Chapter 4: Debt of Blood
2500 Words
Açelya's POV
I woke up early in the morning to the gentle feeling of someone stroking my hair. Fluttering my eyes open, I saw my uncle Altan sitting on the edge of my bed.
"Good morning, my beautiful girl," Altan said softly.
"Good morning, Uncle," I murmured, rubbing the sleep from my eyes.
"You didn't come down for dinner last night."
"Yeah... I just didn't have much of an appetite."
"Listen to me, Açelya," Altan began, his expression softening. "I know you think your father and your uncles are angry with you. To be honest, you're not entirely wrong—we were furious. But deep down, every single one of us is incredibly proud. Your uncle Erdem has been bragging to everyone about how you stood up to protect us."
A small, relieved smile touched my lips. "I'm glad to hear that, Uncle. But I didn't do it for a pat on the back. I did it because you're my family. Still... Father is still so angry with me."
"Your father isn't angry with you, Açelya," Altan corrected gently. "He's angry at himself. He feels like he failed to protect you."
"I'll try to understand his side, too," I whispered.
Altan smiled warmly, patting my hand. "That's my girl. Now, get dressed and come downstairs. Your aunt Sinem has prepared a beautiful breakfast spread." With a final nod, he stood up and closed the door behind him.
I really didn't feel like socializing, but out of respect for Uncle Altan, I quickly went through my morning routine and headed downstairs to the dining room.
"Good morning, everyone," I said as I took my seat.
"Well, good morning, Superman," Caner teased.
Altan smirked from across the table. "I believe the term is Superwoman."
"Oh, right, of course. Forgive me, Mr. Genius-with-the-perfect-English," Caner fired back dramatically.
The entire table erupted into soft laughter at their banter. Well, everyone except one person.
"It would be nice if someone taught certain people table manners first," Grandmother Handan muttered, her voice dripping with disapproval as she stared at me. "But I suppose that's too much to ask."
Caner sighed, shaking his head. "And a very good morning to you, Queen Handan. What has got you so riled up today?"
"Can't you see?" Handan snapped, gesturing to me. "People eating whenever they please, skipping meals as they like... there is absolutely no respect left for the family table."
I lowered my eyes. "I'm sorry, Grandmother. I genuinely didn't have an appetite."
"And why should the peace of this entire household be disrupted just because of your shifting appetite?" she retorted.
"Mother, that's enough," my father, Akın, intervened firmly. "Drop the subject."
Thank God he spoke up, otherwise the breakfast would have turned into pure poison for me.
I glanced over at my brother, Cem. He looked incredibly distracted, staring blankly at his plate. I leaned over and scooped some food onto his plate. "You seem lost in thought again, brother."
Cem blinked, pulling himself out of his trance. "Nothing escapes your eyes, does it?"
"So, tell me. What's wrong?"
Cem's expression hardened, his voice dropping to a harsh whisper. "Açelya, don't think I've forgotten how you tested my patience yesterday."
I held back a sigh. Of course. In this house, the list of people I could actually have a normal conversation with was miserably short.
Once breakfast was finally over, I went up to tidy my room. Just as I finished, my phone began to buzz. I picked it up and stared at the screen. It was an unknown number.
Great. Who on earth is this now?
"Hello?" I answered.
"Açelya?" a deep, unfamiliar male voice spoke.
"Who is this?"
"The man who almost ran you over yesterday. Polat."
My grip on the phone tightened. "Mr. Polat... how did you get my number?"
A low chuckle came from the other end. "Açelya Demir. The only granddaughter of the Demir family. I know your family very well—in fact, I am business partners with your father and uncles. Since I have access to your family's records, I wanted to reach out."
"And what is the purpose of this call?" I asked coldly.
"To apologize. For what happened yesterday."
"We settled that yesterday, Mr. Polat. There was no need for an apology, but thank you anyway," I said sharply, before hanging up without waiting for a reply.
Honestly, every lunatic in this city has a way of finding me.
Third-Person POV
Meanwhile, across the city, Ateş and İrem were once again huddled over a map, mapping out their next move against the Demirs.
