Chapter 65 The man who saw her break
“Are you okay… Debs?”
The voice was low. Deep. Warm. A voice that wrapped around her like a sudden shield against everything crushing her chest.
Deborah froze.
Slowly.....very slowly until she turned her head.
And there he was.
Ylmaz.
He stood just a step behind her, tall enough to tower over most men in the ballroom. The golden light from the chandeliers washed over his features, sharpening the angles of his face. His jaw was cut like sculpted stone, his cheekbones sharp, his eyes a striking deep hazel that seemed to pierce straight through her composure.
His black hair was styled cleanly, a few strands falling in a deliberate, effortless way. Broad shoulders filled out his tailored tuxedo perfectly, every line on him radiating strength, elegance, and quiet dominance. He looked like he had stepped straight out of an international fashion ad, handsome in a way that made people glance twice, manly in a way that made every room subconsciously shift around him.
But right now… all those details faded behind one thing.....the worry on his face.
“Debs…” he said again, softer this time. “You don’t look okay.”
Deborah blinked rapidly, trying to swallow the shards of emotion cutting her chest. She wiped beneath her eyes quickly, as if fixing a stray lash and not hiding a tear.
“I’m fine,” she whispered, though her voice wavered faintly.
Ylmaz’s brows pulled together, his gaze sweeping over her taking in her trembling fingers, the slight redness in her eyes, the tension in her posture she couldn’t quite mask.
“No,” he said quietly, stepping closer. “You’re not.”
The sincerity in his tone made her chest tighten all over again. "What happened??" She exhaled shakily, turning her face away, but Ylmaz gently angled himself so she had no choice but to meet his eyes.
“I haven’t seen you since we were in Italy,” he said, trying to keep his voice light, warm… familiar. “You disappeared the moment you and your brothers flew back. No calls. No messages. Not even a simple ‘I’m alive’.”
Deborah let out a small, breathy laugh one that cracked in the middle.
“I’ve been... busy,” she murmured.
“Busy enough to ignore me completely? Your bestfriend?” His brows rose slightly, teasing, but his voice still held that unmistakable concern.
She sighed. “A lot has been… happening.”
Ylmaz studied her, eyes narrowing slightly, not in judgment, but in understanding. He stepped closer, close enough that she could smell his cologne: warm, masculine, laced with cedar and spice. Familiar. Comforting.
“Then let me ask properly,” he said, lowering his voice.
“How are you, Debs? Answer me, no lies please.”
Her lips parted. Her throat tightened. Words wanted to escape, but none came.
She tried again. “I’m… surviving,” she whispered at last.
Ylmaz’s jaw tensed. “That doesn’t sound like you.”
Deborah looked down at her hands, hiding the slight tremble in her fingers. “It’s just… a lot.”
His chest rose with a slow breath, and he reached out, not touching her, but close enough that she could feel his warmth.
“You don’t have to tell me everything,” he murmured. “But don’t lie to me.”
For a moment, time felt suspended between them, quiet, fragile and real.
Then... “Deborah?”
A familiar voice broke the air.
Caelum.
Caelum approached with a measured stride, his posture straight, his face composed but sharp with curiosity. His presence alone tugged the attention of several guests nearby, he moved like a man who never feared being watched.
His eyes flicked from his sister… to Ylmaz… then back to Deborah again.
“What’s going on here?” Caelum asked, voice low but carrying authority.
Ylmaz didn’t flinch. He simply turned slightly, offering Caelum a polite, respectful nod.
“Good evening, Caelum.”
Caelum returned the nod coolly. “Ylmaz.”
Deborah could feel the tension coil instantly, quiet, thick, masculine energy threading between the two men, though they hid it beneath smooth façades.
Caelum shifted his gaze to his sister, his eyes narrowing just a fraction. “You disappeared from the table. Knight was about to go looking for you.”
“I just needed some air,” Deborah said quickly.
Caelum studied her face, too perceptive, too protective and Deborah felt his eyes catching the faint redness around hers.
Before he could comment, Ylmaz spoke.
“You should let her breathe,” he said carefully. “She looked pale when I found her.”
Caelum’s jaw clenched at that not in anger, but in a way that showed he didn’t like anyone else noticing Deborah’s vulnerabilities before he did.
“I can take care of my sister,” Caelum replied smoothly.
“I know.” Ylmaz’s tone remained calm. “I’m just saying she looked overwhelmed.”
Deborah stepped between them slightly, raising a hand as if to diffuse whatever silent competition was building.
“I’m fine,” she insisted gently. “Both of you… please.”
Caelum exhaled slowly, then looked at Ylmaz again.
“You’re here for the summit?” he asked, the businessman in him taking over.
Ylmaz nodded once. “Invited by Alistair Devereaux himself. I’m handling a joint project with him.”
Caelum’s eyes flickered interest, calculation, a hint of surprise. “I see.”
Deborah breathed out softly, relieved that the tension shifted into business rather than confrontation.
But the moment she relaxed, Ylmaz’s attention returned to her...gentle, searching.
“Debs,” he murmured, “if you ever need to talk, or breathe, or escape this place for a moment… I’m here. But don't make secrets again to your brothers.”
Her chest tightened painfully. The sincerity in his voice felt like a lifeline she didn’t know she was allowed to reach for.
Caelum’s gaze sharpened at that.
Before he could speak again, the lights dimmed slightly signaling the next phase of the program. A soft chime echoed across the ballroom.
“Deborah,” Caelum said firmly but quietly, “come with me. The event is about to start.”
She nodded, but before she could step away, Ylmaz leaned just a bit closer,close enough for only her to hear.
“Take care of yourself,” he whispered. “You look like you’re holding up the whole world alone.”
Her breath caught.... just for a moment.
Then she turned to follow her brother. As she walked away, she could feel both of their gazes on her.
One protective. One worried. Both intense in different ways.
And neither of them knowing she was already holding a heartbreak that wasn’t supposed to exist.