I can hardly believe I've been at the company for almost three months. Jan and I continue the same game; he's still dating, and I'm still keeping up my farce with Osman while I fail to find the Albatross. To be honest, I'm almost giving up on him. If the Albatross felt the same, he would come after me, just as I spare no effort to find him.
Jan turned cold after that night at the restaurant, but as soon as I clarified that Kerem wasn't the Albatross, but a toad, his mood improved. I hate it when he's right, because he gets so smug it's irritating. In the middle of the afternoon, Emre calls me into his office.
"Aylla, I need you to take Jan's laptop and bring it to me."
"And why don't you do it yourself, Emre bey?" I ask, noticing my own tone of disrespect.
"Because I'm asking you. Remember, you have a mission: to unmask Jan. You are crucial in this." Emre stands up, analyzing me. "You've been talking and going out with him a lot lately, haven't you?"
I nod. I know where he's going with this. "You're not letting this time with him affect your judgment, are you? He's good at that, Aylla," he puts a hand on my arm. "Good at charming and hurting people."
Emre's words hit me like a bucket of cold water. He's right; I've let my judgment waver. Living with Jan makes me forget he is the "Evil King." Even though he had someone, I fed myself for a month and a half on the crumbs of attention he gave me. I bring the laptop, feeling the weight of betrayal in my hands.
"Jan bey doesn't like people touching his computer," I say, as I return the device to its place, hoping not to be seen. But I run into Layla.
"Aylla? What are you doing here without Jan bey?"
"Cleaning," I lie, pulling a cloth from my pocket.
"Do you know if he's coming in today?"
"Haven't you heard? I bought two tickets. I think he and Polen are moving away together. He never stays long anywhere."
Is Jan leaving? The spy is leaving, and that should be good, but my heart tightens. I rush to his house after work. Polen answers the door amidst suitcases and boxes. I feel ridiculous. What did I expect? That he would choose me?
"Jan bey... it's not important. I'll see you tomorrow," I try to flee to hide the tears.
"Aylla, stop!" Jan shouts, coming down the hall. He catches me on the sidewalk.
"What did you want to say? I know it's not about work."
"Don't leave!" I say, determined. "You are important to the company."
Jan looks at me confused and lets out a light laugh.
"Who said I'm leaving? The tickets were for a meeting in Antalya. And Polen... she's going back to her home in England. We broke up, Aylla. On the day of the retreat. We are just friends now."
My heart races. Great, I think. Great that he's not leaving.
"And why did she keep coming to the office?"
"We're friends, and she still feels something... Aylla..."
My phone rings. It's my mother. Jan grabs the phone from my hand before I can react.
"Hello, Mrs. Nadire!" He starts flirting with my mother, accepting an invitation to eat Dolma next week. I try to get the phone back, but he's much taller.
"What was that, Jan bey?" I ask when he hangs up.
"Aylla, can I take you somewhere?"
He takes me far from the urban chaos of Istanbul, to a wooden cabin hidden among the trees. It's his peaceful refuge. A place where he's never taken anyone. Not even Polen, he confesses. I feel like the exception, the special person.
Jan decides to have a barbecue. He takes off his shirt to chop wood and, Allah forgive me, he looks like a Leonardo da Vinci sculpture. Every muscle, every movement... Jan is living art. "Mashallah," I whisper, trying to ward off sinful thoughts.
"Aylla, what are you doing?"
"Warding off mosquitoes! They appeared out of nowhere!" I lie, pretending to swat something in the air.
We set the table with wine and salad. I put on a record: Kiralik Ask. The song talks about love starting, and it's exactly how I feel. Jan tells me about his childhood in boarding schools; I talk about my adventures with Ezgi and Deniz. The wine begins to take effect, making me cheerful and loose. Bagdat starts playing, a song that says: "today I calculated how long I've loved you." I look at Jan, the "Evil King" who now looks like a misunderstood prince... and everything turns into a blackout.