"The Demirs aren't my only headache anymore," Ateş muttered, tossing a pen onto the desk. "Now we have the Bozkurt clan to worry about."
İrem looked up, raising an eyebrow. "Oh, brilliant. Just what we needed. What happened with them?"
"That bastard Polat Bozkurt," Ateş spat, his jaw clenching. "He demanded that I operate under his authority. He had the nerve to threaten me. But if my name is Ateş Kılıç, I will make his life a living hell."
İrem’s expression turned dead serious. She stood up and walked over to him. "Ateş, listen to me. The Bozkurt clan is not like the Demirs. They are ruthless, and they play dirty. Take it from someone who knows them—stay the hell away from them."
Ateş let out a mocking laugh. "What's the matter, İrem? Worried I'll put a bullet in your precious fiancé?"
"My engagement to Acar Bozkurt is over and done with," İrem snapped, her eyes flashing with irritation. "But he still loves me, and he would never want to see me caught in the crossfire."
"If he loved you so much, why did you leave him?" Ateş asked, leaning back in his chair.
"Because he wasn't the right fit for me," İrem said, a dangerous glint appearing in her eyes. "The man who fits my standards is someone more like... him."
With a wicked smirk, she pulled out her phone, dialed Altan Demir's number, and put it on speakerphone.
The line rang twice before a deep, authoritative voice answered. "Hello?"
"Mr. Altan, hello," İrem said, her voice dripping with charm. "This is İrem Sert. I'd like to have a chat with you. Do you have some time?"
There was a brief pause on the other end. "And who exactly are you?"
"If you want to find out who I am, be at the restaurant of the location I'm about to send you at 8:00 PM tonight," İrem replied smoothly.
"Miss Sert, why on earth should I agree to meet with you?" Altan asked, his tone skeptical.
"I'll see you tonight, Mr. Altan," İrem said, and promptly hung up the phone.
Ateş stared at her, utterly baffled. "What the hell was that?"
"Don't ask questions, Ateş," İrem said, grabbing her bag. "You want to destroy the Demir family, don't you? Then just sit back, relax, and watch the show." With that, she spun on her heel and walked out of the office.
Before Ateş could even process her move, the door opened and his brother Ali entered, followed closely by Eren.
"Boss," Eren said, a smirk playing on his lips. "We got him. Just like you ordered, we snatched Cem Demir. He's tied up at the warehouse right now. The boys softened him up a bit."
Ateş’s lips curled into a cold, predatory smile. "Perfect. Now, let's send a little message to his brave sister. Let's see if she can rescue her brother today like she did at the hospital."
Gathering his men, Ateş headed out toward the docks.
Meanwhile, Açelya was sitting quietly in her room, focused on her sketchpad, when her phone buzzed with an incoming text.
Ugh, another unknown number. This is getting ridiculous, she thought, picking up the phone.
But when she opened the message, her heart stopped.
It was a photo of Cem. He was tied to a chair, his face bloodied and bruised. Beneath the image, a text read:
Açelya Demir. If you want to save your brother Cem's life, come to the warehouse at the location below. Alone.
Açelya’s hands began to shake violently. She quickly typed back: Who the hell are you? What do you want from my brother?
The reply came instantly: I am Ateş Kılıç. If you tell a single soul about this, consider your brother dead. And hurry up. I despise being kept waiting. Along with the text came a map pin.
Açelya's POV
My God... Cem.
Ateş was a monster. He was entirely capable of killing my brother without a second thought.
Panicking, I threw on my jacket and rushed downstairs. Our estate had a hidden service exit that led to the back alley. Slipping past the oblivious bodyguards, I managed to get out of the compound and hailed a passing cab.
Stupid, stupid girl, I scolded myself, my hands trembling as the cab sped through the streets. In my sheer terror, I had completely forgotten to grab a weapon. It doesn't matter. I have to figure out a way. I have to save him.
When the cab finally pulled up to the abandoned warehouse, my stomach plummeted. There were at least a dozen heavily armed men standing guard outside.
Taking a deep, trembling breath, I stepped out of the car and walked toward the entrance.
Yılmaz, Ateş’s right-hand man, stepped forward to open the heavy metal door. "Well, look who finally decided to join us. Welcome, Miss Açelya. My boss has been expecting you."
