It was on their way back to the office that Can, having just left his wife downstairs, heard Cey Cey talking to Ayhan.
"I feel very sorry for my little sister," said Ayhan in a sad tone.
"Yeah..." confirmed Cey Cey sorrowfully. They were sitting in the small lounge set up behind the counter at the entrance to the meeting room. Being behind them, they both did not realise Can was there. He was on his way back to the office, but he really needed a coffee to get through the busy afternoon, but hearing those words, Can stopped.
"Muzo did not behave well." Ayhan said harshly.
"I didn't expect such a reaction at all. You know?" confided Cey Cey to her.
"That was really barbaric!" exclaimed Ayhan. "Yelling at him like that..."
"You are right. The reaction was exaggerated." said Cey Cey.
"My poor Sanemsi! You should have seen her after he left, the state she was in. She was crying and shaking like a leaf. I don't know how she pulled herself together and joined Guliz upstairs as if nothing had happened." said Ayhan.
"That's it, how he also managed to face Guliz right afterwards with a smile on her face, I really don't know." she added.
"That's her super power. Always smiling. Sanem is strong. And she is a leader. She can mask well even when she is sad. I know it well." said Cey Cey remembering the past.
"There, I understand that Muzo was hurt, but to think that Sanem deliberately avoided telling him about Guliz's arrival is madness. I mean, with all she did to help him.... She stood by him, supported him in writing that mysterious essay of his and even helped him get in touch with publishers. Would a person with such a big heart have ever not told him such a thing if he had known?" blurted Ayhan.
"I know, Sanem has been a really good friend. If it wasn't for her who knows what condition Muzo would be in now. Do you remember before he left?" said Cey Cey sipping his coffee.
"And who can forget it. He was beside himself. Only Sanem was able to talk to him." recalled her wife.
"No, no, Ayhan, it was anger that made him react like that. Seeing Guliz like that again, it set him off." said Cey Cey thinking back.
"I understand, Cey Cey, but that doesn't justify it. He was bad! He didn't even allow Sanem to explain, he immediately shouted the worst things at him, treating her very badly." said Ayhan.
"Do you know where he is now?" he asked her.
"No... I have no idea where he went." replied Cey Cey.
"Look, if you know and you don't tell me, we'll fight, I'll tell you!" she snapped angrily.
"I swear I don't know, Ayhan." he defended himself.
"You make me find out where he is and then you'll see. I have two little words to say to him!" said Ayhan angrily and protectively.
Can stood there in silence the whole time, realised his hands were sore, clenched into fists. Veins in evidence.
Instinctively he bent his neck to the right and then to the left, a gesture that foretold his rising nervousness.
He walked silently away without a word, black in face, back to his office. He took out his mobile phone and without a second thought called Muzo.
He did not answer.
"Coward." commented Can in the empty office, pacing back and forth out of nervousness.
Emre who saw him in that state from his office frowned, after taking a good look at him, got up to join him.
"Brother?" he asked as entered through the connecting door.
"What's going on? How come you are in this state?" he asked worriedly.
"I will find him. Oh, if I will find him! And when I find him..." he said, leaving the sentence hanging.
"You'll see." concluded Can with a smirk, walking past him.
"What? Who? What are you talking about?" his brother asked confused.
"I'm going out, Emre. I have a matter to settle." he said already outside the office door.
"But where are you going? Brother? Is there a problem?" he asked loudly behind his back.
"No." he replied directly aloud, moving further and further away.
"Emre? What's going on?" asked Leyla, seeing Can storming out of the office.
"I don't know. I wanted to figure it out, but he's gone." said Emre.
"Where? Why?" she asked worriedly. "Is there a problem?"
"I don't know. I saw him nervous, looking at his phone and pacing back and forth in the office, so I approached him, but I didn't understand."
"He didn't say anything at all?" she asked.
"He mumbled something like 'I'll find him, you'll see.' and things like that, but I have no idea who he was referring to." he admitted.
"My God..." commented Leyla. "What could have happened? I wonder if my sister is aware..."
"I wouldn't know. But maybe he's gone to her now." replied Emre.
"Come on, let's get back to work." he added. "You'll see it's nothing." he reassured her.
Burak who had heard that exchange, thought about going down to the Sanem, who, locked in her office was trying to contact Muzo without results.
"Where are you? Can we talk?" she texted him.
Meanwhile there was a knock at the door.
"Come in." she replied, setting the phone down in the corner of the desk.
"Excuse me. Mrs Sanem? May I?" asked Burak politely, peeping through the door.
"Of course, Burak. Come, have a seat." she said.
"Tell me. Do you need any pointers on the job? How can I help you?" asked Sanem seriously.
"Um, it's not work-related." Burak warned her.
"Ah..." she replied, thinking about the other matter.
"Is there any news?" he then asked.
"No, not on that front." she replied.
"OK, so what do you want to talk to me about?" she asked.
