EVREN
It was a sunny day, with just the right amount of cold wind at our sea-facing villa. I had slipped into a navy blue suit. I wasn't particularly fond of suits, but facing my mother's wrath wasn't an option. She was already annoyed with me and Derin for changing the venue at the last minute and was suspicious about the entire situation.
"I'm loving this venue more than the previous one," Alara said as we stood in the lush lawn.
"Hello, people! Everything good?" Derin chimed in, wrapping his arms around our shoulders.
"I'm so fucking excited to meet Fria!" Alara exclaimed.
"Yeah, but please don't bore her with your stories," Derin teased, grinning at Alara.
She shot him a death stare. "What do you mean by my stories?"
"Um, you know, your heartbreak tales—the ones you yapped about for a whole day after your breakup." He maintained his amusement.
Alara's mouth dropped open as she turned to me, disbelief etched on her face. I raised my hands in surrender. "Remember when we took a day off work just to listen to your heartbreak saga?" Derin added, laughing.
"Oh god! You two are fucking unbelievable," she huffed, her face contorting into a displeased pout.
"Alara, do you mind if I take Evren with me?" Derin asked, turning his attention back to her. She shook her head in agreement, and we made our way toward the pool area.
He pulled out a cigarette and lit it, the smoke curling into the air. "I got some details checked on the latest deal, and..."
"And? What?" I pressed.
"The information was leaked by someone on the inside—someone who knew every minuscule detail about the deal, the location, timing, everything. This isn't just a random attack or theft like we've dealt with before, it's a well-planned operation."
I rubbed my temple, groaning in frustration. "Fuck." Anger simmered within me. I trust my people—the ones who were determined and diligent in their work. Yet, the world is filled with backstabbers and treacherous individuals.
Right now, we should be focusing on intel, trying to identify the traitor among us. Instead, we were stuck in our villa, waiting for the Bardakci family to arrive and kick off the engagement ceremony.
"Did we gather any other information from those we captured?" I asked.
"We're working on it. Those assholes won't open their mouths," he replied. "But Zaik told me they've got family details that we can use to compel them to confess."
"Do you think the Bianchi Group is behind the theft of our shipment?" I asked, trying to piece together the connections.
He shook his head in disapproval. "No, I don't think so. He wouldn't stoop so low as to steal someone's shipment."
I placed a hand on his shoulder. "That's your problem, Derin. You always see the best in people, even when it doesn't exist. Optimism is great in life, but it has no place in our world." It was the truth. To survive, you had to be aware of every possible outcome.
You needed to view the world through black-and-white lens, not through some fucking rainbow lens.
Uninterested in my words, he took another puff from his cigarette. "I'll let you know if I get any updates from Zaik. In the meantime, please tell Emir to contact the Spanish clients while we're here. I have to take this call, it's important." With that, he walked into the villa to make his call.
He always brushed off my concerns about his optimism and how it could jeopardize us all.
____
After half an hour, three G-Wagons and a limousine rolled into our villa. A bodyguard stepped out of the first car and opened the door of the limousine. A large man with a mustache emerged—Adem Bardakci. We had met a couple of times at the annual Mafia ball, exchanging only polite greetings. He extended his hand to his wife, and then a girl in a black dress descended from the car.
Moments later, Fria stepped out of the limo. The moment she did, I felt my heart skip a beat, the sun's rays perfectly illuminating her skin.
Her presence pushed aside all thoughts of the stolen shipment and the traitor.
She is heavenly gorgeous!
I couldn't tear my gaze away from her silver-grey eyes, caramel brown hair softly curled, red-tinted cheeks, and pink plum lips. She wore a baby pink dress that complemented her curves perfectly.
Fria first glanced at her father, then at us, slowly making her way toward us. Her eyes were so fucking captivating. She didn't make eye contact with me as Derin stood beside me, perhaps confused about who I was.
Her confusion disappeared when her father called my name, and she turned to me. A soft smile spread across her face, and I instinctively smiled back.
Alara and Baris exchanged glances and grins, clearly amused by my reaction.
Alara rushed toward Fria, exclaiming, "Oh my god, Fria! You are so, so gorgeous!"
Fria smiled. "Thank you." Oh my god, her voice was pure bliss.
"I'm so sorry, but I don't know your name," she said, looking a bit shy.
"Don't be sorry! I'm Alara," she replied enthusiastically.
"It's so nice to meet you, Alara," Fria said, her eyes sparkling.
Alara took Fria's wrist and brought her toward us. "This is Baris, the youngest among us." Baris waved two fingers in greeting.
"And this is Derin, our elder brother." She paused, examining Fria's reaction. "And..." she continued, "he is to be your wedded husband, Evren." Fria shyly smiled.
"Hi," she said sweetly, a hint of shyness in her tone.
Before I could say anything, Alara interrupted, "Fria, he was dying to meet you! He couldn't even sleep last night, so desperate."
"So true," Derin added, turning to me and placing a hand on my shoulder. "You were awake when I called."
They all laughed, and I struggled to find my voice.
"Can't we just go inside? It's a bit sunny out here," Fria suggested.
"Yeah, let's go." I placed my hand gently behind her waist and guided her into the villa.
All my fantasies burst forth the moment I drew closer to her.
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