CHAPTER/30

– From the author

Everything that happened had a reason. Was there anything more natural than the existence of a sole owner behind all this order and harmony? How possible was it for people scattered in every direction to live their lives on their own? As stated in the Surah Al-Qiyamah: "Does man think he will be left neglected?"

The young girl had barely made it home. Though she wasn't that young in age, her body, worn down by everything she had experienced, was nothing but skin and bones. She couldn't remember the last time she had done something for herself. When had she stopped living for herself? Without lifting her head from the bed, she stared at the ceiling. Her life passed before her eyes like a movie reel across that vast ceiling.

Tears silently streamed down her face at the scene where she lost her loved ones. And when the scene of that hand holding hers appeared—while everything was upside down—a bitter chuckle escaped her lips.

Emre had been her hope. Emre had been her light. He was the one who saved her from Murat Demirkan, and he would never leave her side—not for a moment, even at the cost of his life.

She swallowed hard and got out of bed with determination. Hadn't she fallen in love with him after he saved her from that dark man? Hadn't she opened every door of her heart without expecting anything in return? Despite Emre never expecting anything from her, she chose to be part of his revenge plan, and she never regretted it—not even once.

But there was one thing the young girl didn't know! She was also part of Emre's treacherous plan. And Emre didn't care in the slightest about the lives of the people he used.

…

Büşra, who was sadly heading home from the airport, found herself in an increasingly complicated situation. Leaving her friend like that didn't sit well with her. Every step she took felt like torment. She thought she was being selfish for focusing on her own life when she should have been by Merve's side, offering support.

As she stumbled toward the front door, she felt the ground slipping beneath her and could no longer bear it. She collapsed onto the grass.

"Why? That girl didn't deserve any of this! How is she going to carry all this burden alone? Did You never think, 'How will this servant of Mine carry it?' Is this the fate You saw fit for her?"

She furiously yanked the grass and threw it all around. She knew it wasn't right to blame fate, but her weak faith couldn't stop her from sinning. With trembling hands, she answered her ringing phone.

"Hello?"

"Büşra! It's me, Volkan!"

Even though she had ignored many of his calls, she answered this one—perhaps because she didn't want to be alone anymore. She needed to hear the voice of someone who held a place in her heart.

"Volkan… I…" Her sobs followed one another, and she couldn't continue speaking. The person on the other end seemed to realize and frantically began asking questions.

"Büşra… What's wrong? What happened to you? Why are you crying? Where are you? Tell me, I'll come right away!"

Without thinking, she answered the last question. "I'm in front of the house!"

Volkan ended the call in fear and floored the gas pedal. He had wanted to hear from her for a long time. He had called countless times but got no answer. He wanted to redeem himself. He knew what he did was foolish, but he didn't want to lose her.

He was instantly transported back to the first moment he saw Büşra. Her red hair danced in harmony, her childish joy, and the smile on her face—all vividly returned to his memory. Every time he thought of her smile, he couldn't help but smile himself. And he didn't want to resist that smile. Remembering that he was the one who dulled that smile with his foolish actions made him feel awful.

Yet all he ever wanted was to wrap her in cotton and protect her. This redbud, who remained pure despite all the evils of the world—he dreamed of caring for her in the garden of his heart. Even he couldn't understand why he had messed it up.

He had wanted to ask for forgiveness many times—especially from himself. He had always lived according to his own desires, never knowing what tomorrow would bring. He did whatever he wanted. For him, it was always night where he ended up sleeping. Until he met Büşra.

He had cursed that night a thousand times. He wished he had never invited Büşra to that place. He wished he had never listened to Melike. His story had started with regrets, but he didn't want it to end with them. He was undergoing treatment for Büşra—though he still craved that poison, his desire for her was stronger, and he could restrain himself. He had told Melike so many times not to drink that night. Why hadn't she listened?

He snapped out of his whirlpool of regrets when he reached the house. Seeing Büşra in such a helpless state on the ground pierced his heart. Without even turning off the engine, he rushed to her and embraced her tightly.

"My redbud! What happened to you?"

Breathing in her scent again demolished all the pillars inside him. He had missed her scent so much.

"I'm… such a fool!" Her teary voice mixed with the innocent sadness on her face made her look just like a child.

"Shhh… Don't say that, my redbud! What's wrong? Please, don't cry! There has to be a way out!"

When she lifted her eyes to look into Volkan's, he longingly met the brown gaze he had missed.

"Why do you call me your redbud? I'm nothing to you!" A fake anger appeared on her face. Volkan couldn't help but wonder if she even realized how adorable she looked just then.

