Ilyana's thin brows raised upward as she looked to find the man whose hair had began to show the white highlights. There was a wise smile on his lips that made him appear as if he was a man with the most control of himself in the room when in truth he was the most volatile. The elder man was the one and only, the father of Samuel Zhou her lecherous cousin, Uncle Zennox Zhou.
The man when he was younger was told to be the next heir of the Pandora group. That was until Ilyana's father had taken his position right before his hands. Rumors had it that the man still hold resentment against her father who had now been laid in peace after his death when she was still seven. He was also known to dislike her mother who had taken his heir position again, right after her husband's death despite being an "outsider" without the blood of Zhou Family.
Now that the whispers of inheritance fall on her hands, she could see Samuel and Uncle Zennox looking at her as if she was the only pillar they need to destroy until they could get their hands on Pandora group.
Even though all of them were families, Ilyana felt as if she was sitting beside hungry sharks who only want to devour her flesh.
"Don't worry Ilyana, being late is not something that I think is too important," Uncle Zennox said with a friendly smile. "It is too childish in my opinion to even fight because someone came late and as Ilyana had said, we have no position to ever be angry or go against her, our rightful heir of Pandora."
Ilyana narrowed her eyes seeing how uncle Zennox had tried to help her. This man... his sarcasm and passive aggressiveness is difficult to pick up but she could certainly hear them from his "helpful" statement.
"Now now," Her mother's voice rang that brought her attention to her mother again. "That is besides the point. I know you guys love to tease Ilyana, but my eldest here have the shortest temper. Let's not inquire a lady's wrath as it could cause you death."
Samuel scoffed under his breaths and Ilyana turned her sharp eyes at him, wondering if this brat couldn't be more subtle with his reaction.
"I know you all are busy so let's keep this meeting short," her mother spoke again. Her red lips moved slowly as it touched the sides of the cup for her to take a sip.
"Can I ask why we are here? To bring us out of our very busy schedule, I hope it's really something important," Uncle Connor accused. The man had no respect to her mother which was worse compared to uncle Zennox. Although Zennox clearly doesn't seem to respect or see her mother eye to eye, the man at least hold some respect unlike uncle Connor who would blatantly dismiss her mother's authority in the room.
"Is this about the opium?" Asked the aunt beside uncle Connor. "I heard that there has been another type of opium sold by the westerners to compare with our Chinese opium? It is much stronger and is demanded by almost everyone now!"
"That's why I have said that if we really want to make faster money, we could sell some opium ourselves! Except the ladyship never agrees with it," Uncle Connor scoffed as he looked at her mother who remained silent.
Madam Zhou, her mother, the current head of the Pandora group, and the woman who married the late Lord Zhou, was a woman with a beautiful figure. In fact she was so beautiful as she was an opera singer that everyone would die for her to choose them until she married Lord Zhou. She wasn't someone who was born in the gangster life like her father but the moment her father died and the first poisoning happened to her youngest daughter, Madam Zhou didn't hesitate to crow herself as the next head of the group, taking care of the people as well as these snakes hiding in the mask of "families".
She placed down her jade teacup, causing a sharp clink and turned her eyes at both uncle Connor and the other aunts who had backed him up. "As I have said before, I do not agree nor condone with the idea of selling opium. Those things are addictive."
"And isn't it good for them to become addicted?" Uncle Connor asked again. His hand was balled into two fists as he slammed them to the table. "The more addicted they are the more passionate they would be to buy opium! They would sell their organs and even their own daughters just to acquire some opium and I see that as a chance for us to increase our income!"
Ilyana who heard everything straight from her uncle's mouth wondered how this man could ever share his dirty blood with her. She refused to be his niece after hearing what he said.
Quickly she cut him in between, "Killing and cornering our own customers? I call that idiotic. Sure, selling opium is the easiest way to gather money but we aren't lacking in money. We could continue with our business by entreating the westerners and exchanging their money with our weapons."
"I agree with Ilyana," Madam Zhou spoke with one of her eyebrows raised. "I don't care if those westerners die but I would hate to see my own people die from opium addiction. I don't think anyone here actually know just how dangerous opium is. That thing is not for entertainment and they are different from cigars. Opium are drugs. They are so addictive by serving hallucinations and they would kill you."
"Is it really our problem if they die because of opium?" Samuel Zhou, her cousin spoke and how Ilyana wish to wash her ears with soap after hearing him speak. "As long as we receive money that's what matters. Everyone in this table isn't innocent then why should we stay clean? We supply them opium and what they need, then they supply us money, that is how we make a living. Staying pure like this.. we aren't even angel—"
"Those opium can lead to war," Ilyana then uttered, knowing well Samuel didn't like her to cut his words but she simply didn't care. "The new opium that had been sold across Shanghai is now said to turn the users into monsters."
"Monsters?" Samuel Zhou scoffed at her words. "In what way have they become monster, my cousin? Do you know you sound like a madwoman right now?"
"You can choose to believe me or not but this is the truth," Ilyana snapped her finger for the servant who had been behind her to settle down the newspaper on the middle of the rounded table. She extended her hand and point to the black and white picture that had make it to the headline if the newspaper. She stated, "This picture will be published tomorrow morning. I got this before it could be mass printed. As you all can see over here, this are the seven people who have been found dead yesterday night."
