Chapter 0048

The Ys Sylphie is referring to are Leviene and Erica’s cousins on their mother’s side of the family, Duan Chen Yi, Duan Chen Yang, Duang Chen Yin and Duan Chen Ye.

Erica recalled whatever she could about her mother’s side of the family.

Janet Taylor changes her name to Janet Taylor Burkett after she married is the youngest child of Duan Meng Xiang and an unknown man.

The story went something like this; Duan Meng Xiang married a man by the name of Gregory Darnatell, giving birth to Duan Ming Zhe, Duan Qian and Duan Mei Lin.

Children take on the last name of their father, however, Gregory Darnatell had a dark history he didn’t want to pass on to his children so they took on their mother’s last name with the Chinese format. It didn’t help that each children took after their mother instead of their father.

No one knew what happened to Gregory Darnatell. One day he was a part of his children’s live, the next he was gone and no one ever knew where he went. Rumors said he was caught by INTERPOL and thrown in prison. There was also one where he was killed in a bar fight.

Duan Meng Xiang took her children to Hong Kong and raise them with her family. Later she had an affair with a man known only as Mr. Taylor and gave birth to Janet Taylor.

Their first uncle, Duan Ming Zhe has two sons, Duan Chen Yi and Duan Chen Yan while their second uncle has one daughter, Duan Chen Yin and one son, Duan Chen Ye.

When Duan Mei Lin came to America to oversees their family import/export business, she met and fell in love with Jason Calbot. She later changes her name to May Lin Darnatell to fit in with her new family. They have three children, Matthew Calbot, Laura ‘Laurie’ Deveraux and John Deveraux.

The youngest child, Janet Taylor, had one daughter, Erica.

Erica knew there was a love hate relationship between her aunt and her mother, but her mother never told her the details. For that matter, her mother expressly forbade her to get in contact with her Chinese relatives though they can associate with the Calbot since they are American.

Erica always thought it was race/nationality issue that separated her family from the rest. Janet Taylor looks pure European, probably taking after her absentee father while her half siblings looked mix Chinese and Caucasian.

Now Sylphie is implying it wasn’t the case at all.

“What about the Ys?”

“What do you know about your maternal side of the family?”

Erica shrugged her shoulders and answered honestly, “Nothing aside from the fact that they run a thriving import/export business.”

“Import/export business huh.” Sylphie laugh sardonically,“You can call it that. Their cargo is nothing mundane as clothes and dolls. It’s weapons and drugs, specifically cocaine.”

“What?!” Surprise was written on Erica’s face along with anger and disbelief. Granted her mother is prejudice against her more Asian looking relatives, however they didn’t act like they are part of the mafia the few times they hang out.

“There was a rumor about the German conducting human research. It can be the first foray into genetically enhancing humans. Nothing extreme as Superman or anything like that, but speed, strength, endurance and recovery time on upper bound of human limits. Noah Ngeny hold the world record for running the 1km in 2 minutes 11.96 seconds. A normal man can run 1k in four to five minutes. These enhance humans can run 1k in three and half minutes. Gregory Darnatell was rumored to be one of these enhanced human.

“As for Mei Lin’s whirlwind romance with Jason Calbot, that’s probably the biggest joke of all. I don’t doubt she loves him, however she met a missing Deveraux a bit before the Duan attempt to whitewash their family. Surprise, surprise, May Lin is our sister and she is married to your half brother, so why don’t you extend us a helping hand?” Sylphie sneered the last sentence.

Erica was so shocked she fell onto her butt as she stared at Sylphie with horror. She knew her mother wasn’t close to her Chinese side of the family, but she didn’t know this was the reason why. As to the validity of the information, Sylphie had no reason to lie.

“Then the Ys are part of the Chinese Triad?”

“No.” Sylphie smiled cruelly, as if the information she was going to impart was going the crush Erica’s heart to a thousand pieces, “They whitewash their family with the help of Janet’s father, your grandfather, Robert Taylor.”

Bam!

The dropping of the atomic bomb wouldn’t have been as devastating as the information Sylphie casually tossed out.

Suddenly many things make sense now.

Robert Taylor inherited his father already thriving shipping business, Atlantic-Pacific Ahoy Inc. and expanded scope three fold. Before they were most shipping materials from The Americas to Europe and back. Now, Atlantic-Pacific Ahoy Inc. has ships in every dock in the world.

