Untangling the Web

Chapter 21

Emir continues to follow the car with Cemre and his mother. With each mile they travel, the feeling in his gut that this will end badly for everyone grows more and more. This is going to end very badly and he's finally accepted it. No matter what he has tried to make Reyhan believe, there is no good solution to this problem. The things his mother has already done are too unbelievable. He honestly doesn't think he would believe them if he hadn't heard her admit them with her own mouth, if he hadn't seen the video Zafer had taken with his own eyes. But something tells him she's about to launch a plan that will make all her other plans seem tame. A plan that could completely destroy his life if she gets away with it. He'll have to make sure she doesn't get away with it.

When Cemre finally stops the car, Emir pulls over and parks at a curb, watching the two women get out and cross the street into a park. They walk for a few minutes, looking around them for some reason before finally settling on a bench near the edge. They sit for still a few more minutes before they both look up at a man that approaches. He's an older man with a wild shock of white hair and a tough looking face. Right away Emir knows exactly who this is.

"Talaz," he whispers to his empty car. He remembers the man from a picture his uncle showed him when they first realized Cavidan was mixed up with the man. But just to be sure, Emir pulls out his phone and zooms in on the trio, making sure to snap a clear photo of the man. He sends the picture to Kemal and their detective for verification.

Verification comes almost immediately and the detective warns Emir not to approach the dangerous man. He asks for Emir's exact location and sends a couple of undercover cops so that they can take over the job of following Talaz. The police have been looking for him for a long time. Now that Emir has inadvertently found him, they don't want to risk losing him again.

Not entirely happy with the situation, Emir agrees to just sit and wait and not do anything to alert any of the conspirators in the park.

"Just be patient," Kemal begs him. "We'll figure out what they're doing. We'll keep Reyhan safe. I promise."

Emir ends the call, knowing he can only trust that promise so far. He'll do anything for Reyhan and their children. If Kemal and the police don't do anything about this Talaz character, then he will.

The undercover cops let him know when they arrive and tell him it'll be better if he's not seen by his mother or Cemre. So he leaves. Based on the recording Zafer made, he knows his mother plans on setting up an attempt on her own life and blaming Reyhan for it. From what he can tell, she's about to set that plan into motion. Nothing he can do now except make Reyhan and the rest of his family as safe as possible. Despite all his efforts to stop her, his mother is about to start a war. And Emir refuses to let his wife be a casualty.

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"If we're going to do this, we all have to be on the same page." Cavidan stares her companions down, trying to judge their level of loyalty. Things could get sticky and she wants to make sure she comes out of this with as little damage as possible.

"It's a simple enough plan," Talaz says with a shrug. "I hire a shooter for you. He injures you just enough to count and then manages to get caught by the police. When they question him, he gives your daughter-in-law's name as the person who hired him. We'll make sure there's a money trail leading from her to him. You just give me the time and the place and the girl is as good as arrested."

Cavidan is pleased. Talaz is a smart man with a sharp mind and no scruples. The only thing that matters to him is the money.

"That's why you are still in my life," she says to herself, shooting Cemre a side glance. The paltry "allowance" Emir gives her isn't enough to pay for a hitman. Fortunately, Cemre will do anything, and pay any amount, for a chance to be with Emir. She's going to be footing most of this bill.