Is this destiny?

Chapter 1800 - Shifting Gears (1)

~ the main base of the Voronin family ~

On the next day, after breakfast, Aiden, Sarah, and Hong headed to the area that was set up as an obstacle course.

This event was scheduled to start as the first event of the day, at 9:00 AM, which was perfect because their plan was to leave as soon as possible and return in two days.

Since Sarah and Hong would be watching the competition from the separate area for spectators, Aiden reminded Hong to stick to Sarah and not to move from her, no matter what happens. If Zdravko or anyone else shows up, Hong should either ignore them or go with Sarah.

Aiden was worried because, after the incident with Dusan and Vanya, Sarah spoke less, and her mood was noticeably lower than usually.

Aiden feared that she will mentally snap. The event from the cabin in Canada when Sarah shut down (after seeing his photos with other girls) is still vivid in his mind and he does not want to go through that again. Sarah was having nightmares for weeks and only he knows how agonizing was to watch her and not be able to take her pain away.

Other than a few whispers among participants, no one officially addressed the fact that Dusan and Vanya are missing (or that they were found), and Aiden wondered if people disappearing is normal in the Voronin family. It looks like it because Dusan's and Vanya's names were not showing on the list of participants anymore.

Aiden was curious if someone found Dusan and Vanya, or they left the storage on their own. And he wanted to know what happened after that, but he didn't dare ask questions because it might attract unwanted attention. At this point, it seems that no one is suspecting them of anything, and Aiden would like to keep it that way.

Aiden is not sure how he managed to win first place at the obstacle course, because he was thinking about Sarah and everything else was a blur. On the other side, maybe thinking about Sarah gave wind to Aiden's feet and arms, and made him move faster.

Aiden was eager for the announcer to make his win official so that he can return by Sarah's side. His overprotective mode was on full-force and staying away from Sarah was unbearable.

While he showered, Sarah packed their things, and they were ready to leave.

Hong was unreadable, as usually. He was not happy that he is moving away from his goal (aka the main base of the Voronin family where his Cousin Simeon is), even if it's just temporarily. It felt like he was a fraction away from his goal, yet now he had to take a step back. On the other side, Hong was glad that the pressure will be off for the next two days because he does not need to worry about Sarah and Aiden doing something reckless. Those two are like a magnet for trouble. 

About half an hour's drive away from the main base of the Voronins, they met with Ade and Hande who waited for them. After concealing the jeep in the bushes and covering it with camouflage netting, the group boarded the helicopter and went for the Ceresc Solutions.

Everyone exhaled in relief and they looked forward to shifting gears and relaxing in the next two days.

~ Romania, the Ceresc Solutions ~

Other than Ade and Hande, from the Cliffside villa, at the Ceresc Solutions were Tejan, Rosa, Daniel, Xiaohui, and Nico. Also, Nala, Haru, Michael, and Oni came from Los Angeles because Sarah and Aiden notified them that they are coming on the previous night. They were all glad to see that Sarah, Aiden, and Hong are doing well and eager to hear the updates.

Hong was not in a mood to spend time with humans, and he went to walk along the lake before disappearing into the forest in search of solitude. He promised to be back for lunch. Normally, Hong would go to his room, but it seems that the last few days of being mostly stuck in the room got to him and he craved open space.

Just in time for lunch, Sophia, JoAnna, Jeff, Felix, Zack, and Masika arrived from the main base of the Lebedev family, together with Sarah's and Aiden's fur-babies and newly minted assistants (Imani, Jamari, Merve, and Corey). Kids stayed with grandparents.

Aiden exhaled in relief when he saw Sarah smiling again. She needed to leave that toxic place, and it showed.

Igor was moving around with crutches and he was by Aaron's side in the underground parking when the helicopter with Sarah and Aiden descended.

Igor had many questions, but Aaron advised him to ask them later. "Observe now, and you will get most of your answers. It is more believable to see for yourself than to hear from the others. Some things… you will not believe."

Igor didn't understand, but he did as he was told.

When Igor arrived, he saw that everyone is performing their duties and the atmosphere was orderly, yet relaxed.

First, Igor was taken to the medical quarters where they examined his wound and he also got a full physical checkup.

Next, Igor got a bed and a locker in a room that has eight bunk-beds and his five roommates seemed OK. They were not very chatty, but no one gave him dirty looks either. Igor thought that it was a reasonably good welcome, considering from where he came. He was pleasantly surprised to see that he had several changes of clothes waiting for him in his locker, as well as a full set of toiletries.

Because of his wound, Igor could not put a strain on his body, so Aaron had a chat with him about his interests and got him a number of books to read. Igor requested materials about strategizing and managing people, because of the praise Aiden gave him on the evening they parted. Aaron also arranged for several sessions via video conferencing with various lieutenants from the Army of Chaos that can answer Igor's questions.

And just as Aaron said, Igor had difficulty believing what he is seeing. Everyone was helpful and other than not revealing details about the organization Igor found himself in, his other questions were answered.

Sarah and Aiden arrived, and Igor noticed that their men welcomed them warmly, like they are a big family. People were genuinely happy, and Igor didn't notice a single whisper of displeasure. This was a big deal for Igor because it's totally different from what he was used to.

Igor joined them with Aaron and a few more lieutenants for lunch and Igor observed that they are all talking as equals. Mishi, Eliza, Petar, Lucija, Emir, and Tereza blended in perfectly. 

Igor was surprised that Sarah asked him for a chat after lunch. She seemed busy, and everyone was eager to talk to her, yet she made time for him. The big cats around Sarah were making Igor nervous, and he did his best to hide it. He was happy that at least dogs stayed with Aiden because animals make Igor uncomfortable. It's not that he dislikes them, but he never had a chance to get close to any.

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