"Do you want me to help you up? Don't destroy yourself like this here!" He ignored her question and tried to do something to wipe the sadness from her eyes.

"I'm already destroyed! My friend is fighting for her life, and I'm here playing with the grass!"

Though Volkan didn't understand what she was referring to, all he cared about was helping Büşra.

"Come on, my redbud! Let me help you up first, then we'll find a solution for your pain!" Büşra turned to Volkan with eyes that sparkled. "Do you really think we can?"

Hadn't it always been that childlike innocence he loved most about her? The way she looked at him made it clear—there was no other choice but to fall in love with her.

He helped her up, opened the front passenger door, and helped her sit down with her legs out. Then, without bothering her, he took a water bottle from the glove compartment. These gentle gestures didn't go unnoticed by Büşra. He handed her the water.

"Wash your face and hands first. Then drink the rest—it'll help you feel better." She nodded quietly, opened her legs to avoid getting wet, washed her face and hands as told, and drank the remaining water. She already felt better.

"Thank you."

Volkan shook his head humbly. "Please… I should be thanking you for letting me help!"

Büşra was a bit surprised by Volkan's manner. She couldn't help but wonder: was he really sorry for what he'd done?

"Volkan! Your brother's a police officer, right?" The sudden question caught Volkan off guard.

"Yes, but my redbud…" His raised right eyebrow showed his confusion. He waited for her to continue.

"Would it be possible for me to talk to him?"

Without hesitation, Volkan grabbed his phone. On the second ring, his brother picked up, and he got straight to the point.

"Bro! Büşra wants to talk to you!"

Büşra had never met him before and was a bit thrown off by how casually Volkan spoke. When he handed her the phone, she looked between the phone and his face in surprise.

"Here you go, my redbud! He's available." She stopped gawking and took the phone. Instead of placing it to her ear, she turned on speakerphone.

"Hello, sir!" Not knowing how to address him, that's how she began.

"Sir? Büşra, skip the formalities and tell me how I can help you."

Clearing her throat, Büşra replied, "Um… I wasn't sure how to talk to you. Please excuse me!"

"Now you're making me mad. Consider me your big brother and drop the formalities! Has my reckless little brother still not managed to win you back?" A sigh came through the speaker, and Büşra was again surprised.

"I've told him a thousand times to listen to me, but nooo. And you—don't make him suffer too long, girl! My parents are about to kick him out of the house. We're sick of hearing his sob stories every night!"

After a loud laugh, his voice turned serious again. "So, what did you want to ask me?"

Büşra was so stunned by what she heard that she completely forgot her purpose. But after a brief inner conflict, she straightened up and remembered.

"What should you do if someone is threatening to kill you?"

Volkan was clearly disturbed by what she said.

"Are you being threatened with death?" his brother asked.

"Not me, a friend of mine."

"Did she report it to the police?"

"Of course… but nothing happened. The man walked free and started threatening again!"

Serkan cursed unintentionally, then quickly apologized.

"She needs to report it again. If necessary, we'll place her under protection and find a way to save her from that monster. But this isn't something that can be handled over the phone. If you want, come to the station after I get off duty—we can go over the details."

Büşra felt a little hopeful. When Volkan saw the relief on her face, he felt at ease too.

"If you want, I can take you to the seaside until then. It might help you relax."

Büşra looked at him questioningly. "How do you know that helps me relax?"

Before answering, he saw her settling into the car, which sparked a fresh sprout of hope in his heart. Smiling, he gently closed the door and got behind the wheel.

When they arrived by the sea, he rolled down the windows and leaned his head against the seat. Seeing that Büşra had also leaned her head and closed her eyes, he closed his eyes too and inhaled the scent of the sea.

"You didn't answer me!"

Volkan couldn't help but smile again, knowing she had gotten stuck on his last question.

"Whenever you feel down, you throw yourself to the seaside. You close your eyes and wait silently. You don't say a word or move at all. From the big smile on your face, I can tell that this is how you heal yourself."

"How can you know all this?" she asked, lifting her head. When Volkan noticed her sit up, he straightened up too.

"Reading you isn't hard at all, my crimson rose. What's inside is right on the outside. Whether you're sad or happy, your expressions always give you away."

Volkan looked at the woman he loved with shining eyes. He wished she would look at him the same way. But knowing there was a time for everything, he didn't push; he would slowly earn her forgiveness.

"Are you hungry, my crimson rose? Should I get you some simit and ayran?" Büşra realized she hadn't eaten in a while, but the closeness she'd experienced with Volkan over the past hour unsettled her.

