FIFTY-TWO

At 5pm, Yalda had wrapped up her work for the day and was ready to leave. She made her way to Alexander's office like she always did, and she opened the door and stepped in stiffly; they hadn't talked much since the elevator, she knew she was being petty about the whole Maya Blackwood thing but she could help it.

"I'm heading out now." She told him even before he pried his gaze from the screen of his MacBook.

"Alright. I'll see you later." He replied without sparing her a glance.

Perhaps she shouldn't have said anything about his relationship with Maya, after all, he already made it clear that he would fuck whomever he pleased. But he also shouldn't have spoken so casually of the whole thing knowing how it would make her feel.

With that in mind, she turned around and walked out without saying another word. She didn't have the energy to deal with this, she tried to smoothen out the slight frown on her face as she stepped into the elevator and waited for it to come to a halt.

She dragged in a deep breath to pull herself together just as the doors slid open, and she made her way with confident strides.

"Bye Ms. Harris." Sara called out as she walked passed her desk.

"Bye Sara." She replied, she tried not to sound gruff.

And on stepping out of the building, she let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. She was about to offer the security guards a courteous smile and walk passed them like she always did but stopped when one spoke first.

"Ms. Harris, we were just about to let you know that you have someone here to see you." He said.

Her blew arched slightly.

"Who?" She asked.

"A woman, she said her name is Defne Harris. She showed an ID and we asked her to wait in the reception but she insisted on just waiting in her car." He replied.

Her heart fell to the pit of her stomach and her mood became even more wretched. Defne was here? She knew it was nothing good; she probably wanted to harass her about what happened with Zayn.

Nonetheless, she nodded and thanked the guards before heading to the parking lot. She had barely gotten there when she sighed Defne stalking towards her, and to make it worse, she had Nora with her.

Just what she needed at the moment.....

"You!" Defne said on getting to her. "How dare you?"

Yalda's gaze flickered around and she found Carl walking up to her but she shook her head, there was no need for him to intervene, she knew Defne wasn't above causing a scene.

"Hello Aunt Defne." She said to the older woman who was obvious enraged, then her gaze moved to Nora who still looked as spiteful as she had always been. "Nora."

"You had my son arrested?" Defne asked her.

Her brow arched slightly.

"It's not my fault he got arrested for harassing me." She replied.

Defne stepped closer to her angrily but she didn't move or try to back away from from her; the woman didn't intimidate her anymore, she wasn't living under her roof anymore and there was nothing she could do to her.

"Harass you? Zayn would never do that." Defne spat.

She rolled her eyes. So, she was still this way? She would never accept that her children were as nasty as she was.

"You and I both know that he would." She replied irritatedly. "Just like we both know I was telling the truth when I said he groped my ass."

Nora snickered.

"Fuck off, Yalda. You were always dressed like a whore, can you blame him for treating you like one?" She asked her.

There it was again, that anger that cursed through the entire fibre of her being. These people brought out the worst in her, they took her back to her darkest and unhinged days which she hated so very much.

"Fuck you." She said to Nora. Her throat had clenched so much she could hardly breathe.

"Don't talk to her that way." Defne bit out.

Her gaze snapped back to hers and she glared daggers at her.

"It's okay when she does it?" She asked her.

"She said nothing but the truth." She replied. "And even if she didn't, you have no right to speak to her that way; we took you into our home and saved you."

She was tired of hearing that, so very tired.

"You want me to pay you back?" She asked her bitterly. "You want me to pay you off so you can all fuck off and leave me alone?"

She didn't expect it, but Defne suddenly hit her. She felt her cheek sting painfully from the contact of Defne's palm, and though tears stung the back of her eyes, she blinked them back quickly.

Her gaze once again flickered to Carl's and she saw him advancing towards them but she shook her head once more. She could deal with this herself.

"Zayn said you said the exact same thing to him." Defne told her.

"He also said your boss has been fucking you." Nora added. "That explains why you're suddenly so reach and famous."

She was so close to retaliating the slap, so very close; her hand twitched to smack the both of them across the face but she stopped herself.

"Yeah? Perhaps you should get yourself fucked by someone who can make you reach and famous instead of settling for disgusting boys who can't get by a the day without getting high." She said to Nora.

Nora attempted to charge towards her but Defne stopped her.

"How dare you?" She hissed at Yalda.

Yalda chuckled humorlessly.

"Don't pretend you don't like what I'm saying. I'm even surprised Nora hasn't birthed a bastard." She reported.

Defne's eyes flared and she raised her hand in an attempt to hit her again but she grabbed her wrist to stop her. She saw the shock in her eyes.

"Don't you dare." She warned, her voice had dropped an octave.

"Yalda!" Nora spat.

"This will be the last time you attempt to hit me." She said to Defne before tossing her hand aside.

Defne's eyes widened in shock and disbelief but she continued to glare daggers at her.

"I swear I will have the both of you arrested if you ever come anywhere near me again." She warned.

It wouldn't be long before people started coming into the parking lot to get their cars, and she didn't want anyone seeing this.

"Leave immediately or I'll have the security send you out." She told him.

Nora was brooding but it seemed Defne knew better than to try anything else.

"This isn't the end of this." She told her.

Yalda nodded. This indeed wasn't the end, she was beginning to think she would teach them a lesson once and for all.

"No, it definitely isn't.". She said, her words heavy with meaning.

With that, she walked passed them angrily and walked up to Carl who was standing by the car.

"Are you alright, Ms.?" He asked her.

She nodded though she was literally fuming.

"I am. Thank you." She replied before prying the door open and getting in, she slammed the door shut before tiredly leaning her head against the headrest.