Chapter 167

The cool evening air wrapped around them as Ayleen and Selina sat side by side on a weathered bench near the Bosphorus, their presence familiar yet burdened with years of silence and unsaid words. The rhythmic lapping of the waves filled the quiet between them, the city’s distant hum a mere whisper against the weight of their conversation.

Selina sighed, slowly eating the ice cream from her cup. “Is he still the same with you?” she asked, her voice unreadable.

Ayleen swallowed the lump in her throat and shook her head. “No… A broken, defeated man doesn’t have the strength to hurt others, Selina.”

Selina’s brows knitted together as if she was trying to understand her words.

“Yes, I know it’s hard to believe. Sometimes, even I’m shocked when he does something thoughtful for me.” Ayleen chuckled, stirring the melting ice cream with her spoon.

“He is like the sun and shadow,” she continued, her voice distant. “When he’s near, it feels like he’s the source o