When Lucas came out of the school, he saw the two girls chatting.
"Molly," he called out.
"Lucas!"
Molly advanced towards him and hugged him affectionately.
Thereafter, Lucas wrapped his arm around Ayla's waist I and said, "You two know each other? Come,
let's have dinner together."
Molly was taken aback.
"Lucas, do you know her?"
'This coquettish woman! First she seduced my husband and now she is trying to sink her claws into
Lucas!'"No!"
"No, thanks!"
Both women blurted out simultaneously.
Lucas smiled cunningly at Ayla.
"Do you want me to drag you into the car again?"
He was reluctant to force her. "It's already quite late.I should be heading back."
She was in no mood for a fancy dinner with Molly.
"It's okay.I'll drive you home.I don't see your driver around."
Lucas opened the car door and she seated herself.
Noticing this, Molly griped, "Lucas, she is a vixen! She seduced Toby!"
She reminded him.Lucas ignored her warning.
He said with a smile, "If I marry her, Toby will be out of her life.Besides, I'll take her abroad.Isn't that
great?"
He patted her on her back.Stunned by his naivety, she said, "Don't get caught up in her web.She is
also intimately involved with Mr.Clark."
"Just forget it! Let's go! Why don't you drive in front of us and lead the way? You decide what we should
eat."
Lucas ran his fingers through Molly's hair dotingly.
Ayla sat silently in his car.
"Lala, I don't care about your past.I just want to share a beautiful future with you,"
Lucas said sincerely.
‘'The future...is all too distant.'’
The happiness she sought was gone.
So was the loving, affectionate family.
She didn't want to hurt Lucas and she knew that Brian would make their lives sheer hell.
"Are you willing?"
He systematically tried to break her defense.
She shot him a sideward glance but said nothing.
"Your silence means consent."
He freed one hand to hold her hand.
She was icy cold to the touch.The car stopped in front of a restaurant.
He held her tightly.
"Mr.Collins, let go of me!"
She was not in love with him so the question of marriage didn't arise.
They wouldn't have a future together.
It was just too late.
"I won't accept defeat.Just call my name."
He leaned closer to her.
"Call me Lucas."
Ayla protested, "No!"
Before she could utter another word, he caressed her and planted a gentle kiss on her rosy lips.
His kiss oozed depths of pure love.She was overwhelmed as he continued to kiss her.
He wasn't like Brian, whose violent passionate kisses left her breathless.
Lucas' feather soft kiss touched her heart.
"I won't stop kissing you till you call my name."
He grinned, flashing his pearly white teeth.She was still at a loss because of his sudden kiss.
It was not until he opened the door and carried her out, that she came back to her senses.
"Put me down!"
She kicked her legs furiously and he was forced to put her down.
"Lala, believe me.I'm serious."
He then led her into the restaurant, holding her hand tightly.
As Molly gazed at the intimacy between them, she wasn't sure whether she should be happy or
concerned.
Lucas fully assumed the role of her boyfriend at dinner.
He lovingly helped her select vegetables, poured her a drink of water and wiped the corners of her
mouth with a tissue.
Brian could never treat her with such tenderness.
Every woman secretly wanted to be pampered like this.Molly, observing his devotion to her, quipped,
"Lucas, you seem to be quite smitten by Miss Woodsen."
Ayla looked at her and remarked, "I didn't think that we would be able to have dinner together without
any issues."
Lucas was responsible for the truce between them.
"I pray that we can finally get along with each other," Molly said.
She was seeking peace at any cost.
As long as she had Toby, nothing else mattered.But if Ayla was relentlessly stringing Lucas along, she
would not spare her.
The trio bumped into Toby as they were leaving the restaurant.
He was still dressed in his grey suit.
When he saw Ayla, his expression changed but he said nothing.
Molly handed her car keys to the driver, instructing him to take the car back.
She then got into Toby's car.
"Honey, aren't you curious to know why I'm in Ayla's company today?"
Molly took the initiative to broach the subject.
She was happy that they had managed to maintain peace this long.
"No questions.I'm faithfully keeping my promise to stay away from her.Aren't I?"
His heart was filled with mixed emotions but he dared not show it.
Toby's indifferent tone pleased her.
She no longer feared any kind of entanglement between the two.Meanwhile, Lucas looked at the
distracted Ayla and asked, "Are you going back? It's quite late now."
She nodded.
"Don't trouble yourself to drop me off.I'll take a taxi."
If Brian saw them together, he would be driven into a frenzy.
No amount of explanations would suffice.Lucas insisted on dropping her off.
He was unafraid.
Even if Brian confronted him, he would be prepared to take a bullet for her.
Brian sat in the living room sofa, waiting for the fun loving woman to return.
He resented the fact that Ayla and Lucas were growing closer.
Ayla knew that Brian was waiting up for her because the lights in the villa were on.She went straight to
the living room.
"Oh, you're at home?" she said timidly.
"You seem to be very busy these days! Do you prefer Lucas to me?"
He had treated her with such kindness recently, she had forgotten his callous side.
"Do you?"
He continued to interrogate her.
Her silence angered him even more.She looked up at him and replied, "We only had dinner together."
She told him the simple truth.
"So you ignored my instructions, didn't you?"
Brian stood up and advanced towards her.
He grabbed her by the chin.
"No, I didn't."
They glared at each other.
She felt helpless under his control yet she was telling the truth. They were just good friends and she
had no intention of developing a deeper relationship with him.
Brian roughly grabbed her around the waist and forced her to the room on the second floor.
"You need to remember that you can only be mine!" He tortured her till she could no longer bear the
pain.
'Why am I even alive?'
"I will kill you if you ever sleep with that man!"
Standing by the bedside, he looked down upon her in a cold condescending manner.
She bit her lips in anger.
Blood poured forth.
"You are the devil himself! You beastly devil!"
She mustered enough strength to berate him.
"Yes, I am a devil! You'd better not provoke me or I'll kill Lucas!"
His indifference pushed her further and further away from him.
"You can't touch him!"
She stared into his murderous eyes.
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