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

Ayla ruffled through the folders from the drawer until she found what she was looking for.

"This is for Mr.Clark."

Her smile was confident as she handed her documents to Ellie.

She was sure her design drafts fully showcased her abilities which she knew were rather considerable.

Ellie quickly received Ayla's papers and handed them to Brian.

"These documents require your attention, Mr.Clark."

She felt her heartbeat anxiously speed up as Brian took the folder from her hands.She had heard so much about him even before she entered the company, and it was the first time she saw him in person.She found him quite intimidating.

"Hmmm," Brian murmured as he carefully perused Ayla's designs, leafing through each draft one by one.

Anna, who was standing beside Brian, sullenly watched him as he calmly examined Ayla's work.Her fists clenched into tight balls.

She knew that Brian would abandon her because of Ayla's appearance.She would not allow it! Done with his scrutiny, Brian closed Ayla's folder.

"Anna, tell me, what's wrong with these design drafts?"

His tone of voice was strictly professional when he spoke, cold and devoid of any hint of tenderness.

Unable to come up with a suitable response, Anna could only press her lips tightly together and sulk in silence.

"You have nothing to say, right?" Brian's eyes narrowed in warning.

"Anna."

He had always allowed Anna to do whatever she wanted, even when she challenged his decisions time and time again.

He tolerated her simply because of all that she had done for him in many years.

When it came to Ayla, however, it was time he drew a bottom line.

Ignoring the tension in the room, Ayla stood up and put away the design drafts.

"So, what do you think, Mr.Clark?"

She chattered nonchalantly as she fixed the papers in their folder.

"If you think there is no problem with these design drafts, you can use them to make sample clothes.But there is not much time left.If you find them unsatisfactory, you can return them to me and I will make the necessary modifications."

Brian just looked at her, and said, "There's no need for that.I will deal with the rest.You can rest today."

"Miss Anna, you heard Mr.Clark.You won't count it as an absence if I took my leave now, will you?"

Having said thus, Ayla blithely picked up her handbag and left the office.

of the room, Brian turned to Anna, his

to the company with

her apartment, fully intending to rest even without Brian's

it suddenly came to her mind that she had forgotten to take the doctor-

of resting on the sofa, she heard the

open the door, not bothering to peek

the security guard allowed access to her room any time of day, with no need

Brian Clark.

it wasn't

"Who are you?"

regarded the strange man at her

"Mrs.Clark, I am..."

at the way

mistaken, I'm not Mrs.Clark.My family name is

curtly corrected the

Why did Brian make the man call her that? Must he continue to hurt her so?

two years after.It

his wife in name, but not

the anguish he'd awakened in Ayla's heart, the man

asked me to bring

stubbornness, but she could not fault the

she accepted the food and

can go back

walking away, Ayla called out in a huff, "And please don't

placed his delivery on the dining table and laid out

them was a container filled

he ever so thoughtful?’ She never expected that man to have a

scoffed at

be a deliberate ploy of his to get back

wasting food, and she needed a full stomach to be

gloomily watched as Brian personally arranged for

prepare a studio for Ayla here in

gruffly ordered as he

came back? What did she do to enthrall you so? Don't you

upon Brian's face.She didn't wish to

now, so she

you

clasped Anna's arms and

say is

Lucas? How could it

hurting me!" Anna

telling the truth, so why was he so angry at

name again! " Brian