A deep silence lasting for minutes... As the car reached the crowded main streets of the city, Arzu shifted in her seat, speaking with an impatient tone:
"My house isn't that way. We're going to Nişantaşı."
Her voice was sharp but controlled. The driver seemed not to hear her. He was so focused on the road that it felt like only the steering wheel and asphalt mattered in his attention.
Then Ateş turned around, fixing his gaze on the driver's back. "Is the house ready?"
The driver didn't even turn his head, only replying in a clear and obedient tone.
"Yes, sir. The villa in Tarabya has been prepared."
Arzu narrowed her eyes. Her patience was about to snap. Suddenly, she leaned forward, approaching Ateş's sharp facial features, her voice turning as sharp as a poisonous dagger:
"Look here, you mountain bear! I can't stand your barbarism! I said we're going to my house!"
Ateş's eyes flashed for a moment. There was a fire within him, ready to ignite, but when he saw Mert's surprised gaze, he clenched his jaw, swallowing the anger on his face. He barely held himself back.
"Alright then... We're going to Mrs. Arzu's house," he said and turned to the driver.
The driver responded with a single word: "Yes, sir." and changed the route.
Mert was now dozing off. Arzu lowered her eyes to her son, her voice softening:
"We're almost there, my dear. Lie down for a bit, rest."
She placed him gently on her lap, stroking his hair with her fingers.
When the car stopped in front of the apartment, Mert was in a deep sleep.
As for Arzu… she froze at the sight before her.
Her pupils trembled. A sharp pain pierced her inside. The bridge of her nose ached. She swallowed, but her throat was dry.
When Ateş saw her in this state, something inside him broke.
He clenched his fists, his jaw tightened. Seeing this fragility in the eyes of the woman he loved was a maddening pain.
Arzu took a deep breath. She carefully laid Mert on the seat. Then, she opened the door and got out of the car, her eyes fixed on her home.
In front of her was the nest she had designed, imagining every inch of it for nights. With its garden, landscape, and the warm light spilling through the windows, she had crafted every detail of this house with her own hands…
But now, the only thing standing in front of her was the ghost of that house, charred by black smoke.
It was almost completely burned.
She took a few steps and entered through the concrete steps. Everything valuable had been taken. What remained had been set on fire. Even the family portraits she had hung on the wall of the children's room with her own hands were burned.
Ateş followed her inside. His hands in his pockets, he scanned the interior. His sharp gaze was keeping track of the damage.
"You didn't want to bring us here…" Arzu swallowed,
Her voice was broken, filled with pain.
"Yes, but as always, you insisted on your own decision, Goat!"
When Arzu's gaze turned to him, the anger inside her was replaced by sorrow.
"I will hold each one of them accountable. Every single one! But until then… Can't you just trust me?"
Arzu raised her head, staring into his eyes. Her gaze was like fire.
"My life is a mess. Everyone abandoned me! You... Why are you still with me?"
Ateş took a step, then another. In two steps, he stood in front of Arzu. His large frame seemed to shield her. They locked eyes.
Ateş's voice was almost a whisper, yet it carried the force of a scream:
"I didn't abandon you! You left me." he said,
This time, in his eyes, there was love, "As for the trouble... my head is in trouble with you as well!"
Arzu's breath caught. They stood there, frozen.
Ateş slowly opened his eyelids. In his eyes, there was only one emotion left: Longing.
He wrapped his arms around her waist, pressing her body against his with a hungry passion.
Arzu didn't resist. It was as if she had finally surrendered to a touch she had been waiting for all these years.
With trembling lips, she leaned towards his mouth. Ateş couldn't resist the sweet breath hitting his face and kissed her lips.
At first… silently, gently… But inside them, there was a hunger built over years. Suddenly, his lips hungrily seized her lower lip, devouring his woman with an insatiable passion.
Ateş scooped her up in one motion. Her hands wrapped around his neck, her fingers tangled in his hair.
Their breaths quickened. Only the rhythm of two hearts could be heard.
Breaths quickened. Ateş pulled his lips just a breath away, pressing his nose against Arzu's.
In the silence, only the fast rhythm of two hearts was heard.
