Niko had neither the desire nor the time to explain to his mother the common truths about love and care. And there was no point. He just looked into her eyes, making it clear with a glance that she no longer had power over him. Now he is not formal, but the real head of the Bianco family and will act as he sees fit. Signora Hortense lowered her eyes and stepped aside. Niko called the butler and asked him to set Ornella up in one of the guest rooms.

"When Signorita Ornella's things are brought, take them to her room," he ordered. "And led the maid to bring a tray of supper into my room. Also, tell Signorites Maria and Lucia that I will be waiting for them at ten in the study. Mother," he turned to Signora Hortense, "this request concerns you too. We need to seriously talk about important changes in the life of the Bianco family."

"We can talk immediately," his mother told him in response.

"Sorry, Mother," Niko replied, "but we'll talk at ten in the evening. I haven't had a crumb in my mouth today. I want to eat, shower and change."

Signora Hortense did not react in any way to the fact that her son was tired and hungry. She just pursed her lips in displeasure. It was at this moment that Niko realized that he did not and never had a mother. All his life he was not a child and a beloved son, but only an instrument in achieving the goals and ambitions of Signora Salvatore Bianco. And he also realized that the understanding of this fact caused him only annoyance. There was no resentment or pain. Hortense Salvatore-Bianco became a stranger for him.

In some incomprehensible way, Ornella felt what was happening in his soul. When they went up to the second floor, she stopped Nico and said, "It seems that we both became rootless today."

"I don't care," he said.

"I don't care," she agreed.

Hastily taking a shower and changing clothes, Niko left the bathroom. There was a tray covered with a white napkin on the table in the room. The aroma of grilled steak hit his nose. His stomach responded with a sucking pain. But before starting to eat, Niko took the phone and went to the window. Looking through the dark glass, he called Jansu. Long beep ... the second ... and then a series of short ones. She hung up. Doesn't want to talk to him. But she does not know how stubborn and persistent he can be. Niko took the phone away from his ear, quickly typed in a message, and sent it.

"I love you," flew away into the night.

He looked at the phone and imagined Jansu. So she hears a beep, looks at the screen, sees that there is a message from him, tosses the phone away, turns away, walks around the room with an independent look, then comes back, grabs it, and opens the message.

On his phone screen, the message sent to Jansu changed color. She read it! Niko mentally began counting the seconds. On the tenth, the phone vibrated with an incoming message. Niko opened it with lightning speed.

"Go to hell!" the screen glowed.

She answered! Niko's face lit up. With a sigh of relief, he sat down at the table with a contented look. It doesn't matter that she is angry and rude. The main thing is that she didn't shut herself in and did not delete him from her life.

Fifteen minutes later, Niko went downstairs to the study. The sisters and mother were already waiting for him. The first greeted him with smiles and spoke in unison, rejoicing at his return home, his mother sat in an armchair with a stone look. Niko walked over to the desk, leaned his hip against it, and spoke to his sisters, "Girls, I must inform you that I am leaving Rome."

"How?" exclaimed Maria.

"Where?" Lucia echoed her.

"To Istanbul," Niko replied.

"Did you make up with Jansu?" Lucia was delighted and immediately frowned, "But what about Ornella? After all, you are engaged to her."

Niko first answered his sister's second question, "Ornella and I decided to break off the engagement. This is a mutual decision. We do not experience the feelings that are necessary to create a family. I will always support her, but only as a sister. As for Jansu, we have not made up, but I am striving for this."

"I knew it!" exclaimed Lucia. "Knew that you wanted to make peace with her. You had such love! It could not disappear without a trace."

Signora Hortense looked at her daughter with condemnation, and she instantly faded, lowering her head and pulling it into her shoulders. Niko's face darkened.

"You're right, Lucia," he said to his sister with warmth in his voice. "But the conversation is not about me and Jansu now. I want to talk about you and Maria. You are my sisters. Beloved sisters. I'm worried about your future and I want it to be a happy one. I don't want your lives to be broken for the sake of anyone's interests. But the decision is up to you. You can stay in Rome with our mother, or you can come with me to Istanbul. Think it over and tell me your decision tomorrow morning."

