Chapter 159

Her tears soaked the fabric of her dress as she buried her face in her hands. She had thought she could handle him, thought she could find a way to break through his walls. But now, all she felt was exhaustion, confusion, and an ache deep in her chest that wouldn’t go away.

***

Murat sat in his office, his head resting in his hands. Berat paced back and forth in front of him, glaring at him intermittently. The tension in the room was palpable, with the weight of Murat’s actions hanging over them. Berat finally stopped pacing, turning to face Murat with a look of frustration.

“On a scale of one to ten, just how stupid are you, Murat?” Berat spat, his voice dripping with exasperation. “You questioned Ayleen’s character? Really? Of all the things you could have done, you went and did that?”

Murat didn’t respond, his face tense and his jaw clenched. Berat’s words stung, but not as much as Ayleen’s did.

“I swear, all I want to do right now is punch you in th