Emir watches the video on Zafer's phone. Then he watches it again.
"Where did you get this?" he struggles to ask. He still can't believe what he's seeing and hearing.
"About halfway to school, Zeynep realized she had left her assignment. So we went back to get it," Zafer explains. "I was waiting on the patio for her when I heard them in the office. Cemre. And your mom."
"Looking for that flash drive, I assume."
Zafer just nods before continuing his story.
"I heard Cemre begging your mom for help finding the drive and your mom demanding Cemre to tell her what's going on. That's when I started recording."
Emir can remember every vile word they said.
"So how do we take care of Reyhan? Are you going to hit her on the head the same way you did Hikmet amca? Hire another gunman?"
"Killing her is no longer an option, maalesef. I believe the stupid girl has gone and gotten herself pregnant. We can't kill her or simply run her off. Emir would never get over losing a child. It's going to be hard enough to get him to believe she got accidentally dosed with the sleeping pill, but we can put that off on Nigar. We'll say the sleeping pill was for me and Nigar mixed up the tea cups."
"And Emir will believe that?" Cemre is doubtful.
"Emir believes anything I tell him," Cavidan scoffs. "But this baby, if it survives, will be a problem. It's going to forever tie him to this peasant. Unless we rewrite her story again. Emir will have his child and that girl will be gone."
"So we take the baby first? And then get rid of her?" Cemre asks.
Even hearing the words over and over in his head doesn't make them easier to comprehend or believe. How can two women he's loved all his life do this? How could he have been so blind to their true nature?
"So let me see if I have this straight," Emir says, clearing his throat. Clearing the tears clogging his throat. He holds up one finger. "First, my mother hired the hit on herself. Which means she also ..."
He holds up a second finger.
"... set up my father to take the fall for ordering her shooting. And if that weren't bad enough she ..."
He holds up a third finger.
"... had originally planned to have the shooter kill Reyhan. And to add icing to the cake ..."
He holds up a fourth finger.
"... she hit my father on the head to silence him. He may be silenced permanently. Did I get it all? Did I get everything my mother has done in the past two months?"
Emir laughs to keep himself from crying.
"Has it really only been two months?" He covers his face with his hands and rubs vigorously. "And that's not even accounting for the sleeping pill or what she's planning to do. Or what Cemre has done. Or what the two of them have done together. Zafer, what kind of people are these?"
Emir takes a deep breath for a bit of calm, realizing where he is. Realizing he shouldn't be disturbing his wife. He's already been the cause of enough of her disturbance. He can't imagine his mother and Cemre have given Reyhan a day of peace since she married him. Because of him. Because they feel some sick possessive way about him. That's the only reason he can figure.
"What are you going to do about them?" Zafer asks them. "Do you want to call the police?"
"I don't know. Will the police do us any good? I just ..." Emir sighs again. "I just don't know right now."
He looks at Reyhan, sick inside at the thought of all she's been through at the hands of his mother and Cemre. And he has a feeling he still doesn't know even half of what they've done to her.
"She never said a word," Emir whispers, stroking her hair out of her face. "I imagine they've tortured her for months. She said it started as soon as she came to the mansion when I did manage to get her to talk a little about it."
My strong, brave wife, he thinks to himself.
"I won't let them hurt you anymore."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
It's a few more hours before Reyhan finally wakes up. Emir had been dozing lightly, but wakes as soon as she does.
"Emir?" she says groggily, blinking sleepy eyes when she notices him. "Where am I? What happened?"
She blinks a few more times and finally starts to notice her surroundings.
"Hospital? I'm in the hospital?"
She starts to panic and he has to calm her down. He sits next to her on the bed and pulls her into his arms, holding her tightly to his chest.
"Shh! You're fine," he assures her, stroking her hair to soothe her.
"The baby ... what happened?"
"Baby is fine too," he promises. "Just calm down for now."
He continues to hold her and pretty soon her grip on him eases. Her breaths slow down and start to match his own.
