Is this destiny?

~ The base of the Lebedev Family ~

June 3rd

10:03 AM

Stella, Edward, and Owen are in the living room of the villa that Stella got when she became an Elder of the Lebedev family. The three of them are looking at Sarah, JoAnna, Sophia, and Kitty with complex expressions.

"What have you done?" Stella asked after some time.

"This is our family. Can't we come and visit?" JoAnna asked in return.

"That is not what I meant, and you know it. I am trying to keep them away, and you come here on your own. It will spread like wildfire that the three of you are here."

"And Kitty." Sarah added while scratching the panther's head. "Don't forget Kitty."

Stella was not sure how to respond. Who cares about the panther? Doesn't Sarah understand that all three of them are in danger? They said that they are coming to Europe and Stella assumed that it's for a vacation. This is NOT what Stella calls a vacation!

"Mom. We are not here to argue." Sophia said. "If you want to dissuade us, it's too late. We decided and that is why we didn't tell you in advance that we are coming. So… give up."

Stella exhaled. "Fine. Why are you here?"

Sarah spread a map on the coffee table and lifted two fingers toward her parents. "Two things. First, Aiden is probably in the hands of a group of people who are stationed in this area…" Sarah pointed at the map. "They should be off-grid. I need to know what bases you have there."

"I'm not familiar with that area..." Stella said and glanced at Owen.

"I'm on it." Owen confirmed that he understood Stella's silent instructions, and decided to stick around and hear what the second thing Sarah has on her mind.

"You could have done this online. There was no need for you to come in person." Stella grumbled.

Sarah gestured to Stella to be patient before continuing. "Second… I want you to notify the council of Elders that Sarah White is here to challenge a position."

Stella blinked. "What position?"

"Of an Elder. I want to become an Elder." Sarah explained.

Stella's eyes darted from Sarah to JoAnna to Sophia and back to Sarah again. "Are you serious?"

"We didn't come here to joke, mom." JoAnna said irritably.

Edward saw that Stella is non-responsive, so he asked: "What exactly are you girls doing?"

"I told mom that we were attacked and that Aiden is missing." Sarah responded to Edward's question. "The group was targeting me and Oni, but we didn't show up, so they took Aiden instead. We believe that the group is related to the Lebedev family. If our assumptions are correct, they will use memory altering drugs on him and we don't have any time to waste. Aiden is not a guy who will sit peacefully and let them do what they want, and we need to find him before he gets hurt."

Sophia continued: "We know that mom could look into things, but this will be faster. Mom and Sarah can work together, and Anna and I will provide support and planning as we coordinate with people on the outside. Jeff and Felix are in Romania, ready to assist us in anything we need. We have other resources available, but we need to find Aiden before we act."

Stella's gaze didn't leave Sarah. "Are you sure that this is what you want to do? It's not easy to get in, and it's impossible to leave."

Sarah, JoAnna, and Sophia confirmed.

"We see no other way to get Aiden back." Sarah responded. "Mom… I really need your support."

Stella raised her hand and gestured to Owen to come closer. "Request a meeting of Elders, as soon as possible. It needs to happen today. After that, look into any bases that are in the area Sarah showed…"

When Stella finished with Owen, she asked Sarah, JoAnna, and Sophia to tell her in detail what is going on.

Sarah was mostly silent, and JoAnna and Sophia took turns telling their parents how four days ago they found issues with three companies, and an online mess… up to the point of Aiden missing and them interrogating culprits. Stella had to agree that based on the current information, it sounds that Aiden is in the hands of the Lebedev family.

Next, Stella showed to Sarah, JoAnna, and Sophia their rooms. "I'm sure that you want to call Felix and Jeff and that you have a lot of planning to do. I will contact you as soon as I have something. After lunch, I will give you an overview of existing Elders, so that you can pick who will be challenged."

Stella returned to the living room and found that Edward didn't move from the sofa.

"Are you sure this is fine?" Edward asked.

Stella shrugged, indicating that she is not sure. "They are here and determined. It reached the point of Aiden missing, and if we don't help them, they will do it without us."

Edward nodded in agreement. They will not let their daughters face this on their own. "Sarah is convinced that Lebedevs have Aiden. Is it possible that he is here, and you don't know?"

"There is a chance but… that would mean someone acted outside regular protocols. Elders can act independently, but if it relates to anyone from the family, it needs to be discussed beforehand. Something like an attack on our girls secretly, is a big offense."

"It would not be the first time." Edward reminded Stella. "When Sarah and Aiden went missing, a group under Vasily worked on their own."

Stella grimaced. "Vasily. I should talk to him. If he is behind this, I will smash him into bits."

"Don't be rash. If he is easy to handle, we would do that ages ago. He is one of the few Elders who is not driven by greed and power. We can use that."

"I know… I know… But his attitude is a double-edged sword. I will go and talk to him."

"Now?"

Stella confirmed. "He will find out that Sarah is here. Would you rather that he comes here?"

Stella saw that Edward lowered his head when he got her point. Vasily visiting them would be a bad idea. No one likes Vasily's unstable personality.

"I will be back in a bit…" Stella leaned closer and kissed Edward on the cheek. "Watch over our kids until I'm back."

"And Kitty…" Edward added.

Stella didn't respond. Who cares about the panther!?

…

One hour later…

"What did Vasily say?" Edward asked when Stella returned.

Stella slumped on the sofa next to Edward. "As expected. He is excited. For him, this is a dream come true. He wanted to come and welcome our girls in person. I told him not to because they are tired from their trip. Then, he sent Ivan immediately to speed up the process for the meeting of Elders."

"In a way... he is helping." Edward mumbled. "Did you ask him if he has anything with Aiden's disappearance?"

"No. If Vasily is behind it, do you think he will admit to it?" Stella sighed and looked at Edward. "Are we making a mistake?"

Edward thought for some time before responding. "Our girls are smart young women who use their heads and hearts to live to the fullest. I approve that the three of them are sticking together. They have fine men by their sides and are surrounded by friends. All that tells me that we did a good job raising them. Sophia, Anna, and Sarah are not kids. They are old enough to decide what path they want to take, and I am glad that even at our age, we are able to support them…"

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