They ate breakfast together, but Fati was different. The passion in her eyes was gone. Her gaze wandered everywhere except toward him; it was as if he didn't even exist, even though he was sitting right in front of her. She spoke very little and rarely smiled. She was strictly following the "rules" he had created.
But the truth was, Jaguar hated this new version of her. The fire that used to burn in her eyes always drove him toward her. Now, she sat there with cold, bluish eyes, and all he could think about was how to light that fire again. He had learned her secrets: when she was happy, her eyes glowed a fiery green. When she was sad, they turned a strange, sea-blue color he had never seen before. But to him, her eyes were most beautiful when filled with tears shining like pearls that completely enchanted him even if it blue or green.
Jaguar tried to start a conversation, but she only answered with a "yes" or a "no." While he was drinking his tea, the secretary arrived with the bodyguard and her personal secretary, all dressed in black again. Suddenly, Fati's face lit up with joy. She greeted them warmly as if they were a lost treasure. But when she turned back to him, her coldness returned.
- May I go upstairs with them?
She asked.
- You may,
He replied shortly.
He continued drinking his tea, acting like he didn't care, but inside, he was furious. He was jealous that she gave them the smiles he had been trying to get for the past hour. After Fati left, the secretary asked,
- Sir, did the lady sign the papers? Do you want me to keep the copy?
Jaguar touched his jacket, right over his heart where the papers were hidden. He pressed them, thinking of the drop of blood on the page.
- No,
He said firmly.
- I will keep them with me. You may go.
Jaguar sat there, lost in thoughts of the girl who had just gone upstairs. His mind and heart were with her, and he couldn't stop thinking about her. The image of her in her wedding dress still haunted him. Suddenly, his secretary asked from behind,
- Sir, should I continue with the flight bookings back home?
Jaguar stayed silent. He didn't know what to say. He didn't want to leave yet; something was pulling him to stay. He felt like he couldn't even stand to be a few steps away from her. Although he desperately wanted to go upstairs to her, he controlled himself and said,
- No. I want to rest here for one more day.
- But sir, tomorrow...
Jaguar interrupted him firmly,
- I said I'm staying. Tomorrow morning, the lady and I will fly home together on my private jet. You and the others should book a regular commercial flight for yourselves.
He wanted her all to himself. The secretary said nothing and left to change the bookings. Jaguar kept drinking his tea, lost in thought, not even noticing that his tea had gone completely cold.
Jaguar went up to the suite after a while and found Fati dressed and ready to go out. He asked, sounding surprised:
- Are you going out?
She answered calmly:
- If you don't mind, I'm thinking of buying some gifts before we return.
- And who are these for?
- For my grandfather... and yours too. Especially since your grandfather couldn't attend our wedding due to his illness. I can't meet him when we return without bringing him a proper gift.
Jaguar studied her in silence, thinking bitterly: How naive she is! She has no idea about the hatred this grandfather is hiding for her. But he didn't say a word about what was on his mind; instead, he said:
- Alright, let's go out.
She asked with surprise, as the spark of excitement vanished from her face:
- What? Are you coming... with us?
Jaguar paused at the word "us." Was she planning to go out with her secretary and bodyguard and leave him out of her plans? He decided he wouldn't let her leave his sight, so he replied firmly:
- Of course. I am the one who knows best what my grandfather likes.
Fati gave in to his decision, feeling disappointed; she had been hoping for a few moments of freedom away from his pressure, but Jaguar was not going to allow it.
At the markets, Fati was a completely different person. She looked like a child finally set free to play after being stuck at home for a month. She experienced shopping in a way Jaguar had never seen; she greeted the sellers with genuine warmth, looked at the products with real excitement, and thanked them with such kindness. She treated everyone with a natural love. It made Jaguar fall in love with her a thousand times over.
In the end, they bought an elegant pen for their grandfathers, and a box of saffron flavored biscuits with pistachio sauce, which she loved. While she was busy, he secretly bought her a necklace with a teddy bear charm because she reminded him of a child, no matter how much she tried to act grown-up.
When they were finally alone in the car, away from the secretary and the bodyguard, he gave her the gift. As soon as she saw it, her eyes glowed with a beautiful, pinkish green light he had never seen before, shining with happy tears. She was truly happy. Her eyes stunned him every single time; he had fallen in love with those two gems, and he decided he would never let that spark fade, no matter how hard she tried to hide it.
She didn't give him a chance to put the necklace on her. She quickly took it out of the box and put it on herself, looking at her reflection in the dark car window. Then she turned to him and asked:
- What do you think? Does it look beautiful on me?
- Yes,
He replied softly,
- you look wonderful.
- Thank you! Thank you so much!
He finally received her thanks. It was different and much more beautiful than how she thanked the shopkeepers. Without realizing it, she suddenly leaned in to hug him, but halfway through, she remembered her "rules" and hesitated, trying to pull away.
Jaguar couldn't let her leave. He placed his hand on her back and pulled her body close to his, in a hug that shook his very soul. She trembled in his arms. All the dreams and hopes she had before the wedding flooded back into her heart, setting it on fire with love for him. She let out a small moan, and Jaguar pulled her even closer, kissing the top of her head and breathing in the scent of her hair as if he had finally found home.