Fifty-five.

I'm surrounded by an endless sea of opaque stillness. It is quiet, warm and calming. All the pain and worries I felt before entering this realm have disappeared like they were only fragments of my imagination.

I don't want to leave.

I like the thought of being stuck here for eternity, but I know better than to believe that I can remain here without any consequences leading ten times a fold.

Dreams and wishes don't exist for someone like me who is cursed, damaged and condemned to walk in the shadows of my past.

They also say that being stuck in your own mind can drive someone mentally insane. But how can that be?

The thoughts you have are usually questions to answers you are forbidden to seek.

This is where the phrase "Curiosity killed the cat" comes into play. I've always been a curious kitten and it seems that it may have been my downfall.

A gurgly giggle reaches me through the darkness, pulling me out of my personal state of confusion, turmoil and weakness.

A surge of formality spears through my chest, piercing my beating heart. I know that laughter. It haunts me during my nightmares and torments me in my waking state of mind.

'Sandro!'

My sweet, precious baby boy...

"Anne, uyan. Seni özledik." Another familiar voice that awakens my shell shocked body fills my ears and heart.

[Mummy, wake up. We miss you.]

'Aydem!'

My Saviour, guardian angel and the man who makes me weak in the knees.

"It's been three days, she should be awake by now."

Neriman?

"I know, cousin. But she needs all the rest she can muster. I need her to be strong when she awakes. I can not give her bad news when she is still vulnerable and I don't want to lie to her." I hear Aydem sigh that is filled with anxiety, stress and pressure.

I try to open my mouth to let them know that I can hear them and I'm strong enough to receive their blow of bad news.

But nothing comes out and I suddenly realise the dark isn't where I want to be anymore.

I hear them leave the room, and a sense of loneliness consumes me, reminding me that I need to fight for what I want.

And what I want is to hold my baby in my arms and kiss the man who helped save us alongside his cousin.

---

Aydems POV.

The sun's wonderful dazzling light has dipped beyond the horizon, enveloping us in a blanket of twilight.

I cast my gaze towards the window where Sandro's cot is stationed. The soft light from the moon rising illuminates the room and I take another sip from my crystal glass that is filled with a rich amber tone bourbon.

I take sanctuary in its harsh sensation as it glides down the back of my throat and sets the rest of my body on fire.

The grazes on my knuckles are starting to heal and a wave of regret slams into me over and over again. I wish I had beaten Trent more to the point where his blood will forever stain my hands as his abuse of sexual torment will forever haunt Mila.

She is an extraordinary woman and I am in awe of her strength, courage and determination to carry on in life.

I drain the rest of my drink, waiting for the fire in my belly to settle and let out a harsh growl. Standing, I place my empty glass on the small table next to the armchair and lean my hands against the thick glass window, looking out into the garden that is filled with beauty.

Castello is still on the loose.

Neriman continues to guard the Villa with soldiers sent from the Irish, Scandinavia and Russian families.

Everyone wants a piece of him, but the Bratva has been guaranteed Castellos final dying breath.

It did not take long for them to realise what had happened to their princess. The cameras installed inside and outside the Esposito bach provided them with all the proof they required.

A new alliance has been made and in a few days, I tend to accompany Neriman back home to Istanbul, Turkey with my son and new fiancé.

It isn't safe for us to remain in the country while a war has been waged. The Turkish have no turf here and if word gets out that a Peker is in a country without an army of men behind him, it won't take long before there is a bounty put on my head.

This is not a life I want, it unquestionably isn't one I wish to bring my son, my heir and legacy up in. It can be lonely in the dark underworld if you don't have a strong woman to stand by your side.

Innocent blood, sweat and tears is a sacrifice I can not fathom to spill. I am an arrogant lover, not a fighter.

I design shoes, draft and sign contracts while attending endless meetings. All the downfalls of being a hotshot CEO.

"Please! Stop, It hurts, gods your hurting me!!" Mila's blood-curdling cries of torment scream through the villa, shattering my heart.

I take off, jogging towards her room and reach her side in a matter of seconds.

She is tangled in between her bedsheets, tossing and turning as she cries out in a pool of her sweat.

I take her feverish body in my arms, pushing her sweat cladded hair out of her face and I begin to talk to her, hoping she will follow the sound of my voice.

"Mila," I speak in a tone that is laced with pain, concern and dismay. "Aşkım. Sesimi takip et ve ışığa adım at. Bana ve Sandro'ya geri dön."

[My love. Follow my voice and step into the light. Come back to me and Sandro.]

I lock my gaze on her compassionately, instantly wishing we were the protagonists of a fairy tale love story.

On impulse,

I lean in, brushing my lips against hers, hoping that I am her one true love, the one who will help her overcome her curse of walking in the shadows.