly wiped the stray tear that had fallen from his eyes.

"It's alright, you know." Ian said as he made his way to the couch. "We all know you still miss her."

"I haven't fully accepted her death yet." Cedric said with a frown as he looked at that document Ian had handed him.

Soon, Mae came in with her laptop in hand and settled on the couch across Ian.

"Please make my dad some coffee." Cedric said as he continued to read the document.

As Ian reached the coffee machine inside Cedric's office, the doors swung open and they were faced with a furious Emilio Reyes.

"I told you not to investigate Andrew Chan's death." Emilio Reyes shouted at his son as his voice boomed across the office.

Behind him Dave crept and closed the door. Cedric was sure that Ayanna could probably hear their father's voice from  her office and would soon join them as well.

"I didn't investigate Andrew Chan's death." Cedric said in a calm tone as he countered his father's angry one.

"Then tell me, why is Marisa Benitez in Solaire Towers?" Emilio said as he glared at Cedric.

Cedric took a deep breath and sighed.

"Dad, you should take a seat, there is something you need to know." Cedric told Emilio as he got up and gestured for his father to join him on the couch. 

"I am not sitting down until you give me a proper explanation." Emilio Reyes insisted. 

"Mae, can you bring my father's coffee here as well." Cedric asked.

Mae nodded and got up, doing as Cedric asked.

"Ian, please make a cup for my sister too." Cedric told Ian who was still standing by the coffee machine.

"Cedric Reyes, you better explain yourself." Emilio told his son as he walked towards the couch. He seemed to accept that his son wouldn't be telling him anything if he didn't cooperate.

Within a few minutes Ayanna knocked on the door and entered without waiting for an invitation to come in.

"What did you do this time, Cedric?" Ayanna asked as she walked over to join her brother and father and sat across them.

As Mae placed Emilio's coffee in front of him, Cedric asked Mae to fetch Mien.

Cedric could see the flash of worry in her eyes.

"Relax, Cedric said. My dad won't be mad." Cedric told Mae as he tried to calm her worries.

Mae simply nodded and wordlessly left the room. 

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