A Baby for the Billionaire

44

JULIET

"It's about Zara! I have a message from Zara for Kerem and he needs to know!"

What the heck did he just say?

Thammy and I immediately looked at each other with concern, like "what the hell is wrong with this coconut nut?"

We turn to Ian as soon as we hear him add "Please, Juliet. Thammy, you know me and you know that I would never hurt Kerem and his family. He attacked me" pointing to a purple cheekbone, split lip, and baked cut across his eyebrow "but I would never do it to him. Sometimes people just make mistakes, but there are some that I could never regret. You have to give me a chance to talk to him and he has to know what Zara is trying to convey to him."

"But how is it possible that his wife wants to do something like that if... she's dead...?" I ask with a small voice.

His voice tries to come out, but soon his lips form a fine line that forces him to keep the words stuck against his palate. "What's going on, Ian? I'd like you to speak up and say what you have to say, but it's none of my business to pry any further. I just want you to stop harming Kerem and his son, that's the hardest part. Even if the child seems to be unaware of what is happening around us, we are going to protect him tooth and nail. He deserves a safe, happy future, everything that happens to him today could be decisive for his future, my little one."

"Juls, can I talk to you for a minute?" Thammy turns to me.

I blink, surprised.

"Come on," I take her by the arm and lead her to the kitchen.

"And what do I do?!" Ian asks from the entrance.

"Close the door and have a seat!" I tell him as we disappear behind the kitchen door.

Ali is still waiting for us in the chair where I left him while I was giving him breakfast earlier. He has a mess around him with all the things he has thrown left and right. Seeing him, Thammy waves her little hands, shakes herself and tries to escape from the chair. She stands on one side of Ali and I on the other.

"Buaaaabbbbrrrmaaaaaa!" the little one shouts, full of energy.

"You have to say what is supposed to have happened between Ian and Mr. Deniz. Does it have to do with the reason why they took him prisoner? Hit him?"

She doesn't know what I know nor was she there to see what I saw.

For reasons of modesty, neither of us asked anything at the time, but Mr. Deniz did tell me everything last night.

Should I tell her something?

"I found out a few things, but it was purely by chance," I warn.

"What are you talking about?"

"I don't know how much I can tell you, Thammy."

"Then I won't know how to deal with whatever it takes to protect Ali and the family. What does he mean by Zara?"

"That he has a message from her for Mr. Deniz."

"I heard that!"

"Then?"

"How is that possible?"

"Maybe it was a message she left for him before she died," I tell her under her breath.

"Of course, because she was aware that that plane would crash."

"It has logic."

"No, she couldn't have left him a message about her death."

"So..." I mumbled, my voice low.

"And if Zara didn't die?"

"What?"

"Tell me what's going on, Juliet. If I don't think crazy things about it, I'll go crazy and I don't want to make mistakes or actions that could harm Ali. You know my motion is to protect them."

"Mmmmmmmmiiiiiiiii."

We both look at Ali suddenly.

The child heard his name from Thammy's mouth and we both turn to him suddenly. Or is it a matter of hearing the name of Zara?

"Did he just say 'mommy'?" she asks me.

"Yes," I confess.

"Mommy. Mami."

"Maybe he meant 'Thammy'?" I murmur.

"I don't know," she confesses. "My love, your mommy.... We don't know what kind of person she was or what's going on with mommy, but we're going to find out."

She hugs him.

I look at her suspiciously.

"Thammy," I murmur. "Whatever's going on, we can't let Ian or anyone else hurt Mr. Deniz any longer."

"Harm him? Look what he did to poor Ian's face."

"Believe me, there is nothing poor about him."

She raises an eyebrow, suspicious.

"Let's not allow it," I insist. "Please."

Sigh.

"Okay," she finally agrees.

And I announce "I'm going to call Mr. Deniz now. But first I'll bring Neville up to speed, he'll know what to do before something worse happens or any of us can regret it."

ZARA

Five weeks ago...

"I love you Zara."

"Me too, Kerem. And to you, precious, my little Ali. I love you with my heart. I'll be back tomorrow, I promise."

After saying goodbye to them, I pass the boarding barrier. I drag my tote bag to a nearby cafe and order a plain Americano while I wait. I check the time and then the ticket.

It's time.

I take a photo with the coffee once it is delivered to me, I sit up against the glass walls and the parade of planes behind me are the ideal background.

I open Telegram and send him my photo.

"Almost there" I tell him.

It doesn't take long for his response to arrive, "You look beautiful."

I smile as I sigh.

I then get a message from Kerem and see Ali's photo as the wallpaper. And for the first time in so long, I feel a pang of pain like aching guilt stabbing into my chest.

What's that? Does it have any meaning?