Asin
We were having breakfast by the pool.
Henny looked at us, a little strange being invited all alone.
Lilly was left for Ayshe to babysit.
"Dear, can you tell me about that guy in detail?"
She nodded after her question as if she expected it.
"It started a little after your wedding..."
...
"...he never sent pictures of himself, even after I asked."
She finished answering my questions.
I sat back listening to her story.
Had my phone on the entire time on the other line with Oliver.
I saw him ending the call, he heard enough.
This guy... whoever he was. Was one of us.
He didn't leak anything that damaged us, but pictures from our actual warehouse? The crew's faces in the background...
If it landed in a smarter person's hand, it could directly lead them to us.
Oliver and the technical team will find him wherever he is... and then we see why he done what he done.
"Thank you for telling. When Marie told me about it, I couldn't hold back, I'm a huge fan."
"Oh... you can find him?"
I shook my head. "Not necessary, I just wanted to hear your story. And Marie was worried you might be scammed. I'll let my family follow up on him and let you know."
"Thanks..."
"But Henny, listen, just till then, please ignore it if he happens to write... just let me know." Marie took her hand in encouragement.
I hope this won't turn into something sinister... hate to ruin my improved and guilt-free mood.
I refused to sleep with my emotionally compromised wife. I should get a medal.
Well...
I kissed my wife and promised to be back by the afternoon, possibly earlier. Henny agreed to loan her phone to me where the messages were stored.
"Be sure to be back... I need some advice for tomorrow and information..."
"My love, who are you talking to? I already have everything ready in the safe."
"Like what?" She raised an eyebrow.
"Personal information on the starting employees, names, addresses, numbers, HR stuff, that's the blue folder... for dirt on the idiots you read the black folder."
She and Henny were ready to go.
"You seriously gathered all that!?"
"No, I didn't... you ask them like a normal person and remember you interacted with other humans before. Love you."
"ASIN..."
I was away, so I didn't hear the rest, but I assumed it ended with... I love you too.
We met at the warehouse inside Oliver's office.
Just five people.
I put the phone from Henny on the table.
"They all heard it?" I asked Oliver.
I waited for him to confirm.
Kol, Leyla, and the twins. The people I was absolutely sure couldn't be the traitors.
"Listen here... there is a mole who caused suffering to our people not a week ago, we didn't know if it's one of our own... but now we actually have a confirmed one."
Having it as a certainty hurt them as well, I could tell.
"Don't worry, brother, with this here." Metin took up the phone. "Our guys will know where, when, and whose phone the messages were sent from."
"We'll use one guy..." Oliver took over. "On the images sent, we saw one tech engineer in the background..."
I remembered.
"So we use Hobartt?" I asked.
The plan and the man for it were ready.
"When will we know?" I asked.
"By tonight, the latest, boss," answered Leyla.
"Good... Once found, Kol will bring him in with a team, try and be gentle until we know more."
I sat down on the couch, and the silence prevailed.
The mood was low.
"Hard to believe someone would do this... for that girl as well?" Kol, voiced my thoughts.
Henny Mites... why her? Is it... what the hell is this?
"We don't need to know why, just that it happened... no one is a traitor until they are."
I heard from Oliver's voice how serious he took this. It was serious...
But can we do it?
In the face of it... as their leader, shouldn't it be me?
---
Ayshe
Oliver texted me early that he will be coming with Asin later.
They spent more time together than most couples, maybe that's normal.
I found Lilly talking to Zerile. They found a mutual cord called fashion.
"I will take you this year, I'm tired how no one appreciates it." Zerile grabbed her hand.
"A-are you serious? As in, the whole week?"
She nodded and was covered by a shrieking Lilly throwing herself on her.
"Morning... did I miss something?"
"Sister Zerile promised to take me to the Paris Fashion Week next spring."
Even someone like me with no passion for it understood how big that must be for her. Going there with a Martell guaranteed royal treatment.
"That's great, Lilly. I'm happy for you. Is Marie around?" I asked.
"She is outside by the pool with Hen."
I did find them... Henny was taking pictures with a giant lens camera of Marie in various poses.
"One is off to a fashion show, the other joining her on the walkway." I shook my head.
They saw me and decided on a break. Modelling is hard, so I read.
"Ayshe... wanna pose for me?"
"Later, Henny dear... just woken up." I took a seat.
Soon, a maid came over and poured some tea and asked what I'd like for breakfast. After I gave my order, I turned to my sister.
"Have aspiring model ambitions now?" I asked Marie.
"Don't make me laugh, Henny wanted to try her new toy..."
"It's not a toy!"
"...and I agreed for a few minutes." She finished.
Her moves looked well-rehearsed, but whatever... she took her phone out and soon found what she was looking for.
