Never Judge

Two weeks later, Uncle Matthew called Adrianna on a Sunday at home.

"Adrianna, it happened again." Adrianna could hear the panic in Uncle Matthew's voice this time.

"What is it uncle?" Adrianna asked as she stepped into the office connected to their room.

"M designs somehow managed to get all the partners we had lined up for the new design." Uncle Matthew reported.

Adrianna opened up her laptop and quickly checked an email.

"There is a dinner for tonight, I got an invite but declined. I guess I should go so that I could meet the owners of M Designs in person." Adrianna told her uncle.

"Will Cedric let you? You're seven months pregnant Adrianna, you shouldn't be going around like that so much." Uncle Matthew said, full of concern.

"He isn't home, uncle. He had to go with his dad and Ayanna to an event at the presidential palace. I'll be back before they get home." Adrianna said as she walked over to her closet to pick out a formal gown.

"No, no, no. You'll be too tired. Let me and Henry go." Uncle Matthew argued back.

"Uncle, I want to get a proper read on these people. I need to meet them in person." Adrianna said as she took out a flowy navy blue gown that hid her baby bump quite well.

"If you insist, but I will accompany you. I'll go to Mountain View to pick you up." Uncle Matthew said. Adrianna knew there was no negotiating on this, at least if Uncle Matthew was with her she could tell Cedric.

"We can take my car uncle. Just leave yours here at Mountain View. The party starts at 5pm." Adrianna looked up at the clock, it was 3pm, she would be a little late.

"I'll be at Mountain View before 4pm." Uncle Matthew said before finally dropping the call.

Adrianna dialed her husband's number and waited a while for him to pick up.

"Yes dear?" Cedric asked over the phone.

"I have an event I need to go to for Island's Inc. It's a party. Don't worry, Uncle Matthew will be with me and we'll be taking my car. Mia will also come along too. I'll be back before you get home." Adrianna quickly said, not allowing her husband to object.

"Alright. Make sure not to over do yourself. And ask Uncle Matthew to stay the night, we still have a spare room." Cedric didn't even attempt to change her mind, he just made sure that she didn't work too hard, she was a pregnant woman after all.

"Okay. I'll tell him. Have fun at your event." Adrianna said cheerfully.

"I love you and I love our little one." Cedric said in a much sweeter voice.

"Love you too." Adrianna said as she dropped the call. 

She quickly jumped into the shower and got ready.

At 4pm Uncle Matthew arrived with Henry, a maid informed Adrianna who was doing her makeup. They had to wait another thirty minutes before Adrianna finally came down.

"Even pregnant you look amazing, cousin!" Henry praised. "You should wear those earrings Cedric got you at the auction! It was all over the news." Right after the auction all of the most expensive items that were sold were placed on the news, it included a pair of diamond and gold earrings, the necklace Cedric had sold, some old scrolls from ancient China and Korea, as well as a couple of Japanese paintings that were hundreds of years old.

"And have people think it's fake? No thanks. These earrings are nice too. Ayanna bought them for me in Italy when she went a month ago." Adrianna said pointing at the black teardrop earrings she had on. These too were antiques that were said to have been owned by the Medici family.

"Oh to be so rich." Henry said, shaking his head.

"Shut up. It's not like you're poor." Adrianna teased.

The drive from Mountain View to the party venue was over an hour and thirty minutes. When Adrianna, Uncle Matthew, and Henry arrived most of the guests were already socializing. Today's event was a social gathering for designers and design companies. 

Adrianna had actually asked Veronica if she was attending, but it was a fashion design event so Veronica said it wasn't her industry, although she was still given an invite. Everyone at the party was dressed fashionably and carried a proud aura to them, there were models present as well.

"Adri, that's them. Mr. Moyra and his daughter Elaine Moyra. They own M Designs." Henry said, pointing out the father and daughter duo that were talking to a group of designers. 

"Mr. Moyra, Miss Moyra." Henry said as they approached.

"Oh Henry Hernandez right?" Mr. Moyra asked. "I've heard so much about you. And who is this gorgeous lady with you?" Mr. Moyra said as he looked at Adrianna from head to toe.

"This is my cousin, Adrianna, she's our new CEO. And our Uncle Matthew is with us too." Henry greeted energetically.

"My dear Adrianna, you must have been a model at some point!" Mr. Moyra praised.

"I've never modeled in my life sir, but thank you for the compliment." Adrianna said with a sweet smile.

"I hope there aren't any hard feelings between us Miss Adrianna." Elaine Moyra said, smiling beside her father. "It's just business."

"Of course Miss Moyra. It's business, you win some, you lose some." Adrianna said with a smile.

"That's good. Well, dad and I need to say hi to other people." Elaine said waving with her left hand.

When the Moyra's had gone, a few of Henry's designer friends joined them. 

"Miss Moyra is married?" Adrianna asked her cousin.

"What? No. Of course not. There wasn't a wedding and Elaine was my classmate so I would have known if there was." Henry quickly responded.

"Well she was wearing a wedding ring. Maybe her husband is the reason we keep losing partners to them." Adrianna said with a shrug.

"Cousin, no one can beat - ouch what was that for?" Henry complained as Adrianna pinched him hard.

"I know you guys have the same backer, but her position might be stronger." One of Henry's friends said.

"Hmmm? Why?" Henry and Adrianna were quite puzzled with what the designer had just said.

"The wedding ring and the necklace. Didn't you notice them?" The designer asked.

"What? That extremely hideous necklace that really doesn't go with anything?" Henry asked as he ridiculed the necklace Elaine was wearing.

"I didn't notice it at all. What's with it?" Adrianna asked.

"Cousin, has pregnancy made you blind too?" Henry teased. "It's that large gold necklace with random gems stuck on it. You have far better jewelry and far better taste."

"I doubt you could tell that to the person who actually bought that necklace." Another of Henry's friends said with a laugh. "But yes, it is horrible."

"Who bought it?" Adrianna asked. 

"Darling, it was in the news a few weeks back. The Reyes Heir bought that necklace during the auction, it definitely wasn't for himself." The first friend pointed out.