Yasmin shook her head. “No, we mostly just talked about the beach and the tourist sights.” It was a lie, but he didn’t need to know that Zeynep had offered her a way out if she wanted to leave Turkey.

She didn’t trust Zeynep, but the other woman might become a last resort if Yasmin needed to leave in a hurry.

Chapter Thirty-Three

The days flew past, dragging Yasmin closer and closer to her wedding date. The Kartel villa seemed to be in a constant uproar, with dressmakers wanting to take measurements and make adjustments, decorators transforming the house, and caterers moving equipment and food into the kitchen area. Despite the busy household, Yasmin felt restless and unproductive.

Volkan was away on business and had been for two days. Yasmin didn’t exactly miss him because they hadn’t settled into a routine before he left, but she noticed his absence. He wasn’t there at meals to help mitigate the awkwardness with his family at the dinner table. He wasn’t there when she wanted to connect with her family and she couldn’t do it without him because she needed him for access to a phone, and he wasn’t there when the nights became long and she needed the comfort of someone familiar when her thoughts became a chaotic whirl of fear and anxiety.

“Would you like to step inside now, Ms. Mahdi?” Henry asked, startling her as he came up beside her. “The sun is hot today and your cheeks are flushed.”

She glanced at him. “I’m very comfortable but thank you for your concern.”

Before he could say anything else, Defne came rushing from the house and hurtled toward them. “Yasmin, come quick!” Alarmed, Yasmin ran to the younger woman’s side as Defne wrung her hands and wailed, “Volkan is missing!”

“What?” Yasmin asked sharply. “What do you mean?”

“There’s a storm off the coast and we can’t get in touch with him. He’s supposed to fly in tonight!” Fat tears leaked from Defne’s large, frightened eyes and trickled down her cheeks. “What if something happened to him?”

Yasmin didn’t understand. “Volkan is missing? You know this for sure or you just haven’t heard from him?”

“We haven’t heard from him,” she admitted, then rushed to add, “But he’s supposed to stay in touch at all times and he hasn’t contacted us at all.”

Yasmin glanced at Henry, who was frowning down at Defne. “Do you know anything about this?”

He shook his head. “No, but the boss always flies safe. If there’s a storm, then he’ll divert his flight path and go around.” He hesitated before awkwardly addressing Defne. “I’m sure he’ll check in when he gets a chance. There might be interference on the radio if he’s flying around a storm.”