- Defne!
A chill went down her spine. She recognized the voice, although she had not heard it in fourteen years. And she was sure that she would never hear.
As if in slow motion, Defne looked back and made eye contact with the man who was listed as the father on her birth certificate. But he never was a real father. A narcissistic peacock, for whom children have always been an annoying hindrance. Who escaped, leaving them alone to survive in a complex, unfriendly world! And now he has appeared. What for?
"So I didn't have a vision," Defne said quietly. - Then, near our house, it was you. And what do you want from me after so many years, Mr. Kadir?
The man came closer and looked into the baby pram. With an instinctive gesture, Defne turned it around so that he could not see Emine. He chuckled and asked:
- Will you show the granddaughter to her grandfather?
- Since you never considered me your daughter, it is strange to consider my child your granddaughter. Young children are not shown to strangers. They can curse them. - Defne answered coldly and asked demanding: - What do you want?
"I missed my children," Kadir spoke up with a false smile, but Defne immediately interrupted him:
"Do you think I'm a fool?" In vain, Mr. Kadir.
- Well, what are you saying! - he feigned indignation. - Consider you a fool? How can I? The girl from a poor area who married one of the richest men in Turkey is not a fool. Now I do not doubt that you are my daughter. Because only from me could you inherit this quality.
The blood drained from Defne's face. She was confused. Being like him is the worst thing that could be. Not! Not! Not!
- I'm not like you! - it seemed to her that she was screaming, but the words escaped from her lips hoarsely and dully. - Nothing like it! I don't care if it's yours or not, the blood that runs in my veins. With my thoughts, soul, heart, I am not your daughter! And don't you dare voice your dirty assumptions. You have no idea about our story with Omer!
At her hot outburst, Kadir just grinned and said:
- Blood is not water. Even if you deny it now.
"Then I hope that Madam Aisun cheated on you and I'm not your daughter," Defne defiantly told him.
- Even if this is so, then there is still Esra. And she's my daughter.
The words sounded ominous. It hurt in her chest and it became difficult for Defne to breathe. A recent dream flashed through her eyes like a series of pictures. Fear gripped the body. And then she saw Omer. With the puppy on a leash, he walked briskly towards his wife and daughter. Defne took a breath and the air rushed into her lungs. The tension eased. Omer is here. He won't let anything bad happen.
Omer approached his wife and looked inquiringly at her interlocutor. Middle-aged man. Black graying hair, brown eyes. Dressed expensively and smartly. Omer had never seen him before, but for some reason, he felt an instant dislike for him. Maybe because Defne looked at him like haunted and it frightened. The puppy didn't like the man either. It pulled at the leash on its neck and growled at him.
- My darling? - Omer turned to his wife. - Is everything okay?
"Yes," she replied, and Omer realized that everything was bad. His wife is frightened and agitated, although she tries to hide these emotions behind a mask of calmness.
He looked at the man and asked:
- Who are you and what do you want from my wife?
Kadir cursed inwardly. Where did this son-in-law come from? He left, didn't he? Heck! Stretching his lips in a smile, Kadir held out his hand and replied:
- I am Kadir Shishmaz, Defne's father. Nice to meet my son-in-law.
Omer did not shake hands. He looked at him with an impenetrable, icy expression on his face and was silent. Kadir dropped his hand and hurried to say goodbye:
- All the best! Defne, I was glad to see you.
She did not answer and silently waited for the man, listed on her birth certificate as a father, to leave. The puppy whined and buried its wet, cold nose at her feet. Defne mechanically stroked it and raised her eyes to her husband. Pain and confusion splashed in them. Omer took his wife by the hand and squeezed her fingers tightly, silently promising care and support.
- What did he want? - asked.
- He said he missed the children. But that's a lie! Mr. Kadir didn't care about us as we were small. For fourteen years he did not remember our existence, and then he suddenly flared up with paternal feelings!
"Maybe he really rethought everything and realized what he had deprived himself of," Omer suggested cautiously, but Defne shook her head desperately.
- Not! He is a soulless monster. I do not know why he appeared, but nothing good will come of it.
