Never Judge

"You're out to prove something, aren't you?" Hendrick said as he glared at  Al.

He no longer had a hint of fear in his eyes. It was probably because he already knew the two people before him and realized that they weren't any different from how he truly knew them.

Al frowned as Hendrick mentioned his desire to prove something to his father.

"Hendrick, don't shock my cousin too much." Emilio said with a grin, he clearly knew that Hendrick was much smarter than he led on.

"Fine." Henrick said as he backed down. "I'll let the princeling explain then."

Al glared at Hendrick, the air in the room was tense as Al refused to admit that Hendrick had managed to agitate him and caught him off guard.

"Al give it up." Emilio grumbled as he gave his cousin a stern look.

"You knew he wasn't a bumbling idiot?" Al questioned Emilio.

Emilio sighed and nodded, he knew that Al was not going to let this go.

Most times, people forgot that Al was only fifteen. He acted way older than his actual age and his height didn't help either.

Al was already almost an inch shy of Emilio's height, his aura was already quite close to that of the future head or the Reyes family.

"Yes, I knew Al. Why do you think we were friends? Do you think I can be friends with someone I can't stand. You know well enough that I don't like stupid people." Emilio chuckled.

Al accepted his cousins answer, but turned his attention to Hendrick.

"Why did you pretend to be stupid?" Al questioned him.

"I asked my question first." Herndrick stubbornly answered.

"You're in my father's home at the mercy of my family right now, Hendrick. My cousin might be your best friend, but he cannot protect you from me all the time.

Hendrick gave Emilio a nervous look, it was clear that Al's threat had gotten to him.

"I'd just answer Al if I were you Hendrick, it's not like you will be able to keep it from him." Emilio said with a shrug as he stayed out of their argument.

Hendrick sighed knowing that he couldn't possibly win against someone like Al in his own turf.

"Fine." Hendrick said in surrender. "I pretended to simply be the minimum amount of intelligence I needed because I didn't want all the expectations and pressures I grew up with. I also wanted to make friends with people who wouldn't see me as a threat, ordinary people."

"You clearly didn't achieve your goal." Al teased as he laughed at Herndrick. "As far as I know, my cousin is your only friend, and I wouldn't call him ordinary."

Herndrick rolled his eyes at Al, annoyed at how right the younger man was.

"It's not like I knew that Emilio was the Reyes Heir. Do you know how many people have named their sons Emilio in the hopes that he would be as successful as your grandfather?" Hendrick questioned Al.

"People have gone as far as trying to change their family names." Emilio added on the side.

"Success doesn't come from the name." Al told Hendrick. "Those people are stupid. So what kind of pressure are you hiding from? What is your secret, Hendrick Chua?"

Hendrick frowned as he noticed that both cousins were not eager to hear what he had to say. It was a story that he hadn't told anyone, not even Emilio.

"It's a night for secrets to come out." Emilio shrugged. "We are honestly more than willing to tell you our truths."

"Hurry up, dad might come back demanding his office back." Al rushed.

"Do you remember a few years ago there was this medical and scientific prodigy that graduated university at thirteen, medical school at sixteen, and people were saying that he would soon replace your uncle Miguel?" Hendrick asked as he looked down, avoiding the two men's stares.

"That was you?" Al asked, shocked that Hendrick was actually a hidden genius.

Hendrick slowly nodded, unable to deny the truth.

"I was an apprentice under Dr. Miguel Chan when I just felt like it wasn't the life I wanted." Hendrick shrugged. "He tried getting me to work with your other aunt, Natalia, but lab work wasn't my thing either."

"So you left?" Emilio asked as he processed what his friend had just said.

"I ran with the help of Dr. Chan's son, Dominic." Hendrick told the pair, much to their shock. "I guess if they saw me again they would recognize me."

Emilio sighed and nodded.

"It makes sense that Dominic would help him." Al chuckled. "Hi might not be Uncle Miguel's biological son, but he gets enough pressure from being related to him."

"Your secret will be safe with us." Emilio told Hendrick. "But not for long. My father and mother will want to invite you over since you're my only friend outside our group, so be prepared."

Hendrick nodded and smiled.

"The Chans never pressured me, the real pressure came from my own family. I am actually grateful for your uncle and aunts, they helped me cope. They extended my childhood and your cousin helped me run." Herndrick said with a genuine smile on his face.

"I guess we need to tell you our stories now, not that Emilio has much to tell." Al laughed as he looked at Emilio, who was scowling at him.

Hendrick simply smiled as he tried to combine their true identities to the people he knew the cousins as.

"You are right, you know." Al said as his expression and demeanor turned serious. "I did join the mafia to prove myself."

Hendrick nodded as he listened patiently to the younger man.

"My dad and his cousin, our uncle Alexander Sebastian, both joined the mafia at eighteen and they thrived. They quickly became notable members and when the time came my father easily took over the position of king of the underworld." Al said as he recounted his father and uncle's history.

"The senator Alexander Sebastian?" Hendrick asked, surprised about something.

"Are you shocked he is my uncle or by the fact that he was part of the mafia?" Al asked, confused by Hendrick's reaction.

"Obviously by the fact that he was part of the mafia! He's been a government official for years, he's supposed to uphold the law, not break it." Hendrick pointed out as if he was trying to remind Al that he was a genius and not an idiot.

"Right, yeah, it's part of being a Lawrence and he is a Lawrence through his mother. It was his obligation to accompany dad." Al explained. "So I simply wanted to prove that I was better."

Hendrick's jaw dropped at Al's explanation.

"And I think my son has proven that he is." Ray Lawrence said as he entered the room, this time he had more companions than when they had left.