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7. Unveiling the Reluctant Heart.

Ellen arrived at her floor feeling her legs aching. She complained once again, grabbed her key, and opened the door to her apartment.

As soon as she walked into the apartment, the first thing she did was to lie down on her couch.

She took a deep breath and would rest for a while, and then she would take a nice shower. She had to attend this meeting.

Before it was time, Ellen had already washed her hair and put on an outfit. She wore some baggy jeans and a long-sleeved blouse. She let her long hair loose, fixed her bangs, and applied cream to her body.

She felt good wearing that pair of clothes. She didn't care what anyone said.

Before going to floor 4, she would text her friend:

"Hi, are you going to the meeting already?" She waited for her friend to reply. She wanted to go along with Sarah.

After a few seconds, the message arrived. Ellen felt her cell phone vibrate and read the message:

"I'm leaving. I'll wait for you in the hall." Ellen grabbed her keys and left her apartment. She locked the door after leaving. The two met in the hallway, smiled at each other, and walked together to the elevator to the 4th floor.

"Do you have any idea what this meeting is about?" Ellen would shrug her friend off and answer:

"No, but I hope it's something good." The two smiled in agreement. They saw that the elevator was going up to the eighth floor. Ellen held her friend's arm, moving to the back of the elevator.

"People are going in. Let's stay back here." Sarah nodded, settling down beside her friend.

The two friends looked forward. When the doors opened, Ellen saw Paul and Philippo together. The two looked quickly at Ellen and then at Sarah. They entered, giving their backs to them. Then some more people entered, and the two moved to the background. The twins were very close to them. Ellen could smell them. It was very noticeable.

Sarah would take a look at the twins and then at Ellen, admiring their beauty. But Ellen, already knowing her friend, shook her head to signal that she wouldn't say anything. Her friend agreed but smiled at the scene.

Paul looked at the two in a corner and then looked straight ahead. He was going to do what she had asked: pretend they had never met.

Phil looked at the two for a moment and saw Ellen ignoring Phil. He stood in understanding and looked at Paul, who sighed deeply and commented to his brother:

"I hope that meeting doesn't take too long." Paul kept looking forward. "Maybe it's some event. That's what I think."

Paul agreed with a nod. The two were silent, and Ellen only looked up trying to pretend they weren't there, but something inside her made her look at the two of them a few times.

The elevator arrived at floor 4. Everyone there got off the elevator. The twins got off first, and then Ellen and her friend followed to the entrance of the apartment. They entered and looked for a place to sit.

The place was beautiful, everything was very organized. The floor was wood, and there were decorations on the walls—exotic paintings. The panel in the huge room was divine. That was the biggest apartment in the building to hold meetings.

The two friends looked enchanted at the place. Additionally, many beautiful and stylish people were there. This must have moved Ellen, but she didn't care about what others said about her. She had never cared about that.

A bearded man with hair curled at neck height smiled at everyone and began to speak:

"Günaydın (good morning = greeting) to all." Everyone replied, "Good morning," to him. The man continued to speak:

"Well, many of you may be wondering why you are here. Well, I will have more meetings like this in a few hours. Not everyone in the building will fit in this apartment. The garden of the building and the places for parties and construction work will finish tomorrow.

And this Saturday, we will have an event—a party for everyone in the building. We want everyone's presence. You should all wear fancy dresses for the event. There will be many surprises, raffles, dances, and more. I would like everyone to confirm their presence today so we can prepare the details of the party, such as food, and so on."

He said, taking a notebook and handing it to the person closest to him.

"Please pass this notebook to the person next to you. Fill in below what I have written: your name and age, please. And what we ask is a contribution of 10 Lira per family, Taman?" Ellen looked at her friend who was already smiling in response.

Ellen knew that Sarah would beg her to go, but... party, dresses, dancing—that was not for her. The woman did not like that. She was even terrified of wearing dresses. She could not even remember the last time she had put on a dress—it was many years ago.

Ellen grimaced and said quietly to her friend:

"Ah, I don't want to go. You can go, friend. Have fun. This is not for me." Sarah denied by making a sound with her mouth and said to her friend with a serious look:

"No, no, no. You will go with me. Yes, you will. Let's go together, friend. You can't let me go alone. Please, for once in your life, can't you do me a favor? A dress won't kill you, Ellen." Ellen sighed deeply, telling herself that she wouldn't go.

But how could she say no to her friend? Ellen would have to make an effort, even if she hated the idea of having to go to a party and wear a dress—something she ... hated.

"Taman." That was the only sentence she could say to her friend. Sarah smiled, hugging her friend. Ellen smiled in a corner and felt happy knowing that she had made her friend happy.

Paul and Phil had not hated the idea. It was Paul's turn to sign, and he would put his name and hand it to a woman standing next to him. When she took it from his hands and looked at the brunette, she smiled and winked at him. Paul smiled back and looked at his brother, who commented:

"You don't waste time, my brother." Paul shrugged and replied:

"I feel like this party is going to be a blast. Lots of women for me, drinking—everything I like the most." Phil shook his head in doubt. Ellen watched her brothers talking and smiling with each other.

She felt they would go too, and she wanted to back out and tell her friend she didn't want to. But it was too late—she couldn't go back. "İlaç" - damn.

She thought and closed her eyes.

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