Omer hugged her and pressed her cheek to his chest.
- Calm down, - he asked. "I won't let anyone harm you. All the more so for this mister Kadir. Let's forget about this meeting, and let's not darken our day with anxiety. See what beauty all around. We are together. The baby is healthy. This is the main thing."
"You're right," Defne agreed.
But feelings did not obey reason. She drove away disturbing thoughts, but they stubbornly returned and reacted to the soul. She was also worried about her family. After all, this bastard can go to them.
Returning from the walk, Defne fed Emine and, leaving her with Omer, went to call Serdar.
"Father is back," she said without greeting.
- And came to you too? - exclaimed the brother.
- What do you mean, and to you? - asked Defne. - He was with you?
- He was. A week ago, - admitted Serdar.
- And you were silent ?! - she was indignant.
"I put him out the door and ordered him to stay away from our house," he explained and apologized in a guilty tone: "I'm sorry. We didn't want to disturb you. You are our nursing mother. You don't need negative emotions."
"They're not needed, but there's no escape from them," Defne sighed resignedly and asked: "What did he want?
- To see the children. He missed us, you see, "Serdar said ironically. - Showed up with a doll. Can you imagine? Can't count, or has no idea what fourteen-year-old girls are interested in?
"More likely the second," Defne said sarcastically. - Mr. Kadir knows how to count perfectly. What do we do?
"Ignore him," his brother answered firmly. - Ignore. He will spin here for a couple of weeks, understand that there is nothing to catch and disappear.
- Allah grant, - Defne whispered, but her heart was restless. Feelings squeezed the chest and made the heart contract painfully. The dream did not go out of her head in which her father took either Emine Diana or Esra. Two precious children that Defne loved more than life.
She went to the window and stopped, looking at the green lawn, the bushes of blooming roses, and the turquoise surface of the pool. Beauty, which she always felt keenly and admired, receiving great aesthetic pleasure, has now become invisible to the eyes and heart.
Omer quietly entered the room, went up to his wife, and hugged her from the back. She threw back her head and pressed it against his chest.
- Is Emine sleeping? - asked.
- Asleep. I put her in the crib.
They stood in silence for several minutes. Omer did not ask questions, and Defne again experienced painful feelings of childhood inferiority of the girl, whom her father did not like.
- I love you.
Quiet and firm. Omer felt and said exactly what it was vitally important for her to hear. His words spilled like a balm on the heart that had been opened by old wounds. It became easier. Defne sighed and said:
- I called Serdar. I told him about today's meeting. It turns out that Mr. Kadir has already gone to them. A week ago. But they didn't want to bother me. They were silent ...
"They love you very much," Omer said in a low, velvety voice. - And they understand. Serdar and Esra feel the same as you.
"Yes," Defne agreed, looking in front of her. - They are also abandoned children. Esra doesn't even know what it means to grow up with a father and mother. She doesn't remember them. Grandma, Serdar, and I are her only family.
- A wonderful family, - Omer spoke with sincerity, from which Defne had tears in her eyes. - You managed to give Esra love and care. She grew up a happy child. "He unconsciously smiled." - I remember our first meeting with her. Near the Passionis business center. She came to see where her sister was working so hard. I was sitting on a bench, and I was afraid that the girl was lost, and I spoke to her. She then told me one phrase, and I kindly envied her and her sister. She said, "When my sister comes home from work, we hug her and kiss her," and I thought, how happy they are.
Defne, imagining this moment, also smiled. There has always been an invisible thread of affection and friendship between Omer and Esra. It did not break even after the ill-fated wedding, when Omer, leaving his young wife, left for Marseille. Everyone was angry with him. Serdar, Nihan, grandmother, Iso. But not Esra. She protected him and firmly believed that he would return and make her sister happy. And she was right. Sweet Esra. Golden child. Their scoundrel father shouldn't be allowed to ruin her happy world. He can't!