"Well, you told me to keep my eyes open and that's why I wanted to warn you." he said.
"Alright. Tell me. I'm listening." Sanem replied.
"Mr Can just left the agency in a hurry. He was very nervous. He seemed angry about something. Emre asked for an explanation, but even he didn't understand. Maybe he got a phone call, I don't know." said Burak.
Sanem straightened up in her chair.
"Well, I thought he was here, but he's not." he said looking around the office.
"No, he hasn't been seen here." Sanem confirmed.
"There, I know it's none of my business, but I thought it was only fair to warn you." he justified himself.
Sanem typed in Can's number replying: "No, no, you did great Burak. Thank you." he said.
Nothing, Can did not answer.
"Did you hear anything? I mean, did Can say anything?" he asked.
"According to Emre, he mumbled something like 'I'll find him, you'll see." he reported.
"My God, who will he find? What will he find?" wondered Sanem fidgeting. Then she snapped. "What if he's talking about Metin?" she whispered. "That would be the end!" she exclaimed, putting her hands in the hair.
"Or Muzo." thought Burak. "Could he not have heard what happened this morning?" he asked.
"I don't think so." replied Sanem confidently.
At that moment her phone rang. It was his mother.
"Ugh... mum! I just can't right now." she said declining the call.
Three seconds later her father called her.
Sanem looked at the screen.
"Dad?" she commented surprised at the screen. Usually it was her mother who called.
Had she convinced him to call for her? It could only mean one thing: it was urgent.
Without thinking too much about it, she answered.
"Hello? Dad?" she asked.
"Sanem, daughter?" said Nihat.
"Daddy, is Mommy calling you now too?" she asked.
"Sanem, you don't answer, and your mother wanted to tell you something important. So did I, actually. A strange thing, I would say." he admitted.
"What? What happened?" she asked anxiously.
"Can just called us." said Nihat.
"He called you? Why? What's going on?" she asked increasingly worried.
"I don't know, child. He asked for something unusual. That's why I called you." her father explained.
What did he say, Dad?" asked Sanem hastily.
"He wanted to know Muzo's address." her father replied.
Sanem froze. She remained silent.
"Hello? Hello? Daughter, did the line go dead? Are you still there? Ah, this technology..." commented her father on the other end.
Sanem unlocked. "What? Did he tell you why he wanted it?" she asked.
"I don't know, he just said he was looking for him." he said.
"Daughter, why is Can looking for Muzo? Did he do something at work?" asked her father worriedly.
"Why do you say that?" asked Sanem worriedly.
"Because he seemed nervous. Something was wrong. He didn't have his usual happy tone." reported Nihat.
"Ah... I don't know, father. I'm trying to contact him, in fact. If you see or hear from him again, tell him to call me. OK?" she asked.
"Come on, Daddy dear, a kiss." he added before hanging up.
"All right, daughter. A kiss to you too." replied Nihat seriously.
He hung up.
Once his wife had calmed down, Nihat decided to go out and reach Muzo's house to make sure everything was OK.
He saw Can's empty pick-up truck, then saw him ring the doorbell. Nihat stood around the corner of the street and watched.
He saw Can pick up the phone and put it to his ear.
Meanwhile in the agency, Sanem hung up the phone and gathered his things, telling Burak: "You were right. He is looking for Muzo."
"Then I think he knows what happened this morning." he replied.
"I think so do I. The question is, how much does he know?" she asked.
She picked up her bag, looked at him and said: "That's why I'm catching up with him. I'm off. For anything I'm on call."
"Alright. Good luck." Burak wished her.
"Thank you." she replied.
Once in the company car, her phone rang. She received the call she had been waiting for weeks.
"D.V." appeared on the screen. "D.V." was how she had added him to her contacts. The initials for "Detective Volkan."
Sanem answered on the fly.
"Hello?" she said. She looked at the driver from the mirror.
"Mrs Sanem, hello. I'm Volkan." he replied from the other end.
"Hello." she replied.
"I got the information you requested. I would need to speak to you in person." he reported.
"Um, I'm in the car right now, so that's not possible. Um, can we talk again at another time?" she asked in a formal tone.
"Um, sure, I understand, it's just... it's important." he added.
"OK, I will call you back as soon as possible." she replied.
"Ah, one thing, if you please. Just tell me one thing. Is it confirmed or not?" she asked.
Volkan knew very well what she was referring to.
She was asking whether Metin was really involved with Deren's father or not.
"It is confirmed." replied Volkan. "You were right, I have proof." he replied briefly.
"Alright, thank you, I'll contact you as soon as I can, thanks for understanding, see you soon." replied Sanem hurriedly.
He hung up. Then he turned to the driver. "Can you speed up? I'm in a bit of a hurry."
"I'll do what I can, Mrs Divit." replied the driver in the middle of the Istanbul traffic.
Arriving at Muzo's house, Sanem saw Can's pick-up.
