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

Lucas heard his phone ringing.It was late and there was only one person who would call him at this time.He answered the phone warily.

"Father."

"Have you returned to Antawood?" Tatum asked without preamble.

He had asked Lucas to go to Thailand but the latter had refused.

This time, he wanted to get done with solving the Brian issue now that Lucas had returned.

"Yes, I just arrived today."

Lucas knew that he couldn't hide this fact.He had tried his best to hide Ayla from Tatum for two years.

But maybe he couldn't do it anymore.

Lucas wondered what Tatum would do to Ayla once he knew the truth.

Tatum had used her once.He might do it again.

"How long will you be in Antawood this time? I shouldn't have to remind you of the issue each time.Do you want to insult the memory of your deceased parents by losing the Collins Group that rightfully belongs to you?"

Tatum had been feeding Lucas such ideas since Lucas' childhood.

That was also why Lucas hated Brian.

All Lucas had wanted was to get close to Brian by using Ayla and kill him.

But before that could happen, he had developed a huge crush on Ayla.He hadn't taken revenge for his family yet.

And if Ayla were to know why he had approached her, she might hate him.

But he didn't regret it.

When he began trying to put a ring on her finger, he had considered everything that might happen in the future and had plotted his plan out.

"I know that, Father.I will never forget it," Lucas said, nodding.

"Good.Brian's men are watching me.So I hope you will handle this as soon as possible,"

Tatum reminded him.

Tatum's TH Gang had suffered a heavy blow because of Brian.

If it hadn't been for the fact that Brian had quitted the drug transactions over the past two years, Tatum wouldn't have had the chance to get back into this business again.

But Tatum was too eager for money.

He had forgotten the simple fact that the higher he climbed, the heavier the fall would be.

not let

and Brian

"I see."

taken any action yet

Brian down, Ayla would definitely leave him.And he couldn't imagine his

the past two years, Lucas had tried his best to do what Tatum had asked of

these illegal transactions would put him in a soup, but

shouldn't forget what you've been working towards all

exactly what Tatum had done.He had forced Lucas into a corner,

had been smoking

with a wrench of his gut that Antawood, which was once his hometown, was now something

couldn't

had

a helpless child at the time, being made to watch as several men raped his mother while his

he had

when Tatum had approached Lucas with a proposition for

to understand what hatred meant

him to Thailand and put him

made Lucas stronger and taught him everything he needed

drove Anna back

you going?" Anna asked as she watched Brian turn around the

walk.You should go to bed

to

he stood by the wooden tombstone that Ayla had built, Brian's heart

and had tried to commit suicide, and that Brian had forcefully kept her alive.But

reason

the chance to make it up to her? Anna followed him out and saw him standing there, still as a

only light in the dim corner of the backyard

thinking about her?"

he took a drag from his

if he thought about Ayla or

alive,

had to know, although she didn't really

that Ayla had returned on

your hypothetical questions," Brian said, throwing her a withering look as

been

his heart, Ayla had

she might be with another man, or she

intimacy between Ayla

knew that Ayla was still alive, and he still loved her, he

and said, "We need to stop talking

off all his thoughts as

him, wrapping her arms around his waist from

don't think about

made a conscious effort to not think about Ayla,