Preface
My dreams shifted completely the day my father decided to reappear in my life after years ofsilence. I haven’t had contact with him since my mother passed away. Instead, I share a home with my childhood best friends, Aylin and Defne, and my maternal aunt, Jansu. My days are filled by them—my girls and my aunt—and by helping out at Jansu’s flower shop. I choose a balanced life, far from luxury, appreciating the small things; a lesson I’ve carried with me since losing my mom.
My brother, Osman, is the polar opposite. He’s always flaunting drinks and expensive cars, conquering women only to discard them the next day. We used to be close, but he hasn’t been the same since our mother died. We took different paths. My relationship with my father soured during that time, becoming unbearable. Osman never made it easy, constantly blaming me for things at school. I’d take the fall just so he wouldn’t be sent to boarding school—that’s what siblings do, right? But my father only grew harsher, colder. Once, my only dream was to make him proud. I gave up on that years ago because it felt impossible. Now, I think I finally have a chance, even if Osman and Serkan are determined to ruin it.
I am not consumed by this mess of hatred and resentment. I’m happy. I have a wonderful fiancé waiting for me in Italy, and we share dreams of conquering life there together. But everything changed after a single meeting with the despicable Serkan Bolat.
My name is Hande Yildiz. I’m nearly finished with my degree in Landscape Architecture. I’m 1.75m tall with dark brown hair and almond-shaped eyes that I’ve been told are quite beautiful. My hair is thick, dark, and falls in voluminous waves. I have a strong personality—perhaps a bit stubborn and fiercely impulsive. Sometimes I get so blinded by the moment that I act on pure instinct, only thinking about the consequences later.
Essentially, I’m an orphan raised by my aunt and my best friends, who walked through the fire of grief with me. I was very young when a wall collapsed on my mother. Sometimes I can’t even remember her face, so I cling to old photos, though it’s never easy. As I said, I’m estranged from my father and brother.
My best friends are everything to me. Aylin is a redhead with straight hair, much shorter than me, a romantic soul who always expects the best from the world—even if she’s constantly dieting because she’s too hard on her body. Defne is a blonde with a chic bob and the greenest eyes I’ve ever seen. She grew up in the same wealthy circles as my father, but while I cut ties with that world, I stayed close to her. She’s a brilliant engineer at her family’s company—dedicated, sharp, and strong as a soldier. Her family trained her to be perfect in everything, and she exceeds every expectation, yet for them, it’s never enough.
My aunt Jansu is my mother in every way that counts. She’s my compass, always supportive, never letting me give up. When I finally cut ties with my father, she stayed by my side all night while I cried, and the next morning, she brought me breakfast in bed to give me the strength to build a new plan for my dreams.
Then there’s my fiancé, Ozan Bursim. He has jet-black hair, grey eyes, and tattoos—a wild, rebellious spirit just like mine. But while he’s covered in ink, I only have one: a star on my hand, a tribute to my mother. Despite his “bad boy” look, Ozan is pure heart, a true romantic. I miss him terribly and can’t wait to see him when he returns from Italy in a month. We’re navigating a long-distance relationship between Istanbul and Italy for now.
But I can tell you this: my life took a sharp turn the moment I crossed paths with Serkan Bolat. My arch-nemesis. I found myself trapped in a game of manipulation he invented, because to him, everything is a chessboard. The only problem? My life and my feelings aren’t a game. I took it all too seriously. I didn’t know how to play.
