Is this destiny?

~ Golden Ocean Resort ~

Outside of the event hall…

Sarah and Stella walked toward one large rock at the beginning of the beach where they stopped and gazed at the ocean.

It's still daytime, and the resort is unusually quiet.

Sarah could not relax no matter how much she tried. With every passing moment, her anxiety was increasing.

"Why are we here?", Sarah asked after some time.

"I hope that we can talk."

Sarah glanced at her mother. "It does not seem that you want to talk about the topic which needs to be discussed. What's the point talking about anything else?"

Stella felt like thousand thorns are stuck in her heart. Her baby daughter who she loves to pieces is now looking at her like a stranger… enemy maybe. "Sarah, honey… please try to understand me."

"Why don't you try to understand me?"

"I am… and I do." Stella struggled to explain her intention without revealing too much. But she can't stay quiet. Not if she wants to be by her daughter's side. "Sweetheart, I was just like you. Young, confident… and I decided to make my own rules. And I thought I succeeded. For a long time, I was confident that I got my way. But it all came back and brutally slapped me in the face."

Sarah was surprised with Stella's words. It was vague, but it is the most Stella told her… ever. Maybe she can push for a bit more…"Can you tell me about that?"

Stella was choosing her words carefully. "I was young and in love and I didn't want to have anything with my family rules because they would bound me to a life without the freedom to make my own choices. So, I decided to leave family I was born into and to start my own, with my rules… I was confident that I found a way which will allow my new family to be free… And you see how that turned out."

Sarah realized that Stella thinks how their situations are similar. In some way, that irritated her. "I am different."

"Yes, you are." Stella admitted. "I believe that you are more decisive and more resourceful than I was back then. But that means that they will not agree to a deal, there will be no compromising. They want you in, to follow their rules."

"What if I refuse?"

This is what Stella fears: Sarah going against the Lebedevs. "Honey, no one refuses them… and lives to talk about it."

"Someone has to be first." Sarah's confidence was obvious.

"Sweetie pie, please, listen… they are everywhere. They have the power you can't imagine. They will hurt your loved ones in order to severe any ties you have with this… normal life."

"What are you trying to say? Hurt my loved ones?" She remembered how Aiden wanted them to split up when he was targeted. And she is targeted… can she stay away from him? Her heart broke at that thought… being without him would be a life not worth living for. They might as well kill her if they force her to live without him. And Sarah is confident that Aiden feels the same. They can't stay apart. Two of them are one, inseparable.

Sarah looked at her mother and anger swelled inside her. This is all her fault! Because of her all this is happening! Sarah told herself to calm down because there is no point on dwelling on it. She needs to find a way out of this. She needs a path where she can be with Aiden and two of them can make decisions about their future. And the person who was the closest one to achieve that freedom is right in front of her. "Tell me… Do you think that I should give up? Play dead? Wait for them to come for me without fighting back? I can't do that! Tell me! What should I do?!!"

Part of Stella was happy that Sarah is asking her for an advice. Even if it's in a fit of anger, she is still asking her for guidance. "Get stronger. Build your connections. I believe you are doing great already, but you need more."

"Will there ever be a time when you will tell me about… our family?"

"If I tell you, can you promise that you will not use that knowledge to attack them?" Stella saw that Sarah is losing her patience and was about to leave.

Stella held her hand. "Please, honey, I'm doing this for your sake. You are not strong enough to fight them. Ask me anything you want… just don't ask about them."

"Anything?"

"Yes."

There are several things Sarah wanted to ask, for a while… so she picked one: "What did you do to Vivian? After everything she wanted to do to me, and considering the state I left her in… I thought you will get rid of her. But during our graduation, I saw that she came back with amnesia… how did that happen?"

Stella thought that this topic is acceptable for answering. "I sent her to a… location from where people usually don't return. It's a facility where some methods and drugs are produced and tested. She was used for testing of the drug which erases memory. Final stage of testing is to return the person to the original environment and see if anything will trigger the memory back or not."

Sarah felt that Stella told the truth. Next question: "How about uncle? Is he part of the… family?"

Stella understood that Sarah wants to know if Owen is from Lebedev family. Hesitantly, she responded. "Yes. Owen is part of that family."

"Is he like you? Left the family to start anew?"

"He came shortly after me. I believe that his role was initially to keep an eye on me. Gradually we became allies… but I don't trust him completely. As much as he is helpful, I'm confident that he is working for both sides."

Sarah nodded in understanding. This explains a lot… even her mother's hot-cold treatment of their 'uncle'. And it definitely explains why her parents are financing him for years even though her 'uncle' is useless… it seems he is not so useless.

Sarah inhaled and asked another question: "Does family know about Aiden?"

"Owen does." Stella didn't want to lie.

Sarah could not hide that she is not pleased to hear this. At the same time, Sarah was confused… they found out only after three of them sat and put the pieces together… which means that there is no record which will connect Aiden with that other family. Even Aiden didn't know until then. Did Stella tell him? "How did he find out?"

"I told him."

Sarah was outraged. "Why would you tell him that, if you don't trust him?"

"I needed some information that only he could retrieve. Owen is not a front-line fighter, his talents are more suitable for support and intelligence. He is the one who found the details about the camp Aiden attended. Owen would not get that information if I didn't tell him what I'm looking for. But you should not worry about Aiden being exposed with this. It's in our family's interest that Aiden is not discovered by the… other family."

Sarah was not sure if she can believe her mother on this. She is NOT happy that Owen knows about Aiden. Sarah thought how she needs to find a way to ensure that Owen does not tell anyone about Aiden. She will do anything to keep him safe. To keep anyone safe, she needs more information. Information that is not available online, information that only her mother knows…

"Is there anything I can do so that you tell me everything?"

"Get strong enough.", Stella responded without hesitation.

Sarah can tell that her mother means it. But that is vague, and she needs clarification. "How do we determine that? How can I prove that I'm strong enough?"

Stella thought for few seconds before responding: "Defeat me in a match with only one rule: no weapons allowed."

Sarah sighed while thinking how ironic this is. "And you said that you wanted to escape the family? It seems that even after all this time you are still clinging onto their rules to determine who gets his way…" She paused, and her expression hardened.

Sarah looked at her mother with newly found resolve. "Don't forget about this. When I defeat you, I expect you to submit to my will… like a true Lebedev who lost a duel."

Stella lifted her head slightly and smiled while admiring Sarah's determined expression. "If you challenge me to a duel… You know what the consequence is if you lose, right?"

Sarah responded with a small nod. There is no need for explanations. Lebedev family is ruled by the strongest ones while losers need to submit.. It's that simple.