Cognitive Consumer Productions, a subsidiary of Atlantic-Pacific Ahoy Inc. is one of the most lucrative contracts Erica, Landsling and Park has contracts for.

When Erica and her partners pitched their services to Cognitive Consumer Productions, they were sure they weren’t going to get the contract. The accounts in the firm are good and they are driven to be successful, but there were bigger and better firms out there. At first, Erica maybe thought the Deveraux or the Denieve pulled some string behind the scenes to get them in the door, but never would she have thought it was her own grandfather who helped her.

Robert Taylor made a surprised visit to a banquet thrown by Cognitive Consumer Productions, where Erica had the honor of meeting the brilliant man. She was very flatter Robert Taylor was willing to talk to a nobody like her, much less compliment her on a job well done. Erica walked on air several days afterwards.

Erica even understand why Robert Taylor never acknowledges any illegitimate children or grandchildren he might have nor did any of anyone of them want to acknowledge him.

Robert Taylor didn’t get where he is by being a jolly good fellow. He ruthlessly schemes, blackmails or strong arm his way to the top. Although his method got things done, many people didn’t like it and they had the money to express their hatred.

The shipping mogul had three sons and one daughter among his three wives. Two died mysteriously, one son was committed to an insane asylum and the daughter stole a fortune and went off the grid. She was the lucky one.

Of his nine confirmed grandchildren, six are dead, one wished he was dead, and his two surviving granddaughters are so broken they can’t function normally anymore.

Erica saw photos of them after the ordeal they went through. They looked like a holocaust refugee, all skins and bones with bruises everywhere and signs they were sexually assaulted. Their eyes were black empty voids. No hope glimmer in those eyes. They were so broken, mannequins were better than them.

They say the family is curse. According to Erica’s sources, Robert Taylor made too many enemies, they went after his family for revenge.

And now she was one of his grandchildren. Oh god.

“How many people know about this?” Erica desperately asked. She didn’t want to be tortured to the point where dying is a relief.

“My father and me. Why did you think you only spent three days in my father’s dungeon?”

Erica widens her eyes in fear. Even until now, the memories of those three days haunts her dreams.

“My father went after your family to warn the Duan not to go to far. Robert stepped in to discreetly settle the matter.”

Paranoia set in. Erica began to look everywhere for signs of danger. When she saw no one was around she turned to scrutinized Sylphie for potential threats.

It made sense.

It was too much for Erica to take in.

If she was Robert Taylor’s granddaughter, then there are people who would stop at nothing to eliminate her.

“Relax, Robert Taylor, Duan Meng Xiang, me and my father are the only ones who know your lineage. None of us are interested in harming you.”

“Why are you telling me this now?”

“If we weren’t transported to Arashia, then Robert Taylor was going to name you his heir. You have the indirect protection of the Deveraux and the Denieve as well as connection to the Duan and the Burkett. Your father might act like a petty con man, but his family is nothing but petty. You are the only grandchild he’s confident enough to survive the incoming onslaught. I’m telling you this to lay off Leviene because if Robert’s enemies make it into this world, Leviene may be your best ally. I also want you to understand the pressure Leviene is facing.

“The Ys may be family, but they aren’t nice people. The Denieve may be family but they aren’t nice people either. As for the Deveraux, you experience for yourself. Leviene had to create a family network with checks and balances. The Denieves don’t like the Duans and vice versa. None of them can make a move on Leviene without a war on their hands. Leviene use the Deveraux as a buffer between her and the rest of the family, however she has to live within the limitation set by the Deveraux.”

Erica finally understood Sylphie’s intention. The Tajin Nost wanted Erica to look past her stereotypes to the ugly truth underneath.

It is also a subtle threat. Behave or else.

“I don’t want you to change your behavior. Leviene will be suspicious if you change overnight. What I want you to do is hone the skills you already have. You are good at reading people, except family. I’m telling you your weakness so you can fix it. Only then…”

Sylphie left the consequences unsaid. Unspecified threats are scarier than specified one. The Tajin Nost change into Ayerez, dusted her butt off and walk towards a resurrected player, slicing his head off with two quick strokes.

The casual way she finished off her opponent showcase her skill. A skill she probably acquired on Earth.

“I will never be you!” Erica screamed as she too kill off another resurrected player, although it was done with savagery fueled by fear and anger. Only Erica understood what her statement meant.