"There, I'm late." he said, running to the door. She rang but nothing.
At that moment her father called her again.
"Dad?" she answered.
"Sanem, Can found Muzo." he replied in a low voice, hiding behind a tree.
"Where is he? He's not at his house. I just arrived." she said.
"No, Muzo is on a bench in the gardens on the coast near the neighbourhood." he reported.
"I understand the place perfectly, I'm coming." she said without question. She didn't ask why her father had followed Can or why he spoke softly, at that moment she only cared about reaching her husband before he did something stupid.
As she approached him, Can was reminded of Sanem's words, when she told him that she had spoken to Muzo before he left, they had stood on the shore, and shortly before, after ringing his house, a sixth sense had told him that he would find him there. So he hurried.
He recognised his figure from behind, sitting on a bench in front of the sea.
"Muzo!" he called loud and clear a few metres away from him.
He looked up. He was still angry.
"Mr Can, this is really not the time. It's Sanem who sent you, isn't it?" he immediately went on the attack.
"No, Sanem doesn't even know I'm here." Can replied cold as ice.
"You... coward that you are... how dare you shout at my wife like that, huh? What kind of man are you!" he shouted at him.
"I have my reasons." replied Muzo.
"Oh, sure your reasons... and tell me, the reason would be that she did not warn you of Guliz's arrival, is that it? Is that your stupid reason?" he asked black with anger.
"He shouldn't have hidden it. She lied. She knew." insisted Muzo.
"You are crazy...really, I don't know what's wrong with you Muzo, but you are really delusional." said Can.
"Neither I nor Sanem, we knew Guliz was coming, we were waiting for an actress chosen by an external casting agency to flank Osman. No one had warned us that this person would be Guliz, and do you know why?" he asked.
Muzo remained silent.
"You don't know why... because you were too busy being offended and running away rather than listening to an explanation about it." Can scolded him.
"If you had stayed, if you had had the guts to stand in front of your ex-wife, maybe you would have seen with how many airs she boasted about surprising us all at Fikri Harika. How, with her connections, she had managed to convince someone from the casting agency to keep it a secret. That's the true reality!" Can said in one breath. The veins in his neck in evidence from the effort.
"I didn't know." said Muzo taken aback, not knowing what to say.
"You didn't know because you attacked MY WIFE like a dog and left." said Can brutally.
"Coward. You yelled at a woman - at my wife, who did everything for you. She stood by you in the hardest of times, and bent over backwards for you with your secret wise and all. She believed in you, how many others in your life can you say did the same thing? Huh?" He spit the truth in his face.
"I am not a coward." said Muzo.
"Ah, sorry, you are not, you are right, because you are not a coward, but a vile. I know a vile when I see one, because unfortunately I was one myself once. Running away does no good, Muzo. Things have to be faced, otherwise they become bigger and bigger bogs and heavier and heavier obstacles in our lives." he said seriously and firmly.
Muzo remained silent. "Face the past once and for all and put an end to this behaviour of yours. You hurt yourself and especially the innocent people around you." he said sternly.
"Do you have any idea the state you left Sanem in, huh? Do you have any idea!?" he insisted.
"You have some.... You definitely saw her crying, but you and your past ghosts were more important, weren't you?" he said through gritted teeth.
"Don't you care about how you left her? About how she felt attacked? Well, I'll tell you. She was crying her eyes out and shaking like a leaf." Can yelled at him.
"Don't you ever dare again, do you understand? Never again do you dare to treat my wife like that, got it?!" he continued.
"Sanem, the last time she saw you here, she was understanding and light. I, on the other hand, will be brutally direct." he warned him.
"I don't want to see you in the company again until you have had the courage to finally solve your problems. Fikri Harika, but especially Sanem, are places born to express themselves. We have learnt from the past, and we have worked hard to ensure that they are both happy workplaces, where every member comes to work with a smile, and has to leave with a smile, not crying or shaking at someone's folly. Is that clear?" he said, staring straight into her eyes.
"Until then, you can forget about the book. Oh, and you are no longer a partner in Fikri Harika, I'm giving your one per cent to Cey Cey." he said.
"You can't decide for Sanem." said Muzo.
"Oh, I certainly do. If that is to protect her, I do. And I'll tell you more..." he said approaching him.
"If you dare to make direct deals with publishers or discredit Sanem again... I will ensure that the book never sees the light of day. Do I make myself clear?" he said.
At that moment, Sanem and his father came running in.
"There they are!" she exclaimed when she saw them so close. She feared that Can might beat him up.
"What's going on here?!" exclaimed Nihat in a stern tone.
Can and Muzo turned around.
"Can? What's going on?" asked Sanem running to him.
"Sanem?" he asked.
"How did you know I was here?" he asked.
"Ah..." he said looking at Nihat.
