Brian had just turned around when he felt soft lips pressing down on his.
This was the first time Ayla had taken the initiative to kiss him.
He didn't want her to kiss him just because he had returned the ring to her.He didn’t want her to go
running into another man's arms once they were done.
Ayla's kiss was inexperienced.But she put her soul into it, turning her into a seductress, making Brian
helpless and unable to refuse her.
"Did you kiss me just to repay me, Lala?"he said softly.
As his gaze found hers, Brian felt his stomach drop away.
He was becoming more and more weak- kneed before Ayla with each passing day.
The kiss she had given him didn't even qualify as one, but it filled him with satisfaction and relief.
Ayla didn't say anything but merely looked at him, because it was not a reward.
She had never thought of repaying him in this way.She had just been overcome with the sudden urge
to do it.
That was all.
She knew Brian wouldn't care, but she had still done it.
Brian flashed her a charming smile, one that she had never seen before.
Ayla didn't go to see Lucas once she left the apartment.
Instead, she went to office.
She knew Brian wasn't lying when he said that Lucas and that woman were in a relationship.
And she didn't want to ruin their relationship by appearing suddenly before them.
Lucas had done a lot for Ayla these past two years.
All she wanted was for him to be happy.
After the morning meeting, Ayla and her assistant, Ellie, went to JJ Department Store to recce the site.
The fashion show would be held there one week later.
Ayla wasn't supposed to be there, but Anna and Brian were having a meeting in the company and so
they had asked her to do the task instead.
The first batch of this season's clothes were in the mall's underground warehouse and she needed to
check on them.
Ayla and Ellie walked up to the first floor of the mall where the clothes were being brought out.
Their first thought was that the space was cluttered and congested, nowhere near airy as the outside.
Anna had made this plan.
Brian had raised an objection when he had come to see the venue.
This small space couldn't hold many people.
But in order to make sure that the clothes made it to the high end, he had reluctantly given the nod.
After all, the JJ Department Store was the largest mall in Antawood.
The commodities there were all luxurious and pricey, and ordinary people could not afford them.
Ayla was greeted by the manager of the shopping mall.
Since the mall was also a subsidiary of the Clark Group, Brian had called the manager in advance,
instructing him to receive and treat the designer well.
The manager dared not defy Brian.
"Hello, Miss Woodsen.I am the manager of this shopping mall.My name is Zayn Cohen,"the middle-
aged manager said as way of introduction and handed Ayla a business card.
Ayla took the business card and said with a slight smile, "Mr.Cohen, please call me Ayla."
Zayn looked mildly horrified before recovering.
"Please let me take you to the office upstairs first.We can go to the underground warehouse later," he
said.
Ayla nodded.
She followed Zayn into the glass- enclosed elevator from where they could see the mall from every
angle.
He pointed to the second floor where women's wear lined the walls.
"This whole floor is for women's wear, Miss Woodsen.In the future, Mr.Clark will set up an exclusive
shop on this floor for our brand," Zayn said.
He was proud of the soaring sales that the shopping mall was turning out every month.
Ayla looked at the people milling about.
It was not a weekend, but there were still quite a few people here.
The women here were all from rich families.
However, to Ayla's surprise, she ran into a couple in a corner of the third floor.
Haley was holding on to Lucas’ arm, and he was carrying several shopping bags full of baby products
and clothes.
Ayla knew that Lucas was with another woman, but she had never expected to meet them like this.
The air between them became strained.
Haley recognized Ayla at once, having met her before.
Lucas pulled away from Haley the moment he saw Ayla.It didn't matter to him in that moment that
Haley was pregnant.
Haley was not a fool.
She knew that he was behaving like this because of this woman's presence.She also knew that her
intuition had been right, that perhaps this woman in front of them was exactly the woman who had been
pestering Lucas all this time.
"Why are you here, Lala?" Lucas asked, a little anxiously.
He had wanted to hide his relationship with Haley, but hadn't been able to.
Haley had hounded Lucas over and over again, asking him to go shopping for the baby with her.He had
agreed because he was worried about her, about her pregnancy.He hadn't, in his wildest dreams,
expected to meet Ayla here.
Ayla looked steadfastly at Lucas and said, "I have business here."Her voice was calm.
She hadn't expected to meet him like this either.She looked down at the baby products that Lucas was
carrying.
Maybe Brian had known all of this.
Maybe that was why he had asked her not to go looking for Lucas.
Maybe he just didn't want her to be sad.
"Lucas, who is this beautiful lady? Why don't you introduce us?" Haley said sweetly.
She was obviously marking her territory because she was clear on the fact that the baby in her belly
was important to her.She wouldn't allow anyone to take this happiness away from her.
Ayla didn't ignore Haley's subtle movement.
She just looked at her curiously as she thought, ‘She is pregnant, and I'm guessing that Lucas is the
father"
"Hello, I'm Haley Green.Lucas' fiancee," Haley said.
She knew that Lucas would never tell Ayla about their relationship, so she had to take the initiative to
introduce herself like this.
She was always the one to take the first step in her relationship with Lucas.
‘Fianee?’ Ayla thought, her heart aching, but she didn't show it.
"Hello, Miss Green.I'm Ayla Woodsen, a friend of Lucas."
She didn't want anything more to do with Lucas.But she still had the ring that Brian had given back to
her that morning.
Things had probably changed with time, but she didn't know for sure.
"Lucas, should we invite Miss Woodsen to dinner or at least have a cup of tea together? I’m a little tired
after the day's shopping.And a little hungry.The baby is protesting," Haley said, a whine in her voice.
It was clear that her words were directed at Ayla.
Ayla, on the other hand, understood what Haley meant.
She shook her head.
"No, thanks.I have other business to attend to."
"Lala," Lucas said, making to stop Ayla as she turned to leave.
He wanted to tell her that it was not what she was thinking.But he couldn't say it.
"Lucas," Haley called as she took his hand and pulled on it.
"I'm tired.Let's go back."
As she spoke to Lucas, Haley glared at Ayla, venom in her eyes.
Now that she finally found the woman with Lucas, she wasn't in a hurry to make a move yet.
Lucas had no choice but to leave with Haley.
They had just entered the elevator when a tall figure made its way over to Ayla.
62fb1bb41dcb31934bd49bda