The Substitute Bride: Making Memories Of Us (Lois Stone)

Ayla and Lucas looked around at the surroundings as they finally arrived in front of the gate of the Woodsen family's villa.The
door lock was already rusty and the beautiful garden had been surrounded by a lot of weeds, looking desolate.
"We can go inside if you like.Do you want to come?"
Lucas looked at her and asked.
"No.I can't get in."
She shook her head lightly and sighed.
He held her hand and said, "Since you are here, why don't we come inside and have a look? Besides, no one is here except us."
Ayla was about to react when she saw that Lucas already opened the rusty iron lock on the gate.
"Lucas.” The man turned to her with a smile on his face.
"Let's go! Why? Don't tell me you don't want to come in and see what's inside?"
Lucas noticed the uncertainty in her eyes as she looked a little paler.
So he added, "You don't have to be afraid.I'm just here with you.Okay?"
While holding their hands together, Ayla started to walk slowly on the slate road.
This place was so familiar to her.
Three years had only passed, but this place already changed a lot. While walking slowly, Lucas encircled his arms around her
waist tightly.Then he asked, "What do you think, Lala? Did this place feel familiar to you? If you want, I can buy this villa."
This place was like her home.
Even though her surname was Woodsen, she was also aware that she was not a real member of the Woodsen family.
So in the future, Lucas could make this place her real home.
But Ayla shook her head as a sign of disapproval and said, "No, you don't have to do that.Besides, it doesn't belong to me.I won't
stay in Antawood forever.The day will come and I will leave this place."

"Lala, you have to remember that your home is where I am.I will give you a complete and happy family.Trust me."
Lucas stared at her intently as he promised to her.
He was willing to give her everything she wanted, as long as it would make her happy.
Ayla heaved a sigh and modded.She had no hope anymore.She used to live here before.
However, this place was no longer the home where she used to live three years ago.
They just walked around the villa and satisfied themselves with the view before they decided to leave.
In the car, Lucas looked at Ayla discreetly and asked, "Are you tired?"
"No, I'm good.Can we stop over here? Let's go for a walk!"
Tiredness always overpowered her whenever she was alone.
However, her visit to the villa of the Woodsen family had made her feel eased and more relaxed.
Ayla felt peaceful as she walked at the riverside.
The cold breeze of the night wind touched her skin and made her feel comfortable.
She took a deep breath and asked, "Lucas, since you're already back, have you thought about seeing Molly?"
Now that he was here, he should go and visit her.
Besides, he and the Smith family had always been on good terms.
"How about you, Lala? Do you want to see them?"
Probably, many people had thought that Ayla had already died two years ago, so she didn't have any plan to see Molly.She just
shook her head and spoke in a low voice.
"I don't want to see anyone." Ayla didn't even dare to visit Toby.
She was afraid that Toby and Molly would feel bad for her sudden appearance.She didn't have to show herself.

Lucas heard her say that she didn't want to see anyone, but he thought about telling her the situation of Toby and Molly if he
would go and see them.
Lucas also believed that Ayla only treated Toby as her brother now.
For Lucas, it didn't matter to him now how much Toby loved Ayla because he knew that Ayla didn't love Toby anymore.
Though Ayla and Toby grew up together, that was all.
Ayla started to work.She was alone as she sat inside the office.
Anna hired an office clerk who was a fresh graduate as Ayla's assistant.
It meant that the assistant couldn't help Ayla a lot but only in collecting documents and organizing materials.
"From now on, Ellie, you will work here with Miss Wenny.You should do your best and follow whatever Miss Wenny asks you to
do, understood?"
Anna instructed the new employee, Ellie.
"Okay, Miss Anna.No worries,"
Ellie said and nodded.Anna turned to Ayla and asked, "What do you think, Wenny? If you can't handle it and you need help, you
can ask me to arrange a designer assistant for you?"
Anna smiled as she pretended to be kind.
Anna indeed never thought that it was improper to let Linda replace Ayla to work in Antawood.
That was why she intentionally distressed Ayla and made things difficult for her.
Ayla didn't bother herself about it at all.
She was only working here temporarily anyway.She never intended to seek anyone's help when she decided to come.She was
always relying on herself.
"No.it's ok," she said indifferently.

She had to work hard because twenty new arrivals would be launched in the next season.She knew that she had been running
out of time alone.
Anna just stared at her indifferent face.
"Well, that's good.Just don't forget that you are the one who just said that you don't need a designer assistant.I don't want you to
say anything about me being harsh on you to Ms.Evans when you return to Milan."
"You don't have to worry.I'm not that kind of person.If you don't mind, Miss Anna.Do you have anything else to say? If none, I'll
start working."
Ayla always liked it when it was quiet here, so she asked Anna to leave her office.
Although the room was a little small, it didn't bother her at all because it was just enough for her to work here alone.
Besides, no one would disturb her here.
There was also a French window with a panoramic view.
That was enough for her to feel happy and be inspired at the same time.
Ayla couldn't just let her new assistant only stand by and do nothing.
So, she asked her to arrange the documents in order while she started to work on the design draft.
Lucas decided to meet Molly so he scheduled an appointment with her in a cafe.
"Hi, Lucas." Molly walked inside the coffee shop while wearing a white business suit.
"It's been two years since I saw you.You look more mature now."
Lucas looked at the woman in front of him.
Molly used to be an unruly and willful daughter of the Smith family.But now, things had changed and she became a workplace
woman.
It turned out that love could really change a person.

"You're getting more handsome day by day," Molly said with a smile.
Then they ordered their coffee.
"Molly, haven't you been thinking about having a baby? Within the past two years, all you did was working."
Lucas had assumed that after more than two years, Molly was already a mother and had her own baby.
Molly's face darkened when she heard Lucas' question.
"I want a baby, but I never got pregnant."
"Have you already gone to a doctor and have a check- up?"
Hayden had his only daughter, Molly.He would certainly want a grandson by now.He needed an heir to inherit everything in the
family in the future.
Molly nodded and looked at Lucas.
"Yes, I did it.Only to find out that I didn't have a conception problem.I can only let the nature take its course," she said.
She really wanted to have her own baby, but Toby seemed not in a hurry.
In the past two years, all his time and energy were only spent on work.
He had also the time for the confrontation with Brian.
Even though Toby wasn't saying anything about it, Molly knew that he was doing all of these for Ayla.
Molly always thought that Ayla was already dead, so she didn't care if there was another woman in her man's heart.
What mattered now was, Toby only had her as his woman and his wife.
"So, how's Toby now? Is he doing well?"
Lucas looked at Molly as he asked those questions for Ayla.
"I think some things never change.What can I do? He still loves Ayla.What? I would pretend that I don't know?"
Molly had never opened up and talked about Toby to anyone else except her parents.

And now, she had told it to the third person, which was Lucas.
She was a proud woman and wanted strangers to think that she and Toby had always been a perfect couple.
However, she used to keep the things in her heart that she didn't want to talk about.
Not only could she not say them out loud, she also had no one to talk to.