"Son, what's going on here? Muzo?" he asked. "What is this shouting, son? We heard you from over there." said Nhat pointing to where they had come out from.
"Muzo treated Sanem badly. He shouted in her face in the company. He made her cry and tremble." he said with clenched fists staring at him angrily.
Nihat, turned sharply towards Muzo.
"What! Is that true, Muzo?" he asked with a gloomy look.
"It's true." Can replied. "Ayhan said."
"Love? How do you know? I mean, did you talk to Ayhan?" she asked shocked.
"Something like that, I'll explain later." he said stroking her gently.
"And why would you do such a thing Muzo?" asked Nihat.
"Because Guliz, his ex-wife, came to the agency by surprise and he thought Sanem had hidden it from him. Both she and I knew nothing. But he as soon as he saw her, he ran to Sanem yelling at him without any chance of reply." said Can spitting out.
"Can..." said Sanem trying to restrain him.
"Love, don't look at me like that. It's only fair that your father knows too." he said.
"Is it true, child? Did he shout at you?" asked Nihat. The last word was to be his daughter's.
"Yes, but... it was in a moment of anger, that is..." she tried to lighten it up.
"Sanem..." resumed Can: "Don't belittle it." he told her.
"Muzo! Why are you yelling at my daughter, huh?!" ranted Nihat.
"Wow..." said Muzo getting up from the bench. "I have to tell you Sanem, you two were made for each other. You just can't stay away from plans, threats, trouble and poking your noses into each other's lives, can you?" he said looking at both of them.
"What are you talking about, Muzo..." said Can looking at him crookedly.
"I'm saying that... you two should talk to each other a lot more. You want to protect everyone, do good to everyone... and then what? You are the first ones who are not honest with each other." he said.
"What are you babbling, Muzo? Go, go. Come!" said Nihat dragging him away by the arm.
"What's wrong with you, huh? What's wrong with you, son? Why do you treat people like that?" he continued to scold him as they walked away.
"Good daddy Nihat, take him away, it's better." Can said wringing his hands.
As Nihat dragged him away, Muzo with a crazy smile added: "Can? Why don't you ask your wife what she's hiding from you..."
"What are you talking about Muzo? Walk!" said Nihat tugging at him.
Can glared at him, then furrowed his brow and looked at his wife.
"Can..." she began in a trembling voice.
"What did he mean?" he asked seriously.
"Are you hiding something from me, Sanem?" he asked.
Sanem took her husband by the hand. "Come now I'll explain everything to you." he said making him sit on the bench.
"What do you have to explain to me?" he asked defensively.
"Ah, love, let me explain, otherwise what was the point of saying the words you said to Muzo, eh? Did you think I didn't hear you?" said Sanem.
"Alright, I'm listening. You are right." he said with a sigh, then fell silent.
"I was waiting for confirmation before telling you this. It's a bit delicate, that's all." she said worriedly.
"Are you pregnant?" he asked her directly with a smile on his lips.
"Um... no, love I'm not pregnant. It's not that kind of confirmation." said Sanem stroking his cheek.
"The matter is a bit different and very serious.'' she pointed out.
"Ah... er, how serious? Should I be worried? Are you okay?" asked Can changing softening slightly.
"Yes, yes, love, I'm fine, it's not about me and my health. Don't worry. And it's not about you personally either, really." she specified.
"What do you mean? Sanem, I don't understand." he admitted.
Sanem took a deep breath and began to explain.
"Where do I start, let's see..." she said.
"Ah! Do you remember the story of Deren? His father and all?" she asked.
"Um, yes, I remember you asking me questions about his father. If I knew him and so on." repeated Can.
"That's right." she confirmed.
"One day Muzo, during the early days of working on the draft of his essay, confided something to me." said Sanem.
"What?" asked Can nervously at the mere thought.
"He told me that he had unwittingly overheard a phone call from Metin." admitted Sanem with some hesitation.
"Ah, so what? Metin is always on the phone." replied Can calmly.
"I know that, but the phone call was strange. Muzo heard him talking to someone from Deren. Verbatim words: "He is not suitable for Deren. And so on." he said.
"Maybe he was confiding in someone, I mean, we know he has no sympathy for Bulut. So I'm not surprised." Can replied serenely.
"In fact, I had a reaction like yours too, I didn't give it any weight, I didn't believe it... at first." pointed out Sanem.
"At first? What do you mean, Sanem?" asked Can.
"At that moment I thought it was Muzo's jealousy of Metin with Deniz, speaking." she continued her tale.
"But he added a detail that I didn't give weight to at the time. "He said: don't worry, sir, I'll keep an eye on her. Or something like that." said Sanem.
"The word sir struck me." she admitted. "But I let it go, I had other things to think about." she continued.
"What I didn't know is that Muzo didn't let it go, he started to observe it to understand it better." she said.
Can listened intently to her words.