***
Kadir Shishmaz, angry as hell, entered his luxurious hotel room. Throwing a brand linen jacket on the bed, he went to the bar and poured a generous portion of cognac into a glass. Having drunk in one gulp, he swore roughly aloud. He watched Defne for almost a week, trying to get her alone. And so, when, as it seemed, everything worked out, this idiot appeared, her rich husband. As a result, all plans were derailed. And time is running out. Two weeks have passed out of the allotted eight weeks, and he has not come to a step closer to his goal.
His cell phone rang in his pocket. Kadir jerked. A grimace of fear appeared on his face. He took out his phone and looked at the screen. A set of harmless numbers. Unfamiliar number. That's just an unfamiliar phone. Kadir himself knew perfectly well who was calling him now. Waving his finger across the screen, he raised his mobile to his ear and said in a voice hoarse with fear:
- I'm listening.
"No, no," came a drawn-out voice from the speaker. - You will not listen, but speak. Tell me how you will repay the debt. It will not dissolve on its own. It must be given. If you want to live.
Kadir's legs began to shake, but he tried to give confidence to his voice:
- Everything goes according to plan. You will receive your money in six weeks.
"Six weeks and not a day more," the voice on the phone sounded menacing. - You know, my guys are still sadists. With imagination. They will arrange a long and painful death for you. If you try to deceive me.
- What deception? - Kadir feigned indignation. - Am I my enemy? You will have the money in six weeks.
"I see," the voice hissed, and the phone screen went blank.
Kadir grabbed his head and ran around the room, repeating in horror:
- Six weeks! Six weeks! Six weeks!
There was no more time left. On Monday, he must meet with Defne and put her before a choice: a million dollars, or he, as a legitimate father, takes Esra and takes her away from Istanbul. He didn't need the girl really. But Defne is foolishly compassionate, and his very rich middle daughter will never allow the unlucky father to take their little Esra. And she will find the money. He will repay the debt, and with the rest will leave for Cyprus. There are a lot of legal casinos and rich single ladies whom he can charm, pluck more money, and live happily ever after. He was tired of Turkey with its puritanical laws, underground gambling clubs, and a strict ban on gambling. It's time to get out of here. To the longed-for, paradise Cyprus!
***
On Monday, the Iplikci family went to work early. Both had a busy day ahead of them with work and meetings. Baby Emine Diana, fastened in an infant car seat, jerked her legs in white socks and enthusiastically stared with her olive-eyes. For a couple of days already, her gaze did not float in an unknown place, but quite consciously concentrated on the surrounding objects and faces. And now she was looking intently at the Mercedes salon covered with cream leather. The oblique rays of the morning sun penetrated through the windows into the car and jumped along the walls and ceiling in cheerful bunnies. Omer straightened his daughter's pink dress and smiled:
- Emine, you will get used to cars and offices from birth.
"And temporary nannies with no education or work experience," Defne grumbled. - I'm a terrible mom. I leave the child with whomever I find free. No employee in Sapphire and Passionis has not been babysitting Emine last two weeks.
"They don't complain at all," Omer objected. "And Emine too," he smiled affectionately at his daughter. - She likes her busy life and many nannies. So, do not worry. You are a wonderful mother. The most caring, gentle, and loving.
Defne answered him with a grateful smile. Omer was always on her side and protected even from herself. His care, tenderness, and love were unconditional and endless. They gave her wings and a sense of flight. Fate led her through trials, but then gave her the best husband in the world.
The Mercedes stopped near the building of the business center. Sukru opened Defne's door. Omer got out himself and took his daughter out of the infant car seat. Holding her close to him, he waited for his wife, and together they went inside the building.
Kadir watched them through the cafe window. An elegantly dressed couple with a small child in their arms crossed the small square and disappeared inside the building. The man frowned. He secretly hoped that his son-in-law would come alone, and he would go to Defne's home, put pressure on her, and deliver an ultimatum. But since she came to the office, then he needs to get there and demand an audience in private.
