Chapter 26
I woke up that morning gripped by apprehension.
The suffocating heat made me sweat, and my heart pounded erratically in my chest. It was a restlessness I’d never experienced before.
My eyes went wide and I jumped out of bed, heading straight to my bedroom, where Eda and Can had been sleeping since they arrived at the mansion—I’d been staying in one of the guest rooms. I froze when I didn’t find them there.
All I saw were cold, wrinkled, empty sheets.
My heart raced and panic seized me. Where were they?
I called out Eda’s name, but there was no response.
The room was silent except for the distant hum of the air conditioner in the guest room where I’d been sleeping.
I started searching the house, looking for them everywhere.
I grew more and more nervous, shouting their names as I ran through the mansion.
My calls echoed through the empty corridors, but no one answered.
My heart beat faster with each step, and I was nearly hysterical.
I called for the servants and security guards, mobilizing them to help search.
But everyone said they hadn’t seen them.
My heart sank when I realized they had disappeared.
It was racing, and desperation began to overwhelm me.
At that moment, all I could think was that they might be in danger.
I gathered everyone in the living room and started grilling them.
“Where are Eda and Can?” I asked, frantic. “I haven’t found them anywhere in the house.”
“I don’t know, sir,” Nesrin, our housekeeper, answered right away. “I haven’t seen them since breakfast. I have no idea where they could have gone.”
“Me neither, sir,” Sanaz, one of the housemaids, added. “If you’d like, I can help look for them.”
“And the security guards?” I pressed. “Did you see anything?”
They exchanged nervous glances, including their chief, Farid.
“No, Mr. Ayaz.” Farid was brief, frowning with concern. “But we didn’t see them leave the house either. We have no record of anyone leaving the property this morning. Our security cameras showed nothing unusual.”
“We’ll search everywhere we can, sir,” Aslan concluded. “As soon as we find them, we’ll let you know.”
“How is this possible? They just vanished?” I roared in desperation. “I’ve searched every corner of this house.”
Other residents of the mansion—uncles, aunts, and cousins who lived under the same roof as us, since we were criminals and staying close together made it easier to keep each other safe—expressed their concern, each one denying they’d seen Eda or Can that day.
Panic swelled inside me, and I knew I couldn’t waste any more time.
“I heard a strange noise coming from the guest room, Ayaz,” Murat alerted me. He’d been living in the mansion with me since I took my father’s place and made him my right-hand man. “You told me yourself that Eda felt bad about displacing you. Maybe they moved there.”
“I’ll check right now.”
I ran to the guest room, followed by Murat, relatives, house staff, and security, and opened the door, hopeful, and... Nothing.
“Listen up, everyone—we’re going to search every corner of this enormous property,” I declared with determination. “Split into groups, check every room, every garden, every hall. We can’t leave anything to chance.”
People began to disperse, some running through the rooms inside, others heading toward the exits in search of clues. My mind was in turmoil, but I had to find Eda and Can. And as the house filled with people searching for answers, fear and uncertainty continued to churn in my chest.
I couldn’t imagine what could have happened to them. I wondered if someone could have broken into the mansion without being seen by the security guards and kidnapped my son and his mother. Or had Eda run away?
“Eda!” I shouted, desperate. “Can! Where are you?”
My voice echoed through the front garden of the mansion, but no one answered. My hands were sweaty, and my mind was racing. I was about to do something crazy when I heard a soft voice calling my name. It was my mother, accompanied by Eda and my son.
“Can!” I called out, running toward him.
They came from the direction of the back garden.
I was relieved to see them and at the same time frustrated at having wasted so much time looking for them.
Eda explained that she wanted Can to get some sun and fresh air, so she’d decided to take him to play in the garden.
I took a deep breath, trying to contain the urge to hug Eda, grateful to have her and my son back and safe before my eyes.
“Where were you?” I said, my voice trembling. “I was going crazy! I couldn’t find you anywhere—I was desperate!” I stood before them, feeling relieved and furious at the same time.
“Sorry, Ayaz. We were just playing and enjoying the sun and fresh morning air,” Eda said with a mischievous gleam in her eyes. “Your mother and I were having fun with Can—there was no reason to worry.”
“You got yourself all worked up, son.” My mother approached, laughing. “Maybe it’s time you learned to relax a little. We were just playing, and I was with them the whole time.”
I took a deep breath, calming myself, and looked at my son, who was laughing joyfully, oblivious to everything, while one of the house staff played with him.
My heart was still racing, the overwhelming sense that everything was falling apart still gripping me.
It had been a scare, but in the end, everyone was safe.
In that moment, I realized that sometimes my excessive worry could drive me to despair.
It was important to remember that, even though I was a known mafioso, had many enemies, and lived in a world full of uncertainties, there were moments of peace and happiness available to us, if only we allowed ourselves to enjoy them.
“Thank Allah! They’re fine.” I turned my anger on the security guards. “But how did they get to the back garden without anyone seeing them? Why didn’t any of you know where they were?”
“I’m sorry, sir,” Farid said, embarrassed by their failure. “We didn’t think to check that garden. It’s rare for anyone to use it, and the house is very large, so we were instructed to focus security on areas with higher foot traffic.”
“This cannot happen again,” I reprimanded them sharply.
“The security of the house and my family is the highest priority. Have you considered what would happen if the enemy attacked us using that garden as an entry point? Every space in the mansion, inside and out, must have at least one man stationed there, even if we have to hire more personnel. Money isn’t and never has been a problem. ”
“Yes, sir,” my men agreed in unison.
“Understood, Mr. Ayaz,” Farid added. “We’ll take the necessary measures to ensure this doesn’t happen again.”