"Just like the first time, he caught him several times in the same spot, in the archive, talking on the phone. Although he didn't find out anything new for several weeks. He only told me this afterwards." said Sanem.
"After what?" asked Can.
"A few months ago, I was the one who heard a phone call from him, Can." said Sanem. "At the usual spot Muzo said, I was waiting for the lift to go up to Fikri Harika. I had walked one floor, but my shoes were hurting." she said looking into his eyes.
"I was waiting for the lift to come when I heard him talking around the corner, so I instinctively hid and listened." she admitted.
"Deren must absolutely not find out, I understand." I heard.
"No, sir, they haven't seen each other since the wedding." Sanem recalled.
"Rest assured, I will keep an eye on her. I won't let her out of my sight." he repeated.
Can grimaced, confused.
"And who do you think he was talking to?" he asked her.
"I had no idea of course, but I was sure it was the same person from Muzo's phone call. Metin was reporting to a person he called sir.... On Deren." said Sanem.
"OK, but why would Metin keep an eye on Deren? And on whose behalf? That's absurd. I don't understand that." said Can.
"There, I didn't understand it either. What was the purpose? Above all, what was Deren not supposed to find out?" said Sanem.
"So I spoke to Muzo, telling him what I had heard and that I believed his words. He was right." she said.
"At that point, Muzo and Cey Cey went to work hoping to figure out who he was talking to, but they didn't get any more chances." she explained.
"I know you don't believe me, but I had a strange feeling after those words. That nothing good was hiding behind them. But I didn't understand what." said Sanem.
"Then... the nightmare night, do you remember?" she asked him.
"Of course I remember." he confirmed.
"Well, actually, I was thinking about that. And in a flash Deren's words about her father came back to me. Why does a lawyer of a certain level like Metin call a person 'sir'? Because he is older than him? But above all, why does he pass on information? What does he get out of it? He is a man of justice. Why do such a thing? With all these questions in my head, I came to two conclusions. Either he knew the person well, or it was a favour he couldn't say no to." Sanem tried to explain.
She waited for his reaction.
"Go ahead." said Can simply, wanting to hear the rest.
"During that dream, with Deren's words echoing in my head, Metin, London and everything else, it was like everything found its own connection. As if there was a common thread to everything. So I began to suspect that Deren's father was behind it, that being one of the most distinguished lawyers in London he knew Metin, one of the most distinguished young lawyers in Turkey, and that through him, he was keeping an eye on his daughter, lest he find out something." she connected.
"My God, Sanem..." huffed Can.
"Shh... I know what you are going to say. Sanem, what are you saying? You like to meddle in other people's business, blah blah blah. I know. And that's why I didn't tell you anything." she admitted.
"Before I told you I had to have proof or you wouldn't have believed me. After all, he's your best friend, you know? I didn't want to create friction between you." she said in a loving tone, trying to reason with him.
"And you have proof?" he asked.
"I have confirmation. Deren's father is behind all this, and... I'm sorry to have to tell you this but.... Metin passes information to him." she said, shaking his hand.
Can was silent for a moment. Then he looked at her and said: "How do you know that? How do you know for sure?" he asked her.
"Well, to get it I asked one person for help. In fact, two to be exact." she admitted.
"What did you do, Sanem?" asked her Can with an inquisitive look.
"I'll tell you, but don't get angry, OK?" she asked.
Can sighed. "It's not OK. Just say it." he said sternly.
"OK, it needed confirmation. I couldn't ask Deren, I didn't have any footholds to go into the argument, I would be conspicuous, so I couldn't. And I couldn't ask Deniz, because Metin is with her and doesn't know anything about this. I didn't want to involve you, because I knew you would be against it, so..." she said, lowering her gaze.
"Therefore, Mihriban gave me an idea." she said.
"Ah, Mihriban is also aware? Perfect. Maybe my father too." he replied, getting nervous.
"No, your father doesn't know anything." Sanem confirmed.
"Anyway, actually, I didn't even want to contact him, but I left it as plan B." she said.
"Sanem, who did you contact, for God's sake, will you tell me?" said Can getting more and more nervous.
"Black Falcon." she replied.
"Who? Black Falcon? And who is it?" asked Can confused.
"A hacker from our neighbourhood. It's a long story, Ayhan and I knew him many years ago, and I asked her to track him down, but he is no longer active here, so... I was forced to go to plan B." she explained.
"Ah, Ayhan is also involved? Of course. How many other people are involved in this Sanem thing? Just so I know." he said staring into her eyes.
"Well... me, Muzo, Cey Cey, Ayhan, Burak and... now you too." she said almost ashamed.
"Even Burak?!" he asked in amazement.
"Yes, but he only found out this morning, just as the Muzo thing happened. There, he came in suddenly while he was angry and was accusing me of constantly making plans and..." she tried to justify.
At that point Sanem lowered her head, pulling up with her nose.
"Don't cry, continue the story. Come on." said Can unwilling to console her at that moment.
