Two Years Earlier...
"Crap.." Mercedes blew out.
Large droplets of water fell from the sky as it beat down on her car. The clouds soon darkened, obstructing the sun's rays from reaching the horizon. The squeaky sound of her windshield wipers echoed horribly in her ears as condensation gradually coated her windscreen. She lowered her headlights and narrowed her eyes, attempting to see through her fogged windshield.
She quickly looked away from the road as she struggled to switch on the air conditioner.
When she raised her eyes. She screamed, slamming on her brakes and collided with the vehicle in front of her.
"No..no, no, no, no, ..." She chanted as she quickly stepped out of her car to assess the damage she caused.
"Bok!" (Shit) Sedar cursed as the SUV jerked forward.
He shifted in his seat, enthralled by the idiot who had hit into the back of the car he was in. His driver exited the vehicle and stood in the pouring rain, conversing with the young woman who had caused the crash. Her long black hair soaked up the rain, making her look like a drowned rat, and he could hardly see her face.
He looked at his wrist that exhibited a gold watch and sighed.
Closing his eyes, he pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath in. He couldn't afford to miss his flight back home to Istanbul, Turkey. He had no intentions of coming here in the first place. His büyük baba, (grandfather) on the other hand, demanded he flies out and oversees the progress of the new Hotel they were helping to design.
Ozturk Legacy Construction LTD was expanding their business across the globe.
They teamed up with the Manson Brothers to get the ball rolling in New Zealand. It was their foreman that was letting the team down. If things don't progress by the time he returns in two months. He will fire everyone on site and handpick his team personally.
He stepped out of the SUV and opened his umbrella, walking to the back of the car to look at the damage.
"I'm sorry. I only took my eyes off the road for a split second." She confessed.
"A SPLIT second too long by the looks of it." Sedar grounded out as he turned to face her.
Through the rain, Cedes looked up at him scowling, vigorously blinking her eyes.
She was drenched, and she was furious at the man who stood in front of her, staring down from the tip of his nose at her.
"You don't have to be an ass about it." She sneered.
She looked him up and down as he stood there in his overpriced suit judging her. He obviously lacked in the manners department as he continued to stand there under his umbrella without offering her some sanctuary from the rain.
Chivalry's a rare trait to come across these days... Her inner goddess tittered.
Mercedes watched his lips form into a smirk that was masked behind his umbrella.
"Being an ass is one of my best features. You don't get anywhere in life being nice, prenses." He said charmingly.
"I find it very hard to believe that you get anywhere by being an ass at all, prenses." She retorted with annoyance.
Sedar threw his head back and laughed at the beauty in front of him. He laughed a little harder when she called him a prenses.
He wasn't even close to being anyone's princess. He could tell she didn't know what the word meant, and he had a feeling if she did...
She would still use it against him.
"You'll be amazed how being an ass will get you places in life. Maybe you should try it sometime." Amusement heavily coated his words.
"Not all of us have the luxury to look down at people and get away with it." Her voice held a seldom note of irritation that was heavily laced with disgust.
She couldn't bear to believe this was his usual way of communicating. Especially when he's in the presence of a woman.
"Is that what you think I'm doing? Looking down at you prenses" His voice turned husky.
"I don't care if you looked down, up, sideways or backwards. We're strangers who'll never cross paths again." She sighed.
They stood there in silence. Staring at one another in the middle of the street with the warm rain showering down on them. Their eyes slowly drinking each other in, taking notice of every curve and flaw their body displayed.
Sedars breathing became short and fierce with the possession of lust. The corner of his mouth twitched as his fingers trembled when he couldn't take his eyes off her deep red lips.
He was captivated by their fullness and played with the thought of kissing her. He soon found himself reaching out to wipe her hair out of her face. She glanced back at him, stepping out of his proximity, screaming as she lost her footing and stumbled back towards the ongoing traffic.
He cursed, dropping his umbrella, he rushed forward and pulled her body flush up against his. As a freight truck flew past them. She trembled in his embrace, clinging to the jacket of his suit for dear life and panting.
He looked down at her as she gazed up into his sky blue eyes, then took a step back to ensure she was standing on solid ground.
"Th..thank you." She said, looking away, suddenly embarrassed.
In a heartbeat, she morphed into a damsel in distress, and in a matter of seconds, he evolved from the Grinch to her Knight in Shining Armour, and she was enchanted by him.
He looked towards the sky letting the rain caress his face, bending down he picked up his umbrella and placed it in her hands, offering her some shelter.
She looked back up at him, with a smile on her face,
"Oh, no... I couldn't. She attempted to pass it back to him.
"Lütfen,(please) you'll catch a cold and I don't want that on my conscious."
Having a change of heart he took pity on her and nodded to his driver, telling him to get back behind the wheel
"Damages will be paid for by me. Request that it be billed to Auckland Chaperone Services." He strode back to the SUV, turning on his heel.
"Wait...." She watched as he came to a halt, but did not turn to face her.
"What's your name?" She called out, intrigued to know the man who saved her life.
He considered telling her who he was but decided against it, preferring to leave an imprint of himself in her mind.
She remained standing there, watching as he walked away, his body disappearing between the raindrops.
While she did not have a name or a face to remember her saviour by, she noted. That there will always be a special place in her heart for the mysterious man.
