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

Ayla lowered her head, her gaze fastened to the shiny, black shoes before her.Her sight traveled upwards and met with the eyes
of the man that owned them.
"Why are you here?"
Brian didn't plan to go there, but the thought of Ayla all alone changed his mind.
However, he did not expect the scene that greeted him.
Lucas hadn't explained himself probably for Ayla's own good.
Perhaps he too, wanted to protect Ayla.
The disappointment on her face didn't go unnoticed by Brian.
‘Does Ayla really care about Lucas?’ Brian carefully kept his roiling emotions from showing on his face.
"Can't I be here?"
Despite her unhappiness, Ayla forced a smile.
Seeing this, Brian was irritated almost immediately.
Why did she pretend to be strong in front of him? Ayla looked at Brain and shook her head.
"I didn't mean that."
She didn't want to let Brian see her embarrassment.
She had always told him that she would rather be with Lucas, but how could she keep up the pretense when Haley introduced
herself as Lucas’ legitimate fiancee? "Shall we get going? Didn't you have something else to do?"
Brian wrapped his arm around Ayla's slender waist and gently led her towards the elevator.
She reluctantly followed, as Zayn, who had been accompanying her, had left earlier.
"You were aware of everything that was happening, weren't you?" Ayla asked.
Their bodies almost made contact in the constricted confines of the elevator.

Ayla felt disconcerted as Brian's hot breath touched her skin.
"Yeah," Brian replied quietly.
He didn't bother lying to Ayla.He was certain he knew more about Lucas and Haley than she did.
"You've always known, haven't you?"
Ayla regarded him thoughtfully.
Did he do all of this for her sake? Was she being too stubborn? She suddenly felt a twinge of tenderness in her heart.
Brian enveloped Ayla tightly in his strong arms, and rested his chin atop her head.
His voice was soft when he spoke.
"Come back to me, okay?"
It was a gentle question, not a coercive statement.
Ayla blinked at Brian's cajoling tone.
Didn't his attitude change a bit too fast? She could hardly believe it.
When Ayla didn't answer, Brian didn't force her.
The elevator announced their arrival to the underground warehouse, and both silently got off.
What welcomed them was a small room with a row of racks that bore twenty suits of clothes.
"So, what do you think? Are you satisfied with it?"
Brian swept his arm to showcase the first batch of clothes, and waited for Ayla's reaction.
His trust in Ayla was so profound that he didn't question any aspect of her work.
Ayla delicately touched the clothes' material and relished in its good quality.
Drafting the designs wasn't her only assignment.

She was also supposed to sew the samples herself.
Ayla hated to admit it, but Brian having handled the rest helped her a lot.
She felt herself relax.
As the tension melted away from Ayla's shoulders, Brian smiled.
"Good, I'll consider your reaction a yes.The fashion show will start next week.I can assure you there will be no problems."
Brian watched as Ayla checked the clothes for the umpteenth time.
He crossed his arms and regarded her with a frown.
"You're just busying yourself needlessly.Why don't you rest instead?"
His frown deepened as he observed the dark circles under her eyes and the fatigue in her movements.
Besides, after seeing Lucas with Haley just now, she needed time to adjust her mood.
Ayla threw a disbelieving look over her shoulder to Brian.
"You must have underestimated me, right? I don't need to rest."
Ayla returned her attention to the clothes.She wasn't so fragile that she couldn't handle her duties herself.
Brian eyed her warily.
She was acting normally; perhaps she didn't love Lucas that deeply, after all? "I couldn't tell if you are a cruel woman or a
heartless one."
Brian rummaged in his coat pocket and took out a pack of cigarettes.
As he pulled out a stick, it was immediately snatched from his fingers.
"You can't smoke here.Cigarette odor will stick to the clothes.Worse, you'll burn the entire collection down."
Ayla looked at the man in front of her with annoyance.

If she was a cruel and heartless woman, didn't she become the same as him? No words were spoken between the two as they
left the warehouse, leaving Ellie to tidy up the clothes by herself.
Brian opened the door to the passenger's seat and Ayla reluctantly got in.
Instead of heading to the company, however, the car stopped in front of a cafe.
Ayla shot Brian a suspicious look.
"What are you doing?"
"Having some coffee,"
Brian blithely replied, an innocent look on his face.He opened the door and got out of the car.
"But we should be going back to the company right now," Ayla said in confusion, gawking at Brian's back.
She had never considered him to be such an idle man.
As Brian disappeared inside the cafe, Ayla had no choice but to get out of the car and follow him.
When she walked in, she saw that he was already seated.
"Have a seat.I have already ordered a glass of orange juice for you."
Brian looked at Ayla thoughtfully and marveled at her ability to conceal her feelings.She seemed to have improved at it, for her
face bore no traces of her emotions.
It was better that way, compared to other women who resorted to crying and throwing a tantrum.
Ayla didn't refuse the orange juice and tiramisu that were laid before her, but she didn't hesitate in voicing out her opinion about
his choice of beverage.
"Thank you for taking me here, but I prefer drinking coffee."
For Brian to order orange juice for her...Did he just treat her like a child? It was an act of kindness on his part, so Ayla decided to
let it go.

After dining, they went back to the company together.
A while later, as she was seated at her desk, Ayla took out a ring from her bag and looked at it thoughtfully.
‘Should I keep this ring?’ It was a promise between her and Lucas at that time.
The time had come to end it.
Linda observed Ayla from afar.
‘Ayla went out for a while and came back with a strange look on her face.Whatever could have happened?’ Curiously, she heard
that Mr.Clark had gone out too.
His destination was Prario, the same as Ayla.
Linda stood up from her desk and brought her empty water glass with her.As she passed by Ayla's desk, she saw that she was
pensively staring at a simple ring.
"Ayla, when you came back from your errand, all you did was gaze at that ring.Did someone propose to you or something?"
Linda sneered.
‘It is just a plain ring.Of course, it couldn't possibly be from Brian.Such a modest ring wouldn't be from him"
Ayla ignored the nasty look on Linda's face as she put away the ring.
She kept her voice even when she spoke.
"I didn't know that you have such a vivid imagination, Miss Linda." it was none of her business.
Linda didn't talk loudly, but it had enough volume to be heard by everyone in the Design Department.
All of their attention focused on Ayla.
Ayla said nothing.She just let them think whatever they thought of her.Her explanation would only be regarded as excuses,
anyway.
When Ayla got off work, she received a call from Lucas.
"Lala, I'm outside your company building.Shall we go out and have a talk?"

Lucas wanted to explain to Ayla that she was mistaken.
Haley claimed to be his fiancee, but he never agreed to it.
Even if Haley gave birth to their child, he was determined not to marry her.
Without hesitation, Ayla replied, "Okay, wait for me.I'll be there in a few minutes."
The time had come to talk.
It didn't matter whether they had met or not, too many things had already happened which made their relationship quite
complicated.
She had gotten along with Lucas for two years.
No matter what was in store in the future, Ayla would still consider him as a friend.
Ayla hung up the phone and got ready to leave.
Seeing this, Linda packed her handbag and followed Ayla downstairs.
Lucas was waiting for Ayla outside the company while leaning against his car.
How could Brian be unaware that Lucas was just outside Clark Group? Without their knowledge, he already knew that Ayla
would be meeting with Lucas.