Emir Jamal Jr.

"I saw this one coming!Emir is really stepping on my toes,first he sabotaged the Kempinski deal and now this? "Basak threw the newspaper piece on his table haphazardly and it fell face up,his reaction was exaggerated because he had anticipated the news,just harder accepting because it was there now.The front page had Ambassador Emir Jamal's printed face as he officially declared to run for presidency with the sitting president's party."Raul,tell me you have some concrete proof that Junior is Emir's bastard!"

"I can't really prove that,unless we do a DNA test on him,but I can't do so without his consent.I can't end up behind bars before I start a family.It was impossible enough to uncover that his mother died while giving birth to him.And his maternal grandmother adopted him as hers but I couldn't trace his father.The folks in town didn't remember ever seeing a father."

"Ofcourse they didn't because he was in Istanbul being couched to be the next ambassador!"Basak groaned.Raul was equally pissed as well because his plan to uncover Basak's illegitimate son and elope with Yasmine had backfired.She was eventually warming up to him and was it not for her questioning his search for the Emir kid,he wouldn't have to avoid her.But the thing wasn't his to reveal and if his assumption was right,her thoughts were as misplaced as his the first time.

"Yasmine has been inquiring about the kid.She thinks..."Basak stared at him waiting to hear the word but Raul didn't say it."You should clear this out with her."

"Don't worry about Yasmine,she thinks a lot of things."Fuck Basak!Raul felt a tinge of fury at how the guy dismissed his wife,like she was a housemaid or no one important."In the meantime,do whatever you have to and bring Junior to me.I know he is Emir's bastard...he has to be!"

"I better get moving then."Raul said and left not in the mood to hear his whinings about the ambassador's success.The only thing he preferred and craved for at the moment was Yasmine.As if in sync with his mind,he smelled yasmine flower around the corner before it's persona appeared.

"Good afternoon Raul...is my husband busy?"She had her usual pearl smile on and her tresses pleated into one long braid that fell over her shoulder and over her breast.Raul blinked when his eyes landed there because she had on a low cut floral sundress with thin straps.Some blood shot south when his eyes landed on her glossed over lips instead."Hey,are you okay?"Shit!He had to move because Yasmine was coming for him but he couldn't get a hold on the command to move his feeble legs.Yasmine raised a soft palm to his forehead and he bet she was on tip toes to get to his forehead."Raul,you are not sick ...are you?"She spoke again and her sage breath went straight to his nostrils and he noticed the movement of her neck muscles as she swallowed.She was saying something but..."Zehra!"She called over his shoulder.

"I'm fine!Excuse me!"Raul said skimping from he enchanting aroma and out of sight.He really had it bad for her and he wasn't sure he could hold himself any longer.And the fact that tomorrow was her anniversary party wasn't helping at all.

He got out of the main house very fast and went toward the security personnels' units.He couldn't walk around Anatolia with a bulge threatening to pluck out his fly buttons.

...

"Hi."Yasmine still had her smile on when she entered the study."I was wondering if there is anything you'd like to add to tomorrow's details?"Basak shoved aside the file on Junior but not fast enough before Yasmine caught a glimpse of it.

"No,take care of everything.I know you are more than capable.Besides, decorations and party planning are women's specialty."Basak was still upset by the breaking news on every newspaper that morning.But he made himself look busy so that Yasmine wouldn't see him that way, particularly because he couldn't go through a question and answer session with her at the moment.And ofcourse she would also think he was being petty for trying to drag Emir through a scandal to ensure his demise politically.

"Okay,but I was wondering if you could accompany me for our outfits shopping for a couple of hours..."

"Stop nagging me woman!Just do whatever you have to.Take Raul with you or anyone...you are the one elated by our anniversary party after all!"

Yasmine winced and took a step back after Basak's outburst.

"Why are you shouting at me?It's not my fault Emir is running for presidency and you don't like it!"She had noticed the article on the study table.Her eyes skimmed through the file on a young man."What is that?"She asked pointing at the file.The same boy that had her husband's undivided attention lately.Undivided because when he wasn't in the study discussing him with Raul,he was making Lamar's life miserable by sending on business trips to Italy.

"This,is non of your business.I want to be alone Yasmine and I believe you had some shopping to do?"

Basak gathered the file and locked it inside his study drawer where he kept confidential information and stood up.

Yasmine couldn't blink because of the sting in her eyes.She breathed in and out slowly then left the study but she was unable to hold the sob once her feet stepped out.She ran through the back door toward the pool,ran past it and went towards her flower garden around the security units.

Raul saw her small slouched figure from his bedroom window and knew he had to do something.He couldn't just watch the woman he was head over heels for, hurt.Not in this world and definitely not in the next life.

Raul did the only thing he knew anyone would do.He descended the stairs of his bedroom two at a time and went to find her.He knew her banker,a swing chair at the flower bed belting the security personnels' units.

His stupid heart swelled when he found her there,her back to him but she was sobbing.He easily caught on her grief and swiftly walked to her side.

"I don't want to talk or go shopping anymore Raul.Just go search for whoever Basak asked you to!"She spoke in a soft choked voice.Raul felt another warm and strange sensation like pride, because she recognized him without looking.That made him ask himself a couple of questions,like how did she know it was him?Did she ever think of him as much as he did her to master his footsteps like the way he would know it's her from around the corner?Or was his cologne that memorable?But her, thinking about him?It would be a privilege.

"But you are welcome to stay if you'll tell me who that boy Basak is so obsessed with is."

Raul wasn't going to tell her anything but he still went and stood beside the swing seat.Yasmine sniffled and the sound wasn't music,he would give anything to make sure she never shed a tear the rest of her days.

She mentioned Raul and shopping so Basak must have shut her and asked her to take someone else for shopping.

"That boy...is he--"She dried her face with the back of her hand and turned her glossy eyes up to him."Is he like...you know--"She grunted obviously not courageous enough to ask what he knew she wanted to ask."Raul,please tell me if the boy is Basak's--"

"Yasmine, that's not for me to tell.Basak will tell you when he wants you to know."His reply must have upset her even more because she shifted her eyes to carnations on her garden.

"But I heard you're going shopping,it'll be my pleasure to chaperone."Following her around town and carrying her shopping bags from malls sounded more appealing than digging dirt on Emir Jamal in Anatolia.

"Don't worry about me Raul.I'm good!I always am!"She stood up with a sad smile and started to leave."Oh,and you are doing a great job at maintaining your loyalty to Basak."She finished and left him buffled.

"Shit!"That wasn't what he expected to go down.He cursed again and turned to look at Yasmine's disappearing form.Her appreciation of his loyalty sounded like an accusation of being Basak's accomplice!

"Well...looks like it."