Never Judge

Katerina took a deep breath as their car sped through the city. With her pregnancy Eric and Alexi had been arguing about the best place for them to live at, for now they were living in Eric's home within the Mountain View community.

"Eric, Mr. Nelle is working for the Rajas." Katerina finally managed to say as she observed Eric's expression.

Eric placed his head in his hands and sighed.

"How did I not know?" He asked no one in particular as he felt he was turned into a fool. He brought Katerina over once and she was able to discover this information about Mr. Nelle.

Katerina placed a hand on his back, she was at a loss for words as she let him feel disappointed about not spotting it sooner.

Eventually Katerina spoke up.

"He is always careful around you." Katerina pointed out. She had enough time in the car to think of what to say. She had also thought of  how Mr. Nelle had managed to hide the fact that he was not truly a friend  to  Eric.

"What do you mean?" Eric asked as he raised his head and looked her in the eyes, frowning.

"Like today, he took the call as far away from you as possible. He wasn't going to risk you finding out about his involvement with the Rajas." Katerina explained to her fiance.

Eric nodded as he understood what Katerina was telling him.

"And  didn't you notice, he doesn't exactly spend too much time  with you. He says hi, walks  you  to your  table, talks to you for a bit, then nothing much." Katerina said with a shrug. "For someone that is so popular and that brings attention to his small event, he would normally be praising you, spending as much time with you. But Mr. Nelle is different, he needed to keep you at arms length."

Eric sighed at her words, he knew  she was right, and more importantly there truly was  no way of  telling who was  friend or foe.

"Don't forget, we didn't even know that the Rajas still existed until recently, so don't beat yourself up about it." Eric smiled as Katerina's phone began to ring.

When he noticed that it was Ian calling, he quickly took her phone from her hand making her yelp in surprise.

"So much for  privacy." Katerina grumbled as she rolled her eyes, making Eric laugh.

"Don't make her work anymore today." Eric said in a stern tone as he picked up the call, he already knew  that Ian was calling for work and not for a nice chat.

"Unfortunately for you we need to talk to her." Ian  told Eric.

Eric glanced at Katerina  who was throwing a mini tantrum in the car. Her arms were crossed on her chest as she moved away from him, leaning against the door at the other end of the  car.

"Fine, but don't press her too  much, remember, she's pregnant." Eric warned Ian.

"It's not like we could forget with all the nagging  you  do." He  teased. "We'll meet with you guys at Cedric's place in an hour, Ced and I  are still at work."

"We'll be there." Eric told Ian as he dropped the call.

"You heard something else." Eric said as he glared at Katerina.

"Just come along later." She told him as they pulled up to the driveway of his home. "I don't want to keep repeating myself."

Katerina quickly stepped out of  the car and rushed up to their bedroom to rest.

Eric frowned at how his fiance wouldn't just tell him what she heard, but he didn't want to push her.

He simply went to his home office to check on some patient files.

Despite being an actor in public, Eric still took on some psychiatric cases as long as he didn't need to show himself.

He was also helping Nicole and Miguel manage that aspect of Saints Hospital.  He knew it was something that his father didn't want to touch in the past, but Nicole was insistent on Saints being a holistic hospital, caring for both physical and mental wellness.

Before he knew it, a maid was knocking on the door.

"Sir, the madam asked us  to inform you to get ready to leave." She told Eric who simply nodded and dismissed her.

As soon as the maid left, Eric closed his laptop and put away his files. He knew that Katerina would be down in a few minutes. Unlike his sister she got ready quickly and didn't spend  too much time on make-up and other things.

Eric arranged for  their driver to take them to Mountain View mansion not wanting Katerina  to walk. If it were  only him he would have considered the walk as somewhat of an exercise, but with a pregnant woman he wasn't going to do that.

"Oh, you're ready." Katerina said in surprise as the car pulled up in the driveway.

"Yeah, I know it's important, I won't delay." Eric helped Katerina into the front passenger seat of  the car before climbing in the driver's seat.

The  drive to Cedric's mansion was short, it took them less than five minutes and they were greeted by an excited Yoyo, Tristan,  and Damien.

"Boys, later." Cedric called out from  the door as he chased the three boys.

They laughed and hugged Katerina and Eric before rushing back into the house.

"You're right on time." Cedric greeted with a smile as he led  his guests to his office.  Inside, Ian and Ray were waiting for them.

"I heard you had  an  encounter with the Rajas." Cedric said as he sat down behind his desk.

"I just so happened to walk in on one  of them speaking to Ian as well as learning  what they are planning to do with the people they kidnapped." Katerina smiled as she  waited  for the others to register who she was speaking  about.

​ "The employees and their relatives?" Cedric asked, to which Katerina slowly nodded.

"I stood there long enough to overhear what they are planning." Katerina then proceeded to explain that the Rajas were going to keep them in a hotel with several men to guard them.

"We need to find out where, I doubt they will have a lot  of companions." Ian said as a plan started to form.

"Then we rescue them?" Eric asked.

"We rescue them and  we use them to win this case. The employees cannot be seen siding  with us.  It will  risk not just their lives but those that are important to them." Cedric said  with a nod.

"I'll have my men cast a wider search." Ray quickly dialed a number on his phone and stepped out of the room to give instructions.

"Thank you." Ian smiled at Katerina.

"I was just lucky." Katerina shrugged as Eric pulled  her into his arms.

"You still stayed to listen longer. You could have left and just told us who the spokesperson of the Rajas was." Cedric praised.

"Please stop risking yourself, but still thank you." Ian repeated his thanks, to which Katerina simply smiled. She wouldn't stop taking risks and they all knew  that.

Some things would never change, especially her stubbornness.