ceren çelik-montgomery

"well, i do live to entertain," he offered with a wry smile. william could see that she wasn't happy with her current predicament but it had to be for the best. it had to mean there was better for her. ceren was so deeply loved and cared for, he couldn't even begin to imagine what it was like. he watched her now and his heart seized. there would be a contingency for her too if the worse happened to him. if need be, he'd do what he needed to do. "yes," he answered at last, moving to stand at the edge with her her while keeping space between them. "i remember and i do appreciate you keeping your word." a pause, and then he asked, "have you told anyone else?"

"interesting and entertaining are two different things" she simply retorted, eyes still looking out at the city in front of them. her parents putting security in place was understandable, albeit annoying an frustrating. part of her had thought that they might've loosened the reigns by now though that was wishful thinking. ceren shrugged her shoulders "i'm a woman of my word, even if i do regret that now." she looked over at him like he'd grown two heads "and tell them what? they won't understand, william. no one knows anything and i trust you to keep it that way"

Adriana gave a sympathetic smile. She knew this was not at all Ceren's scene; it stank of an Upper East Side parental punishment. "It's definitely written on your face. My condolences on missing the fashion show, but at least Superhero Night sounds worse than this."

"good thing i'm not an actress then. i'd take the superhero night over this, that's how much i don't vibe with this event. it's not my scene. maybe if i was in one of the surrounding industries but it doesn't make any sense to me"

Jake ran over, breathing out a sigh of relief that the ball landed in her lap instead of bouncing off her head. "Sorry. Sorry!" He directed the second apology at the security team that were suddenly paying attention. "It is. That was my bad." He took the ball back from her, heat rising up his neck. "It didn't hurt you, right? You're okay? I think I woke up your entourage."

this had to be the worst security team known to mankind. they couldn't even intervene on a football. "it's alright." she reassured him "no, i'm not hurt and i think you did them some good waking them up. turns out they needed it"

Adriana had not even questioned where she wanted to be tonight. She wasn't interested in fashion, and a bar night didn't sound like anything she would miss. This networking event was exactly where she wanted to be, hopeful to make some connections. Find some potential investors for her.

ceren looked over to see adriana and gave her a small smile "oh, can't you tell? i'm over the moon to be here. i just can't contain my excitement" she sarcasm dripping from her voice. this was the last place she wanted to be.

going to the fashion show would've been fun, but no, ceren wasn't to have fun. not when she was still facing her parents judgement for her disappearing stunt over the holidays. no, no fun was to be had which was why she was stuck at this stuffy networking event that she couldn't wait to leave. it would be good for networking and art connections, is what her parents explained, but all ceren saw was another space she was being watched in.

Isobel was walking a dangerous line being at the Angel Capital Networking event, but she hadn't been in the same room as Logan since the break up and after seeing the Gossip Girl blast about him wearing tweed, well, she was concerned. Still, showing her face here felt like a mistake, so the first place she went was to the bar. It wasn't until her whisky–Logan's favourite–was placed in front of her that she noticed Ceren just a few spaces down the bar. "Hey... You look like you're having about as much fun as I am."

she looked over to the familiar voice and nodded "i can't say that corporate networking events are much my thing to be in attendance to. people keep trying to talk to me about the fiscal year and it means nothing to me" she shrugged, taking a moment to take a sip of her drink "what brings you here? i didn't think you'd be around. i'm sorry to hear about you and logan. how are you doing?"

the news of logan and isobel's break up had spread far and wide now, he knew that. since deciding to step into this new role - serious, dependable, like his father - logan hadn't seen ceren or jess as much. actually, he hadn't seen ceren much for longer. they hated that. at this event, his father's event, he didn't look like himself or feel like himself. but that was the point. that had to be the point.

she almost didn't recognise him at the change in appearance. gone was the usual logan appearance, replaced with corporate logan. ceren did a double take and held onto his arm "i would but i can't even explain how happy i am to see you" not just to have them to talk to at the event, but she had dearly missed her friend since she had last visited him at his apartment. "can't do deal when music drowns out the talking, and some of these people love to talk"

"ceren?" nick cocked an eyebrow, looking twice to make sure he wasn't mistaken. "what on earth are you doing wasting your time here?" he was barely joking, but some of his best clients had invited him along so sacrifices were being made.

turning her head, she gave him a painted on smile and a small wave "my parents dragged me along. believe me, i'd rather be anywhere else" not that she would be able to escape.

"now that sounds like the kind of drink that'll make all this small talk bearable," robbie grinned over at her, gesturing to the bartender to make that two, please. "let me guess... you're actually not desperately passionate about this year's fiscal performance?"

ceren looked over to see robbie baizen "is it that obvious?" it wasn't like she was making any effort to hide how much she wanted to get out of the event "i can't say i care about any fiscal performance. my parents dragged me along to this for network connections"

“her ribcage is filled with flowers but they are dead, dead, dead.”

william had regretted so many things when it came to ceren, but her parents' response had actually greatly comforted him. it was a small peace of mind that she was safe. at least he could know that ceren was safe. he would still have to take care of her, though. if anything happened to him... he would need a contingency for her.

she was sure she looked like death warmed up, but if there was anyone she couldn't hide from anymore it was him. "hi..." she sighed, repeating the hello again, not sure of what else to say. he was standing metres from her and yet felt so far away. "don't be. your dramatics have been the most interesting thing to happen since we came back here" and it was. she had been locked away or escorted by a team of bodyguards whenever she left the tower. williams attempt at being a secret spy was something to break up the mundane "why? checking to see that i'm still here? i'm here...i promised you i wasn't going anywhere"

ceren let out a breath, feeling the weight of the world briefly leave her shoulders at william's reassurance. in all the doubt she had going on in her head there wasn't an ounce of it reserved for him. she believed him. she trusted him. ending up where she did was a hellish wake up call, and if it wasn't for william, she would've been way worse off than how she was now.

william knew there would be consequences for running away with ceren celik-montgomery after the winter ball. walter montgomery was formidable, to say the least, and ece celik-montgomery was just as fierce. when it came to their daughter, william knew they would spare no expense. given everything that had been happening in his own underworld, he was grateful to know she was safe. that she wouldn't go near slater again, so help him. that would have been enough.

she wasn't naive to think that she wouldn't be in trouble with her parents after her disappearing act, but they had hit nuclear levels of angry when she had returned home. since that moment, ceren had barely been without the equivalent of a swat team following her around. she knew that they wouldn't have long, said security were given a strict curfew to get ceren home by and it was a miracle they hadn't caught onto the message that had been slipped to her.

"no one will know," he assured her. whatever ceren wanted, he would make sure she had. they couldn't end up back here again, though, that much he knew. he would cover for her now, but he couldn't do it again. he could never see her like that again, he wouldn't survive it. she could hate him all she wanted, if he had to get her real help, he would. until then... for his sins, he'd keep up their arrangement. if all he could do was be the best bad option, then so be it.

ceren let out a breath, feeling the weight of the world briefly leave her shoulders at william's reassurance. in all the doubt she had going on in her head there wasn't an ounce of it reserved for him. she believed him. she trusted him. ending up where she did was a hellish wake up call, and if it wasn't for william, she would've been way worse off than how she was now.