Chapter 11

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A lot of memories attack Ekim's mind at that moment. It wasn't the first time that she had been slapped by her father, but after living in Kanat's house and seeing what the family was like, she knew that she wasn't as lucky as people thought and that she had never felt the warmth of the family. Ekim tries to hold the bed to get up. Ekim looks at him and prevents herself from crying, she decided to be strong anymore.
Ekim: welcome too, baba!
Tuna: how do you do that to us? How can you drag Tolga into a trap?
Ekim: do you care about Tolga a lot? Do you care even though you know what he did to me, to your daughter? But of course, what do I say and to who anyway, right? Tuna bay, who doesn't care about anything ignores anything, even if it is the honor of his daughter, only for the sake of money and business. ( in a loud voice)
Tuna: don't raise your voice at me, it's your father. And how did you know that I knew what Tolga did?
Ekim doesn't answer, just looks at him.
Tuna: these videos! These videos are with you, right?
Ekim: yes.
Tuna: would you take it with you to that man's house? Did you show them to him when you got into a relationship, Ekim?
Ekim: I haven't shown them to him yet. I wanted to confront you first, perhaps to see even a point of regret or hope that you will change and become a better person, but that didn't happen because you turn into the worst over time, so I will give them to him as soon as possible.
Ekim says while taking her bag and turning to go, to be stopped by his words.
Tuna: do you think he will want to stay with you after making sure that your father is a criminal? Will he be able to confront people with you and harm his family's reputation? Will he be able to forgive you after knowing that you had the evidence he was looking for all this time and that you endangered his job by not giving them to him?
Ekim keeps silent thinking about her father's words, she knows he is right, and she is afraid of knowing the truth one day but she decides not to show it to her father.
Ekim: you can't deceive me with those words because I won't shut up about your dirty deeds anymore.
Tuna grabs her arm angrily enough to make her moan in pain.
Tuna: look at me, you obviously won't listen to me except in that way like in the past, once you go to that cop and tell him anything, he'll be dead, you got it? So keep in your mind that if you don't come to me with those videos tonight, I'll come and take them. And you won't stay in that house, I'll tell you when I get you an apartment then you'll move to it right away.
Ekim: you are really bad.
Tuna: I'm your father, Ekim. I won't do anything to harm you. If I wanted, I would, and if those men in the videos knew that the videos were with you would be dead already.
Ekim: I wish you had remembered that fatherhood before you got into that business.
Ekim comes out and slams the door behind her. Ekim keeps walking in the streets of Istanbul not knowing what to do. She is afraid to tell Kanat anything because of the possibility of leaving her on the one hand and fearing for his life on the other hand. But she can't risk his job because she knows it's like death for him too.
Ekim doesn't go to the police station as she doesn't want Kanat to see her like this so she goes home. Ekim doesn't find anyone in the house other than Melek and Zumurud. Melek was going to say something to her, but she notices the effect of the slap on her face.
Melek: come with me, Ekim. I want to ask you something.
Melek takes Ekim to the kitchen and puts a few strands of her hair behind her ear to make Ekim's face clear to her.
Melek: what's this, Ekim? Hazal said you were going to see your father, did he do this?
Ekim doesn't respond but she hugs Melek in a sudden move from her and starts crying. She felt such a strange feeling so she wanted to stay like this for a while. Ekim feels a little dizzy while hugging Melek but soon regains consciousness. Ekim separates from Melek and Melek wipes her tears.
Melek: it's okay, Ekim. Do you feel better now?
Ekim: yes, thank you.
Melek: no problem, darling. Go to your room and as soon as you're done changing your clothes, I'll bring something to put on your face. Ekim entered her room and went to where she put the CDs. When she was opening the drawer, she accidentally knocked down her picture and it broke. So she carefully puts it in the drawer with the CDs and locks it with the key. After Ekim finished changing her clothes, Melek knocked on the door. Melek makes Ekim sit on the bed and sits next to her and puts something like an anti-bruise on Ekim's face carefully.
Melek: would like to tell me what happened?
Ekim: it's not important. It was by mistake. Can you not tell anyone that? I mean Kanat in particular.
Melek didn't want to insist on her more, despite her suspicion that she was being subjected to violence from her father.
Melek: okay, honey. As you want. But know that I'm always here for you. You are like my daughter so never hesitate to ask me if you need help or anything else.
Ekim: thank you, your daughter's name was Defne, right?
Melek: yes, Defne. She is Kerem's twin.
Ekim: where did she go then?
Melek: I don't know, she was too young when I was divorced from her father. One day, I took her and Kerem for a little walk. We were sitting in the garden. After that, Halil and an old friend called Deren came to me to sit together. Halil and I went to buy something to eat, and Deren sat with the children. Kerem started walking before Defne, so Deren got up to hold his hand and make him walk a little... Then a car appeared out of nowhere and someone got out of it and took Defne but he couldn't take Kerem because he was in Deren’s hand... Deren screamed and people tried to catch up with them, but for sorry I couldn't find her again.
