"I hadn't noticed." He stares at the little critter, looking for the similarities they have, with great intrigue."I would have liked to give you a huge stuffed animal, which you could take home, sleep with, and remind you of me.""Never mind, I like this one better, I'll put it on my desk." He gives me an encouraging expression, which warms my heart. "Besides, I don't want to sleep with a plush animal, I want to sleep with you."My eyes widen like saucers, I can't believe what he just said. I look around for signs that someone has heard us, but everyone seems to be minding their own business. If people knew we weren't married... They'd be throwing stones at us, but there's no one here who knows us and if they do they won't say anything for fear of my grandfather and even Habbab, who despite being a foreigner has proven his worth."Oops, look!" He exclaims excitedly, like a kid in a candy store. "It's that game where you hit a weight with a mallet, I want to go."The next thing that h

Chapter 21DeryaI know I shouldn't fall into despair, but I can't help it, I want to finish the Erdoğan family with all my might. Although my new target is Melek, that woman has filled Habbab's head with goodness and I need him here, fulfilling his part of revenge. And it's been a long time since Habbab hid her and at this point, I still haven't heard back from Ayaz, the detective I hired to follow in my grandson's footsteps.I know he is infallible, but my grandson is too cautious and every time he seems to lead him to the place, he gets out of sight. There must be something that can be done, I need to find that damn girl and get this over with. Melek is a distraction to Habbab and I need to eliminate her.It irritates me to no end that Habbab is still hell bent on protecting her, even from me. Just when I thought my plans would finally be fruitful, his soft heart has given me too much trouble and headaches.That brat would pay me back, and what better than by damaging what he loves

Chapter 21 / Part ThreeHe shrinks a little from the shouting, but there is a determination in his eyes that I have never seen before that makes me curious. What will go through his mind?Çakir is a fool and arrogance in person, he thinks he has everyone eating out of his hand and they will obey his orders without a whimper, but it is not the subservient expression in Ercan's eyes that I see and that fills me with curiosity as well as unease. The son leaves the room and it is time for me to do so as well."It's time for me to go, my work here, is done." I stand up and the man on the other side of the desk does too."Derya, I..." The world stops for a second. Don't, don't you dare say anything about the past. "We've always made a good team, don't you think so?""My team, it's my family and the revenge coming on your head, Çakir Erdoğan. Don't think that by giving you the information you need, I have forgiven you. I only need you to make this move for me. It's all part of the grand plan

"Shut up already, shut up, or I swear I'll kill you." Even though I can't see him I can notice the trembling in his hand, that plus the sniffle his nose makes lets me know he's crying. I would be too if they tell me that my whole life is nothing but a vile lie."I am innocent, I can swear it before God. But you, you tarnished the name of an innocent girl. If you want to go ahead, kill me, we'll settle accounts when we meet in hell, but I never lived in shame. Instead, you will have to live with the burden of knowing that you ruined Melek, the only woman who truly loves you. Because my daughter adored you, with every fiber of her heart and you took it upon yourself to kill that, to put an end to it.""Don't you know when to stop talking? I'm furious and I'm going to kill you.""I swear I didn't kill your father and I never touched your mother inappropriately because that woman was the love of my life. If it makes you feel better, then finish me off. If with my death it's all over and m

Chapter 23 / Part TwoWhen I finish reading, I notice that there are tears on Melek's cheeks. I reach up to wipe them away and she turns away, I grit my teeth, I'm sick of this dance we're both having."Why did you write that, Habbab, what do you think I'm going to say to you now?""I wrote it because it's my way of saying goodbye to you, I want you to be happy again, to smile again. May you find someone who loves you with all his heart.""I thought I had done it, I thought you loved me. I thought I would spend the rest of my life by your side, that we could be happy and have our own family.""I do love you, Melek, with every fiber of my heart.""No, no, don't be a liar, no more than you already are." She shakes her head from side to side, as I watch her heart still hurting, all her body language letting me know she wants me away and she is hurting, beyond any kind of reparation. "You don't love me, Habbab, because if you loved me, you would have put our life together, over your grand