"Who did you contact Sanem?" he repeated.
"Hilmi." she replied with her head down.
"I asked him to get into Metin's phone, taking advantage of a yoga class with Ayhan. You know, don't you, that she picks up everyone's phones? There, I called him in, at that moment and he copied all the contacts in her address book and found me the rightful owners. I didn't trust the names under which they were registered, that's it." she spat out.
Can serious until that moment, he suddenly burst out laughing in disbelief.
"I can't believe it, really! Did I marry a cop or what? Eh, Sanem? All I needed was for you to investigate him and we were done!" he exclaimed.
His wife remained silent, turning red as a pepper.
"Well, I did that too. As a matter of fact." she admitted with a hint in her voice.
"Excuse me?" asked Can in amazement.
"I did, all right? I called Volkan and asked him to find out information about Deren's father, alright?" she boldly blurted out.
"What?! You called Volkan? But then I really live with Sherlock Holmes and didn't know!" said Can laughing out of nervousness.
"Sanem...you are incorrigible. Really." said Can.
"And? How did the story go?" he then asked.
"Hilmi found Deren's father's number on Metin's phone and his was the most called number." she explained.
"Volkan, on the other hand, called me now, while I was in the car, and confirmed the cooperation between the two but he has more to tell me. And it seems to be important. He wants to see me." concluded Sanem with a sigh.
"Sanem I mean, really...why did you do all this? Huh? Why did you set out to investigate Metin, Deren, his father and all that? After all, it doesn't concern us." he said getting up from the bench. He couldn't sit still.
"Can? Can... please come here." she said grabbing his hand pushing him towards her.
"I mean... based on what Volkan is going to say, whatever he says, how are you going to tell Deren, have you thought about that? I want idre, are you going to go to her and how are you going to justify that you found out these things? Huh?" he asked her.
"Oh, you know I hired a private investigator and researched your father, will you tell her? Or... You know, I wanted confirmation and so I asked a hacker for help.... huh?" blurted Can.
Sanem stood in stunned silence. And realised. "How do I tell Deren now?" she said looking at him with panic in her eyes.
"Ah, you mean to tell me that the 'Lady in Yellow' in you hasn't thought about it, is that it? I mean, after all this articulate planning, Detective Sanem Divit didn't think about it.... Bravo, what can I say?" he said clapping.
"I will find a way, don't worry, I have to talk to Volkan first though. One thing at a time." said Sanem bracing herself.
"I'm sure you'll find it, I mean, you really can do anything." her husband told her, shaking his head.
"Are you really angry with me?" she then asked him.
"I am, actually. I can't deny it, Sanem. I am worried and even a little nervous, yes." he admitted.
"One minute, one minute... Can Divit." thought Sanem suddenly.
"I mean, you are angry with me now, and not with Metin?" she asked.
"Thank you, thank you. He is the one playing dirty, and you are angry with me, is that it? Perfect, always Sanem loses out, of course." she said, turning on her heels to go home.
"Ah, Sanem..." he called after her.
"Where are you going?" he asked her.
"Away from here." she replied simply.
"Hello, Mr Volkan?" she then asked with the phone to her ear.
"Mrs Sanem?" he replied from the other end.
"Tell me when we can meet, I'm free." she said seriously.
"Even now, where do you prefer?" he asked.
"I'll send you the location. Join me there." she replied briefly.
"Alright, see you soon." he greeted her.
"See you soon." she replied, hanging up.
Meanwhile, Can caught up with her.
She increased her pace.
"Who were you talking to? Volkan?" he asked.
"What do you care?" she asked angrily.
"Come on, love, if you have to meet Volkan I'll come too." he said.
"Love? Ah, now I'm back 'Love', so. Until now I was just 'Sanem, Sanem... and that's it. You do this when you are angry!" she told him without stopping.
"Go run and work off your anger somewhere, Can Divit, I have things to do, see you at home." she said stretching her stride.
Can obviously did not leave her.
Sanem turned back then, and without giving him a glance, she passed him and continued towards her destination, strutting. She returned to sit on the bench from just before and posted her position.
Then she waited, looking at the sea.
Can sat down beside her in silence, holding back a smile at that move.
"Is this where you will meet Volkan?" he asked her.
"Can, please go! Weren't you angry? Go for a run, it's better. Now I'm the angry one." she said, turning away.
Can smiled. Sanem was using the offence tactic, he knew it well.
"No, I want to stay here, enjoying the view of the sea and my wife." he replied with a smile. Can's mask of anger faded.
"Hmm, sure... Can doesn't attack. Stop it." she quickly dismantled him.
"If you stay, be quiet. I want to rest my mind." she said.
Can had no time to reply that he saw Volkan coming.
He stood up. Sanem imitated him.
"Mr Volkan?" he greeted him.
"Mr Can? Mrs Sanem?" he greeted them.
Volkan looked at her. "He knows everything." she replied to justify his presence.
