Is this destiny?

At the tables…

Samara is trying for some time to strike a conversation with Jesse, unsuccessfully. Her shameless advances increased several folds when she saw that her father is busy at the table with Oscar and Donald.

She pushed a napkin toward Jesse and he glanced at it only to see that there is a phone number written on it. Jesse looked at Samara questionably and she winked at him.

"I feel like dancing, but my partner could not make it to this event…", she said to Jesse coquettishly. "I saw that you are an amazing dancer…" Samara leaned closer to Jesse and spoke to Oni: "Do you mind if I borrow him for a dance or two?"

"My date is not available to dance with you.", Oni curtly responded.

"How rude…", Samara mumbled.

"I think that it\'s rude how you are shamelessly latching onto my date." Oni didn\'t feel a need to hold back in front of this despicable young woman.

Jesse placed his hand over Oni\'s, telling her to calm down.

"Sorry Miss…", Jesse addressed Samara. "I will dance only with my date tonight."

Oni looked at Jesse and smiled. "Honey, I feel like dancing."

Jesse stood up and offered his hand to Oni. "Absolutely, dear…"

Samara looked after them and puffed her cheeks in frustration. To add to her frustration, Lukas was snickering at her failure from his seat.

"Behave!", Jasmine warned Lukas and Samara in a low voice. "You are not teenagers. Don\'t bring shame to your father!"

Samara rolled her eyes and then looked at Jesse who was already dancing with Oni. Ah, he does look like an African king. Samara folded the napkin with her phone number and placed it next to Jesse\'s plate. She is confident that he didn\'t take it only because his date is there.

Few tables away…

"Ron. It really is you…", man\'s voice said when he approached Ron and Zula.

Ron closed his eyes and exhaled. He recognized the voice as his father\'s. Ron was thankful that he told Sarah how for the new ID he does not want to change his name. If he did, his cover would be blown now. Ronald Heine is common enough that he can keep it, and it\'s not like he broke the law or anything so that he needs to hide. He just does not want to live with that abusing stepmother and a father who will rather believe a woman he met few years ago, than his own son.

"I told you that it\'s him!", Ron\'s stepmother arrogantly said while taunting Ron with her eyes.

Ron stood up to face his father.

"Where have you been all this time?", Ron\'s father asked and then he paused. His brows furrowed when he realized that there is another pressing thing: "How did you manage to get into this event?"

Zula was next to Ron, holding his hand.

"It must be this girl. She seduced him and forced him to leave us without a word.", Ron\'s stepmother told Ron\'s father.

Ron frowned. "Leave her out of this."

At the table with desserts, Sarah noticed that Ron and Zula are facing an older couple and that their stance is defensive. She used Eve-vision to identify the man as Ron\'s father, and the woman as Ron\'s stepmother. Sarah inhaled sharply and looked at Aiden.

"Ron\'s dad is here. And he saw him…"

Aiden understood that this means trouble and made a step to go there. Aiden stopped when he felt Jeff\'s hand on his shoulder.

"Let us handle this.", Jeff said with an assuring nod.

Aiden nodded back to his brother in approval. The four of them know why Ron left home and how he ended up joining them.

Jeff and JoAnna linked arms and went toward Ron.

"Do you know how worried I was?", Ron\'s dad was scolding Ron. He was frustrated because his son is not answering any of the questions, and his voice was rising. "You left without a word! I thought you are dead!"

Ron lost his patience. Why is his father here, causing trouble and attracting attention?

"You know why I left. Don\'t make it sound like it was a surprise.", Ron told his father in a hushed voice. "And I told you before leaving that I don\'t want to have anything to do with any of you two. Don\'t look for me, don\'t talk to me. You don\'t know who I am…"

Ron\'s dad frowned and squeezed through his teeth: "You…"

"Mr. Heine, is there a problem?", Jeff asked when he approached the four who were standing.

Mr. and Mrs. Morgan almost passed out when they saw Jeff close to their table with a stern expression. And his wife is there as well! They tried to diminish their presence.

The four standing people turned to Jeff and JoAnna.

"No problem, Mr. White…", Ron\'s dad responded amicably.

Jeff frowned and looked at the man carefully. "Who are you?"

Ron\'s dad was confused. Why is he asking him who is he if he just addressed him as \'Mr. Heine\'?

His confusion turned into panic when Jeff spoke to Ron: "Mr. Heine, let us know if anyone disturbs you. I will get my security to handle it."

Ron was happy to see that Jeff came to the rescue. Finally, he understood why Zula was squeezing his hand.

"Thank you, Mr. White.", Ron responded politely.

Jeff turned to Ron\'s father who looked like he is about to have a stroke. "You didn\'t answer my question. Who are you? Why are you disturbing my esteemed guests?"

Ron\'s father was at a loss for words. That is his son who he left the house while saying that his stepmother is abusing him. He didn\'t believe Ron then, and he does not believe him now. Why would a mature woman look for a teenager? He was confident that Ron is jealous, and that he does not approve that another woman replaced his mother. And they fought. More than once… And then Ron left.

Seeing him now standing tall in a well-fitting expensive suit and looking back at him proudly, Ron\'s dad wondered if he made a mistake. But it seems that it\'s too late. Ron is not the same boy who left home almost seven months ago and also… The powerful Jeffrey White is glaring at him, demanding answers. What should he say?

"I apologize. I made a mistake.", Ron\'s dad was not sure if he is saying that to Jeff because he disturbed his \'esteemed guest\' or to Ron because he didn\'t believe him. Probably both.

He bowed his head slightly and stepped away. "I hope that you can forgive me… One day." His father went to return to his table in the back of the hall. His wife followed him in rapid small steps while trying to understand what happened.

"Are you OK?", JoAnna asked Ron.

Ron exhaled. "Yeah, thanks."

"Feel free to go out to the garden for some air, if you need a breather.", JoAnna suggested while gesturing toward the back door.

Ron glanced at Zula and she gave a silent agreement that she will accompany him.

They thanked Jeff and JoAnna again and walked out while holding hands.

Jeff took a mental note of Ron\'s father that if he causes any more trouble, or approaches Ron in any way, he will ruin his business. He also wanted to ask Elanor, why was he invited? Jeff is confident that he never did any business with that man. Other than his personal guests, he allowed his mother to handle the guestlist.

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