It was a happy day for the Aksoy family.
Outside the hall, cars were lined up in perfect order, their engines off, waiting for the right moment. Musicians tuned their instruments beneath the main canopy, adjusting sheet music while staff members moved through the space with quick, discreet steps. The atmosphere was alive, charged with anticipation.
Kemal Aksoy observed everything with a satisfied smile.
A few hours earlier, Emre Volkan had returned from his trip. He arrived on the first flight of the morning, still groggy, his body heavy and his mind slightly dulled by the excesses of the night before. Alcohol still lingered in his gestures, but nothing that compromised the impeccable image he now presented, dressed in a dark suit with rehearsed composure.
Though he hated to admit it, Emre was happy.
The Aksoys' daughter was truly beautiful. Polite, delicate, intelligent. Marrying her did not feel like a sacrifice. On the contrary—it was an excellent arrangement. A convenient, comfortable marriage, and to a woman he knew he could learn to like.
Even the city's mayor was present, chatting animatedly with important guests. That alone spoke volumes about the weight of the occasion.
"Where is Leyla?" Aysel Volkan asked, approaching Kemal, her teacup still held between her fingers.
Kemal smiled, relaxed.
"At home, with my daughter. The two of them will come together in the car."
Aysel nodded, satisfied.
At the Aksoy mansion, the atmosphere was very different.
Ece stood before the mirror, studying her reflection in silent focus. The wedding dress fit her perfectly—too light for a cloudy day, too delicate for the weight pressing against her chest. Her hair was carefully styled, her makeup soft, highlighting eyes that revealed nervousness and anticipation in equal measure.
Emre was handsome. Polite. Sometimes a little immature, it was true, but nothing that seemed too serious. Despite the natural fear, Ece was happy. Truly happy. Her heart raced, but it wasn't only anxiety.
Contrary to what many might imagine, her father had not forced her to marry. He had influenced, guided, presented the path as the safest, most logical choice. And she had accepted.
Ece and Emre had attended the same school. He was three years older, already drawing attention while she still hid behind books and sketches. Over time, that closeness had turned into something familiar and comfortable.
The bedroom door opened slowly.
Leyla stepped inside.
When she saw her daughter dressed as a bride, her eyes filled with tears instantly. She raised a hand to her face, trying to compose herself, but it was useless.
"Stop it, Mom," Ece scolded, her voice breaking, her own eyes welling up.
Leyla laughed through tears.
"I'm sorry, my love… you look beautiful. Like a fairytale princess."
They embraced for a long moment, as if trying to memorize that instant. Then they took a deep breath and prepared to leave.
At the mansion gate, two cars were waiting. One carried the security detail. The other would take Ece to the hall.
As the property gates opened, the rain began to fall more heavily.
Ece's legs wavered for a moment. Leyla noticed immediately and offered her arm. Ece leaned on her, took a deep breath, and moved forward. They hurried into the vehicle, escaping the intensifying rain.
The two cars drove off down the road.
For a few minutes, only the sound of rain and the engine could be heard.
Leyla's phone rang.
It was Kemal.
"Are you going to take long?" he asked, his voice far too cheerful. He had probably already had a drink.
"We're on our way," Leyla replied, trying to sound calm.
In the seat beside her, Ece closed her eyes for a moment, concentrating so as not to ruin her makeup.
Leyla hung up.
"It would be awful to have the ceremony at home with this rain," she commented, trying to lighten the mood.
Ece merely nodded. The more time passed, the more reality settled in: she was on her way to get married.
Suddenly, a sharp bang cut through the sound of the rain.
The car shook violently.
"What happened?" Leyla asked, alarmed.
"I think we have a flat tire," the driver replied, pulling over.
Leyla didn't hesitate.
"Tell the other car to get ready. We can't be delayed any longer. Stay here and change the tire."
Both vehicles stopped.
Leyla took a scarf and covered her daughter's head, protecting her from the rain. When Ece stepped out, her feet touched the wet asphalt. Her leg slipped. The heel slid. The hem of the dress brushed the ground, staining itself with mud.
Ece felt anger rise to her eyes.
"It's all right," Leyla said quickly. "It's just a dress."
She helped her daughter walk toward the other car.
That was when the sound of engines revving tore through the road.
Three vans appeared out of nowhere.
Black. Tinted windows. Hooded men jumped out almost simultaneously, wearing dark clothes and balaclavas. Everything happened too fast.
Leyla's heart froze.
She had always known this could happen.
The guards were overpowered within seconds. Only the driver tried to react, reaching for his waist. A gunshot hit him before he could draw his weapon.
Ece screamed.
One of the men—probably the only Black man in the group, noticeable only by the skin visible around his eyes—approached her. Rain streamed down his mask, making him look even more menacing.
He grabbed Ece by the chin and squeezed.
"Don't touch my daughter!" Leyla screamed, desperate.
At the sound of her voice, the man glanced away for a second.
It was enough.
Ece struck him on the chin with her hand.
"Run!" Leyla shouted.
Ece tried.
She ran a few meters, but the heels and the heavy dress betrayed her. She fell onto the wet asphalt.
The man signaled.
Leyla and the guards were tied up inside the vehicle.
One of the men slapped Ece across the face. The only slap she had ever received in her entire life.
The shock was greater than the pain.
Who would be insane enough to touch her, knowing who her father was?
The Black man stepped forward again. He took the young woman's face in his hands, examined the red mark, and, furious, struck the man who had hit her. The reaction was so sudden that Ece didn't know how to respond.
Then she screamed again, as two men grabbed her from behind and dragged her toward the van.
Leyla cried, bound, beside the disarmed guards.
Before closing the van door, the masked man deliberately turned and gave the matriarch of the Aksoy family a two-finger salute.
Inside the van, Ece screamed as her hands were cuffed. Her cries echoed in Leyla's mind, piercing her soul.
"Leave me alone! Who are you?!" Ece sobbed. "You can't do this today… I'm getting married!"
The Black man leaned close to her face. The proximity made Ece fall silent.
"Don't worry," he said, his voice firm. "That's exactly why we're here."
Ece looked around: armed, hooded men; her soaked wedding dress, stained with mud; her aching body.
"Are you insane?" she asked, her voice trembling.
The man smiled beneath the balaclava.
"Just enough to do my job."
The van sped off, disappearing into the rain.