Asin
The moment I settled into my seat and closed my eyes, I was gone.
I vaguely remembered the warm pressure of her palm in my hand, but it was so comfortable that I completely neglected to release it. I woke up still holding it.
She noticed my awareness and offered a kind smile—a smile beautiful enough to be immortalized in a painting.
"My apologies," I gently released her hand, realizing I had been holding it for quite some time. "How long did I...?"
"Barely an hour. It's not exactly a marathon sleep," she replied softly.
"Hmm. I feel utterly revitalized."
I checked the screen in front of me, noting we were close to landing. Then, I noticed my sister-in-law sitting in front of me. She offered a quick wave and returned her attention to her phone.
"I am going to make the rounds. Did the two of you have your mandated conversation?" I turned to Marie.
"Indeed. Everything is as you demanded," she gave me a look of genuine gratitude.
I was relieved. As long as she had someone to lean on and confide in, there was less risk of her meddling in my more sensitive affairs.
I walked the aisle, assuring my mother that I was properly rested, skillfully dodged a few uncomfortable, probing questions from my father and brother, and then heard my sister Zerile profess her affection for her new sister-in-law. Dede, meanwhile, had been sleeping soundly since takeoff.
Finally, I arrived at Oliver and his mother's seats. Aunt Tilley was napping with a sleep mask on. It reminded me vividly of our childhood sleepovers.
"Still wearing that?" I gestured toward his mother.
"Yes. Sleep well?" Oliver asked.
I took the seat, well aware of his mother's notoriously deep sleeping patterns. We used to frequently mock it when we were children.
"When we land, we urgently need to pay a visit to Old Ivan."
Oliver gave me a pointed, exasperated look. I had to roll my eyes as we walked further down the plane, all the way to the tail end.
"Better?" I asked, taking a seat far from any potential eavesdropper.
"You are far too casual around her. Perhaps she is merely pretending," Oliver said, concerned.
"Because your mother is some well-known teenage sleuth. Besides, she would sleep right through a plane crash," I waved off his paranoia.
Oliver sighed, clearly exasperated. He is so dramatic sometimes. "Why arrange a meeting with Ivan so soon?" he asked.
"We require his advice before the major meeting scheduled, and you need to concoct a convincing excuse for our inevitable absence from the family's activities."
He nodded, already making mental notes.
I leaned back, inhaling the air. It carried a familiar perfume. Marie's.
I leaned out slightly, taking another deliberate scent of the air.
"Yep. It smells quite pleasant."
"What exactly are you doing?" Oliver asked, looking at me with undisguised concern.
"...Stretching," I replied, leaning back again.
He looked and acted like his usual self, but I had noticed he was being extraordinarily careful to avoid all contact with Ayshe.
"Why are you staring at me?" he asked.
"You are noticeably holding yourself back."
He tilted his head in confusion. "Elaborate."
"Ayshe."
His face instantly betrayed his understanding. I knew him too well.
"What about her?" he asked defensively.
He was clearly angry with her. Was it because of the unpleasantness between Marie and me?
"My misfortune is not yours, brother."
His facial expression softened completely. The pretense was over. Fortunately, he grasped my meaning instantly.
I expected him to protest, but he genuinely likes her, and despite our privileged upbringing, we rarely allowed ourselves to get close to women before this trip. Not for a long, meaningful time.
A host of new emotions—many unwelcome, but most exhilarating. Some are wonderful, others feel like fragments of nightmares.
I got up and tapped his shoulder, genuinely hoping he would take my words to heart and not sacrifice his potential happiness simply because my own path was a planned deception.
Returning to her side, I forced that smile back into place. I think from now on, I have to constantly remind myself: we are fake. Never allow myself to fall into a similar vulnerability as that night ever again. There is absolutely nothing to be gained.
I felt the familiar pain in my chest flare up but ignored it.
I looked out the window, watching the vast fields and buildings gradually increase in size as we began our descent.
"Are you all right, brother Asin?"
I looked at Ayshe and gave her a small smile. "I'm fine. Are you?" I raised an eyebrow.
"I fine just that we haven't been inside the capital for three years. We came for another wedding, and we loved it, didn't we, Marie?"
"I remember. I can't believe it was so long ago. So much has changed," Marie's eyes were shining with a strange light as she recalled the memory.
She was likely remembering better days. Her family was once prosperous, and she lived a very different life.
Perhaps if she had stayed wealthy, we would never have crossed paths.
"...But you can show us around," Ayshe's words brought me back.
"Absolutely. We will find some time," I nodded.
Later. I had to stop getting lost in thought so easily.
I needed to be busy.
I peeked at Marie as she reached for her handbag, preparing to disembark.
...I desperately needed to be busy.
---
Oliver
My misfortune is not yours.
Why would I assume he wouldn't comment on it? He watched me change my demeanor on a dime.
As we navigated the airport, skillfully dodging a clutch of reporters and genuine fans of Asin and his family, I noticed a group of young ladies fighting back tears upon seeing Asin holding someone else's hand—his wife. His wife saw them too.
I smiled faintly, observing Marie's furrowed eyebrows in the car that was driving us home.
I don't know, brother. No one is that good of an actress.
I no longer actively avoided Ayshe's gaze, but she was too preoccupied, marveling at how much the capital had changed, making plans with her sister about which shops they would visit the moment they settled in.
