The Price of Pride

Chapter 33

"Don't you worry about that too much, Canım. Zafer has a whole team of private investigators on this. And your father has something in the works."

Emine and Reyhan both look up when a car pulls up and Murat gets out.

"Ahh, there's your father now. We'll see if he has any news."

Murat gets out of the car and comes to the porch where the women are, giving them both a kiss on the cheek before taking a seat across from them.

"How's my angel?" he asks Reyhan, giving her hand a squeeze.

Something turns over in her heart. It's been a long time since she's had a father. Her own father died so long ago she hardly remembers him. It had always just been Reyhan and her mother for the longest time. Then when her mother died, it was just Reyhan. She thought marrying Emir would at least give her a family again. But Emir ignored her when she was lucky, glared angrily at her when she wasn't. And her uncle was gone so much, leaving her to the mercies of Cavidan. Reyhan was more alone in that mansion than she'd ever been in her life. But everything changed in Ankara. She has a family now. This is her family now. This is her father, ready to slay all the dragons for her. She gives him a watery smile and pulls his hand to her cheek.

"I'm fine, Babacığım. I know you're going to make sure we're all fine."

"I will," he promises, his vow solemn. "Cavidan Tarhun isn't going to get away with this. I've made sure of it."

"Baba?" Reyhan says warily, giving him a suspicious glare. "What did you do?"

Murat is quiet for a long moment before he answers.

"Let's just say that I gave her the necessary incentive to bring her son home," Murat finally says. "She claims she doesn't know where he is, but even if that's true, I'm sure she can find out. She has until the end of the week."

"Or else...?"

Murat just looks at Reyhan and smiles.

Oh Baba, Reyhan thinks to herself. What have you done?

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

Meanwhile, Cavidan is also all smiles. For now. Little does she know, her whole life is about to change.

"I told you my son wanted nothing to do with that girl. None of you believed me. But who's laughing now?"

Cavidan lets out a cackle and lifts the glass of water to her mouth for a long, satisfying drink. She's finally able to show her face in public again and she couldn't be happier. Today's lunch with the society ladies turned out to be everything she expected. Emine Yilmaz is noticeably absent. That's because Cavidan didn't invite her. It's time that woman is put in her place. Half of the women here don't care too much for Emine anyway. They had wanted their daughters to marry Emine's oldest son, Barış. Twenty five years later, they're still holding a bit of a grudge that Emine deemed none of their daughters worthy enough for her precious son. Cavidan can use that to her advantage now and get these women on her side.

"It would seem Emine Yilmaz chose wrong this time," Cavidan says, trying to bring the women further to her side. "I tried to warn her that my soon to be ex daughter in law was no good. But you see how she ended up kicking me out of that party and embarrassing me. Looks like she's the one about to be embarrassed now."

Cavdian hides her smirk when some of the other women start to nod in support. It looks like she's finally found a way to make that good for nothing peasant useful. Cavidan doesn't even want her to leave town anymore. In fact, it's better that Reyhan is still in Istanbul. The more people see her, the more people will come to Cavidan's side. There's no way Cavidan can lose now.