Chapter 10 LET'S VISIT GRANDPA

By the time Ayla finally came out of the bathroom, the men were gone. The silence inside the villa was thick and absolute.

She grabbed a towel and quietly re-entered the bathroom, then reached for her bag to grab a dress. As her fingers unzipped the suitcase and flipped the flap open, her brows furrowed.

She blinked, stunned. A low, disbelieving laugh escaped her lips. She muttered under her breath, the corner of her mouth twitching bitterly.

Of course. The Dogans had misplaced her luggage.

"In their desperate haste to hand me over like cargo... they even got the bag wrong".

She stared at the unfamiliar contents of the suitcase. They must've dropped another bag into the car. She couldn't even be surprised anymore.

Left with no choice, she made do with one of Deniz's shirts. It smelled faintly of his cologne-cool mint layered over smoke and spice. The fabric hung oversized on her body, the sleeves nearly drowning her hands. Still, it would have to do.

With a soft sigh, she went downstairs after her shower to have a meal.

Stepping into the dining room, her eyes widened. There on the table sat a container of chocolate milk drink and a plate of sandwich bread, neatly wrapped and placed precisely at the center of the dining table.

She tilted her head slightly. "When did he get the meal set?" she asked aloud, lips pursed. "Oh... his PA might have done that."

Deniz was known for his seclusion. He distanced himself from the world like it carried a virus. He found it hard to trust people, which explained why he hadn't even employed a cook or a maid. Only his PA and his tight circle of security ever had access to him.

She slowly took her seat and began to eat, letting the calm of the moment soothe her. She took her time to enjoy her meal, knowing that peace and privacy would disappear once Deniz returned.

As dusk approached, a warm golden glow filtered through the high glass windows. The shadows on the floor stretched longer, and the quietness grew deeper.

She stood up and walked toward the kitchen. Tonight, she would make dinner for him. A delicious home-made dinner, she decided.

She didn't know whether he would like it. Probably not. But cooking had been stitched into her routine long before she entered this cold arrangement.

Night fell, yet Deniz hadn't returned.

She told herself she wasn't worried. And truly, she wasn't. Deniz was a full-grown billionaire who could handle himself in a dozen different crisis scenarios. But something about the big, silent villa-its echoing halls and empty corners-made her anxious. Not about him. About being alone.

Then, she heard gentle, unhurried footsteps

Gentle, drawing closer.

Her body stiffened as she heard the soft creak of the main door. She rolled off the bed and padded toward it, hand outstretched to the knob.

She twisted the knob, pulled the door open and they bumped into each other-Deniz.

The sudden sight of him-bare chest, abs glistening faintly from the night air, hair slightly tousled-made her brain fumble for function.

Deniz had already removed his shirt, as was his ritual before entering his room.

"Oh! I'm sorry," she stammered, still staring at him with a confused expression. Her hands instinctively held the shirt down at her thighs.

"Have you seen enough?" he asked, voice calm but laced with that husky edge of challenge.

He gently pushed her aside and walked past without waiting for a response. Straight into the bathroom.

Ayla stood there frozen, a little twitch of embarrassment pulling at her cheek. That was awkward.

When he came out of the bathroom, steam followed him like a silent cloud. His towel was knotted firmly around his waist. Water dripped from his damp hair down to his chiseled torso.

Then he just... stood there. Staring at her.

She shifted uneasily.

"Do you want to watch me get dressed?" he finally said, his voice like a low drumbeat in the quiet room.

"Dress? Oh! Yeah... I'm sorry," she apologized quickly, panic flickering in her eyes. She turned, ready to bolt out of the room.

But Deniz pulled her back, gripping the collar of the shirt she wore, and pinned her to the wall. His muscular body leaned close, casting a broad shadow over hers.

Her breath caught, her heart pounded loudly in her chest, thudding like a trapped bird.

His hand slowly moved, deliberate, then landed exactly where she least expected-on the collar of the shirt.

"Why are you in my shirt?" he asked again, voice calm but cold, almost mocking.

"I... I..." she stuttered.

"Young lady," he hissed, "it's good you learn early that you're wasting your time trying to seduce me. I can't fall for your ridiculous schemes. It's too boring."

Seduce? She wanted to laugh in his face.

"Who is trying to seduce him? Me?" she thought to herself in disbelief. Then she tried to explain herself aloud. "I... I-"

"You can have it," he said dismissively and unpinned her from the wall.

She left the room immediately, her jaw tight. A storm of annoyance clustered her expression. Her thoughts raced.

How on earth did I get entangled with such an arrogant man? Who in their right mind would even try to seduce someone as cold as him?

Minutes later, she found herself sitting at the dining table again. She waited, hoping he would come down and eat the food she had made. But he didn't.

Eventually, she decided to go back up and call him.

As she pushed the door open, her gaze fell on him. He was already lying on the bed, nearly asleep.

She stood at the doorway, saying nothing.

"What?" he asked, eyes still closed.

"Your food... You haven't eaten. I made dinner."

He didn't respond immediately. Instead, he made a silly sound, "hmmph", then adjusted his pillow and turned to his left side, clearly uninterested.

"Mr. Deniz..."

"Sleep," he muttered.

She shrugged and quietly lay on the bed. There was a wide gap between them, enough to accommodate five extra people or even the whole universe.

Deniz noticed she didn't pull the duvet properly over herself, possibly thinking she was scared to share it with him.

"Cover yourself," he said, still not turning.

"Hmm," she nodded faintly and did as instructed.

Moments later, Deniz picked up his phone and texted his PA. He instructed him to go to the mall and get dresses for his wife first thing the next morning.

After setting the phone down, he turned slightly.

"Get ready. We will visit Grandpa soon."

"Okay."

"Listen, you don't have to act on your own when we get there. Follow my every instruction," he added before turning to face the wall again.

"Hmm," she muttered, her teeth grinding in frustration. She clenched the edge of the bedsheet.

"What a control freak", she hissed inwardly.

"I heard you," Deniz replied, utterly unbothered.

Her heart stopped for a second. He was still awake?!

She feigned a smile, then quickly tucked herself deeper under the duvet, pulling it up to cover her entire body like a child trying to disappear.