Kadir watched the entrance to the business center closely. A black-haired boy of about seventeen came to the door. But, he was in no hurry to go inside. He stopped at the doorstep and looked at the taxi stand. A yellow car with black checkers on its side drove up to it. Esra fluttered out of it, dressed in a bright dress, and hurried to the guy. They exchanged smiles and a couple of phrases, and then the two went inside the building. Kadir saw through the wide glass of the door as Esra and the guy took out their electronic passes and went through the security checkpoint. He raised his eyebrows in surprise. A permanent pass meant that the girl worked here. At fourteen! Yes, the diligence of his daughters came from not clear who. Most likely, from his mother-in-law Turkan. Since neither he nor his ex-wife liked to work. But they have always loved to live beautifully. And his beautiful life now directly depended on the girl Defne. Kadir had no remorse. And not only because he had no idea what it was. But also because he sincerely considered Defne to be his debtor. He fed her for thirteen years. Now let her repay the debts with interest.
Several hours of observing the entrance to the business center yielded results. Kadir noticed that the security service allowed couriers to pass without a pass and unnecessary questions. He went out into the street and began to stroll near the parking lot. When another courier, a young guy, left his motorcycle and headed for the building, he stopped him and spoke:
- Do you want to earn a thousand lire in a couple of minutes?
He looked sullenly and asked incredulously:
- And what is needed for this?
- Give me your cap, badge, and parcels. I will deliver them to their destination for you. And you will get a thousand, "Kadir said quickly.
- Are you crazy? - the guy asked cautiously. - Or planning something bad? Then get out of here, or I'll call the police.
The police were not needed at all. But Kadir was not going to give up either. He meekly smiled at the guy and, raising his hands, spoke conciliatory:
- What are you saying? Look at me! Do I look like a criminal? He gestured to his dandy clothes. - I just don't have a pass, but I want to surprise my daughters. They work here. At the Sapphire company. I'll take your packages to the address, and then go up to them.
The courier examined the man carefully. He looked respectable and harmless. And the promised thousand was a powerful temptation. The guy made up his mind. He unfastened his badge, took off the courier cap, and, along with the package, handed them to him.
- Company Gunaydin, twelfth floor.
The thousand lire were in his palm. Kadir pulled his cap down over his eyes, buckled on his badge, and headed inside the building.
Defne and Laura interviewed six candidates for the position of designers. Ahtem could not attend. Work on the jewels for the Baisal retail chain was in full swing, and he could not leave the workshop even for an hour.
The chief designer and creative director reviewed the submitted drawings, talked to the candidates, and, thanking them, promised to announce their decision in the evening. Although they both knew who they would hire. When the door closed behind the last contender, Defne looked at her friend and said:
- The guy, the green-eyed girl, and the smiling plump one?
- Exactly! Very talented young people! The drawing technique is impeccable, - Laura agreed with her. - So! We have a design department. Only eight months of work, and we reached good economic indicators and fully staffed the company with our departments. Sapphire no longer hangs around Passionis's neck. Only the system administrator remained common to the two firms.
Defne smiled and replied:
- No problem. Mert can handle it. He works like a man possessed.
"Banu calls him an Energizer," Laura said cheerfully.
- How is she? Defne asked briskly. "Does she like Omer's lessons?"
- Still would! She is delighted! And from the lessons, and Omer. And from Passionis with Sapphire. And from Esra and Mert. She says that she now has the life she dreamed of. I invited her to stay with us and go to Esra's school, but she refused. She doesn't want to leave her grandmother for a long time. She says that she became a consolation for her and the meaning of life.
- What a clever girl, - sincerely praised the girl Defne. - She has a kind, devoted heart.
"Yes, golden girl," Laura agreed with her. - I look at her and do not understand how a father could give up such a daughter? He's just an insensitive monster!
Defne turned pale and replied in a strangled voice:
"Shouldn't you and I know how often fathers turn out to be insensitive monsters?
- You're right, - Laura sighed, and then smiled happily and triumphantly declared: - But our children will have the best dads in the world!
- Oh yeah! Defne's smile mirrored the countess's smile. - Our children have the best fathers in the world! And now daddy Omer is trying to work with his daughter in his arms.
- Is Emine Diana in Passionis?