"Listen to this... the opening of The Cove new underwater nightclub turned into a success after multiple reports praising the establishment as the place to be in the city... among the attendees was billionaire heir Asin Martell and wife..."
Looks like a few fake reviews, including my brother-in-law's, helped to launch something that, despite its beauty, was... unfortunately pretty soulless.
When I imagined a party, it was much more like the one Oliver took me the night we discovered their secret.
People celebrate without any sort of shame or fear, enjoying the company, not strangers with prejudice, but all of them are close friends.
"...Tchtch. People kept echoing the same thing—that Asin lied to the reporters. I don't remember seeing a single one of these people having fun there." Marie put her phone away.
I was still a little peeved about his comment about my weight but realized it was the way he was supposed to behave.
Kol was a close friend, and even his family was close with his. No matter his personal feelings, he chose to help, and now the Sanilmaz benefited.
"Asin looked happy this morning... Marie, did you do something to him?"
Henny sat back down, taking a break.
"He is always happy with me, darling... but we also professed our love for each other, so why wouldn't he be?"
I just noticed that she looked relaxed again. She's been acting strange since... that night, and it looks like they managed to solve it last night.
I also noticed she cleverly avoided Henny's insinuations.
Our time was interrupted by the head maid.
"Mrs. Martell, my lady Derya would like to see you in her office."
I saw the color leave Marie's face but managed to nod in response.
I vaguely remembered her telling me about the fear of meeting this aunt of her husband. But then so much happened and everything changed between them.
So her fears disappeared until now.
"Marie... take a deep breath and..."
"I'm okay, Ayshe." She stood up, her previous nervousness gone. "...this was long overdue, and I had nothing to hide."
Looks like hearing the famous words leaving his husband's mouth gave her all the confidence she needed.
"We'll wait for you here. Good luck."
---
Oliver
It happened to us as well.
Happens with every organization eventually, but it was our first.
We have been betrayed by one of our own.
We were driving back to the house with Asin and let the others get to work covertly.
They updated me every hour until they had something solid.
"You're quiet."
Asin was observing me.
"Just sad, brother..."
He understood my feelings better than anyone. The dreaded day we both managed to push at the back of our mind has arrived.
I saw it in his eyes, his demeanor, he was getting ready.
Ayshe's words from Mardin came to my mind: unless something happens, we soon have to take that path she warned us about.
"We do what we must," Asin spoke up.
"We have to."
In a way, I felt we were trying to reinforce our nerves, but if ever it was needed, it was for tonight.
We split at the gate, and he went and talked to Marco. He was a sort of right-hand man for Uncle Erwing.
I was informed by a guard that Ayshe was by the pool.
We agreed that whatever happens, we keep the truly awful stuff inside and never talk about it to them.
To be honest, it wasn't just for noble reasons. There was a lot of fear as well.
"Sweetheart."
She noticed me and ran into my arms.
If I could stay forever here, in peace.
"Where is Marie?" I asked, noticing her absence.
"She was called up by lady Derya. To talk," she emphasized it.
Well, that was late...
Aunt Derya was the picture of what sort of power a woman can wield in this world from the shadows.
Keeping our activities hidden from her was the main reason we had so many tech guys in the crew.
She used technology as well, and we increased her interest by avoiding her eyes—both real and mechanical.
Until Asin had a talk with her about privacy and whatnot. She defended herself, and their fight lasted for a week until they reconciled and her attempts ceased altogether.
Asin dismissed my fears at the time... that she knows everything.
But over the months and months, nothing indicated my suspicion, so I eventually pushed it out of my thoughts.
I blame the job for this paranoia.
"She will be fine... the contract no longer exists, and Asin is happy. As long as that doesn't change, she will remain in the background."
Ayshe's eyes reflect her fears, but she will understand how hard it is to navigate in-laws... Once I find the courage.
"As long as Prince Asin is happy, we'll all be fine." She mocked in a high-pitched voice.
"Is this still about his joke?"
She turned away from me as an answer.
"I warn you, he is a child at soul. Don't start some sort of petty war with your brother-in-law and my best friend?" I asked.
"Hmph..."
Women were unafraid, but she'll learn.
Marie came back beaming like the sun.
"Marie!"
Ayshe pushed me aside and ran to her.
"You look happy," She remarked.
Marie kissed her forehead and walked back arm in arm.
"How can I not be? I have a wonderful sister, a supportive loving husband, and his family who loves me as their own daughter. Happy will be my default from now on."
"God willing..." She looked at her suspiciously. "So she just told you nice things?"
"I'm going to keep the conversation to myself. As a Martell, I have a certain responsibility to keep my life private... even from you."
To add insult to injury, she started playing with my nose.
"Marie Celeste Konore, I will talk to Father..."
