The Price of Pride

Chapter 32

"Cemre is not my wife," Emir corrects her. "My wife is Reyhan."

"Reyhan is your ex-wife. I have the paperwork here to prove it." The counselor scrolls through her tablet and pulls up a document, showing it to Emir. Divorce papers. Dated almost a year ago.

He examines them closely. And for a second, he almost believes. But then he remembers who he's dealing with. Cemre. And if what the counselor says is true, his mother as well. The two of them have cooked up this scheme to essentially kidnap him. Probably brainwash him into thinking Reyhan is gone and that he's actually married to Cemre. He has to get out of here. Now. But he needs to think and come up with a plan. And to do that, he needs these two gone.

"I'm tired," he says, closing his eyes and letting out a heavy sigh. "I want to be alone."

"I understand," the counselor says with a nod. "But we will have to start our sessions soon. Once you face your problem, we can get to the root of why you overdosed. Once you accept your reality, you'll start to get better. Don't you want what's best for Cemre?"

He slowly blinks his eyes open, turning a rage filled glare on Cemre.

"Oh, I want Cemre to get exactly what she deserves," he growls. "And she will get what's coming to her. I'll make sure of it. If it's the last thing I do."

On that ominous threat, the two women leave him. Emir meant what he said. He's going to make Cemre pay. But first, he has to make sure her plan, whatever this is, fails. And to do that, he needs to convince someone in here that Cemre is lying about everything. All he needs is one person to believe him. Which means he has to get out of these restraints and out of this room somehow.

"Be calm, Emir," he says to himself. "Relax. Stay cool."

He needs to stay alert and stay ready. He needs to make these people believe he's no threat. He needs to bide his time. Get to a phone. Call for help. But he has a bad feeling that none of this will be as easy as he thinks. And he doesn't have forever. Reyhan has to be worried about him. And if she worries, she'll make herself sick. And if she makes herself sick, then who knows what will happen to the baby. He has to get back to her. To his family. They need him.

"Hold on, Reyhan. I'm coming."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Three days go by and there's no word at all from the police. It's almost as if they've stopped looking. Murat and Emine want to take Reyhan back home, but she refuses to leave the beach house. It was the last place she saw Emir. She's afraid if she leaves, she'll never see him again.

"Reyhan. Kızım."

She turns to find her mother standing there, a worried look on her face. They're all worried about her. But it's taking everything in her to just keep breathing. And the longer Emir is gone, even that is getting harder and harder. She doesn't have the energy to pretend she's okay with any of this. None of this is okay.

"The detective is here," Emine announces. "You need to come listen to what he has to say."

Whatever color Reyhan did have left in her face completely leaves and she goes white as a ghost. From the sound of Emine's voice, this isn't good news.

"Emir? Is he ..."

Reyhan starts to panic, her breaths coming faster and faster. But she manages to get to her feet as quickly as possible to go out into the living room where the detective is.

"DId you find my husband?" she asks him, a pleading look in her eyes.

"Why don't you sit down, Reyhan hanım," the detective says.