- Yes, and it is time for her to eat. So, soon she will throw a tantrum for her daddy, - Defne rolled her eyes in mock horror. "It's the end of the world for him. He panics when Emine cries."
"Then don't waste your time. Run to Passionis!"
Omer, with his daughter in his arms, circled the study and, humming a nursery rhyme, glanced at his watch. There were ten minutes left before feeding. He knew Defne had an important interview right now, but hungry Emine is sheer horror. She raised such a cry that dad's hands began to shake, and there was double vision. According to his calculations, the siren should turn on in seven minutes. Deciding to wait for exactly four, and then fly to Sapphire, Omer strode around the office even more energetically, swinging his daughter and muttering a song about a meek lamb. Emine frowned in her daddy's arms, curled her lower lip, and sniffled louder and louder. Omer quietly fell into a panic, but steadfastly restrained himself and mentally counted the seconds.
A minute later the door opened and Defne flew into the office.
- Praise be to Allah! - Omer breathed and, holding the baby with one hand, the other grabbed his wife by the wrist and pulled her into the adjacent nursery. - Faster! It will begin now.
Emine, in confirmation of daddy's words, announced the air with a ringing voice:
- U-a-ah !!!
Defne dropped into a chair and hastily unbuttoned her blouse. Omer put the baby in her arms, and a second later, Emine grabbed her mother's breast with a blissful sigh. Mom and Dad breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed.
- How are your interviews? Omer asked.
- Okay. We have decided on the designers. Now it will be easier for me, - more conveniently arranging her daughter in her arms, Defne answered and asked: - Have you changed Emine's diaper?
- I changed it. And I did the massage. And we took a walk on the roof. We got some fresh air. She hadn't slept for two hours. Now she will fall asleep and will sleep until the next feeding.
- Shall I take her to Sapphire?
Defne understood that her husband is also a very busy person and he has a lot of work. But Omer shook his head.
- Not. Let her stay here. I will work on the documents. I have no meetings today. And you will work calmly. You will be back in three hours.
"Okay," Defne looked at him with gratitude and admiration. - You are the best husband in the world.
Omer bent down, kissed her nose, and asked:
- Always tell me that.
- Always! - beaming with a smile, promised Defne.
***
Kadir freely walked past the security post, took an elevator to the twelfth floor, took the package to the Gunaydin firm, and returned to the elevator again. A couple of minutes and he entered Sapphire's office. It was quiet and deserted here. The receptionist's desk was empty and there was not a soul in the corridors. Intuitively, he turned left and walked along the corridor. On one of the doors, he saw a sign "Defne Iplikci. Chief designer". Smiling, he opened the door and looked inside. The office was empty. But the sketches on the table and the pencils scattered over them indicated that the owner was nearby. Kadir went inside and examined the interior and furnishings appraisingly. The furniture alone cost several thousand dollars here. Yes, the girl Defne settled well.
Emine, full, fell asleep at her mother's breast. Defne carefully lifted her and stroked her back. And then she put her in the crib. She and Omer admired the sleeping daughter for a couple of minutes and went out, leaving the door ajar.
- You have to go? - Omer asked with undisguised anguish.
Defne nodded.
- I want to resolve all issues today and tighten things up to stay with Emine at home tomorrow. We will go with her for a walk to the Bosphorus. To have some fresh sea air to breathe.
"I envy you," Omer sighed. - Passionis is preparing for the shooting of the catalog tomorrow. It will be a terrible day.
- You can handle it, - Defne kissed him on the cheek and headed for the door. On the threshold, she looked around and, waving her hand, said: - I'll be back in three hours. If suddenly Emine wakes up and starts to be capricious - bring her in Sapphire to me.
"Run," Omer told her. - Mind your urgent business. We can handle it.
She didn't wait for the elevator. She easily ran down the stairs to her floor, noticed with a peripheral vision that Esra was not there, and went to her place. When she opened the door, the first thing she felt was someone else's smell. Pretentiously expensive and edgy. And only then she saw in front of her the man whom she never wanted to see. The one who was listed on her birth certificate as a father.
