Toby knew only one thing. The woman in front of him was the one he had loved for so many years. No matter what kind of relationship she had with Brian, he still wanted her. If he hadn't left Ayla and come back late, she would have been his woman instead of Brian Clark. However, that changed nothing. He didn't know what Ayla was thinking, but he still wanted her to be his woman. Maybe he was being selfish, but didn't they say everything was fair in love and war?. Toby caressed Ayla's face. She looked nervous and scared. Seeing her trembling in his arms, he asked softly, "Are you afraid, Lala? Don't be afraid. I'm here. Toby placed another kiss on her lips and said, "Lala, no matter what had happened before, you are mine today. You are mine. Ayla looked up at Toby with teary eyes and touched his face. "I'm scared, Toby. What if he finds out about us? I don't want to return to him. I want to be yours. I really love you. Her tears, those who had blurred her vision, rolled down her cheeks. Toby pulled her against him. "I love you too, Lala. Toby wanted her to forget every hurt Brian had imparted on her. He wanted to make her feel secure. She had lost her enthusiasm to live until Toby made her feel secure again. If Toby didn't mind whether she had been sold to Brian, then she would spend the rest of her life with the man she loved. Toby wanted to be intimate with her. But when Ayla sensed he was trying to get close to her, she looked up at him with blurred vision and saw Brian in place of Toby. She screamed aloud. "Ah! No! Get off me! Let go of me! Leave me! Don't touch me!". Ayla clawed at him and pushed him away. Whenever she reminded herself of Brian, she felt her body shaking painfully. She was so scared of Brian. Toby worriedly noticed her cowering away from him in fear. “Lala, I'm sorry. I-I didn't mean to scare you. Toby brought a warm blanket and covered her with it before pulling her close to him and comforting her. Ayla sobbed quietly in his arms. She couldn't get out of the trauma of Brian's torture. "Toby, I don't want to return to the Clark villa. I'll stay here. Even if it's for just one day, I want to stay away from him. She didn't want to stay locked up forever. The Clark villa was like a cage for her. No matter how comfortable her room was there, staying there was nothing but a nightmare for her. "Stay here as long as you want. You can live here from now on and no one will know. Toby wanted to protect her from every evil. But Ayla wasn't confident of her fate. She didn't know how long she could live here. Toby had a fiancee, so she couldn't be a burden to him for a long time. She had been a burden since her childhood. Her biological parents abandoned her

Even if the Woodsen f amily adopted her, sh e was still redundant. In order to repay Clayton fo r raising her up, she listen ed to him and married Brian. While going through th ese thoughts, Ayla fel l asleep at one point. Toby softly tucked her in the bed a nd kissed her on the forehead befor e he got off and put on his clothes. He went out to buy a few neces sities for Ayla. From now on, sh e would live in his apartment. He earned money to buy h is own apartment so that he could give it to Ayla. He was happ y to have h er, finally. When Brian returned to t he villa, he was told th at Ayla had gone missing. No one kne w where sh e had gone. She didn't ev en take her p hone with her. She had been out f or an entire day an d hadn't come back. "What the hell is wrong with you? Ca n't you do your duties properly? Hav e you forgotten what I had ordered?” . Brian yelled at Ruben and Maria in front of him. "Sir, Mrs. Cla rk will be bac k. Don't worry" . Maria said in a low voice, "Maybe she had missed the bus and couldn't come back on time like last time. Brian was tak en aback by wh at Maria said. Last time, it was a coincidence to me et her on the road. This time,he knew that she had escaped. That woman actual ly dared to escape from his control. Well! He would fi nd her and show he r, her real place. Brian sat on the sofa and pondered on the last few days' events. T ob y. She must hav e run away w ith that man. But Brian would ne ver let her escape from his control. He'd make her come b ack to him. He would ma ke her obed ient to him. Three days pa ssed by after this incident. In Toby's apartment, Ayl a stood in front of the w indow and looked outside. Since she came to live in Toby's apartment, da ys went by like a dream. Now she was afraid this w ould end too. Every day before going to work, Toby would prepare b reakfast and lunch for her. In the evening, he w ould come back and m ake dinner with her. Ayla had longed for this kind of life since long. But it was a useless h ope for her. When Toby returned to his apartm ent, he saw Ayla standing in fron t of the window, deep in thought. "Why are you standing here like that, Lala? Are you feeling bore d staying at home all day long?" . "No, It's not t hat. I've been w aiting for you!" . Ayla turned around wi th a smile and threw herself into his arms. Her biggest dream was to b e a full-time homemaker an d cook for her beloved man. Now, it'd been com ing true. "What do you want t o eat for dinner? I' ll make it for you. Toby kissed her lovingly on the cheek. The day he brought her here, he had lost c ontrol. But these days, he had been sleepin g on the sofa and left the main bedroom for . her to s leep com fortably. "I will eat whateve r you'll cook," Ayl a said with a smile. She would be satisfied with what ever he would give her. She only cared for Toby and his happiness

Nothing else m attered. They made dinner tog ether and ate while talking and laughing. After dinner, Ayla leaned against Tob y's chest and asked, "Toby, you come here every day. What about Miss Smith?” . She had wanted to ask this questio n for a long time. It was inevitable tha t one day his fiancee would become his wife. Toby kept quiet. He didn't k now how to answer that. Lala had no choice when she became Bria n's wife, but what about him? What was he doing? He also needed to give her an . expl anat ion. “Lala, d o you tr ust me?" . Toby held her tig htly in his arms and asked quietly. "Yes, o f cours e I do. He was the only man she could trust, and the o nly person close to her. Toby briefly explained how he met Molly and ended up as her fiance. He knew he should be resp onsible towards Molly when he promised to marry her. But he couldn't t ake responsibilit ies for two women. "She is very beautiful and she loves you very much," Ayla said to him. If she hadn't loved him, she woul dn't have been afraid, thinking Ay la would steal Toby away from her. “Lala, bu t I only love you. Toby was afraid that Lala w ould misunderstand him and think he was deceiving her. Ayla nod ded. "Yes, I know. I always knew this. You know what? I'd spent these past years waiting f or you in a hope that you'd return and take . me away with you. You had promised me tha t you would celebrate my eighteenth birth day with me. But you didn't come back, and . it'd hu rt me s o much. She only survived these past years w ith this one hope. "I'm sorry, Lala. !'ll celebrate your birthday with you tomorrow. Although it's too late, I' ll celebrate it with you as long as you don't . mind it, o kay?" . Toby didn't return earlier becau se Molly had fallen sick at that time and he had to stay with her. "Okay. As long as you are with me, everythi ng is better for me. Ayla s miled at him. It would never be too late if the man she loved was beside her. Everything would be b eautiful as long as s he felt loved by him. Suddenly, Toby took out a ne w phone and said, "Lala, thi s is for you. Do you like it?" . The white cell phone was of th e latest model. Ayla remembered that she had left the phone given b y Brian back in the villa. That was why he hadn't f ound her yet. She could only hide f rom him for a while b ut not for a lifetime. "I like it. Tha nk you. Ayla nodded a nd accepted it with a smile. For the first t ime in a while s he felt content