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

Lucas was anxious as he asked Anna, "Do you know where Lala is?"
He understood what Anna was saying.
The more hurt Ayla was, the more afraid of coming back to this villa she would be.And she would feel the heartache multifold if
she returned here.
Anna shook her head.
"I can't tell you where she is because I don't know either."
She couldn't tell him.If Brian came to know that she had told Lucas, he would hate her for the rest of eternity.She was still the
same as before, always turning a blind eye to the women around Brian.
What else could she do when she knew Brian so well?Lucas grasped Anna's hand.
"Are you lying to me?" he said angrily.
"Are you helping Brian? Do you want Brian to be with Lala? In that case, you won't get what you want either." Lucas also
understood Anna.
If a woman loved a man, she wouldn't let other women lay claim to him.
Ayla might be a special case, but she didn't belong to Brian in the first place.
Anna shook off Lucas’ hand.
"I think you will find her if you put your heart to it.You don't need me for that."
That was all she could say and do.
Brian hardly paid attention to the love she felt for him, ignoring it as if it was something cheap.But she couldn't give up so easily!
Lucas watched Anna get in the car and drive into the villa gates.
This was, perhaps, no longer the place that Brian wanted to live in.
Lucas got in his car and drove back downtown, stopping only at the gates of the Clark Group's offices.He waited for evening to
come and for the lights to come on.

Ayla continued to stay in office in order to avoid going home and being in the same room as Brian.
Moreover, she wanted to finish the designs in advance.
Suddenly, the landline phone on her desk rang.
"Hello, this is the Design Department."
"Is that Miss Woodsen? This is the guard downstairs.Aman called Lucas Collins is looking for you.Can you come down? Mr.Clark
doesn't allow outsiders to enter the company after office hours."
The security guard seemed willing to help Lucas.
Ayla shot out of her chair the moment she heard that Lucas was waiting for her and made her way downstairs.
"Lala!"
Lucas exclaimed the moment he spotted her and rushed forward, taking her into his arms and gripping her tightly.His relief at her
being safe and sound was palpable as he looked her over and hugged her again.
"Lucas, I can't breathe!" Ayla said, gently pulling away from him.
Lucas’ hands were still on her shoulders as he asked worriedly, "Where have you moved to now, Lala? Are you with Brian?"
His questions seemed to have no end, but Ayla didn't know how to answer him.
Although she had indeed moved to Brian's apartment, she had planned to live on her own at the beginning.
However now, how could she tell Lucas that Brian also lived there and that they even shared a bed? If Ayla told him, he would be
worried and sad, and might whisk her away again.But the situation was such that she couldn't leave.
"Why don't you say something, Lala?" Lucas urged her.
"He forced you again, didn't he? You don't have to be afraid of him.I can get you out of here!"
Lucas would go to any lengths to protect her.
Ayla shook her head and said, "No, I work here now.And don't worry.I've moved to an apartment nearby."

Lucas didn't believe her.
"Are you punishing me, Lala? You are punishing me for ignoring you.Am I right?"
If Lucas and Ayla had still been in Italy, they would have been together and everything wouldn't have turned out like this.
Ayla put a finger up against Lucas’ lips.
"Don't talk nonsense.I have never blamed you," she said softly.
"I'm very happy with my current job and have promised Ms.Evans that I will stay until this cooperation project is completed.We
can leave once it is done," she told him.
She believed that she would leave this place one day.She felt she didn't belong here.
Lucas looked mollified as he nodded.
"Okay, I believe you.Let's go have dinner," he said, took Ayla's hand, and turned to leave.
When she didn't budge, he turned to look expectantly at her.
It took Ayla a long pause to decide and shake herself out of her thoughts.
She finally said, "Okay."
Ayla didn't ask him about the woman he was with these days.He would tell her the truth when he wanted to.
They had just stepped out of the lobby when they came face to face with Brian, who looked down at their tightly grasped hands.
"Where are you two going?"
Brian's tone was calm, but Lucas and Ayla knew that he was fuming from within.
"I'm taking my fiancee out to dinner.Do you have a problem with that, Mr.Clark?"
Lucas said, tightening his grip on Ayla's hand.He wanted Brian to know that he was the only one that Ayla liked, not Brian.
Brian looked searchingly at Ayla.

When she remained stoic, he said, "Of course not.I have no objection to it."
He gritted his teeth as he said it, making it obvious that he did object to it.
Ayla was a little frightened.
Brian was turning into someone horrible, more than he was before.But she decided to go ahead and have dinner with Lucas.She
figured that she was just an employee of the Clark Group and didn't want to lose her freedom.
Whether she made friends or fell in love with someone, it had nothing to do with Brian.
Lucas and Ayla walked out of the company hand in hand.
They got into the car and drove away.
Brian watched the car turn a corner before going back to his office.He settled down on the sofa, legs crossed.
As he looked at the design draft that Ayla had last handed to him, he had to admit that it was gorgeous, elegant, and unique.
She obviously had great talent in design.
But Brian didn’t like this fact.Her talent in design was like a pair of wings that would help her move away from him.
If he wanted to ensure that a woman stayed by his side, he had to cut off her wings so that she could not fly high, no matter how
much she struggled.She would always live under his protection.Maybe his thoughts were veering towards becoming hateful.
His method of bringing harm to somebody through the hands of another was also despicable.
But he wouldn't hesitate to use sneaky tactics if that meant Ayla would remain by his side.
Brian lit a cigarette and took a long drag, but he couldn't get rid of his restlessness.
The thought of any intimacy between Lucas and Ayla seemed to dump a mountain on his heart, robbing him of his breath.
Meanwhile, Lucas took Ayla to a high-end western restaurant where they sat in a private room, listening to the melodious violin
music floating in the air.
He smiled softly and said, "It's been so long since we had a good meal together, don't you think, Lala?"

Haley hovering over him every single day meant that Lucas couldn't take a single step without her pestering him.
He didn't eat well, and had been worried about Ayla.Now, seeing her sitting opposite him, safe and sound, finally filled Lucas with
relief.