Chapter 44

"Thanks dad." Adrianna told her father when they got into the car.

"You're my daughter Adri. Of course I'm on your side." Her father said with a smile.

"Cedric, I meant what I said and I will always mean it. I will never leave you." Adrianna said as she gave her husband a kiss on the cheek.

"I know." Cedric said with a grin.

Back at the Hernandez house grandpa Hernandez was furious, not only did Adrianna refuse to entertain the Reyes heir she even denied that she was friends with Ayanna Reyes, The whole world had already seen their photos together from last night.

"Dad, I'm sure we can find a way to trick Adrianna into cooperating." Fredrik said.

"I have a friend, whose friend's mom's sister has lunch with Mrs. Reyes every week at a local country club while waiting for their husbands to finish a round of golf." John suggested to his grandfather.

"And what will we do with that John?" Grandpa Hernandez asked, he was quite pissed off with this grandson of his. He felt like John lacked the ability to run Island's Inc. in the future.

"Well, I'm sure the Reyes family is looking for a suitable wife for their son. If I can get that auntie to tell Mrs. Reyes that the woman her son likes will join them for lunch, then maybe Mrs. Reyes will push for Adrianna to marry the Reyes heir." John explained his complicated and far fetched idea.

"It doesn't sound too smart." His younger brother Henry commented on the side. Henry, unlike his siblings, actually liked Cedric and Adrianna. Cedric even helped him out once when he was stuck in a bar fight.

"Henry, don't contradict your brother. His plan sounds good." Fredrik scolded his second son.

Henry just shrugged and left. He didn't want to be part of this plot.

"Auntie Janine, can you accompany Adrianna to make sure she behaves?" John asked one of his father's cousins. Janine Hernandez was a member of the Hernandez clan as was ten years older than John who was turning thirty three that year.

"I would prefer it if Asia and Celine accompanied me." Aunt Janine suggested.

"I'd love to come along Aunt Janine!" Asia said quite gleefully.

"It's settled then, John will arrange for this meet-up, while Janine, Asia, and Celine, will accompany Adrianna to make sure she behaves. What will you tell her to get her to go?" Grandpa Hernandez asked.

"I'll think of something Grandpa. It shouldn't be hard since as the new head of new partnerships Adrianna should be meeting people like this more often." Fredrik told his father.

After dropping off the family at home Cedric asked Ian to send him a car to pick him up at home. Despite the events in the morning Cedric had a lot of work left at Mor Co. that he needed to deal with.

"Sir, Marco called, your father is asking if you could have dinner at the old house, Miss Veronica also called and she wanted to show you the designs for the house." Ian said as they drove to Mor Co.

"Okay, I'll tell dad I'll be there. For Veronica, how about scheduling her next week." Cedric gave instructions as the driver brought them to Mor Co.

It was the first time that the president of Mor Co. was arriving in full sight of the company. In the past it had been a mystery how the president even got to the office. By the time Cedric arrived in the office a rumor had spread that the president would be walking into the office without hiding his face.

When Cedric's Maserati arrived Ian stopped him from going down.

"Sir, there is a crowd waiting. I know you want to keep your identity a secret. I'll have the driver take us to the basement." Ian also handed Cedric a facemask just to be safe that no one would see what he looked like.

They finally managed to make it to the office and things managed to calm down. Cedric busied himself with work, before he knew it the day was almost at its end and he had forgotten to tell his wife that he wouldn't be having dinner at home.

He tried calling her multiple times but she didn't pick up. Cedric was already feeling a bit worried so he called Mia, who was keeping watch over Adrianna. Mia informed him that some members of the Hernandez family had arrived to speak with Adrianna and were still inside. Mia assured him that Adrianna was safe and was in no harm.

Cedric nodded and simply texted Adrianna that he would be doing overtime so she didn't have to stay up to wait for him.

At 6pm sharp, Ayanna stomped into his office.

"Big brother, time to come home for dinner. Put on your stupid disguise and change clothes." Ayanna said, throwing a mask and a cap on his table.

Cedric just laughed and went to his private washroom to change.

Of course Ayanna picking her brother up caused quite the commotion. The employees were once again waiting in the lobby as if there was a celebrity guest. Since the employees' fear that they would lose their job if they offended the president was still stronger than their curiosity, they gave Ayanna and Cedric space to pass. They were, however, very much disappointed to see that the president still covered his face.

At the Reyes house, for the first time in thirteen years the family had a quiet dinner where they were all complete.

Ayanna told everyone about how much fun she was having in the USA and how she was learning so many things. Everyone also bugged Cedric to tell them about his poverty training and about Adrianna. To them the most interesting thing about Cedric's life was his meeting and marrying Adrianna.

"Hey Ced, your aunties and I will be having lunch again on wednesday, why don't you come join us? They've missed you, you know." Priscilla Reyes said.

"Mom, won't it be too dangerous?" Ayanna knew that her brother wanted to keep a low profile so it wasn't exactly ideal to have him walking around with their mom without a disguise.

"I can wear a disguise, and besides it in Nationalia Golf right? Everyone there more or less saw me as a child." Cedric said, confirming that he would go.

"Well the new wives of course didn't know you back then." His mom said deep in thought.

"I'll just wear the face mask as usual and just dress differently." Cedric said, lifting the face mask he used to cover the lower half of his face.

"Alright so next Wednesday." His mom confirmed.

"Wait, I'm not free, how about the Wednesday after that mom? I can invite Veronica over since she wants to show me the designs she made of the house." Cedric had realized that he was swamped with meetings that week.

Once they had settled on their lunch plans, Cedric bid his parents and sister goodbye. Ayanna would be returning to school the next day so they wouldn't see each other for a while. Before he left he reminded Ayanna not to make Ray empty out a whole flight for her again.

Cedric's driver and Ian picked him up at the Reyes home and drove him back. Ian had to come along since there were some papers from the office that still needed Cedric's signature.

"Ian, don't you have a life outside of work?" Cedric asked Ian.

"Of course I do, sir. I just have my goals." Ian told Cedric as he checked the documents on his lap.

"Hmmm, I have my goals too. I heard about your family history from dad." Cedric said, waiting for Ian to tell him about it.