When Ateş set foot on the marina, the crew was already lined up, waiting for him. The captain gave a military-style salute. Ateş adjusted his jacket and nodded silently. He was stern and silent.
He handed his phone to the captain.
"From here on, I'll handle it myself. Thank you," he said.
The captain bowed his head. "When will you return, sir?"
As Ateş put on his sunglasses, he threw a brief glance over his shoulder, a sly pleasure and ambition flashing across his face.
"When the hunt is complete," he replied.
He then walked towards the exit of the marina. Spotting a white taxi passing by, he flagged it down, opened the door, and got in with a sharp movement. After glancing one last time at the navigation screen, he turned to the driver.
"Go to this location. Take the shortcut," he said in a commanding tone.
As the taxi pulled away from the crowded city streets toward the summer houses near the edge of the forest, Ateş kept his eyes glued to his phone. The signal remained steady.
The prey was unaware of the approaching hunter.
About twenty minutes later, the car reached a small but elegant residential complex surrounded by stone walls. At the gate sat an elderly security guard, his hat drooping over his forehead, his belly spilling over his shirt, his face marked by years under the sun. He rose from his booth, still half-asleep, and approached the taxi.
"Where are you off to, young man?" he asked.
Ateş smiled faintly, removing his sunglasses. "I'm here by a friend's invitation. I'd appreciate your help."
The man raised an eyebrow and squinted at him. "Who's your friend? Most of these houses are summer homes. No one's around this time of year."
"Arzu... Arzu Bayrak. She should be here."
The guard's eyes widened, then narrowed with a familiar smile lighting up his face. "Ah! That crazy girl... Yeah, she arrived this morning." He raised his hand, "Wait a minute," and returned to his booth.
While waiting, Ateş subtly surveyed his surroundings. The wind lightly stirred the leaves of the trees.
The man returned, holding a key.
"Give this to her too," he said, handing over the key. "Our gas lines are broken. They said 'a week or ten days' — still no one's come. This is the woodshed key, in the common area. She asked about it this morning, poor girl must be freezing."
Ateş smiled and took the key. "Sure. I'll grab the firewood. Thank you."
The security guard pointed the way. "Last house at the top left path."
Ateş nodded and started walking.
The old man called out after him, "Hold on, young man! Where do you think you're going?"
Ateş raised an eyebrow as if to say "To the house."
The old man shook his head.
"You think I'd just let you wander off without delivering you properly to the homeowner?" he said.
He reached for the booth door, locked it, and tucked the key into his pocket.
"Just because I'm old doesn't mean I won't do my job. Come on, follow me," he said, leading the way up the path.
The man walked slowly, his steps steady but deliberate.
Ateş slowed his own pace, hands in his pockets, walking alongside him, smiling lightly.
"Arzu's mother loved this house," the man said, gazing at the old pine trees lining the path. "Arzu would always be running around the yard, then disappear into the woods, climbing trees, reading books up in the branches.
Hehe… The poor woman's heart was always in her throat. She'd call me, and I'd go fetch the little monkey down."
A soft, nostalgic smile curled at Ateş's lips as he murmured, "I used to call her 'sparrow' because of how she fluttered through those trees..."
"What did you say, young man?" asked the man, turning back.
Ateş quickly composed himself, stepping back. "Nothing, sir... Just saying she was a handful even back then."
"Yeah, no kidding," said the old man, shaking his head. "But she's a brave one. Takes after her mother, not her father. Every summer, she fed all the animals around here."
Suddenly, a grim look crossed his face, and a spark flashed in his eyes. "Her father... That man wouldn't spare a dime unless he had something to gain. Useless."
Ateş's jaw tightened, and his eyes darkened.
"Not only would he not give, he'd take whatever there was," he muttered. "Bastard."
The old man stopped and pointed at a house at the edge of the woods. "Here we are. Go ahead, knock."
As Ateş approached the house, he glanced back once. The old man hadn't even entered the yard. He was standing at the gate, adjusting his uniform with a respectful posture.
"What are you waiting for? Knock already!" the old man called out.
Ateş smiled, took off his sunglasses, and knocked gently.
From inside, Arzu's voice called out:
"Cominggg!"
She was just behind the door. Then her voice rose again.
The door swung open. She had soot stains on her face — clearly, she'd been struggling with the fireplace.
