Is this destiny?

Chapter 1389 - I've Seen That Look Before

From Akmal's appointments, Sarah and Aiden saw that his first customer is coming in half an hour. 

With this information, Sarah was back on the phone with Ernesto. She has additional instructions. 

"Send the drones first, then take care of the guys outside. Once you feel that it's safe, cause a commotion to attract the attention of the guys inside. Handle the ones which get out, and we will take care of the ones which stay behind. Make sure to act swiftly because we are tight on time. Do not enter the villa until we say that it's safe… Do your best to handle everything without spilling blood, we don't have time for a clean up before the next stage begins..." 

When they finalized the plan, Sarah ended the call.

"They are about five minutes away and it will take them few minutes to get into the formation and start the attack.", Sarah told Aiden and then turned to Meili. "Prepare to hear the noise. Possible gunshots. But no one will come here. OK?"

Meili nodded, but she was so nervous that she was unable to talk.

"It will be alright.", Sarah assured her with a smile, but she saw that it's not enough. Sarah decided to distract Meili: "While we wait, tell me about the girls downstairs. How are they doing? Are any of them hurt?"

"Out of the girls in my room, none of us was hurt. There was some rough handling, but I've heard them remind each other that if we are damaged the boss will punish them. Most of the girls are scared, and few of them are not."

"Some people are braver than the others.", Sarah said.

Meili shook her head. "Not brave. Foolish. They convinced themselves that this is a misunderstanding and that once it's cleared up, they will be sent back home. I was one of those girls until I was brought up here." Meili paused to take a deep breath. "I went to a Catholic school. They taught us that if we firmly believe and if we pray enough, God will show us the path and take care of us. Since they captured me, I prayed like never before, I asked Him to save me, to show me the way back home. Where was He when that man climbed on top of me? Why didn't He save me? One girl in the shipping container complained about the conditions and demanded that they let us go. They beat her up in front of us until she passed out and dragged her out and we never saw her again. And she was praying most of the time. I can still hear her crying and begging for mercy. Why God didn't save her?"

Sarah looked at Meili's eyes full of tears with a troubled expression. "If you are looking for spiritual advice from me, I have none to give. In my opinion, people need to believe in something. That can be a God or a person or a relationship or anything that works for you. We cling onto things that can keep us going. However, when the times are rough, you need to help yourself."

"I don't know how to.", Meili said weakly while staring at the carpet.

"Then learn. The first step is to acknowledge that you are lacking and identify areas you want to improve on. And then work on it. Once you have a goal, it's not difficult to find a path to reach it. If you wish to keep your faith in God, keep it. That is a choice for you to make. But when you are in trouble, don't expect a miracle to save you. A prayer will not stop a bully or a bullet. Maybe your God gave you what you need to help yourself."

Meili was surprised by this. Her whole life nuns told her that prayer is the solution for everything. And now she heard that her faith is a choice? Sarah's words sounded so naturally, but for Meili, it was something lifechanging. "What if I go to Hell?"

Sarah sighed. She is not ready to discuss religion. But Meili is expecting an answer. "If your God will put you through eternal suffering because you didn't pray enough, he is not a particularly good God. Do you think that he will reward people who bully others during the week because they are spending their Sundays in a church?"

Meili can hear the logic, but she does not understand it. Does Sarah say that she doesn't follow the same God Meili does? It sounded like that. "What do you believe in?"

"I believe in karma. I do my best to treat people kindly because whatever I do, it will come back to me someday. At the same time, I can't stand to see someone bullying others. If punishing a man like him…" Sarah gestured toward Akmal. "…will bring me bad karma, I will gladly accept it." 

Sarah looked at Aiden who is observing them from the side and their smiles matched. "If there is such a thing as worship, I worship my man. Aiden is my everything and he gives me the strength and wisdom when I need it. He is my God."

In two swift steps, Aiden was behind Sarah and his hands wrapped around her. 

"And you are my Goddess.", Aiden murmured close to Sarah's ear and she leaned into his embrace.

Meili watched Sarah and Aiden get lost in the world of their own and she wondered how would that feel, to be embraced by someone who sees you as his Goddess.

Meili is a seventeen years old sheltered girl who grew up with her parents and a brother. Her father started taking his son to work from an early age (to prepare him to inherit their family business), and her mother was busy hosting parties for her posh friends (or attending them). Meili went to a Christian boarding school since she was seven years old because that is where kids of her parents' friends were sent to. Between her parents who were stuck to tradition (aka old fashioned) and nuns who are teaching at the school, no one even spoke about relationships or showed her how that really looks like. Of course, she saw things on the television and in magazines (people holding and kissing), but she never saw it in real life. The environment she grew up in is conservative and people don't display affection in public, so this is her first time seeing people embrace each other in person.

Sarah and Aiden didn't kiss or touch inappropriately, but there was some warmth in their smiles and tenderness in their gazes and Meili wondered how it feels.

At the same time, Meili observed Aiden who was powerful and scary a few minutes ago, and now he is warm and gentle. And Meili was confident that his smile has the power to stop the time, because there is no other explanation to how she can look at him without breathing and not pass out.

"They are here…", Sarah's words pulled Meili out of her daze.

Aiden opened the window and looked at the last bits of the sunset while the night descended over them rapidly. 

He received a bundle that arrived with a drone-delivery, right on target. It's two the Army of Chaos uniforms.

Meili widened her eyes in surprise. She can't hear a thing, and the bundle is floating in the air on its own!

"Package received. We need a few minutes to change. Get in position. You can start as soon as you are ready…", Sarah instructed Ernesto while taking her clothes and going to the restroom to change. She does not mind Aiden or Meili, but Akmal is in the room and Sarah does not want Aiden to knock him out because they need to interrogate him soon.

"You love her?", Meili asked Aiden as soon as the door closed behind Sarah.

"Love is a word not strong enough to describe my feelings." He gave Meili a side-glance. "You look like a smart girl. If you know what is good for you, you will stop your thoughts."

Meili's face exploded in a blush. "I wasn't…"

"Save it." Aiden cut her off. "I've seen that look more than once. Sarah has a soft spot for helping others, and she believes that people are good to the point of not seeing when someone is ready to backstab her. Both of us cherish our friends and family, but above everything else, we cherish each other. And if anyone tries to get in between us, I will show no mercy, and neither will Sarah."

Sarah got out of the bathroom wearing her uniform which fits perfectly. She glanced at Aiden. "You didn't change?"

Aiden approached Sarah and tapped her nose. "Did you expect me to go to another room and risk being seen? Or do you want me to change here in front of another woman? She might fall for me."

Aiden walked to the bathroom and closed the door without waiting for Sarah to respond.

Sarah was not sure why, but there was some iciness in Aiden's tone at the end. If not for that, she would think that he is joking. Is he joking about Meili falling for him?

She turned to Meili and observed her in silence while wondering what happened during those two minutes that she was in the bathroom. 

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