Asker

The wind that tore through the night carried the earthy scent of Mardin straight into the house.

When Yavuz opened the door, a deathly silence ruled inside.

But something was wrong.

The air smelled different.

Something unfamiliar. Something he didn’t recognize.

His entire body went on alert. His fingers instinctively slid to the edge of his gun. As if he were on duty. Because this place should have been his safe zone—his sanctuary. But now?

Now even his breathing had changed.

He stepped inside silently. The ache in his arm reminded him of wounds left from being shot, but he didn’t even care.

And then he saw her.

A woman was sleeping on the three-seater sofa in the middle of the living room.

Her black satin nightgown shimmered in the dim light, revealing the beautiful curves of her body. Her long, light-brown hair was spread across the pillow. One hand rested on her chest as she breathed peacefully. She looked like a fairy.

For a second, he froze.

Who the hell was this?!

In his house. On his couch.

Yavuz’s brows knitted together. His anger rose fast. On top of all his exhaustion—this nonsense now?!

His sharp voice cut through the air.

“HEY! WHO ARE YOU?!”

Ela jolted upright in fright. Her large hazel eyes locked onto him.

For a moment—just a few seconds—they stared at each other.

And in that instant, Yavuz felt it.

This girl was going to be trouble.

Ela’s eyes widened even more. Yavuz’s voice echoed in her head.

“I–I…” she stammered, but the words tangled in her throat. Fear wrapped around her whole body.

Yavuz took a few quick steps forward. His anger was no longer controllable.

His house.

His rules.

And now, some stranger was lying on his couch?

The longer Ela stayed silent, the angrier he became. Silence felt like a confession to him.

“Who are you? And what are you doing in my house?” he demanded harshly.

Ela was still in shock. Her face was flushed with fear, her breathing uneven. In front of her stood a built man with blood stains on him—pointing a gun at her.

Her heart was pounding so hard she couldn’t move or speak.

But when she noticed the fury in his eyes, she straightened slightly. She realized that staying silent made her look guilty. She had to calm herself and speak. She had to explain.

Just as she was about to open her mouth, she saw the gun barrel shift slightly. Instinctively, she sprang up.

But it was too late.

Yavuz moved like lightning. He grabbed Ela’s arm with a steel grip and spun her around.

Suddenly, Ela found herself with her back pressed against Yavuz’s chest.

There was no escape.

One of his hands pressed hard against her stomach, while the gun in his other hand was shoved against her temple, the cold metal biting into her skin.

Ela’s breathing became erratic. Her body trembled.

“I won’t ask the same question again.” Yavuz’s voice had dropped to a whisper now, but the threat was unmistakable.

“What are you doing in my house? Who. Are. You?”

Despite her heart racing as if she were about to have a heart attack, Ela forced herself to breathe slowly.

The man was far too strong and—

In this position, she could feel every line of Yavuz’s body. She also realized what the hardness she felt at his waist was.

As Yavuz’s breath brushed through her hair, she involuntarily inhaled his scent.

And for a brief moment, his grip tightened even more.

Ela struggled to breathe. She swallowed hard.

As he spoke, his lips brushed near her earlobe, his breath warm against her neck.

Every hair on Ela’s body stood on end, her chest rising and falling slowly as she breathed.

And she was certain Yavuz noticed.

Finally pulling herself together, Ela spoke quickly, her voice broken and rushed.

“I’m the new doctor… Colonel… Colonel Hikmet Görgülü…”

She held her breath for a second.

“He told me to stay here.”

Yavuz paused.

“The Colonel?” he repeated.

But the anger he was so used to holding onto still surged inside him like a wave.

He kept a tight hold on Ela as he pulled out his phone with his free hand, not letting her go.

“If you move, I’ll break your neck.”

Ela squeezed her eyes shut.

As soon as the call connected, the Colonel’s voice came through.

“Yes, she’s my guest. Our new doctor, Ela Gamzeli. Be at headquarters tomorrow morning.”

Yavuz fell silent for a moment.

Then he hung up without saying a word.

But it wasn’t enough to cool his anger.

When he shoved Ela away, she stumbled and fell onto the couch.

Distance opened between them.

Ela avoided his gaze, her breathing still uneven.

Yavuz let his eyes roam over her.

Light-brown hair. Hazel eyes. An attractive figure. An innocent expression.

But was something hidden beneath that innocence?

Who was this woman?

And why had they sent her to his house without telling him?

If the Colonel had sent her, it should be fine—but still, he couldn’t trust her.

Rotten pieces were everywhere these days.

Maybe being a doctor was just a cover.

He scanned her face, looking for signs of a lie—but found none.

She looked like an overly innocent girl trying to appear strong.

But…

She was trembling like a sparrow.

Whatever. He’d wait until morning.

He’d talk to the Colonel at headquarters and learn the details then.

“Listen to me, girl,” Yavuz said sharply.

“I don’t care if you’re a doctor. I don’t trust you.”

Ela clenched her teeth.

“Go to your room and sleep. And behave yourself until morning.”

He took a step.

“Or else—it’s up to you.”

Ela held her breath.

“If you don’t behave… your death will be by my hand.”

Ela looked at him with a mix of fear and stubbornness.

It was obvious.

This man… was the soldier the Colonel had mentioned.

But…

There was still a month left for that, wasn’t there?

“You already called the Colonel. I’m just a doctor,” Ela said, her voice trembling slightly but her gaze steady.

“I’m not your daughter either. This was a surprise for me too. I was told you wouldn’t be back for another month.”

She stood up quickly and headed toward the room she had moved into that morning.

Just as she stepped inside, Yavuz’s threatening voice echoed behind her.

“Tomorrow we’ll find out who you really are.”

Ela squared her shoulders and shut the door.

Then she locked it.

When she leaned her back against it, her shoulders finally slumped.

Her hands were shaking.

Her heart still carried the echoes of the fear from moments before.

“My God, who is this man?! A pervert, a killer, a psychopath—who knows?!”

Then she realized something.

Her eyes widened.

Wait a second… NAKEDNESS?!

When Ela turned to the mirror and looked at the thin satin nightgown she was wearing, her face went pale.

Oh, great. I practically walked out in front of him saying, “I’m here to seduce you.”

But then she noticed something.

Yavuz hadn’t even looked at her that way.

Well…

At least he’s not a pervert.

Yavuz

He trusted his commander completely. But one of the most important things this profession had taught him was to always do your own investigation.

He immediately called the checkpoint.

He wasn’t about to trust a stranger and keep her in his house until morning.

His voice was firm and clear.

“Give me full details about the woman who arrived today. What time did she come, who was she with, which soldiers helped with her luggage—and I want the names of those soldiers too.”

He sent the girl’s information, along with the soldiers who helped her, to a contact he knew in intelligence.

Within minutes, he knew everything.

What he learned made him relax slightly.