Is this destiny?

Marija decided to move on to the topic of why they gathered.

First, she needs to prove to David, Chelsea, and Victoria that she knows who they are and to give them a hint of what they can gain out of this partnership.

How Marija sees them, those three are fish swimming around the lure, and now she needs them to bite before she can reel them in.

"We are here because we all have a common enemy that is not easy to deal with." Marija started and made a dramatic pause before focusing her talk on David: "David Smith, you and your family were kicked out of your house by Charles Smith. Your sister is enjoying school and a good life, your parents kept the vacation homes and their savings, and you… lost everything. No one wants to hire you, and your friends and family are keeping their distance. At this rate, you will either drink yourself to death, or end up in jail, or commit suicide. None of those options are brilliant as what fate had in store for you before Charles Smith took it all away..."

"Get to the point!" David growled, irritated that the female with an Eastern European accent (aka Marija) is exposing all his dirty laundry in front of Chelsea and Victoria. And how does that woman know so much?

Marija snickered. "Patience, David. Because of your rashness, you are where you are. If you are willing to follow my instructions, at the end of our mission, you will get help to take over the Smith family. And this will be done without involvement from your father. It will be up to you if you want to accept him back or not."

David's face lit up. This offer, to get on top of the Smith family without the influence of his father sounds... excellent.

Marija switched the topic to Chelsea: "Chelsea Davis, you crossed path with Emma Smith and ended up with a short end of the stick. You lost your properties, your own father removed you from his will. The White family retaliated, making your father lose his company and his properties. No one from the society where you grew up dares to stay in touch with you out of fear that they will be next. To make things worse, your brother ended in a hospital after a failed attack on Charles Smith. Your family lost everything, and because of that, you are forced to work as a waitress at a local diner while living in a two-bedroom apartment with your parents and a crippled brother… I see that you are quiet and that tells me you are wondering why am I telling you this. I will get to that later, but now remember that as long as you cooperate with two other people in the room and me, at the end of this mission, you will get help to regain your wealth and status as well as enact your revenge on Emma Smith."

Marija was pleased with the lack of response. It means they are thinking.

"Next, but not least… Victoria Long, you spent most of your teenage years catering to your now husband. Instead of appreciating your sacrifice and doing his part to take care of you, your husband decided to pass on the position that belongs to him, and you are reduced to almost nothing… a vase without any power. Do your part well, and Steve will not be in the way of your husband to take over the Long family."

Marija could see that Victoria is not convinced, but she needs to continue.

"I don't want to blackmail you or to scare you into obedience. I hope that this proves to all of you that I know who you are, how you got here, and that there is a reason you gathered. I can assure you that I also know how to get you what you crave for, but for that, we need to collaborate. This is a question for all three of you: Who is your common enemy?"

Chelsea, Victoria, and David exchanged confused glances.

"Charlie Smith is the one who wronged me. Jeffrey White hit the Davis family, and Victoria's aim is at the current head of the Long family. Do you plan that we attack Smith, White, and Long families?" David responded sarcastically.

Marija snorted. "Not directly. This is not a suicide mission. However, those three have someone in common. Someone who supports them. Someone who enabled them to be where they are. Do you know who I'm talking about?"

After some time of silence, Marija spoke again: "It seems you need a reminder. David, who is training Charles' bodyguards?"

"Sarah White." David responded.

"Chelsea…" Marija called. "Do you know who is in charge of the security of Jeffrey White?"

"Aiden White." Chelsea responded. She knows that since Jeff took over as the Master of the White family, Aiden is responsible for people.

"Victoria…" Marija started.

"Yes, yes…" Victoria said impatiently. She can see where this is going. "Sarah and Aiden provide support to Stephen. Stephen was Aiden's best man, and Bridgette was Sarah's maid-of-honor. Bridgette can't stop talking about it… Are you saying that we should target Sarah and Aiden?"

"You are smart." Marija said smugly.

"How will targeting them help us?" Chelsea asked. "Even if we kill Sarah and Aiden, and burn their house down… how will that hurt Jeffrey or Charlie? They will be sad, but that is not really the retaliation I'm interested in."

"You will not target them directly." Marija said. "Each of you will have a specific task. I will give you details once you prove your commitment to this and that you are capable."

"Prove our commitment?" David repeated suspiciously.

"Yes. David, you will need to acquire a blueprint of the Smith main villa. Victoria, get the information on the ships that are going in and out of the port of Los Angeles. Make sure that it includes hidden routes, which are not visible to the public. Chelsea, I will provide you with a number of topics. Create articles and use your bot-army to create a buzz on those topics. Show me how many netizens you can stir." Marija saw that Chelsea frowned and she stifled a laugh. "Yes, I know that you are blasting a few celebrities for money, and I have no intention of meddling, but I want you to use your resources in a better way. I will give you one week to accomplish these tasks. Then, we can discuss the next steps. Any questions?"

David was skeptical. "Just us? How can we cause any real damage?"

"It's not just you. You will find out more once I know that you are committed and willing to stick to this plan until the end."

"Before we stick to anything, how about you tell us what is the point of going after the second White brother?" Victoria asked condescendingly. "I don't know who you are, Dice, and I don't know if you have anything to lose. But if I'm caught stealing the information related to routes in the port, I will be punished severely. Give me something so that I know it's worth it."

Marija exhaled in frustration when she saw that David and Chelsea nodded in agreement with Victoria. This Victoria person is asking too many questions. It's not that Marija can't handle her, but it will take extra effort.

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