Never Judge

After having arranged everything for the next day, Cedric and his group rejoined the party. As expected people were gossiping about their absence for a big chunk of the night.

"What do you think the rumors will be about now?" Ray asked Cedric as he walked next to his friend.

"A crashing business and a threat to the Chan family." Cedric said with a grin as he looked around at the people who were whispering among themselves.

"I have a better rumor." Ian said as he appeared on Cedric's otherside.

"I think they might actually be gossiping about you Ian." Ray teased as they continued to walk to their seats.

"I'm not worth gossiping about." Ian said with a laugh. "I'm just a lowly assistant."

"A lowly assistant, from one of the old rich families, who will someday be marrying the next head of the Chan family, combining two rich clans." Cedric said with a chuckle. "I think that's worth gossiping about."

Ian just rolled his eyes at his friend and continued to walk alongside them.

"Don't they have their own lives?" Alexi grumbled as he stood behind them. 

Cedric took a glance and saw that the girls were now all speaking amongst themselves while Alexi, Ram, Miguel, and Eric were now walking behind them.

"Our lives are more interesting, duh." Eric said with a grin.

Cedric spotted a young lady who's eyes had been watching Eric, he smiled at her and she began to hyperventilate. Her friend next to her got excited as well.

"Are you sure you should be doing that?" Alexi asked Eric. "Aren't you afraid of a certain headstrong and independent woman castrating you for smiling at someone else?"

"She knows I only love her." Eric said with a shrug. "Plus, it's part of my job to make women swoon like that. They need to feel like they have a chance with me, that's why my dramas and movies sell."

"And what happens when they realize that they can't compete against the woman you are actually dating?" Miguel asked with a laugh.

"I'm ready to give up my career for her." Eric said with a smile. "As long as I am with her, I don't need anything else."

"You need money of course." Ray said with a laugh as they finally made it to their table.

"I've saved up and invested." Eric said with a laugh. "Ever since I left my family I've made sure to invest in my future. I don't want it to reach a point where I need to go back on bended knees to this old place."

"What about the shares?" Miguel asked his brother. Everyone immediately knew that he was talking about the shares that had been given to Eric as a way to try to tempt him to come back home.

"I never touch the money coming from those." Eric said with a shrug. "Plus a certain amount is always put aside so that it can be invested in the development of the hospital."

"I'm guessing you did this in case they accused you of using their gift to you?" Ram asked.

"Yes." Eric said with a nod. "I have no plans of letting them use those shares as a weapon against me. I only use them to help my siblings."

  "Ced, why are Adrianna's parents acting so awkwardly?" Alexi asked as the Hernandezes seemed uncomfortable as they spoke to the Chans and the Reyeses who were seated on the same table as them.

"Oh, I told them about my grandma and your grandpa." Cedric said with a laugh.

"You didn't tell them that it wasn't a big issue anymore?" Miguel asked as he gave Cedric a curious look.

"It isn't?" Adrianna asked as she overheard her husband's discussion with the other men.

"Of course it isn't." Nicole said with a laugh. "It's been decades!"

"Over half a century." Eric added with a grin. 

"If they kept it as a big deal you guys wouldn't even be around." Miguel said with a shrug. 

"Well grandma still hasn't come over because of that." Cedric said, rolling his eyes.

"That's different though, it's really awkward when your grandma and my grandpa try to talk." Nicole said as she made a disgusted expression.

"Adri, everything is good between the Chans and the Reyeses, we even make jokes about it from time to time." Ayanna said with a shrug.

"Ana!" A woman suddenly said as she came up to their table. 

She was dressed quite extensively with barely any makeup and her long straight hair dropping to her waist. 

"Rose." Veronica said with an awkward smile.

"Oh my gosh Ana, I was so happy to hear that you got married a few years back." Rose said as she pulled Veronica into a hug.

"Rose, I go by Veronica now." Veronica explained. "You know, my professional name?" She said as she tried to remind the woman who had come up to them.

"Oh, please, you will always be Ana to me." Rose said excitedly. 

"Who is that?" Cedric whispered to Ram. He wasn't sure what to make of the woman, she was too loud and too excited, but Veronica still spoke to her despite being quite annoying.

"Veronica's ex-best friend. My sister doesn't really like her." Ram whispered back.

"Well, that explains why Veronica is so awkward around her." Cedric said. "But why is she just fine with this woman coming up and hugging her."

"Veronica might be cold to most people, but she and Rose go way back, well not too far back. It was after you left for poverty training they got quite close." Ram said with a shrug.

"Women and their confusing friendships, I'll never understand that about them." Ian said, shaking his head as he watched the painfully awkward interaction.

"I should go over and save my wife." Miguel said with a laugh as he got up from his seat.

"So Ana, darling, who is the lucky man who managed to snatch you?" Cedric heard Rose ask Veronica.

"Me." Miguel suddenly said as he wrapped a protective arm around Veronica's waist. "I don't know if you remember me, Miguel Chan. It's my grandfather's birthday party that you came to attend." Miguel said with a smirk.

"Oh, of course I know you." Rose said with a giggle as she blushed.

Cedric rolled his eyes upon hearing what Rose had said.

"It's such a good thing that you chose to wait, my husband and I, we just couldn't." Rose said with a grin.

"Couldn't wait for what?" Veronica asked in a hesitant tone.

"To have children of course." Rose said quite loudly. "Why else wouldn't the children of the Abad and Chan families not procreate if not by choice?" 

Everyone was shocked by Rose's words, they all knew that having kids was something Miguel and Veronica had been trying at it for quite a while. So Rose bringing the topic up was quite a shock for everyone. 

Before the couple could answer Rose began to wave at someone. Veronica turned to the direction Rose had been waving and she turned pale.

"Ana, Miguel, I'd like you to meet my husband, Jason." Rose said as she wrapped her arms around a very familiar man, Jason Evangelista. The man that had ruined Veronica's life, making her leave the country.