Chapter 18
Almost eight months later...
So much time had passed since Ayaz rejected me while I was pregnant and I was taken far away from my family—from everyone—without even getting the chance to confront my cousin, Elif. Her betrayal still ate away at me.
My belly had grown, a testament to the life I was carrying—a child destined to be born into a whirlwind of secrets and betrayals. I could give birth at any moment, since I'd already been over a month along when I first discovered I was pregnant.
My father had kept his plan hidden from me, insisting that my only option was to give the baby up for adoption—claiming it was the only way to protect our honor and our name.
But as my belly expanded, so did my determination.
I couldn't bear the thought of my child being taken from me.
My hope was that once baba saw him in my arms, he would take pity on me and fall in love with his grandson, abandoning the cruelty he intended.
During this time, one of the women helping with my pregnancy stood out.
Her name was Leyla, and from the beginning, I felt a connection with her—she had also faced challenges in life, even if different from mine.
She became my confidante, and our conversations gave me strength.
If she hadn't warned me about some of the meals being served to me and, sometimes, secretly switched my plate in the kitchen without anyone noticing, I might already be dead from poisoning or have lost my baby.
She was the one who revealed the truth about what my family was planning.
I was sitting on my bed with my hands on my belly, trying to process everything that lay ahead, when Leyla told me she had accidentally overheard a conversation between my father and the doctor who would deliver my baby.
He'd said he was willing to take my child's life so that his existence would never come to light.
She took pity on my situation and decided she couldn't leave me alone in this battle, so she told me everything.
I couldn't believe that the person who gave me life, the person I once loved so much, could be so cruel.
It was one of the worst things I had ever heard.
After all this time hidden on my father's secret island, far from everything and everyone, I discovered they had terrible plans for my child who was about to be born.
I was desperate, not knowing what to do, when I saw a light at the end of the tunnel: I could ask Leyla to invent some pretext related to her health and go speak with Ayaz on my behalf, asking for help to save our child's life.
I understood it was dangerous, but it was the only option I had. I trusted her and knew she would do everything she could to help protect my child. His father might not believe her, or he might be furious if he found out what my family was planning—but it was a risk I was willing to take.
“Leyla, I don't know what to do, and I won't be able to do anything alone,” I confided, tears in my eyes.
“When I came here, my baba said he was going to take my child from me and give him up for adoption.
I was already planning to stop that, but now that I know he intends to kill him, I can't let that happen.”
“Calm down, Eda. Be strong. What happened? What's troubling you so much?” She held my hand firmly, her eyes full of compassion. “I want to help you again, but how can we stop this from happening?”
“Leyla, please, I need your help. I'm about to ask you for a bold and dangerous favor.
It's a matter of life or death.” I knew she would understand my pain and my struggle.
“I need you to make up an excuse to leave the island, go to Ayaz Yavuz, speak on my behalf, explain the truth, tell him where I am, and ask him to help save our child's life. He's the only person who can help me.”
She hesitated for a moment, contemplating the challenge before her.
“Eda, I'll do this for you. You can count on me. I'll go to Ayaz and tell him everything you need him to know. I'm ready to face any challenge to protect this baby. He deserves a chance to grow up with his mother, in a safe and loving environment.”
“I don't know if that will be possible, Leyla. Ayaz was deeply hurt when I came here, but if he just saves my child's life, that would be enough for me. Thank you anyway.” Gratitude overwhelmed me. “You're my only hope.” I squeezed her hand. “Be very careful, okay?”
Our determination was sealed. I knew I could no longer let my family and their secrets destroy the life that was about to be born. With Leyla by my side, we would face this challenge together, hoping for a future where I could live in peace with my baby.
She left with determination, and I prayed that Ayaz would understand the urgency of the situation and join us in the fight to protect our child's future. It was a race against time, and the fate of our heir depended on what we did next.