War Paint;

War Paint;
The doorbell rang at nine the next morning. When Arzu opened the door with her coffee cup in hand, she saw not only Yaman, but also a tall, dark, handsome man with a serious look beside him.

Ateş, as always, was looking at her with his unsettling, handsome smile. She saw his eyes wandering over her and grumbled. "He never gives up." 

"Good morning," said Yaman, with his usual easy smile. "This is Cem, my business partner. Like I said, we're going to need professional help with this."

Cem bowed his head politely. "Pleased to meet you, Ms. Arzu. Yaman has spoken highly of you."

As Arzu invited them inside, she sized up Cem. Although the man was acting politely, there was a dangerous glint in his eyes. It resembled the cold expression she saw in Ateş's eyes. They presented an even more dangerous image for a gallery owner and his partner. But she didn't dwell on it...

"Mert has gone to school," she said, directing them into the living room. "We can talk freely."

Natya entered the room with a tray of tea. She shuddered slightly when she saw Cem, but served them politely.

Cem, pleased with what he saw, said, "Thank you, lovely lady," as he took his tea. Seeing Cem's dangerous gaze, Natya quickly returned to the kitchen.

Yaman sat comfortably in the armchair, crossing his legs. "Okay, let's begin. What are we going to do about this Işıl business?"

Arzu stood up and began pacing the living room. She had her arms crossed over her chest, in lawyer mode.

"First, we need to find out her real motive. It's not just money; there's something deeper. She's playing games, hitting on Kerem, and hiring gangsters to threaten me even though there's nothing left for her to take from me," she said.

Cem leaned forward. "Actually... I did some research on Işıl. This woman's real goal is power and status," he said and handed the file in his hand to Arzu. 

While Arzu was looking at the file, Cem continued talking. "She started with small prey, tricked most of them with promises of marriage, and made them make certain investments. Later, all these investments made rival companies jump into the market. When the men she hunted went bankrupt, Işıl abandoned them. Her goals grew bigger and bigger, like her hunger for power and status. Now she wants to achieve this, and the fastest way to get it..."

"Ateş Yamanoğlu," Arzu finished.

"Absolutely," Cem nodded. "That woman is currently focused on getting her hands on the most powerful man in this city."

Arzu's face tensed. "So my guesses were right. The attitude I saw at that club... Ateş, Işıl following me... it was all true..."

Yaman's lips curled with pleasure at what he heard, he put down his cup and looked intently at Arzu. "What exactly did you see at that club?"

"Işıl was acting very close to Ateş. She was threatening the other women. As if she already owned him..." said Arzu.

Cem and Yaman exchanged glances. Ateş was secretly impressed by Işıl's courage.

"In that case," said Cem thoughtfully, "if you want to stop Işıl, you need to reach Ateş Yamanoğlu first."

Arzu paused and looked at him. "Yes, but... That's a very dangerous plan."

"Yes, very dangerous," Yaman agreed. "Because you need to know who Ateş Yamanoğlu is."

"What do you mean?"

Cem stood up and walked to the window. His voice was tense.

"Ateş Yamanoğlu isn't just a rich businessman, Arzu. He's the king of the underworld in this city."

Arzu's eyes widened. "What do you mean?"

"After ending up on the streets at 15, he entered the dark world," Cem continued. "He started small. But he rose very quickly. He was smart, ruthless, and determined."

Yaman joined in. "He killed his first rival at 18. He started his own gang at 20. By 25, he controlled all the illegal business in this city," he said. He watched Arzu curiously, wondering how she would react to what he was saying.

"Stop..." Arzu raised her hand. "Are you saying Ateş killed a man?"

Cem nodded. "Not just one person. Dozens of people. He eliminated everyone who was his rival. He showed no mercy."

Arzu's knees were shaking. She sat down on the chair, burying her face in her hands.

"This... this isn't possible. That boy... he was innocent..."