Present Day... Forty-Seven Hours After Their Conversation.... "How much Ezekiel?" Cedes sat on the sofa watching him pace up and down in the living room. Leaning forward, she rested her elbows on her knees as she bounced them up and down. She came across a foreclosure letter this morning that she found hidden inside his favourite book on the coffee table. She confronted him an hour ago over breakfast and wouldn't take the poor excuse he gave her as a proper explanation. "Three hundred thousand." He stopped and looked at her. "How, how did you get so behind in the payments?" She asked him, shocked. Ezekiel Williams is the detective that handled her parents' case. 'A crime of passion' that put her in foster care for eight years. He was her guardian angel who came to her rescue when she found herself in deep trouble. He took her in, put her through school, and gave her a third chance at life. She owed him her life and loved him like an older brother. She had planned on confidi
They sat in the living room, each staring at the other. Cedes looked at her husband with daggers in her eyes, and Sedar scowled at Ezekiel as Ezekiel waited for one of them to at least give him an answer. The atmosphere was sickeningly tense. "Well?" Ezekiel was the first to break the silence that drifted between them. He felt torn as he gazed at Cedes, his hand brushing across his face. "You are married?" He said through gritted teeth, shaking his head with disappointment. She shot Sedar a nasty look when she saw that he was staring at her, and then she flipped him the bird and began watching Ezekiel again. "I was going to tell you about it. And then I discovered the letter. It just didn't seem as though it was all that important anymore." She spoke with shame-coating her words "Doesn't explain. Why you're suddenly married, kid." "I.. I LOVE HIM!!...." She spluttered out, her gaze fixed on Sedar.
Thirty-Eight Hours Later.... Sedar gawked at his wife, who was seated across from him at the dinner table. He had given her thirty hours to organise her affairs and return to him. He compelled the need to pinch himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming. After that little stunt he pulled by kissing her on the lips, he thought for sure that she wouldn't show up. He still questions himself about what brought the urge on for him to do it. 'I had to seal our deal with a kiss by claiming those deep red lips of hers.' He thought to himself... 'Evet, (yes) and in exchange, she slapped you, leaving her handprint on your face for hours on end, reminding you to maintain your distance.' He was mocked by his inner god. Either way, she's here and they had a lot to talk about before they fly back to his homeland first thing in the morning. "Our flight is scheduled for Eight o'clock in the morning." He started.
"Open the door, Askim!" (My love!) He barged into the room, discovering she had locked herself in the ensuite. He struck it with his hand. "Piss off!" She addressed him. "Do you have any idea how much the shirt you just ruined cost me?" He grounded out and banged on the door once more. "Do you honestly believe I give a shite about the price of your shirt?" She scoffed incredulously. "It cost me $1300." He lectured her directly. She laughed, which conjured a deep growl from him. "It's not my fault that you have more money than brains! Who would spend $1300 on a white shirt? Was it soaked in a diamond-encrusted tub!" She laughed hysterically, which greatly irritated him further. "By the way, since I don't intend on leaving here until you do, you might as well piss off!" "You are a pain in my, eşek (ass) you know that?! You had better be worth every cent I've spent on you." He yelled out, slamming his hand against the door o
Sedar cast a sidelong glance at his wife as they stood at the top of the staircase, facing the influx of paparazzi forming in front of them, armed with cameras and microphones, eager to obtain the full story of his secret love affair, which resulted in him eloping in a foreign country without family present. She bit her lip as she stared out into the open, looking like a scared kitten. He watched as her chest rose and fell, and he took her hand in his. Bringing it up to his mouth, he brushed his lips along her knuckles. She gasped with wide eyes, fighting the urge to pull away from him. "It's showtime, Askim." (My love) He whispered, his words masked by the kiss he gently placed on her feverish skin. She nodded her head, transforming herself from a fearful kitten to a woman who exudes confidence and appears to be exactly where she belongs, by his side, as his wife. They began descending the staircase slowly, creating the illusion of a happ
They drove up a long driveway that led to a large house with many windows. When Sedar put the car in park, he exited the vehicle and she watched him walk to her side and open the door for her. She felt nervous as she exited the car. Biting her bottom lip, her eyes took in the size of the house. "How many rooms?" She asked. "Eight." He replied like he'd answered that question many times before. He placed his hand on the small of her back. "You ready?" "No," She said honestly. "But.. let's get this over with." She laughed after taking a few deep breaths. As they entered the living room, his büyük baba was sitting on a lavish sofa reading the newspaper. Sedar noticed she wasn't by his side after taking a few steps into the living area. She hesitated nervously at the entryway as he turned to face her. At that moment, he rushed back towards her and seized her hand in his, leading her to his büyük
They drove up a long driveway that led to a large house with many windows. When Sedar put the car in park, he exited the vehicle and she watched him walk to her side and open the door for her. She felt nervous as she exited the car. Biting her bottom lip, her eyes took in the size of the house. "How many rooms?" She asked. "Eight." He replied like he'd answered that question many times before. He placed his hand on the small of her back. "You ready?" "No," She said honestly. "But.. let's get this over with." She laughed after taking a few deep breaths. As they entered the living room, his büyük baba was sitting on a lavish sofa reading the newspaper. Sedar noticed she wasn't by his side after taking a few steps into the living area. She hesitated nervously at the entryway as he turned to face her. At that moment, he rushed back towards her and seized her hand in his, leading her to his büyük
Three hours later... Mercedes had been waiting patiently in the room for Sedars return. She had spoken to Ezekiel on the phone, cutting it short due to the nine-hour time difference, unpacked her bags and read a few pages of the book she had brought with her. She was beginning to go insane from the lack of stimulation and couldn't take it any longer. She left the room, searching for her husband as she browsed the walls that were decorated with magnificent paintings along the way. She descended the stairs and caught sight of the housekeeper that had kindly shown her to her room and carefully approached. "Afet?" She hastily said, hoping she pronounced her name correctly. She stopped dusting the large empty vases that sat in the entry foyer. "I'm sorry, but do you speak English?" She wishfully asked. Afet looked around the room and nodded. "Evet,(yes) I speak little English." She s