Zeynep's heart was like a lump stuck in her throat with Alp's question. She wanted to look away, but she couldn't. Alp's ocean-deep gaze had pinned her down.
"How... how do you know?" Zeynep whispered, her voice like a trembling leaf.
Alp smiled slightly. This smile only fueled the confusion within Zeynep. That smile was as if he knew everything. It was as if he could read even Zeynep's darkest secrets.
"I know, Zeynep," Alp said, his voice like velvet. "I just know. I know that someone like you wouldn't be wandering around someone like me by chance."
Zeynep swallowed. "What do you mean?"
Alp took another step closer. The distance between them was almost non-existent. Zeynep inhaled Alp's sharp and masculine scent of perfume. Her heart was beating fast. Revenge or love, which one would prevail?
"What I mean is..." Alp whispered, his lips touching Zeynep's ear. "You have a secret like me."
Zeynep trembled. Alp being so close was upsetting her balance. The attraction she felt towards Alp was disabling her logic.
"You're wrong," Zeynep said, her voice barely audible. "I have no secrets."
Alp laughed. This laughter strained Zeynep's nerves. "Oh, really? Then why were you so interested in the photo in front of my father's cell?"
Zeynep's eyes widened. Alp knew everything. Or at least a significant part of it.
"I..." Zeynep didn't know what to say. Lying wouldn't work. Alp had cornered her.
"Talk, Zeynep," Alp said, his voice hardened. "What do you want?"
Zeynep took a deep breath. "I want to save my father."
Alp frowned. "Your father? What did your father do?"
Zeynep told Alp the story of her father. The story of a man who was unjustly imprisoned, whose life was ruined. She explained that her father's only crime was standing up to the wrong person.
Alp listened carefully to Zeynep. There were complex emotions in his eyes. Surprise, curiosity, and a bit of understanding.
"And you..." Alp said, without waiting for Zeynep to finish. "You're here to take revenge on the judge's daughter who put my father in jail."
Zeynep bowed her head. "Yes."
Alp was silent for a while. Then he took a deep breath. "I understand."
"Do you understand?" Zeynep asked, in a hopeless voice. "Do you really understand?"
"Yes, I understand," Alp said. "Because I want revenge too, Zeynep. On everyone."
Zeynep looked at Alp in surprise. "What are you talking about?"
Instead of answering Zeynep's question, Alp reached out and touched Zeynep's cheek. Zeynep trembled. Alp's touch was causing storms within her.
"Let's work together, Zeynep," Alp said, his voice seductive. "Let's take revenge together."
Zeynep swallowed. Alp's offer was as tempting as it was dangerous.
"Why?" Zeynep asked. "Why would you help me?"
Alp grinned. "Because, Zeynep, we are alike. We are both full of dark secrets. And we both want revenge."
Zeynep thought for a while. Alp's offer was an opportunity not to be missed. But at the same time, trusting Alp was very risky.
"What if you betray me?" Zeynep asked.
Alp laughed. "Betrayal? Zeynep, I am already a betrayal."
Zeynep was frightened by Alp's dark words. But at the same time, she felt an irresistible attraction to him.
"Okay," Zeynep said, in a determined voice. "I will work with you."
Alp's eyes lit up. "Good. Then, first things first..." Alp approached Zeynep and whispered: "...you will tell me all your secrets."
Zeynep looked into Alp's eyes. For a moment, she hesitated. But then, the desire for revenge within her suppressed all her fears. She took a deep breath and began to speak. She began to tell... But the door opened, and Zeynep's blood froze with the familiar face that entered.