As Arzu arranged the dishes in the kitchen, Mert and Leylia had already settled onto the couch, happily picking a movie.
But Jack, sitting on the edge of the sofa, had his eyes locked on Arzu with a disturbingly determined stare.
Arzu turned her back, sighed quietly, and began taking out the glasses.
While the kids were busy with the screen, Jack seized the moment and silently walked into the kitchen.
The weight of his breath behind her made Arzu flinch.
"Did you need something?" she asked, her tone distant.
Jack grinned. "No, I just wanted to help," he said.
Arzu offered a forced smile. "That won't be necessary, I'm done anyway. Let's head to the table," she replied.
As she passed him, Jack suddenly reached for her hand.
Startled, Arzu recoiled from the unexpected touch.
Jack, unfazed, leaned in with a flirtatious tone.
"Arzu… Why do you make life so hard for yourself? I could help you with everything."
Danger alarms blared in Arzu's mind.
This man was crossing a serious line now.
Across the street, pacing nervously, Peter had just received his orders.
"Do whatever it takes to get that guy out of the house. Otherwise, you're not just losing your job—you're pissing off the boss. And you know what that means."
Peter muttered to himself, "God... these guys are really dangerous. I can't afford to screw this up."
He glanced toward the window, then pulled a camera from his bag.
Zooming in, he snapped a few shots.
"He's... he's touching her now! That's it. This is my last job. I'm going to die. I'm definitely going to die," he whispered in panic.
Just then, his phone rang. It was Cem.
Peter answered in a panic. "Sir? Hello... how are you?"
Cem's voice came sharp with anger:
"Peter, cut the crap! I'm trying to restrain an angry bull over here. If he heads over, he'll destroy everything in his path. You get that, right? What's the situation?"
Peter swallowed. "Well, sir… I thought I'd make my move now. I'm close."
Cem hissed through his teeth:
"Ten minutes.
That man better be out of that house in ten minutes. If he's still there when I call back, start digging your own grave."
Peter's voice trembled. "Yes sir, I'm on it…"
But in truth, he had no plan at all.
He hurled his soda can to the ground in frustration.
Noticing the judgmental stares around him, he picked it up and offered a sheepish smile. "Sorry," he mumbled.
Then his eyes landed on a car.
"That's it… That's the car he arrived in!"
With renewed energy, he sat on the curb, pulled out his laptop, and started running a license plate search.
Jack... Jack Whitmore.
His fingers flew over the keys.
"Dentist… Nice. He has a clinic. Where's the address...?"
Scrolling through irrelevant information, he groaned, "Ugh, not his mom's address, I need the office one!"
Just when he was about to give up, a sly grin crept across his face.
He plugged in his phone, disguised the number using spyware, and made the call.
"911, what's your emergency?"
Peter, voice trembling:
"Hi. There's a major drug trafficking operation happening at a red-brick three-story building on the corner of East 74th Street and Lexington Avenue in Manhattan. I think it's number 128B."
He paused, then added,
"They have about 50 kilos. They're about to leave—please, you have to hurry!"
The dispatcher began asking questions, but Peter had already hung up.
His hands were shaking with adrenaline.
"God… I'm either going to die or get deported," he muttered.
A few minutes later, everyone was seated at the table.
Just before the meal began, a phone rang in the house.
Jack answered.
"Hey Mom… how are you?"
His face instantly drained of color. "What? What do you mean a drug raid?"
"Mom, calm down. I'm coming right now!"
Arzu raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"Is your mom alright? What's going on?"
Jack ran his hands through his hair, pale as a ghost.
"I don't know… The police raided the house. They smashed the windows. It was a fifty-man squad!"
Arzu's eyes widened. "What? Why?"
"They think my mom runs a drug cartel!" Jack stammered, clearly in shock.
Arzu had to stifle a laugh but kept a straight face.
As a lawyer, she knew they couldn't hold his mother without evidence.
But honestly, she was tired of Jack—and had no intention of saying so.