Maria looked at him in confusion. Lucia jumped to her feet. A decisive twinkle burned in her eyes.

"I don't have to think," she said. "I'm going with you. But only until the end of summer. "A guilty expression appeared in her eyes. "Sorry, I kept it a secret... I was afraid that my mother would forbid... and you too. I applied to the Sorbonne. The answer came yesterday. I was admitted to the Faculty of Law."

"What?!" cried Signora Hortense. "What is this nonsense for? Lucia, you are Salvatore Bianco! You don't need to study and work."

"But I want to!" the girl strongly objected. "I want to become a high-class lawyer and help people."

"Me too," Maria said quietly. All heads turned to her. Mother looked indignantly, Niko encouraging. His look added confidence to the girl and she spoke, "I want, after graduation, to go to study as a veterinarian."

"A laudable wish," Niko supported her. "I will do everything in my power to make it come true."

Signora Hortense pressed her hand to her forehead and exclaimed, "Lord, the world has gone crazy! Who have I raised?" She got up, looked at the children with contempt, and said, "You are all typical Bianco. There is not a drop of the noble blood of Salvatore in you. Go to Istanbul. Barbarian city, barbarian country. You only deserve it. The greatness of the old aristocratic family is not for you."

"And thank God," Niko said ironically, and then smiled encouragingly at the sisters, "If this is your decision, go and pack your things. We will fly to Istanbul tomorrow evening."

Jansu was torn apart by conflicting emotions. She then fell into anger, then ascended to heaven, for a short moment allowing herself to believe Niko's words. But the next minute she plunged into an abyss of doubts and scolded herself for gullibility. What an idiot she is?! I'm ready to step on the same rake for the third time. And yet ... Niko's persistence shattered her beliefs. And inside a quiet voice woke up. It whispered to her, repeating over and over again to calm her pride and listen to Niko. The pride was angry and reminded her of the humiliation she had experienced in the morning. And that Niko is engaged to ... Ornella. Nice Italian name. Its owner is probably also dazzlingly beautiful. Burning brunette with black eyes, Catholic, she's a great match for Niko. Not like the Turkish and Muslim Jansu.

She opened the message on her phone.

"I love you," Niko wrote.

Does he write such words to Ornella?

***

The next day was endless and unhurried for Jansu, - and a frantic race for Niko. She sat on the shore and looked into the sea. He didn't have a second to catch his breath. Through the website of the real estate agency, he rented a house in Istanbul not far from the Baisal mansion; formalized the dispatch of his and his sisters' belongings; held a meeting with the office staff, and presented with the fact that their place of work will now be in Istanbul. Those who do not wish to leave Rome can immediately apply for resignation. There were almost no such employees. The young and mobile team, assembled in four years, without hesitation decided to go after the boss to conquer Turkey. Niko clearly outlined before each of them their task and area of responsibility for the next two weeks, and then went to Maria's school to collect her documents. Four and a half hours remained before the plane took off.

Ornella helped him a lot. She booked plane tickets, helped to collect all the necessary things and documents in the study, then she repeated the same procedure in the office. Not a single trifle was hidden from her attentive gaze. She was very punctual and consistent. With a smile, Niko thought that Ornella would be the perfect wife. Except she is not Jansu ... and he wants Jansu! Let life with her not be easy and comfortable, but he will be happy.

Signora Hortense locked herself in her room and did not come out even when Niko and the girls were leaving their home. She considered them traitors. And signora Salvatore-Bianco erased traitors from her life instantly and forever. Even if they are her children.

At six in the evening, Niko Bianco, surrounded by three pretty girls, boarded a plane en route from Rome to Istanbul. Brother and sisters Bianco, as well as their cousin Ornella Salvatore, began a new life.

At the moment when the plane took off into the sky, on the island of Buyukada near Istanbul, Jansu Baisal raised her face to that very sky. She didn't know why. She just felt like it.

It was ten when yesterday's Roman residents, but not yet Istanbulites, entered their new home. It was six times smaller than Palazzo Bianco, ten times less luxurious, but one hundred times warmer and more comfortable. Each got a room, and the girls looked quite happy. Ornella was just happy. She finally found freedom and this intoxicated her more than wine.

