331 Fool's Pandora's Box

May 2, 20X2 (Sunday)

Various Places

After the meeting, Jean Bonaparte stayed at his hotel most of the time. He had been desperate to talk and be with his son that he had not realized he would have needed time. Elizar did not show himself to Jerome, afraid of being blamed for bringing Jean Bonaparte.

In the morning on Sunday, The Zhao family was once again hounded with calls, asking them the truth about the pictures that was spreading fast everywhere. Since Jerome had stayed at Xue Manor after the meeting, he had not been as affected by the demands of information by the general public as Mei Lin was. Honestly, Mei Lin was annoyed. The general public had no right to chime in about her life. People are too entitled. As if they owned everything!

"I know it's a stupid question to ask, but are you okay?" Yang took a seat beside Mei Lin and made her lean half of her weight on his side, letting her feel his warmth.

"People are just..." Mei Lin said, frustrated, "Annoying!"

Yang would have chuckled if it was in another setting, he caressed Mei Lin's back and said, "You don't have to worry about it. The only opinion that really matters is mine."

Snorting, Mei Lin rolled her eyes, "The only opinion that matters is my opinion. Yours is secondary."

"What? Not even equal?" Yang exclaimed, acting horrified.

"Right now, we are not equal. Right now, I represent myself and the child I am carrying." Mei Lin smirked. The frustration that Mei Lin was holding towards the public vanished as Yang proceeded to be dramatic. She knew it was her husband's way of comforting her, and she was grateful.

It was in the middle of their conversation that Yang's phone buzzed with news from Uncle Wu. Yang and Mei Lin don't usually use their phones when they are together, but some circumstances could not be avoided, especially in emergency cases. When Yang finished reading the information that Uncle Wu sent, he hurriedly brought Mei Lin to the living room where the family had also hastily gathered. Mei Lin was confused with everything, but suddenly, the television displayed an older foreign man talking to the public.

Jean Bonaparte had been wrong before, and he came to the country to slowly right his wrong or at least make it less heavy to carry. Staring at the cameras that transferred to all international media, Jean Bonaparte narrated, "I was a soldier under Commander Alfonsi before becoming the head of the Bonaparte family. In my time as a soldier, I met and fell in love with Commander Alfonsi's daughter named Alexa Alfonsi. She had brown hair that appears a bit golden in the sun and hazelnut colored eyes. She was gentle and kind. In our youth, we had a child together. When I married my present wife, I already had a child.That child's name is Jerome Bonaparte."

Everyone was curious why he was telling the Chinese audience here, even going as far as hiring many translators for everyone to understand.

"The Xue family had a daughter named Xue Mu Lan. She and Jerome Bonaparte married in secret, her children is and was my grandchildren."

The reporters' mouth and eyes were wide agape. They have discovered some drama from the usual drama-free Xue family. That must mean that Xue Chang Min was also of noble blood! What groundbreaking news!

"Because of an incident with a terrorist group, my son, Jerome Bonaparte, had to hide, leaving behind his wife and children here in this city. Unfortunately, Xue Mu Lan and their eldest child died, caught on a crossfire with the terrorist group. It was because of this that the French and the Chinese Government had decided to place the youngest baby that my son and late daughter-in-law had in an orphanage, fearing the terrorist would have recognized the baby and use it for my son's demise like my daughter-in-law has been."

The people in Zhao manor had large and surprised eyes. They had never thought that it would be Jean Bonaparte that would come clean with everything. Mei Lin worried about the reaction that her father would sure to have when he sees this.

"That small child later become Miss M and is now known to you today as Zhao Mei Lin. The man that was photographed with her is my son, her biological father. I am hurt that the media has been painting my granddaughter in a bad light. She had not done anything bad, and I was the one that decided her to be separated from the Xue, forcing my eldest child to give her up. If there is any anger, please direct them to me." Jean Bonaparte finishes while doing an awkward bow while facing the cameras.

While Mei Lin was happy with having been freed with the secrets of her origin, Jerome was in Xue Manor experiencing mixed emotions, and Xue Chang Min destroying dummies after dummies at target practice. The case full of ammunition became empty after an hour of rapid-fire by Chang Min. On his ears where wireless headsets, listening in the news and the words of his grandfather. He clicked his tongue and rolled his eyes. He would still survive with or without the man.

It was David that had the most adverse reaction. Ye Lan was tied on his bed, blindfolded, naked, and body full of bruises. Li Nai Nai was on Ye Lan's side, tied on a chair. Both women deprived of food and sanitary relief, making the room stink of bad odor.

Ye Lan had open Pandora's box, and Li Nai Nai had played with fire. Now, both of them would either be ruthlessly killed or live under a puppeteer.