Is this destiny?

Jarred was happy to hear Suvedini praising Sarah. He slapped his hand on the table excitedly. "Did you hear that, Albert? Sarah's loyalty can't be bought!"

"That is indeed one of the key traits we are looking at from our members. Power, influence, and a strong moral compass.", Sinet voiced her support.

"I am not convinced about the moral compass…", a man from the shadow said before leaning forward. His name is Rance, and he has a strong influence on farmers and merchants in Africa.

Jarred shrugged. "What else do you need? Sarah does not abuse her power, and she protects the ones she cares about. Aren't we all like that?"

Albert harumphed and Sinet raised her hand before he could speak.

"There is no need to rush.", Sinet did her best to defuse the situation. "Sarah is young. We will continue watching her."

"Is it true that she is making her move against Voronins?" Sinet directed her question at Jarred.

"Assuming she is, is that a problem?"

Sinet indicated that it's not. "You know that we don't interfere with the power struggle between other organizations unless they are a danger to the current order..."

"Sarah is growing beyond control!" Albert thought that he should add some fuel to the fire. "Only her forces are covering almost half of the United States, Central Europe, and she expanded further to Eastern Europe and Asia with the Lebedevs. And this is without including her allies! If she swallows Voronins, we will be looking at a person who can easily take whatever she wants. How do we know that her drive is not greed? Who will control the beast when it grows too big?"

Jarred was frustrated. "Sarah can already take whatever she wants. That is how she took over Lebedevs. She did it because her husband was kidnapped, don't pretend that you don't know. And since she took over, Sarah did minimal changes, and the old Grand Elder is acting as her proxy because she has no interest in meddling with Lebedevs. What she did, we call capable and not greedy."

Sinet didn't like that Albert interrupted her, and she still didn't get to ask her question. "I was curious if you know why she decided to make a move on Voronins so soon after taking over the Lebedevs."

Jarred shrugged, indicating that he is not sure. "We all know that Voronins were mixing too much with Whites. It's probably related to her husband because she found him drugged in one of the bases related to Voronins."

"She will destroy the whole organization because they kidnapped and drugged her husband?", Rance asked.

Jarred looked at him like he asked something outrageous. "Wouldn't you? Imagine that was your wife or your daughter. What would you do if someone kidnaps them, pumps them with drugs, and you find them ten days later on the other side of the world, unable to remember who they are?"

Rance pressed his lips into a line and nodded.

Jarred was happy that Rance yielded. "Now, are we done discussing Sarah? I assume that we are still not ready to cast a vote for her to join."

Albert is against them approaching Sarah to accept the role in this Council, and Jarred is in favor. Others are undecided and they are at that stalemate for the last two years.

Appointing a new member of the Council is an important task, and the voting can happen when there are no more undecided among the current members.

"Regarding Sarah White becoming a new member of the Council, I change my vote from 'neutral' to 'in favor'.", Suvedini announced.

Albert frowned and Jarred clapped excitedly.

Suvedini looked at the overenthusiastic Jarred and shook her head. "I only hope that you will not pretend that we are friendly in public."

"Of course, dear Suvedini. Outside the Council, the two of us are strangers, as always…", Jarred assured her. "But I would not mind a double date when Mr. Wang is free…" Jarred laughed when he saw Suvedini's outraged expression.

"I assume that discussion related to Sarah White is over, for now.", Rance said. "Jarred, if you find out something new about her that is worth mentioning, let us know. We also need to address the problem of the unrest in Sierra Leone. The tense political situation is impacting farming and trade."

Jarred grinned. "If Sarah is here, she would take care of that. Actually, she might take care of that without joining this merry group, because she owns mines in that area, and also sponsors multiple orphanages…"

"Can you stop reminding us of Sarah every chance you get?", Albert grumpily interrupted Jarred.

Jarred lifted his hands defensively and leaned backward, disappearing into the shadows.

Rance exhaled. "Unfortunately, we can't count that Sarah will do something about this. We need to act now. The situation is…"

Jarred mentally disconnected. He does not care about Sierra Leone. The troubles in that region are frequent and no matter how much they interfere, new menaces who think they are the next big thing always show up.

Jarred was hoping that Charlie will join the Council, but the reality showed that Charlie is not suited for the role. There is a dose of humanity in Charlie that Jarred didn't want to extinguish, but unfortunately, that made Charlie too emotional for big responsibilities. Also, Charlie is not ambitious. Jarred knows that Charlie is happy where he is now with Emma, and that if not for Jarred's pushing, Charlie would be happy in any minor role, as long as he can provide for his family.

That is why Jarred started looking outside of his family. In his search, Jarred noticed the unusual behavior of Vasily Lebedev. Vasily was always a threat of global proportions due to his personality and resources, and as such, they were watching him. The fact that Vasily is treating Sarah as someone precious, got Jarred's attention.

Four years ago, when Jarred found out that Sarah is into gambling at the right location in Las Vegas, Jarred ensured that she can join the VIP tournament and he used that opportunity to introduce himself. Since then, Jarred is interacting with Sarah and watching her from the shadows and he is confident that she is perfect for this Council. What Suvedini said about Sarah is correct: resourceful, decisive, prioritizes her family, and her loyalty can't be bought. Jarred would also add a sense of justice. Jarred found out about several feats Sarah achieved only because it was the right thing to do. She saved many kids from grim fate and gave them a chance for a better future. Every time Jarred goes to the Cliffside Villa, he observes the kids and the staff and it's obvious that they are all treated well. Jarred is also aware of several evildoers that got punished by Sarah, and they have a number of successful businesses.

Jarred thought that Sarah is promising once she won the poker tournament and gave him the blue diamond. He admired her attitude, and he liked that she asked for help to transport the two cars she won. But what really shook up Jarred was when Sarah helped Charlie walk again. If Sarah didn't connect Charlie and JoAnna, Charlie would still be in the wheelchair. And Sarah didn't need to do that, she did it out of the goodness of her heart. Jarred will never forget that. 

The more Jarred (and Charlie) got closer to Sarah, the more Jarred realized how much her influence is. Charlie met Emma and many other people who are now part of Charlie's circle and his support. Charlie is tight with Jeff, Jasper, and Steve, and Smithsonite corp. is thriving more than ever. Sarah and Aiden even trained their bodyguards... Sarah is a unique existence.

Jarred does not regret selling the first modified helicopter to Sarah (and many more after that), because he is aware that he and Charlie got so much more in return.

Jarred is convinced that if any of the Council members meets Sarah in person, they will see that she is amazing.

With Suvedini finally changing her vote, he needs three more and he is optimistic that he will secure them. Soon.

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