Oops... she lost her steam. Sorry, babe, but your father is no help here.
Before it escalates further, Asin comes with a small bag.
He ignored us and went straight to Henny and handed it to her.
She thanked him with a kiss on the cheek, and I couldn't help but watch Marie looking at it, dead-eyed.
"Asin... what was that?" She stepped forward menacingly.
"Calm down, champion. I got her a new phone since we need hers for a while."
His evil smile told us he handed it to her that way just to annoy Marie.
"Are you trying to die by my hands?" She walked towards him.
I admit she did look intimidating when losing it.
"She is as childish as her husband." Ayshe came back to my arms.
Watching them playing tag, I couldn't agree more.
Aunt Derya did surprise me.
She knew anyone with an even passing interest in her nephew in a 10-mile radius and I doubt Asin's life would be so hassle-free if not for the constant care from his aunt.
She had a hand in everything, including security, the staff, the international division at the company, and still found time to pose for business magazines.
Dealt with the bad as well...
I stopped myself from going down further before bad memories surfaced.
Aunt Derya... the kind and gentle one.
Something was off.
---
Marie
The dreaded talk was a belated welcome.
I don't understand why Asin warned me about such an elegant and good-natured woman.
She just wanted to apologize for not sitting down with me. Asked how I felt in the family and thanked me for Asin's happiness.
She was someone to aspire to, not fear.
Her nephew, though...
After our chase ended inside the garden, our fight ended in a good way... so good we were still rolling on the flowers planted underneath us.
Since my heart finally settled and my fears were gone, I was enjoying my time with him as we meant to.
For that reason only the sounds of footsteps kept our clothes on.
Asin scared the poor guard to death, jumping up from the flower bed.
Realizing our location wasn't ideal, we walked back to the others.
The problem is that soil was hard to hide or get out of hair... so we had to endure the funny looks from the staff along the way.
"I'm not being funny... it's your fault." He blamed me.
"You dare? After pushing me down, climbing on me..."
"You kissed me!" He interrupted.
Our bickering was automatic at this point but also our best quality in my mind.
"I met with your Aunt Derya."
"Need therapy?" He asked.
"No... she was lovely. Talked about some family diamond situation."
I brought up something she said that stuck in my mind.
"Is that so? I guess they wanna bless our love..."
"Stop being cryptic and tell it."
"Just a diamond necklace, one of two... the other is with sister Zerile. Symbolic."
For some reason, I felt like puffing my chest out but didn't act on it.
So it's some tradition in the family. Diamonds for their daughters-in-law.
I decided to push it out of my mind and ask my girlfriends later.
"Still nervous about tomorrow?" He asked.
"Yes... but it's the good kind. Also, I'm afraid..."
"No need... you understand soon there isn't anything to fear. Those people are all competent and top of their fields. You're also a Martell, babe... they won't bite the hand that feeds them."
His words did give me some unearned confidence. To be honest, he had done everything and then some to make my start as smooth as possible.
"What do you think my first act should be?"
"Get an assistant... get two." He nodded.
"I have one..." I realized he was passing out when I told him. "...right... you don't know. It's Ayshe."
"Miss future doctor? An assistant?"
His surprise was valid.
"She misses a year... mostly for me and Oliver, I think."
"Alright then... okay. But still get a proper assistant. It's hard work. Leyla is special and has been recruited by Oli himself. Even she had growing pains."
I might need to take his advice, but we'll see how my sister handles it.
Ayshe and Oliver were on the same sunbed, enjoying each other. Henny went and probably joined Lilly wherever she was.
"You guys look... terrible," Ayshe smiled.
We both decided to show her our feelings instead of saying it. She was offended.
Oliver covered her head, protecting her as we made ourselves comfortable.
"Why don't you two shower?" asked Oliver.
"Soon, brother... this idiotic house is too damn big... takes longer to get to the shower than the actual shower." He complained.
Asin, my love, it's called champagne problems.
But looking at the house and thinking about the journey, I did agree with him.
"How do you guys wanna spend your last night as unemployed?" Asin asked.
"Staying here feels fine. Maybe we just relax and watch a movie," Ayshe suggested.
Asin and Oliver shared a look.
"What?" I asked them.
"We might find the guy messaging Henny. Probably tonight," Oliver told us.
"Oh... does it happen that fast?" I asked.
Asin snapped his fingers to demonstrate it.
I thought they would need more time... a week, maybe. The speed they worked showed how proficient their organization was.
"What are you guys talking about?"
Right... Ayshe had no idea.
I stood my husband staring.
"...I forgot to talk to her, okay? I was preoccupied."
"With?" asked Asin.
Ayshe was more than willing to tell about the pictures Henny took.
...she was probably adopted. My parents were just too afraid to tell me.