Is this destiny?

"What\'s with the serious atmosphere?", Sarah asked when she approached Sophia and Felix.

"We are discussing the impact to my job if Jeff does not fix his relationship with Anna.", Sophia responded.

Sarah was visibly surprised by this. "And?"

Sophia\'s temper was rising as she spoke: "I will not be able to work with Jeff if I know that he hurt Anna at this crucial time and left her to raise twins by herself. Actually, I hate him already. If they split up, I\'m handing in my resignation and I don\'t want to have anything to do with the White corp. or the White foundation. He can keep the Orion Enterprise and I will even sell my stocks to the higher bidder and use that money to open my own law practice."

It was Sarah\'s turn to be surprised. "You already made plans what you will do if they split up?"

Sophia confirmed. "Planning is what I do. Why are you shocked? Will you support Jeff and Anna as a couple if he can\'t make her happy?"

Sarah paused. "I didn\'t think that it will reach that far. I mean… Jeff messed up and Anna is upset. I know that the timing is off, but couples quarrel, it is part of any relationship. He will think about it, fix it, and they will get back together stronger and smarter."

"Well, let\'s hope it ends that way. But the longer this drags, the more Anna is hurting and the wall around her heart is hardening. Jeff coming with an apology for Anna a week from now will only give Anna one week to figure out how her life will be without him and to start executing on it. With her every tear, the gap between them is increasing." Sophia looked at Felix. "If I caught you with a flirty woman for the umptieth time and you need half a day to come up with a satisfying explanation, I don\'t want to hear it."

Felix inhaled sharply and switched to defensive. "Ma chéri, you know that I would never allow such a woman near me."

"I know. That is why I married you, Mr. Martin. Other than you being handsome, of course." Sophia smiled at her husband. "But it takes more than that for a solid relationship. It takes mutual respect and support. It takes two people who are putting an effort to make it work. You support my career and my lifestyle just how much I support yours. We are together and at the same time, we allow each other\'s individual development. I know that you love me and that you would do anything for me but abandoning yourself will not make you happy and I will never ask you to do that."

Felix\'s smile reached his eyes and revealed his dimples when he kept the plate on the side before touching Sophia\'s chin, tipping her head up and claiming her lips in a scorching kiss.

Sarah was still shocked by what Sophia said when Sophia and Felix started making out like she is not there. She took two steps back awkwardly before turning on her heel and walking away.

Sophia\'s words rang in Sarah\'s ears and the only thing Sarah could think of was that she needs to find Aiden because only he can calm down her anxiousness.

…

Behind a manicured bush in the garden at the back of the mansion, Meili is hiding while taking peeks at the commotion around the bonfire.

Her cheeks are throbbing painfully, and so is her eyebrow area, and her head is shaved. She is in a sorry state and there is nothing more that she wants than to sleep it off, but she is hungry and the scent coming from the grills is very inviting. However, she does not dare show her face in front of others. Without hair and eyebrows, her appearance is pitiful.

"Hungry?"

Stacy\'s voice startled Meili.

Meili took a step back and fearfully looked at Stacy for few seconds before responding with a nod.

"Food is right there. Go and get whatever you want. I assure you that no one will pay attention to how you look. Here people are punished only for the evil things they do."

"How did you know that I am here?", Meili asked.

Stacy looked at Meili smugly. "Someone is always watching you. Now is my shift."

Meili shivered and nervously glanced around.

"If we don\'t want to be seen, you will not know that we are there.", Stacy told Meili. "If you are hungry, go and get what you want for yourself. No one will stop you. And no one will bother you, as long as you don\'t cause trouble."

Meili looked at the grills and swallowed saliva which pooled in her mouth. After a few deep breaths, she walked out of the visual protection of the bush and headed toward the grills.

Meili filled her plate with food and sat further away, in the darkness. She was relieved that no one spoke to her, but she was upset when she realized that people are avoiding her. Well, maybe that is better. Tomorrow she will go home and not see any of these people and she can put all this behind her and return to her normal life.

It didn\'t take long for Ron and Zula to spot Meili. They are not aware of that she accused Aiden of assaulting her or what happened after, so they assumed that her current appearance is because kidnappers messed with her.

"Hey, why don\'t you join in the fun?", Zula suggested with a smile.

Ron was standing on the side because Aiden told them that the girls are fearful of guys since they were kidnapped. Aiden was not specific about what happened to girls, but Ron saw the looks of several girls and he recognized it. After all, Ron knows a thing or two about being abused. However, Meili has a different look. There is a sharpness mixed with malice in her gaze. Definitely not a look an abused person would give.

Meili stared at Zula and blinked.

Zula lifted her palms, showing that she means no harm. "It\'s OK if you don\'t want to. You can join later."

Meili snorted. "Who would join those stupid girls?"

Zula was not sure if she heard her right. "Don\'t be like that. Everyone is kind here."

"Your words only show how naïve you are. People will turn on you as soon as they find a powerful backer."

Zula was confused. "What…?"

"Excuse her, but she is unstable, and I\'ve got the order to keep an eye on her.", Stacy said as she approached Zula.

Stacy greeted Zula and Ron assured them that Meili is not neglected.

"You are treating them like they are important.", Meili voiced her observation when Ron and Zula walked away.

"They are."

Meili looked at Stacy mockingly. "Are you afraid that they will find out who did this to me?"

Stacy laughed. "You are unaware that I just saved you. If those two found out that you accused Aiden of assaulting you, the lack of hair would be the least of your problems. For them, Sarah and Aiden are like parents. And I respect them because they are capable of hurting any of us, but they choose to protect us. If you know what is good for you, you will keep your mouth shut."

Meili glared at Stacy who shook her head and disappeared in the shadow of the bushes on the side.

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