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

Chapter 136: How Could She Forget 

Lucas saw the look on her face.

"He raped you again, didn't he?"

Ayla turned her gaze away from him.She couldn't do anything when Brian threatened her and forced her to have sex with him.

"You shouldn't have given him the chance to rape you again! It has been more than two years.Haven't you forgotten how he hurt you?"

Lucas helped her dry her hair as he gazed into her eyes.

Why couldn't she forget about Brian? Were all the things he did for her during the past two years meaningless to her? Did she forget everything between them the second Brian reappeared in her life? And was she planning to get back together with him? Ayla got up and looked back at Lucas.

"I've never forgotten about it.How could I forget it? How could I cast aside the most painful experience I've ever gone through?" She loathed Brian.

And she hated him for raping her without considering how she would feel.

In doing so, he made her disgusted with the idea of coming back to him, and prevented her from ever giving her heart to him.

"Lala, just stay away from him.We should go back to Italy.What do you think?"

All Lucas wanted to do right now was to get her as far away from this place as possible.He didn't want her to have anything to do with Brian ever again.

Although he knew that they were bound to meet in Antawood, he didn't expect that things would spiral out of control so soon after they saw each other.

Ayla looked back at Lucas.

‘Leave?’ What would happen to that woman if they left? Would he really just give up on her? If she made him give up on someone again because of her, then what did that make her? She didn't want to burden him.

During the past two years, she had lived by one principle.She had worked hard to make herself independent, but she knew how much she was indebted to him.

Back when she had a relapse every single day and was unable to live on her own, Lucas stood by her side without hesitation and helped her through many painful nights.

Lucas told her that she was his happiness, so she accepted his proposal.

But before she could even learn to love him back, Brian barged into her life again and forced himself on her, regardless if she wanted it or not.

"Don't you want to leave, Lala? Let's leave and go back to Italy together, alright? Or if you want to go to another country, I'll go with you.We can also go to a place where nobody knows us.It will be just the two of us, together."

Lucas held her hand. He was trying to tell her that she should just forget about Brian, the man who put her through so much suffering.

If the two of them left, he'd also forget about Tatum.

For Ayla’s sake, he could forego his hatred and revenge.

All he wanted to do right now was to protect her. With hopeful eyes, she gazed back at him.

She wasn't sure if she could just run away.

Two years ago, it was only because everyone had believed that she was dead that she enjoyed a carefree life.

If she disappeared and "died" again, would Brian believe it? No, definitely nots "It's getting late.You should go back.Ms.Evans will come to Antawood tomorrow.I have to pick her up at the airport."

Ayla couldn't let him stay the night, and she knew he had to leave to accompany another woman. Lucas nodded.

"I'll leave after you fall asleep." It had been a long time since he spent time with her.

He had promised her that he would accompany her and love her for the rest of his life, and he hoped that he could keep this promise.

Moments later, Ayla lay on her bed.

However, after what happened tonight, she was having a hard time falling asleep.

"You know what? I was so happy during these past two years.With you by my side, I lived a good life.I felt like there was still hope for me to continue living."

She recalled every detail of her life in the past two years.

If Lucas weren't there, she might've given up long ago.

And yet she survived, and Lucas had given her everything that she now had. "Silly girl, what are you talking about?"

Lucas was lying beside her.

"Are you filling up your head with foolish notions just because you can't fall asleep?"

Ayla shook her head.

"No, it's just that I'm so lucky that I met you."

As for the things that she was never fortunate enough to have and the things she had lost, she didn't want to care about them anymore.

For the rest of the night until she finally fell asleep, Lucas listened to everything she wanted to say about the past two years.

He didn't leave her until it was almost the break of dawn.

Even though he didn't want to, he had to leave her to keep her safe.He couldn't let Haley find out about Ayla.

Tatum wanted to intercept Brian's goods once again.

Although Jaime was the one who handled it all the time and not once in the past two years had Brian dealt with those deals personally, maybe this time would be different. It was already surprising that Brian had tolerated Tatum's antics for two years, but Lucas could see that the man was just waiting for the perfect opportunity to get rid of Tatum once and for all.

Lucas didn't approve that Tatum was still doing shady business, but he owed him so much, and he also had to avenge his family.

The moment he came back to the hotel, he saw that Haley was sleeping on the sofa.

"Haley." Lucas tried to wake her up.

Whether he was here or not, she would probably stay in his room.

"Lucas, you're back.Where have you been? I was worried about you all night."

After saying that, she threw herself into his arms. Pulling her away from him, he responded, "Haley, stop it.Go back to your own room.I need to sleep."

"Sleep? Who did you fool around with last night?"

Haley noticed the dark circles around his eyes.Was he up all night?

"Haley, stay out of my business." Nôvel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.

Then, Lucas pushed her out of his room and closed the door.

If she hadn't come to Antawood with him, he wouldn't have allowed Brian to take advantage of Ayla.

When Haley returned to her room, she took out her phone to call someone.

"What did you find? Have you found out the mysterious woman that Lucas had been seeing lately?"

"Miss Green, Mr.Collins has been going to an apartment on a regular basis, but outsiders aren't allowed in that apartment complex, so we can't figure out who the woman is," said one of the bodyguards that Haley sent to follow Lucas around.

"Just keep an eye on him.I don’t believe that woman can elude my spies.If I find out who that bitch is, I'll make her life a living hell!"

Haley swore menacingly.

"Yes, Miss Green.I'll continue following Mr.Collins."

"Good.You do that.Follow him until you find out who that woman is."

She refused to believe that that woman had captured Lucas’ heart.

No matter what relationship that woman had with him, she was going to destroy her.

She was going to make sure that she would be the only woman in his life, and nobody would be able to take him away from her.

In the past, she had disobeyed her own father so many times because of Lucas.

Now, she had to prove that her efforts led to something instead of getting nothing in return.

No matter what happened, she was determined to get all that she wanted to have.