“Brother, welcome home,” the man said in a voice that, contrary to his words, stated that he wasn’t at all pleased to see Volkan at their family home. So her guess was correct, there was trouble in the Kartel household. Though they were similar in looks, the brother appeared a few years younger, was smaller in stature, and not as handsome as Volkan. “Mother is expecting you in the salon. She has tea and sandwiches.”

Volkan grunted his acknowledgment, and, without introducing Yasmin to his brother, escorted her into the house and straight through toward the back where windows stretched from wall-to-wall showing off a spectacular view of the Black Sea. Yasmin wanted to walk through the double doors at the back of the house so she could admire the view, but Volkan caught her elbow and escorted her into another room. It was spacious but cozy, with an oriental rug and antique furniture.

A woman sat with a teacup cradled in her hands.

“Mother,” Volkan said.

She set her teacup down and stood. Volkan’s mother was an elegant woman in her 50s or 60s. She wore black fitted trousers, a coral blouse with a cowl-neck collar and low-heeled shoes. Her sleek, dark chestnut hair was swept into a perfect knot at the back of her head and a string of pearls lay against her collarbones.

Yasmin felt suddenly shy as they approached. Kidnap victim or not, it was still nerve-wracking to be presented to a potential future mother-in-law.

“Mother, this is my bride-to-be, Yasmin Mahdi.” He took Yasmin’s hand and pulled her forward. “Yasmin, this is Narin Kartel, my mother.”

It was on the tip of Yasmin’s tongue to say an automatic ‘nice to meet you’, but two things stopped her. First, it wasn’t particularly nice to meet Volkan’s mother, not under the current circumstances. And second, because the woman was looking at her like she was seeing a ghost.

She took a step forward, her face crumpling with pain as she clutched her throat, her long fingers tangling in her pearls. Her voice was hushed as she said, “Caria?”

Chapter Twenty-Five

“No, mother,” Volkan said, somewhat impatiently. “Not Caria. As I’ve explained, this is Yasmin.”

“But she looks so much like…” Narin’s gaze was pleading and her hands were restless, as if she didn’t know what to do with them. She continued to stare at Yasmin, her face pale.

“You are mistaken,” Volkan said coldly. “Now, I will show Yasmin our suite while you gather your wits. I don’t want to hear anymore nonsense about Caria.” Volkan placed a hand at Yasmin’s back and led her toward the entranceway. Looking back at his mother, he asked, “Where are Defne and Zeynep? We saw Demir when we came in.”