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

Chapter 135: I Could Promise Anything Else, Except This One 

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"

Ayla turned to him with blazing eyes.

"No way! You don't have a space in my heart or in my 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 and that's because of you," she stated as a matter of fact with poison in her words.

His coercion would only make her feel more indifferent.If he would keep her shackled to him, she could very well give him a taste of his own medicine.

"You..." Brian was at a loss for words as he stared at her unbelievably.He thought Ayla just wanted to stir up trouble and provoke him.Wasn't she afraid that he would shoot her?

"Mr.Clark, I've already finished what needed to be done.You should go back now," she said dismissively.

Ayla shrugged the black suit jacket off her shoulders and let it fall to the floor.She didn't need it or anything from him at all!

"Are you sure you're going out dressed like that?" he asked incredulously.

Brian really wanted to teach her a lesson because of how stubborn she was being, but he chose otherwise when he saw the fresh bruises on her body.

Ayla let go of her torn clothes and threw back a question.

"Then what do you want me to do?"

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

No other man would ever touch her, much less lay a finger on her! Ayla chose to keep her mouth shut, not wanting to argue anymore.

She plopped down on the couch and not long after, Brian came back carrying a new set of clothes.

"Get dressed.I'll take you to dinner," he ordered.

Ayla shook her head in reply.

"No, thanks.I prefer to eat instant noodles."

She would lose her appetite if she had dinner with him.

Brian had already changed his clothes for dinner as well, but for now, he would give in to her wishes.

As soon as she put on the new clothes, he said, "Okay, fine! Instant noodles, then.Let's not wait any longer.I'm getting hungry."

Before she could say anything, he pulled her out of the studio and went to her apartment.

As they slurped on the noodles, the awkward silence in the room was too unbearable for one's comfort.

Ayla only had a few bites and Brian went on his way shortly after finishing the food.

Her tense nerves finally relaxed the moment he left.

It was like a huge boulder was lifted off her chest and she could finally breathe again.

Not wanting to waste any second, she headed to the bathroom and stripped off the designer dress that Brian gave her. From NôvelDrama.Org.

She tossed it into the trash can where it rightfully belonged.

Then she lay in the bathtub, hoping the water and soap would cleanse whatever he left on her body. She didn't want to keep on feeling this way anymore.

But what could she do if he really wanted to continue with this? ‘Isn't there anything I can do for him to give up completely?’ she thought hard with her eyes closed.

Brian hated flirtatious women who would sleep with many men the most.

Did she 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 free from him completely.

‘Would this be worth it in the end?’ Ayla asked herself over and over.

It all depended on whether her heart was ready to 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 actually missed her so much, but he couldn't come see her constantly anymore.He could only drive to her place at midnight.

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

'How are you doing, Lala? Will you hold on like you did before? Or will you come back to Brian without hesitation and throw yourself into his arms the moment he shows up?’ he murmured to himself.

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

Knowing how badly Brian hurt her, she wouldn't turn around easily.

But what faith he had slowly dissolved when Lucas saw that Brian's car had just driven away from the apartment.

‘Why did Lala allow him to stay that late?’ he asked himself in pure disbelief.

After taking a few calming breaths, Lucas decided to call Ayla but there was no answer.He also tried reaching her through landline to no avail.

Stepping out of the car, Lucas strode towards Ayla's apartment and pounded on the door.

In the distant quiet of the bathroom, Ayla was too tired and sleepy to hear the knocks and doorbell ringing outside.

Perhaps she was tired both physically and mentally, so she fell asleep unknowingly.

At last, Lucas found a tool to open the door.He searched the entire apartment and finally found her in the bathroom.

"Lala, there you are."

Looking at the subsiding steam on the bathroom mirror, it was clear that the water had already cooled down.

He carried her out of the bathtub immediately, and when he saw the hickeys and bruises all over her body, he knew what Brian had done to Lala again.

Lucas clenched his jaw and willed himself to keep his rising anger at bay. Ayla was stirred awake by the chill she felt.

With her eyes fluttering open, it took a second for her to recognize him.

"Lucas, is it really you?"

She must be dreaming, right?

"Why did you fall asleep in the bathtub? You will get sick again if you catch a cold."

As always, Lucas worried about her health.He picked up the bathrobe and draped it on her.

Ayla tightened the robe and asked, "Why are you here?"

"If I didn't come, you would have been sleeping in the bathtub all night.Then you'll get sick and it would take days for you to recover again."

Lucas led her out of the bathroom and motioned her to sit on the sofa.

Then he took the hair dryer and aimed it at her long wet hair to dry it faster.

Ayla kept quiet because she didn't know what to say.

Should she tell Lucas that she was forced to have sex with Brian again tonight? Perhaps, in the future, would she allow Brian to have her body for as long as he needed? And should she even take the initiative to seduce him so that she could become the kind of woman he hated one day?

"Lala, have you met Brian?" Lucas finally asked to break the long silence.He had already seen the evidence and there should be no way for her to lie about it.

Ayla nodded without meeting his eyes, "Yes, I met him."

They did meet, although it had an underlying meaning.

They were involved in each other again and it would last for who knew how long. This time, it looked like Brian wouldn't let Ayla go and he would do everything in his power so she couldn't get away.All she could do was face him.