Pledge of Faith

Unraveling The Pledge

Chapter One

John Kelly pulled into the Lee's compound unaware that he was about to be exposed to the secrets and conflicts within his family, that would change his life forever. He was meeting Jayson, and Eugene to study for the GREs to be able to attend college in the states. Jayson's house sat back from the road and provided the quiet and space they needed to crash for the weekend. They had agreed to drive to the test site together on Monday. Jayson had promised John that he could make copies of his collections of their idol group, so he had taken the bus to do his recording before Eugene got there. They both knew what a stickler he was for studying. The moment he entered the second floor of the Lee's mansion, he heard the raised voices even before he saw Jayson eavesdropping next to the Library. John tiptoed to where Jayson stood.

"What's going on?" he whispered even as he recognized one of the voices as belonging to his grandmother.

"Grandfather and your grandmother are having an argument" Jayson whispered back.

"Why are you listening?" John asked in surprise. Of the three of them Jayson was big on privacy. He was also the least suspicious.

"Shhhhhhhh..." Jayson hushes him as the conversation between the two older people continues.

"You have to tell him now, Emma or I will. fifteen years is too long of a time to hold Tom to a promise he made when he was desperately looking for his son."

"How can I tell him? She would take him away from me." His grandmother was adamant. "Do you realise that John is my heir? Did I not plead with Tom to bring his wife home? Look at the trauma they've caused?"

"This is not their fault and you know it." Jayson's grandfather snorted. "If you and your husband had not tried to keep the stolen gold bars a secret from the other families who should have benefited from them, the kidnapping would not have happened."

"David Choi and Emma's parents were not there when the work was done, why should they benefit from something they did not work for?" John was surprised at the bitterness in his grandmother's voice.

"Listen Pearl, do not make the same mistake Minnie and I made." Brandon Lee's voice was filled with self-loath. "If Minnie had not found out about Emma's abandoned daughter, we would not have had any access to Jayson and Eugene."

"Are you going to tell Jayson and Eugene the truth?" Pearl Sang Won demanded.

"Is losing your grandchildren worth it?" Wynston said angrily. "Don't you know keeping Eugene's birth a secret will cause me to lose Than Dae-Sung?"

"See there?" Pearl Sang Won said. The sneer in her voice was unmistakable."You have kept Than Dae-Sung a secret from Eugene, why can't you understand me?"

"Eugene knows about his father.I told him everything two days ago"

There was silence. John and Jayson looked at each other perplexed. Eugene birthday was two days ago but he had not told them about his conversation with his grandfather

"What about Jayson?" Pearl continued after a while.

"If Emma doesn't tell Jayson by his next birthday, I will. Listen Pearl, I suspect that Hannah knows where Than Dae-Sung is. If John finds his mother he is bound to find Eugene's father. So you've got to tell him. Those kids are not children anymore."

"I am so afraid Brandon, can't you understand that?" Pearl said.

"What about Kay and Cooper. Don't you think it is time you met them and brought them home. We can't continue to watch over them from a distance."

"That is why I'm here." Pearl sounded relieved at the change in the discussion. "We should let Jayson marry Kay."

The crash of broken glass against the wall vibrated all through the house. "Do you know how much John is going to hate you when he finds out that his mother and sister are still alive, but living in another country because of you? I should have taken Cooper to his mother." Wynston said in disgust. "God dammit Pearl, I separated those two boys because of you. I promised Cooper."