"Take it easy. Go ahead and head to the station. If you need anything, call me."
Jack's eyes flicked toward Leylia.
Arzu stepped in quickly.
"Don't worry, I'll drop her off after dinner. Her mom lives just down the street, right?"
"Yes... Thank you so much," he said, grabbing his coat and rushing out.
Outside, Peter was chewing his nails.
"He's not leaving. This is it. I'm dead. Why did I ever take this job? The money isn't worth dying over!"
Just then, he heard the engine start.
"Yes! That's Jack!"
He threw a fist in the air, doing a little victory dance. "I did it!"
He quickly turned the camera back toward the window, snapping a shot of Arzu and the kids at the table and sending it to Ateş's computer.
Although the police couldn't trace his IP address, he quickly left the street in case they tracked him through data location.
Minutes later, Ateş's computer chimed with an email notification.
He didn't even care about the blood on his hand from the whiskey glass he had shattered in anger. Gritting his teeth, he watched the outside world, tense—until the sound made him flinch.
He hurried to the desk and clicked on the email.
His eyes locked onto the photo.
Arzu and the kids were alone… And that woman.
That woman, smiling with that warm, radiant smile.
For a moment, his whole body gave in, the weight on his shoulders seemed to collapse. He sank into the chair. Closed his eyes.
But even with his eyes shut, Arzu's smile echoed in his mind.
His lips parted.
The words fell like a curse:
"Don't look at anyone… Don't love anyone, woman. Don't kill me…"
And it was as if those words had burst from his soul and pierced Arzu's skin, thousands of kilometers away.
A shiver ran through her.
Ateş. She thought of him suddenly and without reason.
Since she had left Turkey, she'd found herself missing him now and then.
She couldn't understand how she still couldn't forget a man she had only known for a few days.
But fate was quietly spinning its web around them.
Just then, Arzu's phone rang.
The name flashing on the screen: Fatih
(For those who forgot: Arzu's partner at the law firm.)
They hadn't been as close as they were two years ago, but they still talked for business. Still, she answered with a hesitant voice.
— "Yes, Fatih?"
— "Ah Arzu… I'm sorry, but it's urgent."
Arzu frowned.
— "What is it?"
— "Kerem is back…"
Arzu rolled her eyes. Her useless ex-husband's return meant nothing to her.
— "I see… Did you call just to gossip, Fatih?"
Fatih's voice grew serious.
— "No. It's more complicated. He burned through all the money he scammed, came back flat broke. Gave your mother's name to the loan sharks, said 'she'll pay my debt.' They stabbed Kerem. But… your mother…"
Arzu's breath caught.
She shot to her feet.
She didn't want to believe what she was hearing. But what clenched her heart was the thought that something might've happened to her mother.
A lump rose in her throat. She placed a hand on her neck and walked away from Mert so he wouldn't notice.
— "What happened to my mother, Fatih?! Just say it! Are you trying to drive me insane?!"
— "Well… the loan sharks came to her house. She had a heart attack from the fear. She's in intensive care now…"
Arzu gripped the balcony railing to keep from collapsing.
— "Fatih… Please don't leave her alone. I'll be there as soon as I can."
— "Okay, I'm here. Take care…"
Arzu's eyes now burned with a rage that had long been buried.
This bastard had abandoned his son and her, squandered all his fortune. Still, Arzu had chosen to be happy with what she had.
But he always managed to ruin even the last things she held dear.
There was no turning back now. Because… these demons saw retreat as weakness.
Her fury was fresh, blazing again.
But right now, her only priority was her mother.
She swiped open her phone screen. Swallowed hard.
She knew this couldn't be solved with law.
She needed someone… dark. Someone who knew dirty business.
And in that moment…
She messaged the only man known in her world as "the bad guy" whom she could turn to.
It was like throwing herself before a hunter. She knew it.
But he was her only refuge…
"Hi. I need your help. Will you help me?"
She hit send.
Location sharing was on.
And the message was sent to Yaman Korutürk…
Also known as Ateş Yamanoğlu.