What!" I shouted, my voice echoing through the silence of the wake. The police officers were gripping Alp's arms tightly, pulling him out. "What's going on here? Why are you taking him away?"
My eyes filled with tears as I looked at Alp. I could see that he was just as shocked as I was. His lips parted slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but the words were stuck in his throat. "Zeynep," he whispered, his voice lost in the murmur of the crowd. "I..."
"Calm down, Zeynep," Ayşe said, coming to my side. She put her arm around my shoulder, trying to support me. "Let's try to understand what's happening."
But I couldn't calm down. My father's pain was still fresh, and now Alp... Everything had turned upside down since this man entered my life. On the one hand, I was curious about his dark secrets, and on the other hand, I felt something I couldn't prevent. *Am I in love with him? Don't be ridiculous, Zeynep, you have to take revenge!*
As the sirens of the police car rang in my ears, they were taking Alp away. I wanted to run after them, but my legs wouldn't carry me. I felt like I was nailed to the ground. Holding Ayşe's arm tightly, I asked, "What are we going to do?"
"Let's talk to the lawyer," Ayşe said in a determined voice. "Right now."
***
When we arrived at the lawyer's office, anger and anxiety were mixed inside me. Why was Alp arrested? Was it related to his family's dirty business, or was there something else entirely?
The lawyer was an old and experienced man. He listened to us calmly and then said, "Alp Bey has been taken into custody in connection with a murder investigation."
"Murder?" I whispered. My heart started beating wildly in my chest. Could Alp have killed someone? Was that possible?
"Yes," the lawyer continued. "New evidence has emerged regarding an incident that happened a few years ago. It has been determined that Alp Bey was at the scene at the time."
My eyes went dark. Alp's secrets were much darker than I thought. The possibility that he could be a murderer opened a deep wound inside me. *I trusted him. I believed in him. Stupid Zeynep!*
"What can we do?" I asked, my voice trembling.
"The most important thing we can do right now is to get Alp Bey to testify," the lawyer said. "He needs to tell everything he knows about the incident. If we believe he is innocent, we need to prove it."
***
When I saw Alp in the detention center, the conflicting emotions inside me increased even more. He looked tired and exhausted. His eyes were red, and his hair was disheveled.
"Zeynep," he whispered, as soon as he saw me. The slight smile that appeared on his face hurt me. "What are you doing here?"
"I was worried about you," I said. I tried to make my voice as calm as possible, but storms were raging inside me. "What's going on, Alp? Tell me the truth."
Alp took a deep breath and approached me. There were only barred bars between us. "Zeynep, I'm going to tell you everything," he said. "But first, you have to believe me."
"How can I believe you?" I asked. My eyes were filled with tears. "You are accused of murder, Alp! How?"
Alp smiled bitterly. "I know, you're having a hard time believing it. But I didn't commit that crime. I swear."
"Then what happened?" I asked. "Where were you that night? What were you doing at the scene?"
Alp hesitated. He averted his eyes and was silent for a while. Then he took a deep breath and began to speak: "That night, I was with my friends. We were at a party. I drank a lot. I don't remember exactly what happened after that. I just remember being at the scene. But I didn't kill anyone."
I wanted to believe him. I really wanted to. But the doubt inside me just wouldn't go away. *He can't be lying, can he?*
"Did you tell the police this too?" I asked.
"Yes," Alp said. "But they didn't believe me. They said they found new evidence. They claim they found something that would make me guilty."
"What kind of evidence?"
"I don't know," Alp said. "They're not telling me."
***
When I left the detention center that night, the uncertainty inside me had increased even more. I wanted to believe Alp, but a part of me was telling me not to trust him. His family's dark secrets strengthened the possibility that he, too, might have a dark past.
When I got home, Ayşe was waiting for me. She hugged me as soon as she saw me. "How are you?" he asked.
"I don't know," I said. "I'm so confused. I don't know whether to believe Alp or not."
Ayşe listened to me and then said, "Zeynep, listen to your heart. If you want to believe him, believe him. But keep your eyes open too."
Ayşe's words showed me the way to some extent. I wanted to believe Alp, but at the same time I had to be cautious. I would do my best to prove his innocence, but if he was guilty, I would stay away from him.
When I went to bed that night, I could only think of Alp. I remembered his eyes, his voice, his touch. I thought about the attraction I felt towards him, the passion I couldn't prevent. And at that moment, a new decision appeared inside me: I had to solve Alp's secrets. No matter the cost.
When I woke up the next morning, I had a strange feeling inside me. It felt like something was about to change. While I was having breakfast, my phone rang. The caller was an unknown number.
"Hello?" I said.
"Zeynep Hanım?" a voice came from the phone.
"Yes, it's me."
"I am police officer Murat. I am investigating Alp Koraş's case."
My heart started beating fast. "Yes, I'm listening."
"I want to meet with you. I have some questions about Alp Bey."
"Of course, whenever you want," I said.
"Let me know the first moment you are available. Our meeting is very important."
After hanging up the phone, I paused for a moment. I had a bad feeling inside me. This meeting could change everything. Maybe it would reveal the secrets of Alp. But at the same time, I was aware that I was entering a dangerous path. Because police officer Murat's last words were ringing in my ears: "Alp Bey's past is much darker than you think."