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

shot Ayla, and Brian considered

"I see."

action yet because

knew that if he took Brian down, Ayla would definitely leave

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

whatever Tatum wanted, no questions asked.He knew that these illegal transactions would put him in a soup, but he

what you've been working towards all

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

been smoking

with a wrench of his gut that Antawood, which

he couldn't leave this

had passed away, he

made to watch as several men raped his mother while his father, a heart patient, was admitted to the

his father had died, he had asked Lucas to

opportunity presented itself to him when Tatum had approached Lucas with

hatred meant to him.He had merely

to Thailand and put him through a rigorous, harsh training

taught him

back to the

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

going out for a walk.You should go to bed early,"

just wanted to go to

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

tried to commit suicide, and that Brian had forcefully kept her alive.But she had disappeared in the

was the reason behind

he ever get the chance to make it up to her? Anna followed him out and saw

dim corner of the backyard was the cigarette flickering between his

thinking about her?" she asked, walking

say anything.Instead, he took a drag from

it didn't matter if he thought about Ayla or

she is still alive,

although she didn't really want to hear him

was the only one who knew that

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

marriage had only been

his heart, Ayla had become his

she might be with

thought that the intimacy between Ayla and

Ayla was still alive, and he still loved her, he would put all his efforts in getting her

said, "We need to stop talking

his thoughts as he

him, wrapping her arms around his waist from

please don't think about

made a conscious effort to not think about Ayla,