lullaby

The moment he realizes she gets upset by the words his mother said…

Defne: You should go back to your wife, Mr. Kadir. People might get the wrong idea otherwise. I'm the one who ends up being the target of their nasty comments. Kadir: My marriage isn't real. Defne: I'm sorry? Kadir: I mean… between Leyla and me… there's no place for Leyla in my heart. Defne: So your heart is already full? Are you in love with someone else? Kadir: I am. Defne: Someone you could never forget, no matter how many years pass? Kadir: That's right. Defne: Then why aren't you with her, Mr. Kadir? Kadir: The situation I'm in right now… doesn't allow it. Defne: Well, what can I say, Mr. Kadir? I only wish you'd found the courage to stand by the person you love before it was too late. Thank you for explaining, but you really didn't have to.

Defne: What do you want from me?

Well, you aren't obvious at all, Mr. Kadir.

Defne: You kept telling me to trust you, remember? Well, I don't trust you one bit. Got it? I want you to know that. And from now on, don't you dare show up in front of me again unless it's absolutely necessary. Kadir: You don't trust me? Defne: That's right. I can't stand you. Not even a little.

Aesthetics...

Defne: Move your car. Kadir: Calm down. We're going to talk. Defne: You don't get to order me around like that, okay? I'm not like the women who always surround you. Kadir: Yeah, I've figured that out.

The man keeps slipping accidental love confessions into the middle of their arguments.

Defne: I said move your car! Kadir: I'm not moving it. Defne: You're not? Kadir: I'm not. What are you going to do about it? Defne: You'll see what I'm going to do. Kadir: If anyone's going to kill me, let it be you, Ms. Lawyer.

When you find someone who matches your freak…

When Kadir saw that Defne not only liked the gift he had given her but had immediately turned it into a keychain, he was genuinely happy. Despite everything, it made him feel like there might still be a chance for them.

Defne: You left this in the car. Kadir: Thanks. It meant a lot to me. Defne: Then cars weren't like human relationships. You could leave something valuable inside and walk away. Kadir: But the valuable thing found its way back. Defne: Exactly. It went back to its rightful owner.

I love this couple's subtle dialogue! Defne is implying that the feelings she sees in Kadir aren't really worth much. Kadir, on the other hand, suggests that those feelings are precious, that they belong with their rightful owner and subtly implies that their rightful place is with Defne. Defne then turns his words back on him. She implies that the thing that "came back" isn't his feelings for her at all, but his feelings for his wife. Since the divorce has been called off, the only thing that has truly returned is his commitment and affection toward his wife.

I love the tension between these two. That said, I have to admit this episode felt weaker than the previous ones. Kadir's characterization was all over the place, one moment he acted one way, the next he was completely different and I honestly couldn't make sense of it.

The way she hit him

Slow-burn is my favorite trope, but as long as the relationship is well-developed and the chemistry is convincing, I also enjoy romance stories where the feelings progress more quickly.

This couple is a great example. Their relationship development is really impactful. It turns out the screenwriter also wrote Sen Çal Kapımı, which honestly makes perfect sense, you can tell.

At first, the male lead is struck by the female lead's beauty, but he doesn't immediately think, I should find a way to meet her or make her notice me.

Selim: So, brother, was the lawyer happy to see you? Kadir: She was more surprised than anything. Selim: Really? Was it even worse than we expected? Kadir: She couldn't even let me say, "Leave it to me, I'll handle it." Now I've got to deal with that bastard. Selim: So does that mean Mr. Levent and the others have taken care of the lawyer's situation? Kadir: Looks like they worked something out among themselves, and that's how they got past it. But I'm telling you, they'll eat that girl alive. Selim: So what's going to happen now, brother? Kadir: I'll be keeping an eye on them.

Tiny little shippers are popping up everywhere.

Without even realizing it, Kadir is giving the Kadir–Defne ship a nice push. So he's secretly going to watch over and protect Defne, huh?