Madam Zhou frowned as she could see the blood splatter and horror painted across the faces of the victim as their body didn't seem to be intact anymore after a certain creature had ripped apart the victims as if they were wild beasts. "This murders... you are saying this is the work of a human, a person?"
Samuel and uncle Zennox pulled their eyebrows together as they scanned the picture on the newspaper. They didn't seem to expect what they had seen either. The wounds, the limbs that have been severed from the victims, and the fact that this person had done it barehanded after smoking this specialized opium is as frightening as intriguing it is.
Ilyana continued to study their expression as she explain, "The eighth person was found near the seven victims. They was also found dead but they didn't die the way the others did. His body was safe from any wounds only with his hands drenched with the blood of the seven victims. unlike the rest his blood contain opium, which mean he has been under the influence while he killed these seven people near him," continued Ilyana. "Until we found out what is inside that opium, we should strongly prohibit anyone from our club and groups to use or overdose on the opium."
A sudden chuckle stopped her warning that made her raise an eyebrow.
"Honestly who cares if they did die because of this new opiums? I would rather find the creator and make a deal with them. If this opium can make a normal human into killing machine, who doesn't want to buy this opium? Even if that means a little sacrifice we could expand Pandora even more and chase out those westerners." Uncle Connor said with excitement that was stopped the moment Madam Zhou smack her hand hard to the wooden round table.
"A little sacrifice? What utter nonsense are you saying?!" Madam Zhou slam her hands again to the table. Connor didn't expect the sudden outburst of anger from Madam Zhou and found himself stunned for a moment as her eyes had flared from anger. "Connor, we are the Pandoras! We are indeed the group that rose above others in underworld but that doesn't mean we will harm our own people and create something so dangerous that it could go out of our hands," Madam Zhou pointed. "You are correct about us not being angels. We are here only to make profit but Pandora's legacy have remained as it is even before my late husband's reign. We, The Pandoras, protect their people. The people are the citizen of Beijing who are under our control and have agreed to work under us. As long as they remain in our group, they will be protected from opium that could potentially hurt them."
The other uncles and aunts whispered to each other with a nod of their heads, agreeing as from the beginning Pandoras are made to protect the people of Beijing from the westerners, painting those foreigners as their enemies and the opium they bring as a weapon of mass destruction. Ilyana who was also taught since a child this legacy of the Pandoras could only see her uncles and cousin as money hungry men who sees death as an opportunity.
She might be twisted, but at least she knows the weight of a human's soul and she wouldn't use them for her own benefit.
Ilyana studied how Uncle Zennox doesn't allow his emotions to be read while Samuel and Uncle Connor was completely disappointed by what Madam Zhou had said. To them, this was a moment and a chance of profit and although they are against her mother's decision, she was still the head of the group, someone they couldn't go against until they become the head themselves. When her eyes met with uncle Connor, Ilyana could see the man's veins popped on his forehead.
"I would also like everyone to know this," Madam Zhou suddenly gathered back the attentions to her which Ilyana didn't expect as she thought the conversation would end here. She already knew her mother would discuss the opium thus why she had brought her own information. But she didn't know there was something more her mother wanted to add.
Much to her surprise, Madam Zhou, who has noted everyone is looking at her then announced, "For the person who can find the lead to who have mass produce this new opium, I would not hesitate and consider them as a candidate for my position."
First it was the grim silence as people doubted their ears. Then it was the loud gasps that filled the room. Ilyana's black eyes widened as she tried to process her mother's words which comes slower than usual for her ears to process.
She heard her mother spoke again in a foreign attitude, "I hope this doesn't come as a surprise but after some long consideration, soon I will be stepping out of the Pandora and I will commence on finding the next heir to Pandora. Of course, even though I have my eldest daughter, I won't be biased and will choose the heir based on their best effort."
Ilyana's mouth went gape as she heard what her mother had said. She could also see her mother's devilish smile as if she had expected this reaction from her and was glad to see her own daughter in shambles.
Her mother want to find an heir?
No that's still normal. She knew her mother will soon step down of the heir even though this felt too quickly and too rushed.
But… she isn't the main choice?!
Hasn't she shown her mother that there is no one who could live as a Pandora and continue the Pandora's honored legacy?!
Was she saying someone in the room could be better than her?
Feeling betrayed, Ilyana turned around to find Samuel who was beyond delighted in the news, imagining himself to be sitting at Madam Zhou's position despite her announcement never supported anyone in particular to become the next heir. Ilyana could see as the meeting was dismissed so quickly, Uncle Zennox was smiling. He appeared to have calculated this as well!
Uncle Zennox made his way toward the door, walking behind her chair and whispered in a meaningful smile, "The princess is losing her crown? This is far too quickly, don't you think?"
Ilyana was quickly set ablaze. She snapped her head backward but her uncle had already left the room, leaving her alone as she pondered again at the news her mother had announced. Instead of making her the heir, her mother wants them to race and fight against each other... her mother wants her to defeat her families who all now wishes for her death!
Isn't this the same as throwing your own daughter to the abyss?!
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A/N: if you like and would love another chapter of this book, please comment, vote, add the book to the collection! This support motivate the author<3