Maria found Ayla in the parking lot and brought her back to her room. She held Ayla by her shoulder and comforted her. "Mrs. Clark, please lie down for a while. I'll get you some food. ” Ayla nodded. "Thank you. " Her voice sounded so weak, and it was not only from the drink she'd had. It was because she was too depressed. and grieved and had lost all her enthusiasm. After that party, things never got better. Ayla fell seriously ill. Over half a month passed until her condition was better. All the while she stayed locked in the villa. Besides, Brian disappeared soon after that night and hadn't returned home yet. However, it was better for her to live here alone than to face him. The doctor who was treating her, had advised her to get rid of the depression she was suffering from. Otherwise she would end up with incurable depression. But how could she stop her depression? She had lost her everything. Even her enthusiasm to live. She was now just waiting for. death. Was she so desperate to die? She glanced at her phone on the bedside table and pressed the power on button. As soon as she did so, dozens of messages kept coming in and all of them were from Toby. She didn’t want to read them. If she could, she would have deleted them all. But she could not. She still had feelings for Toby. Even though they were separated from each other for several years, they grew up together and were close to each other. She had been waiting for him all these years when they were apart, because he was her only hope. He was her future. But now. everything was meaningless. She reluctantly opened the messages and read them. It turned out he had found out how she had become Brian's substitute bride. She had no choice but to take Arlene's place. Her phone suddenly buzzed. She read the number but couldn't recognize it. "Hello?" Ayla softly said. “Lala, finally! I have been trying to catch you on the phone for so long. You got me so worried. How are you doing? Where are you. now? How's everything? I want to see you!" Toby bombarded her with a long chain of questions. "Toby, I'm fine. She was really fine. As long as Toby was happy, she would be fine. "Nonsense! I don't believe you. absolutely know what kind of person Brian is! He can make your life worse than death, Lala! I'm. worried. Toby couldn't even imagine the various ways Brian would torture her. He couldn't endure seeing her suffer like this. Brian would see her as Arlene, who was the real daughter of the Woodsen family and hate her

"Toby, he is not that bad. Ayla didn't know why she said that. Brian had n ever treate d her well. He had tortured her by havi ng sex without her consent and restricting her freedom. Then why did she say he wasn't a bad person? Toby could tell from her vo ice that she was trying to be strong. She had al ways been like this. She always endur ed pain without complaining once. “Lala, tell me, wh ere are you now? Le t's meet and talk. He need ed to s ee her. Without seeing her pe rsonally, he wouldn't believe what she said. "But. " Ayla he sitated. Brian made her promis e that she wouldn't l eave the villa again. "Lala, you must come and meet me. I have so mething important to tell you. Tell me, wh ere do you live? I'll go and pick you up. Toby had investigated that Brian had man y villas and apartments, but he didn't kn ow which one Brian had arranged for Lala. Ayla hesitated for a while, b ut then agreed. The two of them a greed to meet at a cafe in the city. To her fortune, she realize d Maria had gone to shop dow ntown with the driver, Lyle. There were only the h ousekeeper and other servants in the villa. After changing into a set of clothes, Ay la went out quietly. At the pre-selecte d coffee shop, Tob y didn't go inside. He stood by t he entry, wai ting for Ayla. An hour later, a taxi s topped before the cafe and Ayla got out of it. "L al a. Toby stepped fo rward and took her hand in his. Ayla got confused when he didn't lead her inside the cafe, inste ad he walked her towards his car. "Get in my car . Let's talk so mewhere else. Before Ayla could obj ect, Toby pulled her h astily inside his car. "T ob y!" . Ayla looke d at him in confusion. Why was he behaving so strange? What did he want? But Toby turned to her and smi led, then stepped on the accelerator and . the ca r roll ed by. After an almost quiet ride, they stopped i n front of a building. "Let's go ups tairs. Looking at the new building in front of her, Ayla asked, "Tob y, why have you taken me here?" . "From now on, you can live here, Lala. ! won't let you go back to B rian. No one can torture you here. Toby had taken her t o his new apartment. He led her upstairs. "Toby, I can't st ay here. Sitting on the s ofa, Ayla eyed a round the place. She didn't expect that Toby wo uld take such an unexpected de cision. She couldn't stay here. If Brian learned about it, he would turn Toby' s life in a living hell. Toby suddenly pulled her i nto his arms. "Of course you can, Lala. why not? I promi sed you that when I came back, I would giv e you the best life. You deserve happiness,

Lala. Now, I can gi ve you the best and comfortable life. Toby's generosity made Ayla emotio nal. She leaned against Toby's chest and put her arms around his waist. Their close proximity was so familiar an d warm to her, that she didn't want to l et go. But she knew she couldn't enjoy it . forever. S he'd have to let go. Brian was her foremost obstacle. If she m ade him angry again, not only she but als o Toby and the whole Woodsen family would . suffe r his wrath. "I'm sorry, Toby. I'm not the same person as you used to know. Tears welled up in her eyes and streamed down her face which soaked his shirt. Toby patted her on the back and comforted her. "Don't cry, Lala. it'll be alrig ht. You should only smile in fr ont of me. You should be happy. Ayla s hook he r head. She couldn't anymore smile as cheerfully as she used to when she was a child. Ha ppiness was such a simple thing when they . were young. She could smile brightl y just because of a candy or a cho colate, but now things had changed. “Lala, no matter what happened to you, you are still the one I love most in my life," Toby said firmly. He l oved her. No matter what Brian had done to her, he didn't care. He would lo ve her for the rest of his life. "I, I hav e had sex with him. Ayla choked out the w ords while a bitter s ob erupted out of her. Even though she was r eluctant, she lost he r virginity to Brian. Her wor ds stunn ed Toby. Ayla pu shed hi m away. "I think I'd better go back!" . She could feel that he wasn't expecting that. "No! Y ou can 't go!" . But Toby stopped her immediately and said, "I don't mind that. I really don't. From now on, you will be mine, only mine. I will still . lov e y ou. He loved her, and this fact would ne ver change. Did she not love him anymo re? Ayla looked at him questioningly. "T ob y?" . Toby pulled her in his arms again and gently p ressed his lips on hers. "You're mine, Lala. You can only be mine. Even if he was late , he would keep her in his life forever. He kissed her agai n, this time it wa s more passionate. His kiss aroused th e love and helplessn ess in Ayla's heart. Brian had ne ver kissed h er like this. He had only forced him self on her