Chapter 3 / Part One

Habbab Arslan

Twenty-two years in the past

I remember waking up with sweat running down my body, a choked scream in my chest, and tears wetting my cheeks. My grandmother, as always, ran to me and comforted me. Again, I had a nightmare about the monster that murdered my parents, there wasn't a single day when I didn't ask about them, until the woman who protected me, who was there for me, told me the truth. Since then, is always been the same nightmare, over and over again.

"That feeling you have in your chest, Habbab, keep it in your heart, hold it so that one day you can avenge your parents, you can destroy the family that hurt you so much." She stroked my hair and comforted me as she said those words. "Never let your soul go soft, harden it like a rock so you will have the strength to seek justice for the crime they committed against your mother and my son."

"I promise grandmother, I promise I will avenge my family, I will make the Erdoğan's pay, I will take everything they have, you will see."

My mother, my pure mother, fell in love with my father when she was just nineteen years old, they lived a romance until they got married, but there was someone who did not agree with the union. Hazar Erdoğan, a former suitor of my mom, he began to harass her, asking her to leave my father, after five years of persecution, hurt by my mother’s constant rejection, he kidnapped her.

That man took her and took away her honor, he abused her. When my father found out, he went in search of his wife to save her from the clutches of that wretch. I was four years old when my parents died. There was a confrontation and my parents ended up dead, the bastard Hazar Erdoğan made it look like a car accident, but nothing was further from the truth.

My grandmother told me the whole story when I was mature enough to understand my role in her plan. I was the ho could avenge the death of her son and his wife. Derya Arslan trusted me to restore our family's honor. And I was going to do so.

***

Two years before revenge

With the hatred that grew in my heart, the nightmares began to disappear, I turned to stone just as my grandmother ask me to do. I studied in the best schools, I learned to shoot a gun at the age of twelve, and I investigated the enemy as much as I could. For that reason, I decided to study hotel management, I knew that the Erdoğan's owned the biggest hotel chain in the country, and their influence in the city was strong, but I was going to make sure, that they lost everything they loved.

I had no time for anything but my grandmother's revenge plan, who did not reveal everything to me at once, as time went on, she let me know what was required of me.

The first step was to graduate from college and start my own hotel line, I always pretended I was a foreigner from France, with Argent as my last name.  No one knew my true identity so our enemies would not suspect anything. Eventually, I became as famous and rich as the Erdoğans, then I started to rub shoulders with their inner circle. Until I became a good friend of one of their investors, whom I bribed into making a bad move on them, causing the family's business went into a tailspin, they were about to go to ruin when I came to save them.

Old Çakir believed my story that I admired him and that I wanted to be part of his business, in less than two months they had given me half of all their possessions. At last, after twenty-two years of planning for that moment, I was able to get into the snake's nest.

The next part of the plan I knew it very well, fall in love with Hazar Erdoğan's daughter, marry her, and steal her virginity, in the same hut where her father disgraced my mother, and leave her forever.

But then... I met Melek. It was the same day I met her father; we were in a meeting with Çakir, and he very proudly sent his children in. There in front of my eyes was Hazar, the murderer, with a smile and calm in his eyes, I had to bite my cheek internally not to punch him in the face, all my hatred radiated out of me; however, I was able to put a smile on my face, control my tears and shake his hand.

His brother followed and although the feeling was not the same, it still caused me to be repulsed just for bearing the Erdoğan lastname.

"My sons, they are the greatest pride I have in life," Çakir said. "I'm sure your parents feel the same way about you, you are a perfectly good man."

"I couldn't tell you, sir, my parents died when I was four years old, my grandmother took care of me and race me."

"I'm very sorry to hear that" Hazar spoke, with real sorrow in his eyes, though I didn't believe him, anything coming from him was definitely bad news. "What you need is a wife, so you'll have parents’ in-laws and they'll take care of you as your parents would."

"I was born in Turkistan, but since I lived most of my life in France, very few families are willing to relate to me, much less marry one of their daughters."

That little bait was taken by Çakir, whose eyes sparkled as soon as I mentioned my single status, if only he knew.

"We're just getting to know each other, but if the business goes well, we could make a marriage alliance, that way you'll be part of our family." Said the old man.

"Those words warm my heart, Mr. Çakir, I hope my whole plan goes perfectly."

"Of course, son, of course" He laughed good-naturedly, I meant the salvation of his family, but he was no more wrong.

"You could meet my granddaughter today; she is working at the hotel."

"Granddaughters, father" Hazar interrupted, with a look laden with disapproval.

As far as I knew, Çakir did not sympathize with Melek, I did not understand why, but he would fixate on her to denigrate her and beat her whenever he could. On the other hand, his other granddaughter, the daughter of his second son, was the light of his eyes, I knew he would try to marry me to her, this was also in my plan, I would pretend to love the girl only to change my mind and ask for Melek as a wife. I needed to make them believe that I loved Hazar's daughter.

"Yes, of course, granddaughters," Çakir says with an unhappy grimace. "Send them in." He orders.

Then Hazar and his brother leave the office and then enter with two young girls, one totally different from the other. Irem Erdoğan is the youngest daughter of Ercan, Hazar's brother. She is a tall, a skinny woman with black hair and brown eyes, she has an aquiline face and nose, with an expression of superiority painted on her face.

Then we have Melek, taller than her cousin, which is unusual for an average woman, with a few extra pounds, honey-colored hair, green eyes, and so many curves, you could get lost in them for hours. It's not the first time I see her, our first encounter took place this morning, without her knowledge, when my best friend and my partner in crime took me to the ceramic museum in town, to observe my victim. What a mistake, when I took one look at her, something inside my chest jumped, as if all the ice that covered my heart began to melt.

I know that Melek has a strong, determined character, but the terror she has for her grandfather overcomes any spark inside her. For that reason, she doesn't dare raise her face when Çakir is in the same room. That bothers me a little, she's so beautiful she shouldn't be hiding from anyone.

"A pleasure, Mr. Argent" Irem says, with a seductive smile that fails to move anything in me.

"The pleasure is all mine, Miss...?" This family has no idea that I know them better than the back of my hand.

"Irem, my name is Irem" She takes a step in my direction and we shake hands. I pretend to be flattered by her beauty when nothing could be further from the truth. All my attention, even if I don’t show it, is stolen by Melek.

"This is my daughter, Melek." It is Hazar who finally introduces us.

She doesn't speak, simply nods her head, and performs a perfect come-hither.

"It's nice to meet your family, Mr. Çakir," I say so as not to make it personal.

"The pleasure is all ours, Habbab, I am sure we will be excellent partners. This union will benefit us all, there is no doubt about that."

Of course, there isn't, I will get my revenge once and for all. I watch them all, I hope they enjoy the last days as a happy and united family, because in a couple of years, Melek will be married to me, and everything that belongs to them will be mine, they will lose every last rock in their damn mansion, I will make sure of it.