All Chapters of The Assistant’s Sinful Bargain: Chapter 11 - Chapter 18

POV DEFNEThe room went completely still.I stared at the faded bruises on my arm as though they belonged to someone else. Under the warm kitchen lights, the marks looked older than I remembered, yellowed slightly at the edges but still visible enough for anyone paying attention to understand exactly what had left them there.For one humiliating second, neither of us moved.Then I pulled my sleeve down too quickly.“It’s nothing.”The lie sounded weak even to me.Adem’s gaze remained fixed on my arm, and the silence that followed felt heavier than anger would have. I had begun to understand something dangerous about him over the course of the night: he became quieter the more serious the situation was.Most people reacted emotionally first.Adem observed.That somehow made him far more intimidating.“How long?” he asked finally.I crossed my arms tightly, more defensive now than cold. “It doesn’t matter.”“It matters to me.”The answer unsettled me because he said it without hesitatio

POV DEFNEFor a moment, all I could do was stare at the photograph.The image looked far more intimate than the reality had felt only seconds earlier. From that angle, with Adem standing close enough to touch my wrist while I wore his white shirt inside his penthouse after midnight, there was no innocent explanation left. Anyone seeing it would assume exactly what the sender intended them to assume.My stomach tightened painfully.“This is insane,” I whispered.Adem continued studying the image with unsettling calm, though I noticed the faint tension in his jaw this time. It was the only visible sign that the situation had finally begun irritating him.“Someone has access to private security footage or building surveillance,” he said.I looked up sharply. “You’re worried about the cameras?”“I’m concerned about whoever feels confident enough to use them against me.”The distinction mattered to him. I could hear it immediately.This was no longer only about scandal. It had become a cha

POV DEFNEEverything inside me went cold after those words.For a second, I could only stare at Adem while the rain battered the windows behind him and my pulse turned painfully uneven inside my chest. Berat had threatened me before—countless times, in countless different ways—but this was different.Because he knew exactly where to aim.My parents.The one subject capable of destroying what little stability remained in my life.“What does he mean?” Adem asked quietly.I looked away immediately.That alone was answer enough.The silence stretching between us suddenly felt unbearable. I could feel Adem watching me carefully, waiting, analyzing every flicker of emotion crossing my face. Most people looked at me with pity after hearing my surname. Adem looked at me as though every hidden thing simply became another piece of information to understand.And somehow, that was worse.“Defne.”His voice was calmer now, lower.“What is he talking about?”I wrapped my arms tighter around myself,

POV DEFNEI had never understood before that a smile could feel threatening.Enise Sahenk stood inside the penthouse doorway with rain still clinging lightly to the dark fabric of her coat, her posture perfectly composed despite the situation unfolding around her. She was beautiful in the way certain women became beautiful after spending years learning how to survive inside powerful circles. Everything about her appeared deliberate, from the elegant twist of her hair to the controlled calm in her expression.And somehow, that calm terrified me more than anger would have.Her eyes remained on me for one long second too many.Not shocked.Not emotional.Observant.I suddenly became painfully aware of every detail about myself. Bare feet against the marble floor. Adem’s white shirt hanging too loosely against my skin. The bruises still faintly visible near my wrist.The silence stretching through the penthouse became unbearable.Then Enise looked toward her husband.“You could have warne