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.

Brian would not let him get away with

had shot Ayla, and Brian considered

"I see."

hadn't taken any action yet because of

Ayla would definitely leave him.And he couldn't imagine

his best to do

illegal transactions would put him in a soup, but he did not

you've been

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

been smoking the whole

realizing with a wrench of his gut that Antawood, which was once

he couldn't leave

hadn't told him everything before he had passed away,

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

he had asked Lucas to

opportunity presented itself to him when Tatum had approached Lucas with a proposition

been too young to understand what hatred meant to him.He had merely

and put him through a rigorous, harsh training

him everything he needed to exact his

drove Anna back to the

asked as she watched Brian turn around the moment they entered the living

walk.You should go to bed

just wanted to go to

wooden tombstone that Ayla had built, Brian's heart

that Ayla had gone crazy living here and had tried to commit suicide, and that Brian had forcefully kept her

was the reason

to make it up to her? Anna followed him out and saw

in the dim corner of the backyard was the cigarette flickering between his

her?" she asked, walking

anything.Instead, he took

didn't matter if he thought about

is still alive, will you

although she didn't really want

only one who knew that Ayla

answer your hypothetical questions," Brian said, throwing her a withering look as he put out

marriage had only been signed on, but hadn't been

Ayla had become his legitimate

might be with another man, or she might have forgotten everything that

that the intimacy between Ayla and Lucas was

and he still loved her,

said, "We need to

as he strode furiously back to

arms around his waist from behind as she caught

please don't

made a conscious effort to not think