THERE WAS A glow off the shadow gray tarmac as Matthew walked Leyla to her car, it had poured the entire day and stopped just moments before. The clouds were leaden and fluffy above them while the air was laced with the scent of wet earth. 

"I had fun today," Leyla smiled bashfully before looking up into Matthew's hazel eyes.

"Even when I spilled my hot (like me) coffee on your pants this morning?" Matthew grinned wide and bright.

Giving him a look, she turned her back to him and walked on. "Way to ruin a moment, Fitzgerald."

After breakfast, the two spent the day together, immersed in several sweet and delightful activities. Spring brought with it the perfect setting for a pleasant walk through the park and as Matthew put it, 'winning a girl over time'.

"Art thou mad?" He continued on with a playful tone. Leyla still faced away, ambled with her fingers resting on her plump lips, attempting to stifle a chortle.

She stepped over the small, mirror-like puddle and grabbed the car door's handle to open it but was spun around, trapping her between the car and Matthew.

"Silent treatment now?" He laughed softly at her expression. A mien, he remembers vividly.

Whenever she'd be displeased, she would purse her lips which would cause a slight dimple to emerge on the left corner of her lip.

Leyla's lips widened in return as shook her head lightly, strands of brown hair glowing under the overhead street lights. 

With the lingering petrichor, dark golden atmosphere and wine-purple sky, everything seemed ethereal.

"Just slightly tired," Leyla drawled, her eyelids slightly droopy. She intertwined her hands with his and brought them down into the slight gap between the two of them. "Thank you for today, Matthew."

Pulling one of his hands back, he tucked a tendril of her silky hair behind and smiled, leaning in ever so slightly which lead Leyla to hold her breath and wait anxiously for her saccharine torment.

The distance slowly faded away as he inched closer and closer. The agony of waiting ate Leyla up as she fluttered her eyes shut, eyelashes tickling rosy cheeks.

His velvet smooth lips landed, ever so lightly on the corner of her lips causing Leyla to sigh in slight disappointment. "I had fun too," Matthew moved his lips to her ear and breathed o, as his arms brought her into an embrace.

━━━━ ☆ ━━━━

"Good Evening!' Leyla chirped at the guards who stood at the entrance, bowing her head slightly.

The guards smiled back, affected by her infectiousness.

She waited at the elevator doors which slid open to reveal many tired, happy and stressed faces pour out of the metal box. She stepped in the now empty space and tapped a few buttons, making them glow.

Her eyes flitted across the illuminated screen of her phone, smiling at the lock-screen.

It was an old photo of Yusef and her, one that was captured in film by their late mother. The two of them sat wide-legged while their hands framed chubby, little, cherub faces.

Leyla could remember that day vividly, it was the day after her seventh birthday when she had lost her tooth, proud of being well on her way to becoming a grown up. She reminisced on old memories and wondered how innocent people were when they were kids but then morph into monsters as they age.

She slid her phone back into the small Prada bag on her shoulder and then stood straight. Her eyes focused on the digitized numbers on top as the elevator tunes waltzed around.

The bell chimed, indicating her arrival both to the people on the floor, and herself.

She stepped out swiftly, allowing a few workers to fit into the metal box, nodding in greeting she took a left turn. Her heels clicked against the floor as she neared Blake who was exiting his office.

"Blake, hey!" Leyla cocked her head and grinned as the two began to walk together towards her father's office.

"Ah Leylabug, hello! How was your day?" Blake shone back at her as she halted, peering into his light eyes in mock suspicion.

"Since when are you so nice and that too at off time?" Blake shook his head to Leyla's comment and pushed the door open for her, "After you, brat."

Scrunching up her face at him, she walked into the room as a wide smile overtook her lips. "Baba!"

Mehmet brought her into a loving hug and kissed her forehead as a reply to her enthusiastic greeting, she waved at her brother on her way to the chair.

"Ayi! nasılsınız?" Leyla smiled cloyingly at Yusef who in return flicked his fingers at her forehead, "Sus, kurbağa."

"Yeter, çocuklar," Leyla's father held a hand up as he lowered into his midnight blue seat, glancing at the bickering siblings.

"Mehmet, sir? May I begin?" Blake looked at his boss expectantly and stood up after getting the green-light.

He began strong, continuing to elaborate and highlight where necessary, whilst receiving a nod here and there. 

Leyla glanced at her father midway to see him pulling at his collar slightly while scrunching up his face lightly, as if he was in significant pain and to cover that slip-up he took a few sips of water.

She turned away and stared at her palms thoughtfully. What if his condition was worsening?

She glanced above and peeked at her father who caught her gaze this time and smiled softly, to which she sent a melancholic one in return.

"And this is why I wanted you to come in today, Leyla." Blake clasped his hands and shifted his gaze to her after nodding silently to Yusef.

"Sorry, I didn't get that, could you maybe repeat that? Sorry again." Leyla apologized, with her full focus on him.

"She's busy dreaming about her lover, Blake." Yusef snickered beside her to which she hotly replied, "Am not! Continue please, Blake."

With a wide grin which was supposed to hold back a laugh, Blake repeated his words.

After his mini-speech, Leyla sat stunned and then sat up straight after a while. "So what you are trying to say is that someone has been going through not only the records and database, but the company computers, physically?"

All three men nodded in affirmation as Leyla huffed exasperatedly and placed her hands on her eyes whilst tilting her head back. "Öf! And you all knew, Baba, Yusef?"

She received sheepish nods in return. "Of course I'm never in the loop, çok güzel."

Leyla swept her gaze over the expanse of the office, catching Blake's slightly open mouth on the way and snapped at him, "It's not legal even if it is a worker because a particular person is in charge of the database, alright. You dimwit!"

After a few minutes and some deep breaths, she started out calmly, "Clearly, the person who is behind this has already won your trust and has his claws deep in the company."

Yusef glanced at his father before looking back at Leyla who was already too busy thinking to notice him or anyone for that matter.

"Baba, Yusef, Blake," Leyla began as she folded her arms on her chest. "Please please let me know that you haven't signed any contracts in the absence of the company lawyer?"

All three men nodded in return as she continued, "Alright, good. Has anyone had guests over?"

All of them nodded again as Leyla huffed and sat down, crossing her legs. The heel of her left stiletto grazing her right calf. "Please enlighten me."

They began with Yusef and ended with Blake, somewhat satisfied she nodded and scribbled onto her fossil black notepad.

Yusef twisted a pen atop the glass as he slowly spoke, "Baba, I think Hudson— "

Irked, their father got up and trekked towards his desk, "Not this again."

The three remained seated, running through the mazes in their heads in hopes finding their way to the unknown.

we're slowly diving deeper! i'm super excited 😎  

feel free to drop down your thoughts and vote x

stay safe!

love you guys <3