Love By Night - KaySun

The Choice

Later that day, the two run into İfakat hanım, who greets them expeditiously. "It's wonderful to see you two again. How are you?"

"We're fine, İfakat hanım," Suna says quickly, because she doesn't feel like talking to İfakat just yet. Knowing the lady, she'd probably scold Suna or come up with some crazy plan for her if she knew.

Plus, she wasn't feeling very trusting with İfakat. Actually, she hasn't felt good about her for a while. Suna still remembers the conversation she overheard, when İfakat told Orhan that if she only knew better, she would kick Kaya and Suna out of the mansion. When İfakat threatened to kill her, to throw her into the Bosphorus. Suna didn't want a repeat of all that drama, which she and Kaya had barely escaped. She didn't want to be another pawn in İfakat's chess game. The numerous what-ifs run through Suna's head, and she involuntarily winces. If Halis hadn't stepped in, and if Ifakat's newfound pawn Pelin hadn't left...if this whole Seyran and Ferit hadn't thrown the whole thing off balance, and if Suna herself hadn't told Kaya and come up with a plan for him. They would both be on the streets. Or would they? İfakat had the power, but she could never go up against Halis.

Which maybe is why Suna has a niggling feeling in her head, the importance of having a child. Like it or not, Halis was the end-all-be-all in that household, and he would not kick her out if she had borne another potential Korhan heir. It wasn't that Suna didn't trust Kaya to save her; she wanted a way out, a way to save herself, too. Because where would she turn to? And to whom? Almost bitterly she thinks that if she had only had a better family, she would not have had to resort to such thoughts, such means. At least Kaya had his mother, because as mentally unstable as she was, she was needy with her son and would always invite him back in. But Kaya would never want to live with Şehmuz, and although Suna had a crazy side of herself that welcomed the challenge of living with Nükhet, she had to admit it would still be very uncomfortable with either of them. Yes, she decided; it was better to stay and let Kaya continue working for the Korhan's family business.

"We're more than fine," Kaya says, and he takes Suna's hand in his, snapping her back into the present. "We were just about to step out. Doing some shopping before the next company event." He smiles, the fake icy smile Suna notices he always does with İfakat. They are not at war anymore. But they will always be enemies. As such, diplomacy is a must.

İfakat chuckles. "My dears, you rush too much about what needs not to be rushed, but you are slow about more pressing matters. The event for the new jewelry collection is still two months from now." She taps her chin with a perfectly manicured finger. "I'll say, why don't you two take a nice holiday? You haven't had your honeymoon yet, have you?"

Suna can obviously tell what İfakat is implying, and while still angry at the woman, is unabashedly grateful for the opportunity. "No, we haven't, İfakat hanım."

Kaya smiles. "We wanted to wait for a more suitable time."

"Nonsense," İfakat says. "What could be more suitable than now? You two are young. You married in a rush, and now you're cooped up in this mansion. It's a big, beautiful house, but I understand how stifling it and its older inhabitants can be for a young and...energetic couple such as yourselves." She pauses. "Why not go on a holiday soon? I have brought it up with Halis dede, and he absolutely insists on it. Yes, go on holiday. Even just for a night or two. Go and enjoy yourselves before the household gets busy again for the next event. You can go to Marmaris again, just the both of you. There's a long weekend coming up tomorrow, anyway."

Suna sees what İfakat is doing, and she knows Kaya does as well. Halis' orders. The old man was eager for another potential heir. Suna resigns herself to it. She wonders what the family will plot once they're gone. Maybe a lot. Maybe not much. Perhaps just a way of İfakat showing them that she was in control. And if they would beat Ferit to a legitimate heir, well, then İfakat would be killing two birds with one stone. Suna mulls the idea over to herself. A holiday wouldn't hurt, and besides, neither of the Sönmezes wanted to rock the boat again. They both had been doing a spectacular job of keeping İfakat at arm's length, but with Ferit being a loose cannon and Seyran not being the most focused on university now, Suna could see that İfakat was once again grasping for control.