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 with

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 and that's because of you," she stated as a matter of fact with

he would keep her shackled to him, she could

at her unbelievably.He thought Ayla just wanted to stir up trouble

already finished what needed to be done.You should go

shrugged the black suit jacket off her shoulders and let it fall to the floor.She didn't

you're going out dressed like that?"

lesson because of how stubborn she was being, but

torn clothes and threw

you

"I'm the only one who can

lay a finger on her!  Ayla chose to keep

the couch and not long after, Brian came

dressed.I'll take you to dinner,"

shook her

to

lose her appetite if she had dinner

as well, but for

put on the new clothes, he said, "Okay, fine!

say anything, he pulled her out

awkward silence

and Brian went on his way shortly after finishing

relaxed

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

she headed to the bathroom and stripped off the designer dress that Brian gave

the trash

he left on

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

flirtatious women who would sleep with many men

have to resort in doing that to make herself the kind of woman he hated, so he could finally let her go? If so, how far was she willing to go to do it? This plan was to set herself

worth it in the end?’ Ayla asked herself over

  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 actually missed

craned his

before? Or will you come back to Brian without hesitation and throw yourself into his arms the moment he shows up?’ he murmured

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

badly Brian hurt her, she wouldn't

Lucas saw that Brian's car had just driven away