Niko took a quick look around the house and was pleased. The sisters and the cousin will feel good and calm here.

"Make yourself comfortable, settle down and go to bed," he said. "I have to leave, but don't be afraid. It's a perfectly safe area here. If you want to eat, call any restaurant and order food. Pay with this card." He laid a golden plastic rectangle on the table.

"And where are you going?" Maria asked a little frightened.

Lucia nudged her with her shoulder and made a fierce face. Niko smiled wryly and replied, "To tame the stubborn one."

"Good luck!" Ornella sincerely wished him.

"Don't be in a hurry to return," advised Lucia with an innocent look. "Everything will be fine with us. And you have fun!"

Niko walked to the door, grabbed the handle, and turned. They stood at the foot of the stairs. Three pretty girls with lovely smiles and genuine warmth in their eyes - оpen and free. Shattered the shell of convention and set themselves free. He smiled back at them and thought, "Crap! But we are a family! A real family. "

He was right. Rejected by their parents, they were able to rally and turn into a real, strong, and loyal family. The same as that of Jansu. This thought added optimism for Niko. Now he and Princess Jansu are on an equal footing!

Jansu could not sleep in the house. The walls pressed on her and it was stuffy. And on the street - the coolness of the sea, the singing of cicadas, and the endless starry sky overhead. And also a hammock suspended under an old apple tree. Jansu lay down in it and kicked off the ground with her foot. The hammock rocked smoothly. Jansu looked at the night sky shining through the foliage and thought. Niko was in her mind. A permanent thorn in the heart and the source of all her troubles. This time the pain and humiliation were much stronger than four years ago, but she coped, did not allow herself to slip into the abyss of despair. Probably, she has matured ... Which means it's time to return. There, in such a close and distant Istanbul, her life is the work, her friends, the family. They need her, and she needs them. And Niko ... well ... he will remain a thorn in the heart. But Jansu won't let this splinter ruin her life.

But how painful it was to think that she would never again feel the warmth of his embrace and the sweetness of his kisses.

"Farewell," whispered Jansu and closed her eyes.

Tears rolled from under closed lashes. She cried until, exhausted and devastated, she fell asleep.

It was at this moment that Niko Bianco put three hundred euros in the hand of the owner of a yacht and jumped onto the deck. Fifteen minutes later, the white beauty left the pier and headed for the Princes' Islands.

He first anchored near Rabbit Island (Tavsanada). Niko, having loaded several packages and a large basket into the boat, ferried them to the shore. By the light of the yacht lanterns, he found a flat area overgrown with low grass, - and laid out a white tent on it. Inside, he spread a blanket and scattered pillows. He set a low table on which he put a bottle of wine, two glasses, and a dish with fruit covered with a glass cover. To the left of the table, he placed a wicker basket with a lid. It turned out beautifully. If only the rabbits don't get there and ruin everything. To scare away the animals, Niko stuck several fire-imitating lanterns around the tent, which also emitted a crackle. The battery charge should have been enough for a couple of hours. In that time, he should be able to...

The yacht sailed to the southern cape of Buyukada when the sky in the east had just dawned scarlet. Niko quietly led it to the pier and moored. Throwing the gangplank to the wooden deck, he grabbed a roll of duct tape from the cabin and made his way ashore. In the predawn haze, the house seemed mysterious and a bit fabulous. Its red roof stood out clearly against the blue-gray sky. It was dark in the windows. Jansu hasn't woken up yet. Niko breathed a sigh of relief. The sleepy state of the troublemaker princess was exactly what he needed now. But how to get to her?

Stepping quietly, he climbed the path to the house. Coming closer, he noticed that the window on the second floor was open. Most likely this was Jansu's room. Niko mentally praised her for her love of the fresh air. Pondering how to get through the window, he looked around and froze, holding his breath. He couldn't believe his eyes. You don't have to sneak anywhere. A hammock was hung under an old apple tree and Jansu slept in it. A soft smile lit up Niko's face. The sleepy girl was so touchingly beautiful that his soul sank. The satin, emerald-colored chemise lifted to reveal her round knees. The deep, lace neckline showed the breasts. Thick eyelashes cast long shadows on her cheeks. The lips were slightly parted and beckoned for a kiss. It was almost impossible to resist. Niko wondered to himself how he managed to perform such a miracle of self-control.