"Ali Uncle, I think I'm going to burn this whole house down! This wet wood won't catch…"
And then, she came face to face with Ateş's playful, sly smile.
Arzu gave him a pointed look and said, "The firewood... It's wet!" with a suggestive tone.
Her eyes immediately darted to the old man.
Ali Uncle nodded confidently.
"Arzu girl, your friend here said he was invited. I brought him straight to you. Gave him the woodshed key too."
Ateş lifted the key in his hand and smiled mischievously.
"We'll return it once we're done. Don't worry."
Arzu narrowed her eyes, shooting Ateş an annoyed look. Her lips moved, but her words were sharp:
"Thank you very much, Ali Uncle. My FRIEND will handle it."
Ali Uncle gave a respectful nod and walked away, leaving behind a silence filled with a bittersweet amusement.
As he returned to his booth, he chuckled quietly to himself.
"I read about that slick husband of hers in the news... Good, she found herself a solid young man," he muttered, lighting another cigarette.
Ateş scanned Arzu from head to toe. Her silver-gray robe clung to her body like a fine mist under the moonlight. The hem of her nightgown wasn't visible, making him wonder how short it must be and how it wrapped around her long legs.
She was like a mystery wrapped in a delicate mist, ready to unravel at the lightest touch.
Ateş leaned casually against the doorframe, a roguish smile playing on his lips. He was still wearing his black suit; his white shirt was open at the collar, revealing defined chest muscles.
The veins in his neck added a final touch to his commanding appearance — he looked like a walking challenge.
"Well then... my friend," he said teasingly, his voice low and inviting. "Shall we get that fireplace going?"
Arzu scrunched her nose in frustration, glaring at him. As if she hadn't revealed almost her entire body to him last night, she tightened her robe and crossed her arms over her chest. Her eyes gleamed with a mixture of anger and shame.
"Come in. Light it," she said, her tone short and sharp. "My FRIEND..."
Ateş entered with a wide grin.
The cabin smelled of warm pinewood. Thick timber beams stretched across the ceiling, the walls were built from stones weathered by time, and every detail seemed to honor nature.
There was a fluffy rug on the floor, a basket full of blankets in the corner, faded old frames on the walls... The house held the quiet embrace of many past winters. And in the center, the fireplace — currently cold and stubborn.
Ateş's eyes locked onto it.
He took off his jacket slowly, draping it over a chair. He rolled up the sleeves of his white shirt to his elbows, revealing muscled arms and broad shoulders that strained against the fabric. One button on his shirt hung open; the veins along his neck still throbbed with barely restrained energy.
He knelt by the fireplace, grabbing the firewood, now covered in ash. He was interrupted by Arzu's familiar, slightly mocking voice.
"They're wet," she said knowingly. "We were supposed to get some from the woodshed, remember?"
A sly smile curled at the corners of Ateş's lips, but he didn't even look at her.
"You think you know everything," he muttered, placing the ashen wood inside the hearth.
He arranged the pieces strategically and lit three matches at different points, blowing gently on them. With a hiss and a crackle, the fire caught.
The flames leapt up, and Arzu's eyes widened.
"How... they were wet?"
Ateş rose to his full height.
"They were damp, not soaked. I used a little ash to help the fire catch," he said with a wild glint in his eye.
It was as if he hadn't just lit the fireplace but another kind of fire entirely.
He started walking toward Arzu with slow, deliberate steps.
Arzu, not breaking eye contact, backed away instinctively.
"What are you doing?" she said, a little panicked.
Another step.
"What? Why are you coming at me like that?"
Until finally, her back hit the wall. She was trapped.
Ateş took the last step. There was barely enough space between them for a breath.
"Now," he said in a low, seductive voice, "shall we light that fire inside you too, ma'am?"
Arzu inhaled sharply, feeling his hot breath against her skin. Her heart pounded against her chest.
"I... I was drunk. It was a mistake," she stammered. "I didn't mean it. You should go."
She made a sudden move to slip away, but Ateş wasn't about to lose his prey again.
Without warning, he scooped her up and threw her over his broad shoulder.
"Put me down! I'll scream!" Arzu yelled.
Ateş grinned, a devilish sparkle in his eye.
"If you don't, I'll be offended. I might question my performance," he said, his voice playful and full of mischief.