Back at the mansion, after Kerem had left, Selin sat alone in her room. Alone, except for Murat.
“You were mean to him,” she said.
“I was protecting what’s mine.”
“I’m not a possession.”
“No. You’re everything. There’s a difference.”
Selin smiled despite herself. “You made me laugh today. I haven’t laughed like that in… I don’t remember how long.”
“That was the point.”
“But it exhausted you. I saw you flicker when you touched the sugar bowl.”
Murat settled beside her, his presence cool but comfortable. “Worth it. Your laugh is worth any amount of energy.”
“Murat, what’s happening to you? You’re becoming more… present. More solid. The sugar bowl, the pebble, the branch—those weren’t just coincidences.”
“I don’t know. Maybe the more you heal, the stronger I become. Maybe we’re link