He only allowed his eyes to admire the sleeping beauty for a minute, and then tore off three strips of duct tape - two longer, one very short. At first, carefully so as not to wake her up, he tied Jansu's wrists. Then he did the same manipulation with the ankles. When the girl was tightly bound, he called her in a voice hoarse with tenderness, "Jansu ..."

First, a smile full of unconscious bliss appeared on her lips. Then the eyes opened. Her eyes were fogged with bliss.

"Niko," she whispered.

She dreamed of him and the face bent over her, Jansu perceived as a continuation of the dream. A wonderful, exciting, sweet dream. It took her a second to realize that this was not a dream and the man next to her was alive and real.

"Niko!" she screamed angrily.

"Shhhh," he whispered and sealed her mouth with duct tape.

Panic flashed in her eyes. Jansu tried to jump up and realized that she was tied up.

He grabbed her and slung her over his shoulder. Holding her legs, Niko quickly carried her to the yacht.

Jansu was not afraid. She was furious. How dare he? Tie her up, shut her mouth and carry her like a sack of straw to no one knows where! Impudent man!

A rocky path flashed before her eyes and Jansu realized that Niko was heading for the pier. She began to kick, trying to hit him, but the bound arms and legs did not give such an opportunity. He slapped her buttocks quite tangibly and ordered, "Stay still! If you get rowdy, we'll both end up on the ground. Neither you nor I need it."

Jansu saw the wooden dock flooring below and a narrow gangway leading to a white deck. Now she was scared. Niko stepped onto the ladder and swayed. She moaned and closed her eyes in horror. But, to her immense relief, she did not fall into the water. Niko went on deck and after a couple of seconds, Jansu was sitting on a soft sofa. Niko squatted down in front of her and, looking into her eyes, said, "I'll take off the tape if you promise not to scream."

Jansu nodded her head in agreement. But as soon as he peeled off the adhesive tape, she rained curses on his head.

"Jerk! Moron! Who do you think you are?!"

Without hesitation, he put the tape back in place.

"Sorry, dear," he said without the slightest remorse, "but you'll have to endure for five minutes. Otherwise, you will raise the whole island to its feet, and I do not want that at all."

Jansu couldn't answer with words, but she could with a look. And it shot Niko on sight. He just grunted and stepped up to the helm.

When the yacht sailed a decent distance from Buyukada, he nevertheless took pity and removed the tape from the captive. She immediately covered him with unflattering epithets, "Impudent! Bastard! How dare you? I'll report you to the police!"

The answer was a wry grin. It made Jansu even angrier.

"Moron!" she hissed.

"My love, you repeat yourself," he said almost cheerfully.

"Jerk! Jerk! Jerk!" Jansu repeated capriciously and, tugging with her bound hands, demanded, "Untie me immediately!"

"Not before we arrive," Niko said calmly. "You are fighting, and now I have no way to defend myself. First, we have to get ashore."

"What shore?" She asked angrily and, at last, guessed to look in the direction of the yacht's movement.

Directly on the course was the very tiny island, with the not at all poetic name Rabbit. Only it has changed. Among the boulders and bushes of juniper stood a white tent with a pointed spire, as if it had appeared from a fairy tale. The rising sun illuminated it with its first rays and gilded the tightly stretched fabric.

"What is this?" forgetting about anger, muttered Jansu in amazement.

"We need to talk," Niko replied seriously. "Talk long and thoroughly. No outsiders. In a secluded place where no one interferes with us. This islet is just perfect."

"And why the tent?" she asked.

"I decided that the conversation should take place in a comfortable environment," he said with a sly smile.

The calmed down anger flared up with renewed vigor. He decided! And for this, he tied her hands and legs! Brought her to a piece of land in the middle of the sea! Like a doll! What she wants herself, and whether she needs this conversation, does not matter!