Some tears fall from Melek so Ekim holds her hand while she is crying too.
Melek: But I know that my Denfe is still alive. My heart feels this. I'm sure she will come back to me one day.
Ekim: why is life so difficult? When we say we finally found happiness, something happens that turns it upside down again.
Melek: because life is something like this, full of ups and downs. But the most important thing is that we don't give up on these difficulties and face them with strength because God always gives us ease after hardship.
Ekim looks at her and nods understandingly.
Melek: I'll go now and you rest until dinner.
Melek stood up and while she was going to open the door, Ekim called out to her
Ekim: Melek abla, I'm glad to have you.
Melek smiles at her and goes to kiss her head, then goes up to her room. Ekim remembers her date with Kanat and texts him to tell him that she isn't going.
Ekim: I came home after meeting my father. I thought to delay our date to another time.
Kanat: did something happen?
Ekim: no, I'm just a little tired. When will you come home?
Kanat: at dinner.
Ekim: ok.💕
Ekim turns off her phone and sleeps for a while until dinner time. Ekim goes to the dining room and finds Kanat sitting there, so she sits next to him. After dinner, they sit in the garden of the house and talk a little.
Kanat: what did you do with your father today?
Ekim: nothing important, he just said he misses me and like that but...
Kanat: but what?
Ekim: he told me that he would bring an apartment so I would have to move in.
Kanat: you mean you will go!
Ekim nodded.
Kanat: but you could have said no, Ekim.
Ekim: I can't Kanat he's my father after all.
Kanat remains silent and turns his head to the other side. Ekim approaches him for a hug.
Ekim: don't be sad, please! I'm upset enough. And I'm still here, I haven't gone yet so will you waste my rest time here in sadness?
Kanat looks at her and then takes her in his arms. The sound of screams from the house scares them so they enter quickly.
Kanat: what's happening?
Maid: someone attacked Seyit-Ali in Ekim's room.
Kanat and Ekim look at each other in shock, then they run into Ekim's room. They find Seyit-Ali on Ekim's bed, Melek next to him, Halil has gone after the person, Sevda, Zumurrud, and Suna standing at the door.
Ekim: what happened? Are you okay, Seyit-Ali?
Seyit-Ali: I'm so scared (with crying and fear)
Melek: it's fine, honey. We're here. now tell me what happened or what did you see.
Seyit-Ali: I came to look for Ekim Abla to show her my new drawing, and I found a masked man looking in her wardrobe, and when he saw me he pushed me and went out of the window.
she immediately understands that her father is behind this matter.
Melek: was that an attempted robbery, Kanat?
Kanat: yes, often.
Sevda: but why would the thief go to that room next to the servants? Why didn't he go upstairs?
What Sevda said made Ekim look at Kanat nervously so Kanat suspected something, but he expelled those thoughts from his mind.
Zumurut: anyway, everyone, go up to your rooms then.
Everyone goes up to their room, and Ekim and Kanat remain in the room.
Ekim: my darling, he was so scared, Kanat.
Kanat: he will be fine but now you change your clothes and come to my room you can't sleep here.
Ekim: okay. You go first I'll change my clothes and come.
Kanat: okay.
Ekim makes sure Kanat goes and calls her father.
Ekim: how could you do that? You almost caused the death of a child, have you lost your mind, baba?
Tuna: I told you if you didn't bring them today, I'd come and take them. So if you didn't bring them tomorrow I'll come again, Ekim, and this time someone may die.
Ekim: ok, I'll bring them but you will stay away from me and from this family okay? Or I'll go and report you myself. You got it, baba? 
Ekim ends the call angrily and goes to the drawer to make sure that the CDs are there, then she hides the key in its place, but she did not know that Sevda was standing at the door and she knew everything. Ekim changes her clothes and goes up to Kanat's room, and they spend time together. At the same time, Sevda is in Ekim's room, and she has found the CDs and plays them on her laptop. She is happy with what she sees, so she takes a video with her phone.
Sevda: I knew that you hide things, little bi*ch.
_next morning
Ekim wakes up in the Kanat's arms as she used to in that period. She woke up early before Kanat so she took a shower, put on her clothes, and left the house to go to her father.
Ekim: these're the videos and I don't have another copy so now take them and stay away from me and them.
Ekim looks at him and Adnan who is next to him with disgust and leaves without letting him say a word. She goes to sit on the beach for a bit. She had betrayed Kanat a while ago, and she doesn't know how to look at him after doing that
Ekim: I did it for him..to protect him and his family..that was the right thing.
She kept convincing herself of that until she decided to go home. When she went to the house and the maid opened the house for her, she found everyone gathered in the living room, some of them looking at her with blame and some of them gloating, but it was his look that made her heart break into pieces, that look that she will never be able to forget as long as she is alive she gets closer to him a little.
Ekim: Kanat!
Kanat: why, Ekim?

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