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

Chapter 86: Ayla The Pawn 

"Did you say that you didn't take her away? You are a liar!"

Brian firmly believed that Lucas had kidnapped Ayla.

"I couldn't care less whether you believe me or not.I am detained in this hospital bed like a prisoner.Do whatever you want!"

Lucas said to Brian as he struggled to sit up.Brian was aware of the fact that the chances of Ayla being around here were remote even if Lucas was the one who took her away.

He turned around to leave.

Lucas was consumed with mixed emotions.

As a parting shot he said, "Brian, you are doomed to lose her!"

Brian had left no stone unturned in his quest to find her.

Ayla had simply vanished into thin air.

Jaime followed Brian out of the ward.

"Mr.Clark, do you believe Lucas?"

"Keep an eye on him!"

How could he believe his words? She couldn't have disappeared without reason.

Someone had premeditated her kidnapping.Jaime nodded and instructed two bodyguards to keep watch.

As Lucas watched Brian's figure become smaller, he hid his emotions with downcast eyes.Meanwhile, Ayla awoke in a luxurious but unfamiliar villa.

The room was tastefully decorated.

She sat up in surprise, wondering where on earth she was.

Suddenly, the door opened and in walked a servant.

"Where am I?" she demanded.

The servant just stared at her but remained silent.

As Ayla proceeded to venture out of the room, the servant shook her head and stopped her.

"Where on earth am I?"

Why was she brought here? The servant remained silent.

'Did she not understand me or is she forbidden from communicating with me?' Ayla wondered.

With all the strength she could muster, she pushed the servant away and tried to make a hasty exit.

But the two bodyguards posted at the door prevented her from leaving.

"Miss Woodsen, you cannot leave," said one of the bodyguards in broken Chinese.

"Where am I?"

She suddenly felt all alone in a strange, foreign land.

Nothing at all seemed familiar.

Although the bodyguards still wore black suits, the environment felt alien.

"Miss Woodsen, step back into your room!" the bodyguard commanded.

She went back into the room and flung herself onto the sofa.

Helplessly, she tried to fit the pieces of the puzzle together.

"What happened after I left Brian's villa?"

Instinctively, she knew that she had been kidnapped and had no freedom.She stared out the window at the lush green grass.

For two days, she had no visitors.

The only sign of life was the change of bodyguards and a servant who served her three meals a day.

The Chinese meals didn't taste authentic.

She stopped the servant and enquired, "Is this china? The servant looked at her quizzically and said nothing.In a fit of rage, Ayla smashed the plates to smithereens.The shattering sound immediately alerted a bodyguard.

"Miss Woodsen!"

"Let me out of here!"

Ayla shouted at the bodyguard.

"Miss Woodsen, you cannot come out till our boss comes back."

The bodyguard then spoke to the servant and went out.

Ayla didn't understand what they were talking about.She collapsed in a heap on the floor.

"Am I going to be trapped here?"

Brian stood in front of the French window.He looked at the symbolic cloudy weather.He was getting increasingly uneasy as there was no news of Ayla for days.Jaime came in bursting with news.

"Mr.Clark, TH Gang is taking action!"

'TH Gang?'

"Where is Tatum Green now?"

"He came to Antawood a few days ago.He has since returned to Thailand," he told Brian.

"Now I'm sure that Ayla has been kidnapped by TH Gang."

'Did he kidnap her in order to threaten me?' Brian wondered.

Well they were sadly mistaken because he was not so easily threatened.

Jaime searched his face and asked, "What are you going to do, Mr.Clark?"

"Whatever needs to be done! We can't let Tatum Green get his hands on that merchandise."

A cold glint flashed in his eyes.

If Tatum kidnapped Ayla only to threaten him, then she would be safe.

He felt a small sense of relief.

Tatum had no inclination towards women, so he would not hurt her.

His only fear was that Ayla's unpredictable and stubborn nature could irk Tatum.

"Mr.Clark!" Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

Actually, Jaime was still worried about Brian.

The latter had been restless since Ayla's disappearance.But if TH Gang's threat was really serious, what would he do?

"There is nothing to order.You may leave now."

Brian lounged on the sofa.

As he introspected, he realized that he had gradually driven Ayla away from him.

'Damn it! How dare she provoke me? I wouldn't have asked her to leave if she hadn't said those words!' he thought angrily.

Lucas showed signs of healing so he was discharged from hospital.

The scars from the scald remained, though.

As he relaxed in the apartment sofa, he made a telephonic call to his subordinate.

"Aldo, How is she?"

"Miss Woodsen is gravely ill.She has a high fever but refuses to take any medication.She is troubling to leave," replied Aldo, Lucas' bodyguard, helplessly.

"What happened? How did she fall ill? Didn't I ask you to take good care of her?"

Lucas shouted out of genuine concern when he heard that she had taken ill.

"The doctor diagnosed incompatibility with the climate.Besides, she was sick before she came here.Mr.Collins, when will you be back?"

Aldo had been anxious for the past two days.

She was so sick that he dared not leave her side.Lucas frowned.

"Ask a doctor to see her at once! If anything happens to her, I'll kill all of you!"

He had to think intelligently before making his next move as he was being monitored by Brian's bodyguards.

Ayla's illness pained him.

He knew that she would get kicked out by Brian but he didn't bank on her becoming so sick.

He desperately needed to visit her.

Meanwhile, Ayla lay quite still in bed.

She didn't have a drop of energy to move.

"How can I escape? Who is holding me prisoner here? Why?"

Of what use would she be to her captor? She had always been a pawn in the game of life.

Couldn't she escape her fate even after leaving Brian?

‘'Brian, do you know that I'm being held prisoner here now? Will you come and save me? Or have you ended all relations with me since I left the villa?'’ Deep down, she still cared about him.

After six months of togetherness, she became more affectionate towards him.

Resistance had blossomed into tenderness.

This gentleness was sincere.

‘'Am I destined to be abandoned?'’ She had confessed her love for him and he had rewarded her by throwing her out.

She knew that falling in love with him would be devastating but she was willing to risk it.

After all, she was a typical woman, blinded by love.

The servant served her dinner at the table.

The very sight of the food angered her.

She flung the bowl onto the floor and screamed, "Take it away!"

The sound of leather shoes pounding on the floor drew her attention.

Ayla turned to face a middle-aged man.

"What's wrong?" the man asked.

"Mr.Green!"

Everyone stepped aside to let him through.

Tatum walked up to her and said, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Woodsen.I didn't expect you to be so beautiful...and stubborn.What seems to be the problem? Have I failed to entertain you?"

He looked at her solemnly but she was not intimidated.

"Who are you?" she asked him.

Although she still felt ill, she spoke with optimism.

He looked at her then burst into laughter.

"Didn't Mr.Clark tell you?"

'Is she really the woman Brian Clark cares about?' Tatum thought to himself.

'Brian? Does he have anything to do with this?' Ayla no longer had anything to do with Brian and this man spelt trouble.