Defne: Since Tolga was involved, I was absolutely sure you wouldn't sit at that table. Kadir: Tolga isn't the only thing involved, Ms. Lawyer. There's… foreign investment involved. A big company… Defne: Of course. Business is business, right?

Lol, she was expecting something like a confession from him. But Kadir doesn't give her what she wants. Defne's disappointment…

Kadir: Ms. Lawyer, this isn't about a project—it's about principle. Defne: Mr. Kadir, what happened to make you hate this much? Or are you just a hateful person in general? Kadir: Well, I'm curious about something too, Ms. Lawyer. Did you ask him the same question, or is that judgment reserved just for me?

Ouch... someone is jealous and hurt.

Kadir: There's something else I'm curious about. Why are you being so stubborn? Is it just about this deal, or are you always like this? Defne: Because if this deal falls through, I'll be in serious trouble. Happy now? Kadir: Wait, wait. What kind of trouble? Is something wrong? Defne: No, that's not what I meant. And it's not something I want to talk about.

Awww…

Whatever trouble she's in, he's already ready to face it with her.

After all, he'd been stubbornly refusing Defne's offer. To him, it was a matter of principle. He wouldn't sit at the same table with his enemy.

Five minutes later…

He can't resist her words and shows up to sign the agreement.

And Defne's silent "thank you" is just so adorable!

Defne: Something just sank inside me. Right here. (touches her chest) It feels like… some kind of disappointment.

Even when she still has deep prejudices against him, the mere thought that he might be a womanizer leaves her feeling unsettled. Without even realizing it, she instinctively experiences a sense of disappointment, but she can't make sense of why she feels that way.

The way this pair's scenes are filmed is noticeably different from the scenes with the second male lead. The camera angles change. It's like the director is practically shouting, "This is the real couple."

The moment she steps into his orbit, all her prejudices just disappear into thin air!

By the way, the female lead's friends are so much fun to watch too. They really nailed the friendship dynamic. What's even funnier is that one of them is Team Kadir while the other is Team Tolga, and even the Team Tolga friend was surprised by the chemistry between these two. Haha!

Kadir: You're still so quick to judge, aren't you? Defne: Sometimes it's a good thing to judge people beforehand, Mr. Kadir. Kadir: It's good when you're dealing with the wrong people. With the right ones, it only does harm. Defne: Do you think you're one of the right ones? Kadir: Honestly, I don't know. We have to find out. Defne: I don't know either. But I do think there's something off about you. Kadir: Then let me ask you something. What if the things you think are wrong with me are actually shining a light on the very things you're trying to run away from? Defne: What am I supposedly running away from? Kadir: Who knows? Maybe… yourself?

He's basically saying, "You want to see something wrong with me because that way you won't have to admit you're starting to feel something for me. You don't want to face it." He's already figured Defne out.

That's also why he secretly helps her. He knows she wouldn't like it if she found out. From the moment they first met, he's been able to read what she's thinking and feeling. Here, he gently calls her out on it.

Kadir: Ms. Lawyer, let me tell you something very clearly. Ask me for anything—seriously, anything. But don't ask me for this. I can't do it. Not even for you.

The way I gasped!

"There isn't room for two people in one heart."

Hmmm. Is that so?

Kinda Pride and Prejudice Dynamic…

The first guy: secretly has feelings for her and quietly helps her without her knowing. They bicker constantly and she's full of misconceptions and prejudices about him.

The second guy: the Mr. Wickham type, very charming and flirtatious, always badmouthing the first guy and liked by everyone.

The show initially sets up the second guy as the love interest, but slowly positions the first guy as the real endgame.

He knew she was gonna slap him so he grabbed her hand immediately.

If Deniz had kissed Teoman, it would have shown just how much she was willing to sacrifice for Aras -her pride, for example- and how far she was willing to go, even compromising her own character and backing down in front of a bully.

That's why Teoman was happy that Deniz didn't kiss him.