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

While sitting in the taxi, Ayla noticed a sapphire blue Lamborghini closely tailing the vehicle.
‘He really doesn't want to give up, does he?’ she mused, while shaking her head.
"Miss, is the car behind us after you?" the driver inquired curiously while looking at her from the rearview mirror.
"Sir, please ignore that.Just drive," she replied dismissively.
Ayla didn't care whatever Brian did.
He could follow her around the city for as long as he pleased.
She didn't have time for his nonsense antics.She got out of the taxi the moment it arrived in front of her apartment building.She
borrowed some cash from the security guard at the gate to pay the fare.
Handing it to the driver, she said, "Thank you, sir."
"You're welcome," the driver took the money from her and sped away.
Brian stepped out of his car just in time to see her entering the apartment building.
The proximity of the place to where she worked didn't escape his keen eyes.
‘So this is where she lives, quite convenient for work and for hiding from me, ' he observed.
Instead of following her upstairs, he decided to stay by his car and wait for her there.
After changing her clothes, Ayla came down the apartment lobby a few minutes later.
She returned the money she borrowed from the security guard and exited the building gracefully.
"Brian, I'm sure you have more important things to spend your time on than following me.We both have work to do," she
reminded him as she saw him still leaning against the car.
If only he would pay attention to her tone, he would know that she was trying to get rid of him.
Brian just humorlessly laughed, "Have you forgotten that this is a tie-up between our two companies? Am I not allowed to look
around here?"

"Of course, you're allowed but I think now isn't the right time.It's better if you'd come with your fiancee," Ayla said as an excuse.
In truth, she just didn't want to keep on facing him.
"What I do with my time is none of your business," Brian replied rather brusquely.
He strode across the pavement, acting as if he owned the entire place.
Ayla couldn't bear his difficult attitude anymore.
"Go ahead if you want! I feel sick today and I need to rest, so I won't accompany you."
Meanwhile in the office at the third floor, Anna looked around inquisitively.She noticed that the computer was still on and Ayla's
bag and coat were still in place.
From the looks of it, the woman left hurriedly last night.
"Ellie, hasn't Miss Wenny come in yet?" she asked one of the employees.
Anna had been waiting in the office for over an hour already and there was still no sign of Ayla.
She was growing more impatient as time passed.
"I don't know.Miss Wenny didn't tell me anything about missing work today and we know she is always punctual.I wonder if she's
sick."
Ellie wasn't exactly sure what was going on, but the shattered glass pieces in the tea room were a telling sign that Miss Wenny
could be experiencing some health problems.
"Are you certain she's sick? I think she left because she didn't manage to finish her designs on time, right?"
Anna commented while skimming through the incomplete design drafts on the desk.She deliberately made things difficult for Ayla
because she deserved it.
With Ayla's suspicious disappearance and Brian missicy all night, it didn't take long for Anna to put two and two together and
come up with a premature conclusion in her mind.
She was starting to feel antsy over what possibly happened.

Downstairs, Ayla was still hesitating.
Brian's presence made her really want to turn around and leave to rest at home, but she was also a dedicated employee who
made sure her work was impeccable.
So instead, she marched ahead to get to the third floor, while Brian followed her.
As soon as Ayla reached the office, an ill-tempered Anna welcomed her.
"Miss Wenny, you're finally here after a long time.Is this what you call work ethic?" she demanded.
"Miss Anna, it looks like you have a lot of time on your hands for you to come here every day.Yesterday, you said my design
drafts were so bad that they could not be used in the fashion season.Are you here to ask me for new design drafts today? I'm
sorry, but I'm not a robot that can produce designs in a snap.I can't deliver this all at once," she countered bravely.
Ayla was proud of herself for finally standing up to Anna at that moment.She couldn't allow this woman to boss her around
anymore and make her do tasks that were beyond her capacity.
Meanwhile, Brian was following closely behind.
Overhearing Anna's demanding voice and cruel words made him stop cold in his tracks.
"Wenny, if you don't have the ability to work under pressure, then you're free to pack your things and leave.If you keep on doing
a lousy job, you're going to put the reputation of Clark Group on the line," Anna raised her voice, leaving no room for Ayla to
explain herself.
Not wanting to prolong the conflict anymore, she relented and calmly assured the woman, "Miss Anna, don't worry.I know what to
do.I will try my best to keep up and finish the drafts."
Ayla walked towards her desk and sat down while arranging the files.
"Miss Anna, I think you'd better show Mr.Clark the design drafts I submitted yesterday to avoid any delays," she suggested.
"I said no! Who do you think you are? I have the final say here.I'm not even interested to look at your damn design drafts,"
Anna yelled, her voice so heated and confrontational.
As much as she'd like to remain calm and polite, Ayla's patience was wearing thin with how Anna was treating her.

"Then, Miss Anna, it's best if you leave my office! Can't you see I have work to do? As you said, I'm already behind so I wouldn't
mind working overnight to finish the design drafts you want," she said through gritted teeth.
"You? Miss Wenny, it's not that I underestimate you.I'm just being honest.Your amateur design skills have no place here.I think
you should go back to school and study hard again."
Anna glared at her with blazing eyes full of utter disdain.
Standing by the door, Brian didn't walk in until he was able to hear the whole conversation between the two.
Clearing his throat, he fixed a cold look at Anna and uttered, "I didn't expect you could be so disrespectful."
Now it was becoming clear why Ayla was so bent evading and hiding from him.
Anna must have made her miserable these past few days.
Anna's dark eyes looked back and forth between Ayla and Brian.
"You two met yesterday, didn't you?" she asked accusingly.
Her gut feelings didn't fail her.
Brian didn't come back last night because he, indeed, saw Ayla.
In the past two years they were together, he didn't miss coming home to the villa every night.
Ayla was the reason that he didn't come home last night.
Shifting the tide, Brian threw a question back to Anna.
"You already knew Wenny and Ayla were the same person.Why didn't you tell me about this? How long were you planning to
hide it from me?"
Brian's words were marked with his controlled anger, his temper simmering to a boil.
What would happen if he didn't come here last night?

"Brian, believe me, I didn't mean to hide it from you.I only kept it as a secret because of Ayla.She said she didn't want to see you
and asked me for help to make sure you won't find her," clutching Brian's hand, Anna's voice was quivering as she explained to
him.
Despite her pleading eyes, Brian could see right through her act.He didn't even believe a word she said.
"Yes, she's telling the truth," Ayla interjected resolutely.
"I asked her not to tell you because I didn't want to see you.You don't have to blame her.You two should solve your personal
matters privately.I need to work on my designs, so take your business elsewhere and not here in my office."
She was determined for them to leave.
It would be best if they were out of her sight and never set foot in here again.
All she wanted was peace and quiet.
However, Brian decided to stay and sat on the sofa rather comfortably.
With the flick of his hand, he ordered, "Bring me the design sketches from yesterday."
"Brian, her designs were extremely unappealing.It's worthless to look at them.Let's go now! She also said she's working on a
new design, so let's leave her be,"
Anna pulled on Brian’s hand as she persuaded him to get up and leave.
There was no way she would allow him to set his eyes on those designs.
One look at them and it would be obvious that she was deliberately making things difficult for Ayla.
After taking a long hard look at her, Brian said, "Anna, it's none of your business."
His face darkened and his voice was so devoid of warmth that she was caught off-guard.Her grip on his hand loosened and she
knew at that moment that she was cornered.
"Brian," Anna spoke softly, gone was her crass attitude from a while ago.

She looked back and forth between him and Ayla.She knew that Ayla wouldn't come to her rescue because of how badly she
mistreated ner