"Ah, OK." commented the investigator.
"What did you find out?" asked Sanem.
"Um, how about we move further away, under that tree over there is quieter." proposed Can.
"Do you remember, Mr Can?" asked Volkan with a smile.
"Yeah." he replied.
"Have you seen each other here before?" asked Sanem once they arrived.
"Yes, in the past. When I did research on Yigit." replied Can.
"That's it, when you do the research it's fine, when I do it instead... but still..." said Sanem in a low voice. "Back to us."
"Tell me, Mr Volkan," she said turning to him.
"So, Mrs Sanem, there are audios in here that I invite you to listen to." He said handing her an envelope with a CD. "Inside are also other material evidence you requested, when you see them, you will understand."
"Your colleague's father's name is Ahmet Erdogan, he was the second name on the list you provided me with." he explained.
"He was born and lived in Istanbul until he came of age, then, he moved to London to pursue his law studies. There he became a lawyer and through high society connections made his fortune by opening his own firm. He is currently one of the most famous lawyers in the world.
"At the age of 25, he married the Turkish actress Asil Nuvat, by whom he had a daughter, Deren." he said.
"Deren Erdogan, was born in Turkey, taking her citizenship, her father and mother lived here for the first years of her life, and then returned to London for her to attend the most prestigious schools.
After finishing her university studies, she decided to return to Istanbul to her paternal grandmother, and from there, there was a rift between her and her parents that led her to then change her surname to her current name: Deren Keskin."
"Paternal grandmother's maiden name." said Sanem. "I knew that." she confirmed seriously and attentively, with a nod of her head.
"Back in her homeland, Deren took care of her grandmother's health, which was beginning to present its first problems. And in the meantime, she looked for work, until she found it in your agency. It turns out that she has had no contact with them since then.
Meanwhile, in London, after a few years, his parents separated and then divorced, putting an end to their marriage for good.
Deren's mother has been in care for many years. Her husband's oppressive presence had caused her great depression for several several years. Now she has found serenity with a theatre actor. A friend from the academy, it seems. A certain Amut Mustafa. Also Turkish. She now lives in America.
Deren's father, on the other hand, had another relationship, also now over, from which a child was born. I still have to look into that." he concluded.
"One minute. Does that mean Deren has a sister?!" exclaimed Sanem blinking impressed.
"Exactly." replied Volkan.
"How many years younger?" she asked.
"I don't know yet, Mrs Sanem, but I will find out. Don't worry." he replied confidently.
"Alright, what about the relationship with Mr Metin?" asked Can who had remained silent until that moment.
"Well, it seems the two know each other through the latter's parents. Mr Metin comes from a family of only lawyers, as I assume you already know, and the father during a stay in London many years ago, put in a good word about his son." he reported to them.
"Of course..." replied Sanem with a grimace.
"When Deren settled permanently in Istanbul, after changing her name, he kept an eye on her until he found out that his daughter had gone to work at Fikri Harika. There, thanks to his friendship with Metin's father, he found out that his son worked for the agency and approached him, asking him to check on Deren.
Ahmet Erdogan realised that Metin had a crush on his daughter, and used this to his advantage, giving the boy false hopes of a possible relationship with her." Volkan explained.
"That says..." commented Sanem incredulously with her eyes wide.
"So Metin has been keeping an eye on Deren all these years?" asked Can shocked. He was incredulous too.
"It seems so, unfortunately. At least until you drove him away." replied Volkan. "Excuse me Mr. Can, but in investigating lawyer Metin unfortunately I found out that for a while he no longer worked at the agency, am I wrong?" asked confirmation tactfully.
"No, you says well. We had disagreements in the past. It's no secret." confirmed Can.
"And what did you do during that time? He didn't keep an eye on her I guess." said Sanem.
"There, while he was working for Mrs Remide, it seems that Ahmet Erdogan, invited him to London several times during that period, probably to take stock of the situation." reported Volkan.
"There, but so Metin knows that Deren has a sister?" pondered Sanem aloud.
"Yes." replied the investigator.
"And he also knows who she is I suppose," he continued.
"I don't know for sure." Volkan replied briefly.
"The father was not at all happy to find out about his daughter's marriage to a lawyer other than the one he thought was right for her, that is." added Volkan.
"And so, you're saying he took advantage of Metin's renewed proximity in the agency to keep an eye on her again? But how can one be so obsessed, I wonder?" ranted Sanem.
"Excuse me." she said to Volkan, pulling herself together.
"Don't worry." he replied with a friendly smile.
"I think Mr Ahmet has done some research on Bulut Cehver and his family, that's why he is so displeased with such a union." he added.
"OK, he may be displeased, but what can he do about it now? He has to accept it." Can said.
"After all, he is the one who disowned his daughter." Sanem recalled. "What else does he want from her?" she asked.
