Can Yaman International Presents: Aşk ve Gurur~ Love and Pride

Chapter 14, Part 1: Bu Kez Gercek (Real This Time)

At the end of Chapter 13:  Lifting her hand and waving it in front of me, Leyla exclaimed, "Oh, I forgot the whole reason why I'm here. I have incredible news." A beautiful diamond ring glinted on her finger. She proceeded to recount the details of her whirlwind love affair with Emre that had just culminated tonight in his marriage proposal. "Oh, Sanem if only I could see you as happy," she cried as she embraced me. "Now I have to beg you to let me stay here. I'm pretty sure I'll be disowned as soon as the news reaches mother's ears. I'm so afraid of what she might try to do." "This is your home too and don't worry about her," I said as she pulled away teary-eyed. Leyla gave me a questioning look. I grinned and said, "Information is power. She taught me that and she taught me well. Don't worry, dear sister, I'm going to slay that dragon."

(Author's Note: Please read to the end of the chapter and leave a comment. Are you enjoying the storyline? Don't forget to vote too. Thank you!)

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Can:

I was settling in for a long siege, trying to map out a route up to her window when Emre called. Hearing his news, I grudgingly went home to celebrate with my newly-engaged brother but planned to go back to Sanem's house as soon as possible. The night wore on with celebratory drinks being continuously poured by my ecstatic father. He was so happy with the news that you would think he was the one getting married.

My father's umpteenth toast to Leyla and Emre's happiness was suddenly interrupted by a loud and insistent knocking at the front door. I got up to answer and all the alcohol I had consumed evaporated in astonishment at seeing Sanem's mother standing on our doorstep.

She swept into the house in a cloud of expensive perfume. My father was all amazement and flattery but she ignored him. After giving the room a disdainful glance, she turned to face me and said, "May I have a moment of your time?

I nodded in assent, all my senses on high alert. Once the room was vacated and the door closed, she began speaking. "You cannot possibly be wondering at the reason for my presence here."

Although I towered over her, she still managed to look down her nose at me. I crossed my arms and leaned against the wall. I replied, "I'm sure you're about to enlighten me."

"I'm not going to put up with your impertinence," she said angrily, abandoning all pretense of politeness. "Today's appalling spectacle aside, a rumor of a most alarming nature has reached my ears. I've been told that you are engaged to be married to my daughter. My daughter! Unthinkable. Absurd. Ridiculous. I know it's a scandalous falsehood."

"If you think it is so unbelievable, then why are you here?"

"To insist that you deny it immediately."

"I will not. And if it is true, then you would be the last person I would admit it to." It went against everything in me to be disrespectful to an elder and a woman. But then I reminded myself that this was the woman that had hurt and manipulated Sanem over and over again.

"If! Do you pretend to be ignorant of it? Have you and your family not been the ones circulating such a rumor."

"This is the first I've heard of it," I said in a bored tone.

"Can you assure me that there's no basis behind this?

"You can ask the questions but I don't have to answer." This was about Emre and Leyla but she seemed not to know that and I'd be damned if I was going to be the one to tell her.

"This is an outrage! I insist you tell me the truth. Are you engaged to my daughter?"

"You said it was an impossibility."