Is this destiny?

~ Los Angeles, Steve\'s and Bridgette\'s apartment ~

Bridgette packed her things and sighed while thinking how earlier that day she packed JoAnna\'s things for a two-day long stay. And it was all in a good mood and they were teasing and joking, and now... everything is gloomy.

Bridgette walked out of the bedroom and froze at the sight of Steve in the hallway.

"Where are you going?", he asked while his eyes darted from her petite face with a defiant expression to the suitcase she is pulling behind her.

Bridgette told herself to play it cool. After all, he is the one who messed up and her friend needs her. 

"Out.", Bridgette responded and moved to pass next to him.

Steve blocked her. "With a suitcase?"

"I might stay overnight."

Steve could not believe this. Ever since they moved in together they are always together (overnight at least), and now she is just going? When would he know about this if he didn\'t show up now? "Where?"

Bridgette pressed her lips into a line. She loves Steve, but if he knows that she will join JoAnna he will tell Jeff, and in order to avoid being tracked, Bridgette would need to keep her phone behind, and she does not want to part from her cellphone. 

"Does it matter?"

"Biddy, I know I made a mistake with Vera, but she is fired and banned from White corp. and we will not see her again."

Bridgette was happy to hear this, but unless the guys learn their lesson, that is only a temporary solution. "Yeah. Until the next Vera comes."

Steve was frustrated. Does he need to apologize because Jeff almost-messed up? How is that related to them? 

"Why are you acting like she was in my office and claimed her ownership of me? This is about Jeff and Anna and has nothing to do with us."

"Is that how you see it? It\'s your job to assist Jeff and mine to assist Anna. Maybe for you, it\'s just a job, but Anna is my friend and I care about her. You allowed that woman to deceive you and use you as a steppingstone so that she can get close to Jeff. I really don\'t want to know how she interacted with you when I was not around, but I know that as a result of all that, Anna is hurt."

Steve exhaled. "Yes, she is hurt, but nothing happened."

"This time. Vera started yesterday. And on her second day, she claimed Jeff\'s office. She entered his office without permission and spent hours inside by herself and none of you found it weird? What if she was a corporate spy? Or an assassin? But she is not, and that makes it OK because she is just a woman who is coveting Jeffrey White. How long it would take her to make a move on him? A week? A month? You would be out chasing after your family\'s issues, and Vera would be by herself with Jeff. Jeff would reject her advances because he is not interested, but how long it would take her to drug him? Or to use some other underhanded method to break Jeff and Anna apart? You are busy in the office doing your guy things, not caring what we are going through. Do you know what one staged photo of the two of them being too close would do to Anna?"

Steve exhaled in frustration. "Again, this is about Jeff and Anna. Biddy, don\'t be unreasonable."

Bridgette shook her head in disapproval. "Steve, I came to office with Anna unannounced and found out about this mess by accident. I know that nothing happened and that it\'s not related to the two of us, but it does not change the fact that you were not paying attention. Would you be OK if Vera succeeded in spoiling their marriage? What would happen if next Vera is targeting you? I know that you are planning to take over Long family\'s business and that means that you will be what Jeff is now: a target."

Bridgette stepped on the side and she was relieved that Steve didn\'t try to block her.

She opened the door and heard his question: "You are leaving?"

"Yes. It would be good that we both think about what happened so that it does not happen again."

Steve watched Bridgette walk out and he stared at the closed door for some time, unsure what to do. 

…

Bridgette went to the rooftop of her apartment building and two minutes later, a helicopter piloted by Noah landed next to her.

Noah was curious when Michael called him…

"We need a helicopter for the night. Get the silent one to the Cliffside villa. You bring it here, and we will drop you off back."

"Is there a mission? How come you are not going to start from the base?", Noah asked.

"Not a mission. Dinner in Las Vegas."

"Is that in the new base, where Sarah is?" Noah didn\'t try to conceal that he is not interested in Aiden\'s whereabouts. He only cares about his mistress.

"Yes. There will be a barbeque for dinner."

"You know… I think that I should inspect that base so that I can make better estimates on manpower and supplies and…"

Michael laughed. "You can come, don\'t worry about it. There are already army members there and all the generals are coming. You will not be out of place…"

Noah was excited. He put his newly washed uniform on and headed to the underground parking. He will be piloting the helicopter to have dinner with his mistress!

Back to the present…

Bridgette entered the helicopter and took the first available seat. As soon as she buckled up, the helicopter took off.

Bridgette greeted everyone present and she was surprised to see Sophia and Felix. "Hey, you are coming also!"

"I will not miss on the barbeque.", Sophia grinned.

"Where is Steve?", Felix asked. It\'s not that he is missing Steve, but he knows that Bridgette and Steve are almost inseparable, and that suitcase under Bridgette\'s seat is telling him that she will stay overnight.

Bridgette did her best to be cool about it. "He is busy."

"Is he mistreating you?", Felix guessed. He is not very good at these relationship-sensing things, but this is his baby-sister and he will notice when she is upset.

Bridgette does not want Felix to know what happened because he will be angry at Steve, but considering that they are going to the same place, they will see JoAnna without Jeff so they will find out one way or another.

Bridgette glanced around. Other than Felix and Sophia there are seven more kids from the Cliffside Villa, and she does not want them to know.

"Uhm… it\'s something that should be discussed in private.", Bridgette hoped that Felix will drop the topic.

Felix took his phone and waved it. "Text me."

Bridgette groaned and took her phone. In a series of messages, she informed Felix (and Sophia) that JoAnna found Vera in Jeff\'s office and all the mess which happened that day. Bridgette was not there in person, but Vera summarized the events later in the afternoon.

"Anna left Jeff?", Sophia asked Bridgette in a whisper, like she can\'t believe it.

Bridgette responded with a question. "What would you do if you find such a woman in Felix\'s office?"

Felix frowned. Why is he being dragged into this?

Sophia didn\'t notice Felix\'s frown, she wanted to know more about the current situation. "What did Jeff do?"

"Steve told me that he fired the woman."

"And you are angry at Steve?", Sophia guessed based on Steve\'s absence and she saw the carryon as well.

"Not angry. I am disappointed. He didn\'t see how that woman is overly ambitious and that caused this mess. Also, it was Jeff today and tomorrow it might be Steve. If he does not learn to see these things, it\'s just a matter of time when one woman or another ends up tangling him up into something. I love him, and I know that he loves me, but I don\'t want a life with a man I can\'t trust. He needs to learn that carelessness comes with a price."

Felix reached and patted Bridgette\'s head. "It\'s good that this happened so he can learn to watch his back as soon as possible. It would be worse if you are married with kids or pregnant. The stakes are much higher then."

"Yeah, like Anna and Jeff.", Sophia said dejectedly.

Felix pulled Sophia into a hug. "I\'m sorry. That was insensitive of me to say. I\'m sure they will work it out."

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