Is this destiny?

Sarah opened her eyes and smiled at the sight of Aiden by her side.

She inched closer and kissed him lightly on the chin.

"I controlled myself from kissing you when you slept off, but you have no problem waking me up.", Aiden grumbled without opening his eyes.

Sarah was not expecting that he will wake up and complain, and she got flustered. "Sorry… I…"

Aiden chuckled. "As a punishment, I demand ten more kisses."

Sarah pushed him lightly and pouted. "Why are you teasing me?"

Aiden could see that she is upset. "Did you really think that I'm complaining about your kisses?"

"I don't know what to think anymore. Yesterday you looked at me like I am a stranger and… part of me fears it will happen again."

Aiden's heart tightened at her words. He can't imagine how hard it was for her.

"I'm sorry for everything."

Sarah's mood dropped. Why is he apologizing? She was the target and they caught him instead… and none of this would happen if not for Marija who was ticked off because of Sarah. No matter how Sarah looks at this, it all happened because of her.

"Can we stop apologizing? You feel guilty that this happened, and I feel guilty that you got yourself in that situation and that it took me so long to find you and… we are together now. I want us to focus on the future and to come up with a plan that will prevent this from happening again. We almost lost each other too many times due to people like Ed, Philip, Madison, Evalina, Marija, Nick, Natalia, Svetlana, and I'm sure there are others that I can't remember."

Aiden agreed, but… "Too many people want what does not belong to them and it seems that no matter how many of them we defeat, more are coming."

"Mom told me that only the strongest ones get to set the rules. We know that we are unbreakable, but others don't. Let's show them."

"You have a plan."

Sarah was happy that he understood. "It's just an idea. We already have the White Foundation and the Army of Chaos. Also, several other organizations will support us no matter what we decide. And now Lebedevs are under our command..." Sarah paused and gave him a knowing look.

"You want to take down Voronins." Aiden guessed.

"Maybe not take them down. How about we take over?"

Aiden knows that Sarah has all kinds of crazy ideas, but this was the craziest one so far. It's probably worse than the ones that include aliens and zombies.

His expression showed disapproval. "What?"

"Hear me out. I'm not talking about attacking them recklessly without a plan. While you were getting a checkup with Anna, I chatted with Natalia. We are slowly chipping off power from Voronins for three years and the results are showing. However, as much as we are reducing their fighters, their intelligence network is still strong, and they are a danger to us. In order to replenish what they are missing, the Voronin family is organizing a competition that starts on June 20th. Competitors who show outstanding skills will get relevant positions, and they will also be in charge of recruiting other capable people. That can be our way in. Natalia is not sure how high the positions will go, but she is confident that winners can get close to the main family. From there, we can get our forces in, access their information, investigate their structure and once we establish our footing and put some security measures in place, you can challenge the position of an Elder."

"You want to merge Voronins and Lebedevs.", Aiden said after some time.

Sarah smiled. "Think about it. The registration of fighters ends in two days."

"I am not willing to part from you. Not anymore."

"I will go with you.", Sarah said quickly. "I can compete as well. I can't be an Elder, but I'm confident I can reach the position of a team lead or something like that. And once you become an Elder, I will be your assistant. I will not leave your side. You will go as Alex from Natalia's base, and no one knows that I'm the Grand Elder here. Konstantin stayed as my advisor, and he can be part of the ploy and continue acting as the Grand Elder. For outsiders, the only thing that changed is that Nikolai was replaced by someone… We will need to see who that someone will be. Maybe Zack… he looks the part, and he is quick to think on his feet…"

Aiden was not sure what to say. It sounds crazy and dangerous and… it might work.

They agreed to discuss this with others, gather more information and feedback, before making any moves.

It was time to get ready for dinner, and based on the noise from the outside, it will be lively.

Sarah peeked out the window, and she saw a commotion and caught a glimpse of large wood pieces being stacked (obviously for a bonfire), and then Aiden pulled her away.

"No peeking… We got something-something going on."

Sarah had a guess that 'something-something' is related to her birthday and possibly their anniversary as well. "Will there be barbeque?"

Aiden clicked his tongue. "Not telling. Now get your pretty self into that closet and let's change into something more party appropriate."

Sarah glanced at her clothes. She is in blue jeans pants and a t-shirt. Is there anything more party appropriate? Before she could ask, Aiden hugged her and leaned his forehead on hers.

"Thank you for packing clothes for me."

That small thing told him that she never gave up on finding him. It warmed his heart.

"Am I a good wife?", Sarah asked coyly.

"You are the best, my love. When I asked you to marry me, I had no idea that you will be so perfect."

"Your sweet-talking stirs my heart every time."

Aiden smiled smugly and led the way into the closet.

…

Outside…

Preparations for an eventful dinner are in progress. Nico and Beck are busy setting up lighting with a few more kids. They converted a fighting ring into an area for performances, charcoal for the barbeque is secured, tables are set up with snacks and drinks, and of course, the wood for the bonfire is in place. 

They dug two holes and filled them with wood and charcoal, and from earlier that afternoon they are roasting two whole pigs and several chickens over open fire. It smells delicious.

Chairs, benches, and tables are brought from neighboring villas and Stella is making sure everything is laid out while keeping in mind that they should leave a clearing big enough for dancing.

Konstantin asked other Elders to help with preparations, and they all decided to contribute with furniture, food, and drinks. Some because they support Sarah as the new Grand Elder, and some are curious, but all of them see their contributions as an entry ticket to this celebration. They didn't have a party in a long time.

"Thank you for finding the instruments.", Michael told Konstantin.

"Not a problem. My grand piano is at your service. Some of these belong to Sarah. During his time as an Elder, Nikolai collected violins and since she took his position, they are hers now." Konstantin looked toward Sophia and Felix who were talking with Mr. Wang and Suvedini. "Can you tell me who are the newcomers?"

Michael followed Konstantin's line of sight and he understood that he is asking about Mr. Wang and Suvedini. They arrived earlier that evening and Michael introduced them to Sophia and Felix with the hope that they will keep chatting until Sarah and Aiden join them. The mood over there is good, and Michael is confident that he made a good decision.

"They are our friends and allies.", Michael responded to Konstantin. "We expect several other groups. These people helped us in finding Aiden and we hope that no one will cause problems because they are here." Michael gestured toward a group of Elders nearby who were scrutinizing new faces.

"I will spread the word.", Konstantin assured Michael.

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