- Who let you in here? - entering the office, she asked coldly.
He looked around and shrugged vaguely.
- No one. There was no one in the waiting room, and I went into your office.
- What do you want?
Defne stared at him. She stood with her arms crossed on her chest, thin and fragile, but her whole appearance radiated strength and steel will. Kadir even felt respect for a second, but immediately remembered why he was here.
- We need to talk about Esra. She is my daughter and I want her to live with me.
Esra, who worked as a secretary for the last day, stayed with Mr. Kartal and left his office anxious about the upcoming task. He dictated several letters to her that must be printed immediately and sent to the suppliers. But first, she needs to go to Defne and agree on some points with her.
Without stopping at her desk, she quickly walked to her sister's office. The door was ajar and the girl was about to go inside when she heard the words that made her freeze in place and become covered with sticky sweat. A male voice, which she remembered very well, said:
- We need to talk about Esra. She is my daughter and I want her to live with me. If you remember, according to Turkish law, a child until the age of majority belongs to the father. I have every right to take her with me.
Defne's heart missed a beat and sank like a stone. Her nightmare became a reality. The scoundrel who abandoned his daughter even before her birth, who for many years did not remember either her or his other children, who did not support and did not help either morally or financially, now remembered his paternal rights and decided to take her away. What for? She repeated this question out loud:
- What for? Why do you need Esra? You don't know her, she doesn't know you! You are absolutely strangers!
"I am the father and I have the right," Kadir repeated by syllables and looked down at Defne. Her reaction like a balm spread through the insides. The girl reacted exactly as he needed. Shock. Negation.Confusion. Kadir saw them perfectly, although Defne tried to keep her face.
- Because of your whims you will pull the girl out of her familiar environment, take away from her family and friends whom she loves and who love her, and then take her to where everything is alien to her? - Defne asked in a voice trembling with anger. - Are you a sadist? How can you do this to your child? Esra grew up in love and care. She is happy in her world. Why do you want to destroy it and bring her grief?
Kadir grinned. The grin was so sickening that Defne was nauseated. At that moment, she realized that she hated him and her hatred had every reason. He is not a father, but a cruel, selfish monster. She will not give him Esra. She will go through all sorts of difficulties, but she will not give her up! And the monster took a long look at the photographs of the jewels on the wall behind her and asked:
"So you don't want to part with your sister?"
"Stupid question," she snapped. - The point is not what I want. The main thing is what Esra wants. And she would never want to part with her family.
He didn't seem to hear her tirade. He came up close and, looking in the face, continued his phrase:
- And you agree to pay for the fact that I disappear from your life. Alone. Without Esra.
Defne exhaled. Finally, she understood the meaning of this performance. Money! Money, of course. They have always been at the head of the life values of Kadir Shishmaz.
- How much do you want? She asked.
"A million dollars," he answered clearly, without hesitation.
Outside the door, Esra drew in a convulsive breath and covered her mouth with her hand. Her expressive eyes darted from side to side in fright. She backed away from the door a few steps, and then spun on her heels and ran to the exit. Stopping at the desk, she grabbed her purse with a jerk and headed for the elevator. Its doors parted in front of her, as if by magic. Inside were Mert and Banu, smiling.
- Esra! - The girl was delighted. - And today I learned to transfer sketches to electronic media. Mert was explaining to me ... What's the matter with you? - She exclaimed, noticing a pale face and tears in her friend's eyes.
Esra entered the booth and answered abruptly:
- Nothing. I'm in a hurry. I need to leave urgently. Come out, don't hold me back.
Mert and Banu looked at each other, and the guy pressed the button for the first floor. And then he said judiciously:
- Eh, no! You won't go anywhere until you tell everything.
"I can't be here," Esra whispered in her hoarse voice. - Let's get away from here.
Mert took a bottle of water from the backpack on his shoulder, handed it to her, and said:
- We're going to the waterfront. You can tell us everything there.
Defne looked at the man listed on her birth certificate as "father", eyes wide with shock. The amount he voiced did not fit in her head.