"He's not that boy anymore," Yaman said sternly. "He's now the most dangerous man in this country. Everyone fears him."

"How could that be?" Arzu's voice trembled.

Cem sat down again, softening his voice. "Sometimes people have to become monsters to survive. Fire can be like that too," he said.

"But..." Arzu raised her head, murmuring, "Why would such a man want me?"

Yaman shrugged. He was struggling to contain his excitement. "The only way to find out is to approach him," he said with a smile.

"And that's very dangerous," Cem added. "Ateş Yamanoğlu trusts no one. If you make a wrong move, he'll kill you too."

Ateş shot Cem a look that seemed to say, Don't scare him.

Arzu was silent for a long time. Then she raised her head, determination shining in her eyes.

"I have to do it. To protect Mert. To get stronger, to defeat this woman," she said.

"Okay," said Cem, "how are you going to approach him?"

Arzu fixed her gaze on him. "There's another club event tomorrow night. She'll be there too," she said.

Cem leaned forward. "This time you need a different strategy. Just looking pretty won't be enough. The first stage is with people of your own status color. If no man chooses you in the first stage, you can't participate in the second stage. Since Ateş is of royal status, you need to pass the stage."

"What do I need?"

"Power," said Yaman. "We've identified a harmless target for you. He has little to do with the Red Room. He's looking for a noble woman to parade around as his wife in society. You need to remind him that you come from a noble family. You have to show him you're his equal."

Arzu thought. "I have my mother's necklace. It's from the Ottoman period, very valuable. It's our family heirloom."

"Perfect. That necklace will set you apart from the others."

"Also," Yaman added with a sly smile, "choosing the right outfit is important."

Arzu raised her eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

"Ateş Yamanoğlu finds strong women attractive. But at the same time... you have to be feminine too."

Cem smiled. It was funny that Ateş was officially planning his own desires. "Yaman is right. This guy loves power games," he said with an insinuating tone.

"Okay," Arzu said decisively. "I'll approach him tomorrow. But... how will I talk to him? What will I say?"

Yaman approached her. A playful light sparkled in his eyes. "Did you meet him before? In the past?"

Arzu nodded. "Yes. We were very close. I... loved him very much," she said.

"That's very important," said Cem. "You can use that past. But be careful. He's not someone who acts based on childhood memories anymore."

"I understand. But what about Işıl? She'll be there too."

"You shouldn't care if Işıl sees you," said Yaman. "The important thing is to get Ateş's attention."

Arzu now understood the plan. But she also knew that nothing would be as easy as planned.  

A little later, as Cem and Yaman were getting ready to leave the house, Arzu asked one last question.
"What if the plan doesn't work? What if Ateş rejects me?"

Yaman turned to her, a strange gleam in his eyes. "He won't. It's obvious you've caught his interest," he smiled.

That night, Arzu lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. What she had learned about Ateş confused her. Was that innocent boy really a murderer? The thought alone suffocated her.

A little later, just as she was about to fall asleep, her phone rang. It was an unknown number. Arzu hesitantly answered it slowly.
"Hello?"

"Hello, Little Sparrow."

The voice was crackly, deep, and dangerous. But she knew immediately who it was; there was only one person who called her that. Ateş Yamanoğlu...
Arzu's heart began to beat faster.
"How did you get this number?"

"That's not important, Little Sparrow. What's important is... will I see you there tomorrow night?"

Arzu whispered hesitantly, "Ateş?"

A sharp laugh came from Ateş. "Are you giving up?"

Arzu sat up straight in bed, trying to sound confident. 
"No. I'm not giving up."

"I'll see you tomorrow night, then?"

"Yes, you will. Because now I'm in the game too."

"Very good. Then... get ready, little bird. I warned you and forgave you once. But you didn't take advantage of that chance. This time, the game will be much tougher," Ateş muttered.

And the line went dead. When Arzu hung up the phone, her whole body trembled; the dangerous games were beginning. There was no turning back now.