Is this destiny?

~ Eastern Europe, the main base of the Lebedev family ~

Hong arrived at the main base of the Lebedev family in time for lunch. He was welcomed by Bo, Souta, and Wing, and just as he exchanged greetings with them, he saw Atlas approaching him.

Atlas used to spend quite some time at the Beach House with Hong, and they bonded in silence while sitting in the garden.

Stella was curious to hear how Sarah and Aiden are doing, and she was frustrated that Hong kept his responses short and didn't tell her much. Actually, he was telling her only what she already knew: that Aiden is doing well, Aiden and Sarah are taking care of each other, and that they decided to stay there.

Hong didn't want to tell Stella about all the infighting, Maksim, and the dangers of someone knowing that Sarah is not Olga. It would only make her worried, and she can't do much about it unless she charges in that base and blows their cover.

After lunch, Hong went with JoAnna and Sophia to the study for a proper update session.

His plan was to tell them that Sarah's cover is compromised (and probably Aiden's as well) and that they need to be pulled out. He even told them that Maksim is pursuing Sarah and that he attacked them and kidnapped Sarah so that she can have dinner with him.

"God knows how she managed to get out of there in one piece. I didn't want to drag them out of there by force in order not to cause a scene, but you need to convince them that it's not safe.", Hong ended his talk.

To Hong's surprise, JoAnna and Sophia already knew everything.

"How can you be OK with this?", Hong asked in disbelief.

JoAnna shrugged helplessly. "Unless they go off the grid and hide, they will not be safe. And even with that, someone might find them. In this way, at least they feel that they have control over what is happening instead of always looking over their shoulder. We love them and we want them back, but if we are in their situation, we would probably do the same."

Sophia nodded in agreement. "The best thing we can do is to support them and not get in their way. They have chosen their paths."

Hong knew it's a slim chance that Sarah will give up, but he still hoped that her sisters will convince her to prioritize her safety over this reckless mission.

"We have something for you.", Sophia's words got Hong's attention.

He accepted the folder from Sophia's hands and his eyes widened when he saw all the information about Tashi. There were names and locations and shifts and everything related to the technology and people used to keep an eye on his daughter.

"How did you get this?"

Sophia and JoAnna don't want to talk about Eve, but they have other ways to explain the documents.

"We hacked into the internal network of Voronins.", Sophia said. "We have full access to their servers. If they keep an electronic record of something, we have it and we can use it."

Hong was confused. This is big. How come Sarah and Aiden didn't mention it? "When did this happen?"

"Last night.", Sophia responded.

"Do Sarah and Aiden know about this?"

JoAnna confirmed. "Yes."

Hong's eyes darted from JoAnna to Sophia, wondering how come the two of them can be so calm about it. "And they still chose to stay there?"

Sophia and JoAnna nodded in confirmation.

Hong didn't think it makes sense. "Why? If we have their information, we can take them down. Is there a need for them to continue staying in that base?"

"We could take them down and we suggested to Sarah and Aiden to get out of there, but they refused.", Sophia said.

Hong's frown deepened. "And you are OK with that?"

"Sticking to this plan will help minimize the casualties.", JoAnna responded.

Sophia saw that Hong is not convinced, so she decided to elaborate: "This is not only about Tashi. It is about many others, even some people from the main base of the Voronin family are there because they don't have other choices. With Sarah and Aiden staying there, they will find a way to take over without wiping out everyone. Of course, they are hoping that you will accept to step in as the Grand Master."

Hong pinched the roof of his nose. Why on Earth would they risk their lives for people they don't know? And some of those people would kill them without a second thought.

"They are completely…" Hong paused while searching for the right word. "…reckless."

Sophia didn't fully agree with him. "No matter how much information we have, some people will slip through the cracks. If we go for an open assault to wipe them out, whoever remains will be our enemy by default. However, if we take the approach of a semi-hostile take over and give them options other than death, there is a chance that the remaining ones will not see us as mortal enemies. No one here wants a war where thousands will die, we just want to eliminate the threat they are posing to us."

Hong wanted to point out a problem. "How will you know if they are willing to give up, or if they are only pretending in order to seek vengeance at a later time?"

JoAnna took this question. "Most of the people only want to survive. Sure, there are power-hungry ones who will scheme, and there are the ones who are blindly loyal, but they are few when looking at the big picture. Our experience is showing that as long as we provide people with a solution where they can earn a living in dignified conditions, they will accept it and be grateful."

Hong remembered the Boyle Heights neighborhood in Los Angeles. When he went there for the first time with Souta, Bo, and Wing, Hong was surprised to hear how that used to be a gang-infested area. Now it's under the control of the Army of Chaos, and Hong was impressed that all those ex-hoodlums accepted regular jobs and some of them even went to school and pursued degrees; they chose different paths but what they have in common is that they are all grateful to Sarah and Aiden for the opportunity to turn their lives around. There were few who didn't accept the change, but the newly-found community forced them to either adapt or to leave. Hong has to admit that Sarah and Aiden did an amazing job there. The two of them are owning the whole neighborhood and everyone there is loyal to them regardless if they are working as security, financial advisors, or servers in the fight club.

He looked at the folder with information on Tashi. "Why did you give me this?"

Sophia responded: "Sarah said that it will be up to you if you want to act on it. We can assemble a team, and by the end of today neutralize surveillance and people who are watching your daughter. You can take that opportunity to approach her. You can tell her who you are, offer her a new life, or… continue watching from the side."

"With this information, you can decide if you want to take part in the plan related to Voronins or not, and not worry if your daughter is in danger.", JoAnna added.

Hong was touched that Sarah and Aiden shared this information with him, allowing him to remove dangers around his daughter and in the process giving him a chance to approach her. At the same time, he knew that this is manipulation from their side because by keeping Tashi safe, he will be more likely to accept to attack Simeon and take over as the Grand Elder.

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