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

Ayla's body was pressed firmly on the couch making it difficult for her to ignore Brian's probing eyes.She looked away instead to evade his questions.

"Why don't you answer me? Does it hurt?" Brian asked as he searched her eyes for answers that her mouth wasn't willing to give.

Bending his head down, he gently kissed Ayla's scar.His lips left a trail of moisture that was impossible to ignore.

That scar would remain etched on her skin for a lifetime and it was a Clear representation of what he owed her.  

"It hurt," Ayla nodded.

No matter how painful the physical wounds were, they all belonged in the past now.

What kept her hurting was the emotional trauma he put her through.  "I'm sorry."

Brian spoke softly.

He remembered how she got that scar and no amount of apologies could turn back time and erase it.

Still, he wouldn't give up easily trying to win her heart.Biting her lower lip, Ayla pleaded, "Why can't you set me free? Why?"

Tears welled up in her eyes, a mixture of pain and anger that she couldn't quite release.

"I can promise anything else, except this one,"

Brian said with finality.  Ayla gasped in horror and exclaimed, "You devil!"

"So don't ever try to escape from me.Now that you're here, I will never let you go again.If ever you try to leave, I will come find you, understand?" he repeated as he gazed at her pointedly.

There was no sense arguing with him at this point.

Ayla broke free from his grasp and plucked the torn dress from the floor to cover her body.

Brian draped his suit jacket on her shoulders and said, "I'll ask someone to bring clothes for you here."

"No, thanks.There's no way for me to afford it," she countered to decline the offer.

Ayla didn't want to be regarded as a sexual partner.

She tried her hardest to recover from her bitter past and becoming like this would only waste her sacrifices.

"Well, if you hate me that much, it means that I'll be always in your heart." Brian grinned at her.

At the back of his mind, he thought, 'You can hate me.It is better to hate me than to forget me"

turned to him

mind.I don't love you and I don't hate you either.I feel nothing for you at all.Should I be grateful that you agreed to let me have that operation? Need I remind you that no matter how many times we have sex, I won't bear another child ever again

more indifferent.If he would keep her shackled to him, she

her unbelievably.He thought Ayla just wanted to stir up trouble and provoke him.Wasn't she afraid that he would

to be done.You should go

the black suit jacket off her shoulders and let it fall to

out dressed like

of how stubborn she was being, but he chose otherwise when he saw the fresh

of her torn

do you want me to

in his arms and reminded her possessively, "I'm the only one who can see your body.Do you

much less lay a finger on her!  Ayla chose

long after, Brian

dressed.I'll take you to dinner,"

her head in

to eat instant

her appetite if

his clothes for dinner as well, but

new clothes, he said, "Okay, fine! Instant noodles, then.Let's not wait any

out of the studio and went

on the noodles, the awkward silence in the room was too unbearable for

had a few bites and Brian went on his way shortly after

relaxed the moment

was like a huge boulder was lifted off her chest and she

bathroom and stripped off the designer dress that

trash

whatever he left on her body.  She didn't want to keep on feeling this

‘Isn't there anything I can do for him to give up completely?’ she thought

women who would sleep with many men the

to make herself the kind of woman he hated, so he could finally let her go? If so, how far

the end?’ Ayla asked

endure it all.  Meanwhile, Lucas drove to Ayla's apartment.He was a bit hesitant to go at first, since he wasn't sure if he should pay her a visit.He

reached the building, he craned his neck upwards to look at her

did before? Or will you come back to Brian without hesitation and throw yourself into his arms the

the past few years, Lucas had been with Ayla every day.He should have

Brian hurt her, she

Lucas saw that Brian's car had just driven away from