Asin texted me while they were occupied.
We meet at Old Ivan in 2 hours. I go separately.
"I'm afraid this is where I alight," I spoke up.
Since my mother was going straight back to the office, I wanted to go home and check in with Leyla.
"...Enjoy your time together," I tapped Asin's knee. "And ladies, I'm certain we will cross paths soon."
"Goodbye, Oliver," Marie smiled.
"Hmph," Ayshe made her feelings clear with a dismissive sound.
I caught Asin smiling, and soon, their cars disappeared around the corner.
I went upstairs, showered, and changed. I called Leyla.
"...Check for police activity around the 9th Ward, and make sure we have a security team on standby in case. Have them wait for my call."
I wasn't taking any chances. Much as I loved and respected Uncle Ivan, I didn't entirely trust all the residents around that area.
And needless to say, Asin won't change his behavior. He has been fearless and recklessly impulsive ever since his illness.
"No problem, sir. We also have last week's operations report. I will send it to you by tonight. Anything else, Mr. Aster?"
"Leyla... were you ever in love?"
"...I... pardon, sir? I'm not sure..."
"Never mind. It's nothing. I will call you tomorrow."
Where did that question even come from?
I sat down and allowed myself a minute to think. All this turmoil boiled down to a single question:
Should you build something meaningful with someone who won't be around by next spring?
Asin would undoubtedly slap me for even voicing that thought. But I would despise myself if I tied my future happiness to his misery.
Ayshe is... new. Different from the shallow women I would dodge or entertain at crew parties or those so-called ladies from respectable families who had a higher body count than some career professionals.
These feelings annoyed the hell out of me. What would I give for the peaceful days of... last week?
Things are moving so quickly we can barely see five feet ahead of us. And even if Asin is the most talented bastard I have ever met behind the wheel, he is clearly distracted now.
Let us not crash, Lord.
---
Marie
He left again!
...And I cannot even ask him where he went or for how long. It's stipulated in our contract.
By the way, what happens if I break the contract a certain number of times?
"You're joking?" Ayshe asked.
"No."
"...And you signed it anyway?" She asked, tilting her head incredulously.
"It was either sign it or divorce immediately."
We were staring at an extraordinarily large dog bed in the corner.
"At least it's spacious. Roomy," Ayshe laughed.
We had been given a tour of the villa and introduced to the staff of thirty-plus, excluding the unknown number of security personnel, who worked as maids, cooks, and gardeners. They even had their own helicopter.
"Very funny," I slumped down onto the actual bed. "This place is insane."
"No. Gorillas asking for grapes is insane. This is medieval levels of comfort."
"What?" I asked. She said the strangest things.
"You know... like how the Kings of Old must have lived," she explained, walking around the vast space.
Our new room had a direct view of the ocean, also another that overlooked the entire city and it was significantly larger than two people could possibly need.
"So, he said nothing about where he was going?" she asked without looking at me.
I shook my head. To be honest, I did entertain some less-than-kind ideas, like other girls, but I quickly reminded myself how pointless it was to worry about such possibilities.
"Still... it makes you wonder. By the way, how are you going to spend your days?"
"...That's the thing. I can do whatever I want."
She sat down on a comfortable, expensive-looking rocking chair.
"You don't look thrilled for someone who can pursue any dream she desires."
"At least you have your studying."
She stopped rocking back and forth. "What about your music?"
I simply shrugged and lay back on the bed.
I don't know. Our contract concludes around Christmas. That means I am missing a year of my life either way.
But I could pick up the violin again, afford the best and most talented teachers available.
But I don't know. For some reason, I wasn't as excited or enthusiastic about any of it. I felt strangely hollow.
"I think you should take full advantage and enjoy the ride."
"What?" I sat back up, surprised.
It sounded like something Lilly or Henny would say, and I was taken aback.
She got up and knelt in front of me, taking my hands.
"I know this entire situation... it was my fault. No, please let me finish," she insisted, seeing I was ready to interject. "You know it as well. If I had simply kept my mouth shut that day... anyway."
She felt so guilty it broke my heart, but she continued.
"What I mean is, since you ended up signing the contract, why not enjoy the benefits? Remember, we were afraid you would be locked up and oppressed."
She waited for my nod before proceeding.
"...How many people would kill to have their husband's unshakeable support in anything they wished to pursue?"
She was right, of course. Anything I wanted to do... he had promised by contract that he would support me, even against his family if necessary.
He had also warned me about the one person I needed to be wary of: his Aunt Derya.
'She will observe you closely for a while, so do not discuss important matters openly. She has spies everywhere. She will test you to see who and what you are... be extremely cautious. She is... observant.'
He spoke as if he had plenty of experience navigating such elaborate social games.
I became more intrigued by him the more I learned.
"You are right. We will devise a plan." I nodded with newfound confidence.
"We?"
"Absolutely. You can enroll in a school here in the capital now, receive the best education, and be fast-tracked into medical school," I explained.
I was glad her dreams were intact and now had the resources to achieve them. This had been my initial goal with this marriage... until I met him.
"...Yes. I most likely will be able to," she smiled, but only half-heartedly.
"Hmm. This time, it is you who doesn't sound very happy," I smiled in return.
It seems we were both walking on new, uncertain paths.