"Excuse me, but now... are there other women in that man's life?" asked Sanem curiously.
"Just escorts to events, so it seems. A different one on each occasion. But no serious relationships." Volkan pointed out.
Can was shocked by such a rote story.
"But what does Metin gain from all this?" he pondered aloud.
It was Volkan who answered his question: "There are promises of important jobs in London, a job always open for him in his firm and a life and social position full of comforts, in exchange for this small favour."
"Small favour?!" asked Can in amazement.
"So Metin's fortune is due to him, or is it? Is that what you are saying?" asked Sanem in confirmation.
"Analysing, some of his lawyer friend's big clients come from Ahmet Erdogan's long list of wealthy clients. I leave the conclusions to you." Volkan said.
Can and Sanem looked at each other shocked. They were speechless.
"My God... who have I had beside me all these years..." said Can.
"I never really knew him then?" he wondered.
"I mean, Metin was always a super precise, meticulous person who was good at his job. It can't all be because of that man. I don't believe it... I don't want to believe it!" Can thought.
"No, I don't think it is, but maybe his friend, if you'll allow me, as good as he is, wouldn't be where he is now without certain social connections." replied Volkan reasonably.
"I fully agree." Sanem replied.
"Thank you, Mr Volkan for all this information, you have really given us a lot to think about." said Sanem pulling out an envelope folded in two. She placed it in the palm of his hand and without showing it, she handed it to Volkan clutching his own.
"This is a first part, as agreed. The other upon completion." whispered Sanem.
"You go ahead and check them." she added.
"I trust you Mrs Sanem, as I trust Mr Can." he said casting him a glance.
Can was absent.
"I thank you for your trust and your time." replied his wife seeing him in that state.
"I will continue the search, and will contact you as soon as I know more." he replied.
Can looked at him thoughtfully.
"Perfect. Goodbye." Volkan greeted them with a smile.
"Goodbye." the Divits greeted him.
ONCE THEY WERE ALONE...
"Can?" asked Sanem touching his arm. He had sat on the small wall surrounding the large tree they were standing under.
"Are you OK?" she asked worriedly as she sat down beside him.
"I'm fine, I just need to process... and reflect." he said with a low head.
"You were really hurt, weren't you?" she asked him.
"I just can't explain it." he said. "I'd like to pick up and go talk to him now." he said firmly, looking up at her.
"No Can!!! You're kidding, right? You can't do that." exclaimed Sanem tightening his grip on her arm.
"It would create utter chaos! More than I have already endured so far in keeping this secret. Please! At least wait until Volkan has told us everything, then you will talk to him. But not now. Don't do it, please. Do it for me. Or... if not for me, do it for Bulut and Deren." said Sanem beseeching him.
"Listen carefully, Can Divit, you must not tell anyone, do you understand?" he said shaking him out of that stupor.
"Alright, I understand," he replied without enthusiasm.
"Ah, good thing we're going into the weekend." Can commented to distract himself.
"Yeah, and thankfully, at the end of this busy day. Everything went wrong today. Muzo, Burak, Guliz... I'm exhausted. It's not easy to hold all the pieces together." said Sanem looking at the sea with a sigh. They were walking back to the car.
"But listen, you if you want, stay a while alone, run, go to the shed and chop some wood, or a boat ride, whatever you need. All right? Take your time and think well before making any rash moves. OK?" Sanem asked him, stroking his back.
Are you still angry with me?" she asked blinking her big doe eyes to make him smile.
"Come on, let's go home." replied Can, the corners of his mouth barely turned up.
Sanem hugged him tightly as they made their way to the car. Just like that time she joined him at the hotel, to convince him to forgive her and not leave on the Balkans.
"Alright... we have a really fun weekend ahead of us, you know?" She said in a good mood, trying to cheer him up. The twins' friends are coming to the estate!" she said laughing, exhausted at the mere thought of the chaos.
"Let the weekend begin!" she exulted charged.
Can silently pulled her close.
And so, concentrating on her good humour and gab, the only weapons Sanem knew to defuse the most difficult moments, she tried to silence the bad thoughts. Both hers and her husband's.
So to bridge that Can silence, she went from one nonsensical topic to another.
"Can? What if we buy a horse?" she asked. "That would be great, I'd love to learn to ride. We could reach the hut in the saddle, ride into the big flowery clearing in front." she said and then immediately changed the subject.
"Can, but in your opinion, does the chicken or the egg come first?" she asked in memory of old times.
"We still haven't managed to answer that question in all these years, eh, what do you say?" she asked as her husband opened the car door for her, closing it once she was seated.
At that point making the turn, to reach the driver's side, Can rolled his eyes, sighed and let a smile escape.
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Hello readers :)
Thank you for reading the 25th chapter of the story.
If you would like to let me know your warm comments. I always read and respond to you more than willingly. And I ask you: which chapter have you enjoyed the most so far? I'm curious.
See you soon with the next one!