I rushed inside, my eyes immediately locking onto my brother. Cem was tied to a wooden chair in the center of the room, his head hanging low, covered in bruises.
"CEM!" I screamed, running toward him. "Cem, oh my god, what did they do to you?"
Cem slowly lifted his head, his swollen eyes widening in panic. "Açelya... go. Get out of here, please..."
"No, I'm not leaving you! I'm going to get you out of here," I cried, trying to claw at the thick ropes binding his wrists.
"My, my. What a touching family reunion. It almost brings a tear to my eye," a cold, mocking voice echoed from the shadows.
Ateş stepped into the dim light. He was dressed entirely in black, his dark eyes freezing the blood in my veins.
"What do you want from us?" I screamed, turning to face him, my voice cracking with emotion. "What do you want? First you attack my family, and now you kidnap my brother?"
Ateş took a slow step forward, his eyes boring into mine. "Look at your brother, little girl. Look at him very carefully. He is bleeding in this chair because of your arrogance." He paused, his gaze dropping to my lips before rising back to my eyes. "Let's see if you have that same fiery attitude you had yesterday. But you don't, do you? Because right now, I am going to end his life."
With a terrifyingly calm movement, Ateş pulled a sleek black pistol from his waistband.
"No! No, please!" I sobbed, throwing my body in front of Cem. "Ateş, please don't do this! I beg you!"
"I don't care about your tears, Açelya," Ateş said, his voice flat and merciless. "Your family damaged my business. In my world, every debt is paid in blood." He stepped past me, pressing the cold barrel of the gun directly against Cem's temple.
"CEM!" I screamed, trying to pull Ateş’s arm away, but two of his massive guards instantly grabbed me, pinning my arms behind my back. Tears streamed down my face, hot and uncontrollable. "Don't touch him, Ateş! Please! I'll do whatever you want! Just don't kill my brother!"
Ateş stared at me for a long, agonizing second. Then, he slowly lowered the gun, tucked it back into his waistband, and walked over to me. He grabbed my jaw in a tight, iron grip, forcing me to look up at him. His face was mere inches from mine. I stood there, utterly broken and vulnerable beneath his gaze.
"Apologize," he whispered, his dark eyes searching mine.
"Is... is that all?" I choked out through my tears. "Fine. I'm sorry, Ateş. I am so sorry. Please, just don't hurt him."
"And you will never interfere in my business again," he added, his thumb brushing harshly against my jaw.
"Yes. Yes, I swear. Just stop this, please."
Ateş stared at me a moment longer, his expression unreadable, before finally releasing his grip. He stepped back and signaled his men. "Cut him loose. And escort both of them back to their estate."
The guards released me, and I rushed over to Cem, quickly untying the ropes and throwing my arms around his neck. "Are you okay? I was so scared..." I sobbed against his shoulder.
"I'm fine, Açelya. It's okay, I'm okay," Cem whispered back, wrapping his arms around me tightly.
"I thought he was going to kill you right in front of me," I whimpered.
"It's over now. But listen to me," Cem murmured in my ear, his voice urgent. "Do not say a word about this to Father or Uncle Altan. We cannot let them know about this. We don't want to cause a war."
"Okay... okay, let's just go. Please."
Helping Cem stand, I supported his weight as we walked toward the exit. The entire time, I could feel Ateş’s heavy gaze burning into my back.
Just as I opened the door of the car they had provided for us, a strong hand gripped my arm, stopping me in my tracks. I turned to find Ateş standing right behind me.
"I hope you learned your lesson today, little girl," he murmured, his voice low.
I glared up at him, my fear temporarily replaced by a burning, icy rage. "You will pay for this, Ateş Kılıç. I swear to God, you will pay."
Ateş merely let out a soft, dark chuckle, his eyes mocking me. "A girl of your stature can't do a damn thing to me. Now get in the car." He gently but firmly pushed me into the back seat and closed the door.
As the car pulled away from the warehouse, I looked back at his retreating figure.
Enjoy your victory while you can, Ateş. Because if my name is Açelya Demir, I will burn your entire world to the ground.
- Writer
