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One more time

- It was my fault, Ilgaz... - Neva came closer to him, putting her hand on his arm and Ilgaz had to make an effort not to see everything in red anymore. They were sleepless days and nights, working to rescue those women so Ceylin and her stubbornness would lose them. He gave two friendly pats where the prosecutor touched him, indicating that he was calmer, but then went to look at the chief of police in front of him - who was staring at them with an unfriendly, disdainful expression - and his blood heated again. - I was afraid that the message would be intercepted, someone would make a fuss and leak the information, so I didn't expose too many details in the request for cooperation with the Mardin police. - corruption was an old fight within the institution, Ceylin and Ilgaz could understand the Prosecutor's hesitation. But they wouldn't get efficient cooperation amid so many secrets and, given the angry looks they exchanged, not in the midst of so much animosity.

- That doesn't excuse Chief Ceylin from her own conduct. You must understand that you're not the commander of this operation, Ceylin Hanım.

- Oh, pardon! - they didn't even notice when they got close enough for Ilgaz to see her eyes flashing their revolt, as if they gravitated towards each other. - I'm not stupid enough to have ruined an operation of this size for no reason, I'm just not insensitive enough to think my team is made of robots! And you were late! - Eren stepped between them, as usual.

- Wallahi, this is not the time! Abi, Ceylin, lütfen... - Immediately she seemed to come to her senses and walked away, as if realizing it wasn't worth it.

- Let's go back to the city, Ilgaz, Eren... - Neva interceded, touching Ilgaz intimately again. - We need to talk about work, without losing our minds. Heading to her own car, Ceylin didn't utter another word, promising herself that she wouldn't give him the power to turn his head again, because she knew where it was going to lead: passion and regret.

~*~

- You all seemed very close to each other. - Neva said, a little shy. She shared tea with Eren in the hotel's lounge, while Ilgaz checked them in at the front desk.

- Ah, yes. It's an old but special friendship. Ceylin is a very dear friend, I have a huge affection for her and I'm happy to see her again.

- But Ceylin and Ilgaz... I mean, she doesn't seem too happy to see him again. - Eren knew what Neva wanted to get to, but he didn't want to commit to that story. He'd already picked his favorite.

- It's a... - how could he make himself understood? - different friendship there, it's not easy for me to explain. It's their thing...

- Oh, pardon, I'm being nosy... - the prosecutor hid her face behind her glass of türk çayi and Eren gestured, alarmed:

- No, no, canım, there is no such thing... it's just that... We're all adults here, right? You saw the same as I did. - the commissioner pointed out, with affection and sadness dyed Neva's eyes. - Oh, honey, don't go down that road... don't cry. - she shook her head to chase away the tears, resisting.

- I won't, I promise. Eren... it's her, isn't it? The woman he never forgot and left him cold like this. - the komiser gave a shy half smile.

- You don't see coldness in him when it comes to Ceylo... It's been many years, but this story is not over yet since unfair circumstances that separated their paths and now it seems that fate has put them back on a collision course, but It breaks my heart to know that you're lost in the middle of this... - Clearing her throat, Neva stopped him from continuing and Ilgaz came close to them, holding out the keys to the rooms.

- You can go up. Nevacım, I know you're exhausted... - he gave her shoulder a friendly squeeze, smiling, and the prosecutor held back a painful sigh. - Rest, try to sleep a little. - Ilgaz would like to rest himself, but he was too agitated for that. Wanted to resolve an issue and soon.

- Won't you go up, abi? - Eren voiced her friend's curiosity and Ilgaz shook her head. - Need company? - another negative.

- Rest you too, I'm just going to advance some work things. - the komiser did not laugh or joke in respect to Neva, who took the cue to leave. But as soon as the prosecutor was far enough away, Eren lashed out:

- İş, tabii ki iş... Send my regards to Ceylin between work, discussion and another work, lütfen... - and there was Ilgaz, laughing again.

~*~

The Artuklu Polis Merkezi worked at a completely different pace from the chaos of Istanbul, reflecting the Police Chief's sense of organization. There was no filth, no cluttered papers, no police working amid the desperate cacophony, and for a moment Ilgaz thought he had entered the wrong place.

- Hoşgeldiniz, who do you want to talk to? - an officer asked at the reception. He showed his identification before replying:

- Genel Müdürü Ceylin Erguvan. - after ringing the Chief, the girl led Ilgaz through the corridors to Ceylin's office. The displeasure in her expression was clear as that man took over the Mardin station with his presence. - İyi akşamlar.

- For whom? - Ilgaz sighed and without being invited, sat down.

- Allah, Allah, Ceylin, I didn't come to argue with you, I came to apologize. - that damned arched brow, defying him, that Ilgaz felt right between his legs. How could he have been wrong, saying it would be easy to find that woman again and work with her, when all the years that had passed had boiled down to no day?

- How long did you know I would be here? - surgical, she wasn't shaken by that lamb expression. She knew well the wolf lurking behind those eyes.

- You think I faked an operation because of you?

- That's not what I asked.

- Since ever. - it wasn't a lie. When Eren talked about asking the Mardin police for support, Ilgaz knew he would have to deal with her again, knew the possibility of their meeting was huge, but he threw it out to the Universe and waited. - But if you want to know specifically if I knew we would work together, not exactly. There was a chance, but it wasn't planned. - suspicious, Ceylin leaned back in her chair, considering. Something in her field of vision, however, made her stiffen in place and Ilgaz felt that his sincere request would be useless, but he did it anyway: - We started with the wrong step, again, but we don't need to go to war like the last time.

- It wasn't a fair war, Ilgaz. - she stood up, knocking things off her desk with an accuracy disguised as clumsiness. - My reputation was tarnished, my life had to be redone from scratch and you took all your credit for dissolving the Tilmen Mafia. Can't blame me for dismissing this "peace offering." - she made the quotation marks with her fingers and went back to tidying up the ornaments that had fallen on the table, except for a picture frame, which had almost broken on the floor and which now rested in Ilgaz's hands, she realized with horror.

In it, a photo of Ceylin with a girl on her lap, hugging each other under a school band: "Dünyanın en iyi annesi için: Anneler Gününüz kutlu olsun"¹.

- Mother? Ne demek anne misin, Ceylin?

"To the best mom in the world, happy mother's day!"¹