"You were given a sleeping pill, we assume with your tea at breakfast," he explains when he figures she's calm enough. "We think it was to distract us so that Cemre could go after the flash drive. Which she did."
"This is why I didn't want to go back to that house," Reyhan whispers, barely holding back her tears. "I couldn't keep my own baby safe."
Emir feels a stab to his heart, understanding exactly how she feels. He couldn't keep her or the baby safe. Even after he promised her he would. But he won't be making that mistake again.
"They won't be able to hurt anyone else. I won't let them touch anyone else," he swears. "I'm getting everyone safe and then I'm going to deal with those two monsters."
The doctor comes in at that moment with a much needed distraction.
"I see you're awake, Reyhan hanim," he says cheerfully. "How are you feeling?"
"A little groggy," she admits. "Is the baby okay?"
The doctor studies the chart for a moment before answering her.
"Your bloodwork seems clear. Everything seems fine. But we'll get an ultrasound to be sure."
As the equipment is being brought into the room, excitement flutters in her chest and she realizes that all of this is real. The baby is actually real and she's about to see her child. She looks up into Emir's equally excited eyes and holds her hand out for his.
"Can you believe this?" she asks with a smile, flinching a bit when the cold get hits her stomach. "We're having a baby, Emir."
Emir looks at the screen, stunned by all he's seeing. And he's suddenly filled with terror at the evidence of another human that will be completely dependent on him coming into the world. But her excitement is contagious and he also finds himself unbelievably happy that they're about to have a baby.
"Our baby," he grins, kissing the hand he has a death grip on.
"Babies," the doctor corrects.
All breath leaves his lungs. And the terror is back.
"Excuse me?" Emir manages to squeak out.
The doctor points to two blobs on the screen, one after the other.
"Baby A and Baby B," he explains. "Congratulations. You're having twins."
He doesn't pass out. At least, he doesn't think he does. But it's a near thing.
"Emir! Emir!"
He tunes back in when he hears Reyhan continually calling his name. He focuses on her terrified eyes and manages to shake away the stupor to reassure her.
"I'm fine," he finally says. "Did you say twins, Doctor bey?"
He looks around, but the doctor is gone. When did he leave? Maybe Emir really did black out.
"Are you okay?" Reyhan asks, unsuccessful in holding back a laugh. "I thought we lost you there for a minute."
"Two babies? Are we really having two babies?"
He hears her giggles increase as she continues to laugh at him. He takes a look at her to make sure she understands what's happening. But he's taken by the look of pure joy in her eyes. It's been too long since he's seen her this free and this happy. And right then he vows to make sure she stays that way.
"Come in," she calls when there's a knock at the door.
Narin pokes her head inside to visit with her friend.
"Hey guys. I have Zeynep and Masal with me. They're dying to see you."
"Bring them in," Emir says, moving off of the bed so the girls can visit with Reyhan. "I'll be out in the hall. Is Kemal here too?"
"He's out there with Zafer," Narin nods.
"Then I'll leave you ladies to talk."
He goes out into the hall and all but collapses into one of the chairs in the waiting area.
"Emir?" his uncle asks when he seems Emir in that state.
"Twins," is all Emir can say.
Kemal is confused, but Zafer lets out a cheer and smacks him on the back. "Way to go, Champ."
He looks over to Kemal and explains what Emir couldn't.
"Reyhan is pregnant."
Understanding fills Kemal's eyes and he also joins in the congratulations. He also moves to pat Emir on the back.
"Think of it as a double blessing," Kemal laughs. "You two will be fine. Reyhan is going to be an excellent mother."
He's right, Emir realizes. She will be. He can't think of a better mother for his children. His uncle is right. They will be fine. His family will be safe and happy. Now more than ever he's determined to make that happen.
Now, more than ever, he has to make sure nothing can touch them. He knows now what he needs to do.
"Kemal amca ... we need to talk."