"I'm not hungry! Let's just go already so I can talk to your brother!" Though her angry tone hurt him, he didn't insist since he knew he deserved it. He only nodded and started the car.

They got out of the car as quietly as the drive had been. Neither expected to see Melike standing in front of the station, and both were surprised.

"Hi! I was waiting for you!" They stared at her in confusion, stunned into silence. Then Büşra spoke.

"How did you know we were coming here? I don't get it!"

Melike couldn't come up with a lie, so she chose to tell the truth directly.

"I overheard your conversation with Serkan in front of the house, so I waited for you here."

Büşra was even more confused. What was this girl talking about?

"What were you doing in front of my house? Do I have to ask everything one by one? Why don't you start from the beginning and explain!"

Melike spoke without hesitation.

"When I heard Murat Demirkan had been released from prison, I rushed to see Merve! I was worried—for her and myself! There was no one at home. I knocked on your door too, but no one answered. Your phones were off. So I waited outside. I was going to come to you when I saw you, but you didn't look well. And I didn't know if you'd want to see me."

"Why would you think I wouldn't want to see you?"

"Well, I… I thought Merve had told you everything."

Melike wanted to gain Büşra's trust by explaining what had happened. And she succeeded.

"Merve never told me any of this! Poor girl has been through so much… and still is! Oh, Merve… I hope you find peace wherever you are!"

Melike couldn't help but smile slyly—just the topic she wanted. Büşra didn't notice anything, but Volkan was suspicious of her behavior.

"Merve went somewhere?"

"She and Furkan flew off to a safe place after receiving the threat message!" Volkan quickly interrupted, realizing Büşra was about to reveal everything. Something inside told him not to trust Melike. But as always, Büşra chose to trust without question and was ready to explain everything.

Büşra's innocence once again clouded Volkan's judgment. Hadn't she trusted him unconditionally too?

"My brother's shift is over, we should go talk now." He turned to Melike. "We have a lot to discuss. You can talk another time. See you."

Without letting Büşra say anything, he grabbed her hand and led her to his brother. As they knocked on the door and waited for a response, Büşra suddenly pulled her hand away.

"What do you think you're doing? Don't ever touch me again without my permission!"

"I'm sorry, my crimson rose." Büşra's anger flared as she stared him down.

"And don't call me 'crimson rose'! That's enough—let's go in, talk, and then part ways!" He swallowed all his words and said nothing. He followed her in and closed the door behind them.

Büşra told Serkan everything and listened carefully to his advice.

"Such a case being dismissed is impossible! But unfortunately, there are too many bastards in this country who know how to clear their name. If a police officer was really killed as you said, we can turn this into a public case. That way, there's no way he can avoid punishment!"

Excited by what she heard, Büşra jumped up, pacing the room, visibly thrilled.

"So we can put that man behind bars? Merve can be free?"

Volkan watched her childlike joy with affection. Seeing his sister like this made Serkan happy too. He had tried for years to guide her to the right path. He could no longer stand to see their mother cry because of the mistakes he made. Then suddenly, Büşra came into their lives. He realized the depth of Volkan's love through how much he'd tried to change. Serkan couldn't help but respect the woman who had changed his brother so deeply. After all, she had stopped their mother's tears. And no matter what, Serkan was going to stop this girl's tears too.

"You can be sure I'll do everything I can for your friend!" He hesitated but decided to speak from the heart. "Can I ask you for a small favor in return?"

Büşra hadn't expected him to want anything in return, but with the hope blooming inside her, she was ready to do anything.

"My mother is inviting you to dinner at our house tonight. Will you come?"

Büşra clearly hadn't expected such a request—her parted lips showed her surprise. She didn't know what to say. Why had his mother made this offer out of the blue? Why tonight? And what would she even do there? What role did she have as a guest in that house? All these questions clouded her mind, but she still wanted to repay their kindness somehow.

"Alright, but I have a small condition too."

Serkan hadn't even expected her to agree, and now he was curious about the condition.

"What condition?"

Without lifting her head, Büşra pointed to Volkan with her eyes.

"He won't come!"

Though Volkan was overjoyed that she would come to his house, hearing that she didn't want him there shattered something inside him. He realized—once again—that she might never forgive him. But this time, the truth hit him harder. He silently bowed his head and left the room.

Büşra nervously thought about what would happen tonight. Though Volkan's silent departure had saddened her, the weight of the pain she still carried meant she couldn't forgive him—at least not yet. When Serkan extended his hand and pointed to the door, she followed him.

Let's see what kind of dinner awaited her?