Ateş, holding her in his arms with her chest rising and falling against him, stared into her eyes.
Then Ateş spoke, his voice dark and threatening, like an animal consumed with deep hunger:
"Now… you need to get off my lap." he said, his breath catching,
"Or I could roll you around on this ash-covered ground. After all, I'm a mountain bear, I can't control myself."
Arzu, biting her lips, responded with a suppressed laugh.
"I'm sorry… I'll change that. You're a sweet bear, at least," she said, winking.
Ateş squinted, a mischievous smile curling on his lips.
"I can't say the same. You're still a grumpy goat."
Now, both of them were laughing. The distance between them was still zero, but the walls were slowly crumbling.
These laughs were the first buds blooming amidst the ruins.
Ateş gently set Arzu down on the ground. When Arzu placed her feet on the ground, she hurriedly adjusted her skirt. A shy smile appeared on her face, her eyes wandering around as if searching for stars in a cloudy night. They quietly headed towards the exit.
As they stepped into the garden, the wind mixed with the scent of smoke carried fear to their faces. Everything was ash, everything was half-finished.
A restless murmur escaped from Arzu's lips.
"What kind of people are they... How can they do this to someone?"
Her voice was filled with both astonishment and fatigue. Her eyes were on her burning house, then on the ground, then back to the void.
Ateş clenched his jaw and muttered under his breath.
"These guys are small-time mafia, but they're worse than pests. First, they'll drain anything that's worth money, then burn what they can't take. They'll be a curse for your children, your grandchildren. But don't worry... By tomorrow morning, I'll crush them."
Arzu's eyes filled with tears. Her brows furrowed with worry, and her lips trembled.
"What about my mother's house? Are they... going there too?"
"No," Ateş said immediately. "My men arrived just in time. When they found out about your mother's condition, they got scared, thinking the police might get involved, and pulled back."
Arzu sighed in relief.
"Alright," she said. "I'll start the legal process."
Ateş winked, his voice taking on a mischievous tone:
"Hmmm... Last time, you seduced me and wrote a divorce petition on the phone while I was drunk, Ms. Lawyer. Now, I'll enjoy watching you run another business."
Arzu's pulse quickened. This man... He was both dangerous and passionate...
By the time they arrived at the house in Tarabya, the day was just beginning. Mert was still asleep, but when the car stopped, he mumbled, then slowly opened his eyes.
The house rose before them, elegant and grand. A villa with a white stone façade, large windows, and surrounded by greenery. Its garden led down to the sea. It looked like it had come straight out of a fairy tale.
"Mom! Is this... ours?" Mert asked, his eyes shining.
A bittersweet smile appeared on Arzu's lips. "Yes, sweetheart. For now, our new home."
Ateş gestured toward the villa and turned to Mert with an enticing smile.
"Let's go inside. I even had a game room prepared quickly for Mr. Mert."
"What do you mean? A fast room?!" Mert said, his eyes sparkling with excitement.
Ateş tilted his head slightly, his face showing a mischievous expression. "Well, there's a game console, a flight simulator… And we also added a driving console. What more could this young gentleman want?"
Mert's face lit up instantly, and with a joyful scream, he started running toward the house.
Arzu watched them with a sweet smile. A small dimple appeared on the corner of her lips, and warmth spread through her heart.
Ateş caught the look from the woman but said nothing. He simply watched Arzu out of the corner of his eye.
Arzu turned her gaze to Ateş. She had learned of their return just last night. But creating an environment that could win a child's heart in such a short time... Planning this, preparing it, securing it, setting it up... All of this required a sleepless night.
The value this man placed on them gnawed at her. For a woman who was always used to giving, all of this felt so foreign.
When they entered the house, they both let out a soft sigh. Everything had been thought out in detail. At the entrance, there were candles scented with roses, in the living room, the pastel tones Arzu loved... Mert's room even had a starry night lamp.
Arzu closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. This man... He had thought of everything for her.
"Thank you…" she said, her voice hoarse.
Ateş stepped closer, cupping her face in his hands and bowing his head. His breath brushed against her face as he whispered:
"I'll burn those who burned your home. I won't show mercy to those who made you shed tears! I only have one request... Accept me."