- How many? - She squeezed out of herself. - I don't have that kind of money.
- What are you saying? - Kadir Shishmaz said mockingly. - You are the owner of a jewelry company. Some jewelry from your collection at the exhibition pulls a million dollars.
- These are not my jewelry! And the money of the company is not mine! Sapphire has five co-owners. I can't even take a lire without their consent, "Defne shouted in a desperate desire to reach him.
But her despair made no impression on the bastard.
- It doesn't concern me! He said harshly. - Look for money. I'll give you a week. If you don't find - I'll take Esra and you will see her only when the girl turns eighteen. Mother Turkan may not survive.
He gave a short laugh at his joke and walked out the door. Defne sat down heavily in a chair. Her legs did not hold her. It was hard to breathe. She unbuttoned the collar of her blouse, but there was not enough air. Either from lack of oxygen or horror tightening her chest, darkened in her eyes.
Realizing that if now she does not go out into the air, she will lose consciousness, Defne got up and walked briskly to the elevator.
She climbed to the roof and turned her face to the wind. It was hot like June, but it became easier to breathe. Defne breathed deeply and burst into tears. Hot tears burned her cheeks. Defne wiped them off with her palms and repeated one word:
- Why?
Why again fate, having made a turn, returns to its starting point and she, Defne, has to look for an incredible amount of money to save a loved one?
How do tell Omer about this? Defne did not doubt that he would rush to help. But is this fair? He shouldn't have to solve her family's problems. And even on this scale. Million dollars! Where can one get that kind of money?
Defne stood on the roof, not noticing the time, not feeling hot and thirsty, until the phone rang in her pocket. She woke up and was horrified. Three PM! Time to feed Emine. The daughter is hungry, and the mother feels sorry for herself on the roof of the skyscraper. It's a shame!
- I'm running! - She told into the phone to the worried Omer and hurried to Passionis.
***
The bus brought Esra, Mеrt, and Banu to the seaport. Here blue and white ferries docked, and shouting gulls soared over the azure waters of the Bosphorus. The guys sat on a bench near the water and Mert ordered Esra sternly:
- Tell me what is the matter?
She hunched over and clasped her folded palms between her knees. Looking in front of her, she spoke:
- He demanded a million dollars from Defne for me. If she doesn't pay, he will take me away from Istanbul.
- Who is he? - Not understanding anything, asked Banu.
"My father," Esra replied stifled, and began to cry. - That's why he came. Not for our sake, but to blackmail Defne for money. And I am the subject of the blackmail. He, like a father, has every right to me. He can take me away, and I won't see my family for four whole years.
"Defne will pay," said Mert confidently. "She won't let this asshole take you away.
Esra looked at him with huge eyes shining with tears and exclaimed:
- Million dollars! Defne doesn't have that kind of money!
"Omer has," said Mert judiciously.
"He doesn't have to pay my monster father for me! - The girl ardently objected and resolutely rose to her feet. - I have to disappear for a while. Escape. I will not be there, he will have nothing to blackmail Defne, and he will leave Istanbul in search of easy money. And then I'll be back.
- Where are you going?! Banu jumped up after her. - Your grandmother will go crazy with fear for you!
"To the island," Esra replied. - To the house of Omer and Defne. I know where the key is hidden. I will have a roof over my head. On the way, I'll write to my grandmother and ask her not to worry.
- What are you going to eat? - The girlfriend did not calm down.
- I have some money. I will hold out.
Banu threw the strap of her purse over her shoulder and stated firmly.
- I'm with you!
"Ahtem and Laura will be worried," Esra warned her.
- I'll write to them too. They will understand.
Mert got up from the bench and asked Esra:
- If I ask you to leave this crazy idea, will you listen to me?
- I won't listen! She confirmed stubbornly.
Mert nodded at the station building and ordered:
- Then go ahead. We buy tickets and sail to the island.
Esra stopped him by the hand and looked confusedly into the concentrated face.
- Are you sailing with us?
- Do I have a choice? - He looked into her eyes. "I will never let you...I will not allow you both to go on this adventure alone."