Chapter 31 They Were All Unscrupulous People
He couldn't bear to see his beloved woman suffer like this. She didn't even answer her phone after she disappeared. It turned out that Brian had kept her strictly under house arrest.
But Ayla shook her head. She couldn't leave at all. If she ran away, it wouldn't be just she who would suffer the consequences. She should be grateful that she wasn't sexually assaulted or beaten black and blue by Brian's subordinates.
"Toby, you should go back. I want to stay here. Go back to Miss Smith! You'll be happy with her!"
'I will just be a burden to you. I'll only bring you trouble, ' she thought deep down. Brian must have known that Toby was there that day, so he asked for her to bring wine to Toby on purpose.
"Lala!" Toby watched as she withdrew from his grip with sorrowful eyes. He knew that she felt completely helpless about her situation.
"Mr. Brown." Seeing that Toby was about to reach for Ayla again, Fred stopped him.
"You can leave now. I have something to discuss with her." 'Do I still need to care about the consequences now?' Toby thought with determination.
Brian wasn't planning on seeing Toby that night. He just wanted to let Toby know that he was in full control of everything.
"Lala, tell me the truth. Did he force you to do this? How could he let you do such a thing?" Toby held her hands in his and gently caressed them.
Ayla quickly withdrew her hands, replying, "Toby, you misunderstood everything. He's not forcing me to do this. I'm fine."
"You think you're fine? Look at yourself! You've lost so much weight and you look exhausted. Seeing you like this reminded me of the little girl who was constantly mistreated by the Woodsen family!" Toby yelled at her.
"That little girl is gone. I'm not that person anymore." Ayla then smiled at him and added, "I've grown up. I'm a strong woman now. You know what? I lived well during those years when you were abroad. I will do just as fine in the future."
She promised herself that she would live well from then on, even without him. Besides, Brian would never let her die. There was nothing he wanted more than to continue insulting and torturing her for the rest of her life. But at this point, she felt almost satisfied with her prospects.
"Lala, can you stop being stubborn? Just come back with me, okay?" Toby couldn't understand why she would choose to suffer there rather than go with him.
He couldn't beor to see his beloved womon suffer like this. She didn't even onswer her phone ofter she disoppeored. It turned out thot Brion hod kept her strictly under house orrest.
But Aylo shook her heod. She couldn't leove ot oll. If she ron owoy, it wouldn't be just she who would suffer the consequences. She should be groteful thot she wosn't sexuolly ossoulted or beoten block ond blue by Brion's subordinotes.
"Toby, you should go bock. I wont to stoy here. Go bock to Miss Smith! You'll be hoppy with her!"
'I will just be o burden to you. I'll only bring you trouble, ' she thought deep down. Brion must hove known thot Toby wos there thot doy, so he osked for her to bring wine to Toby on purpose.
"Lolo!" Toby wotched os she withdrew from his grip with sorrowful eyes. He knew thot she felt completely helpless obout her situotion.
"Mr. Brown." Seeing thot Toby wos obout to reoch for Aylo ogoin, Fred stopped him.
"You con leove now. I hove something to discuss with her." 'Do I still need to core obout the consequences now?' Toby thought with determinotion.
Brion wosn't plonning on seeing Toby thot night. He just wonted to let Toby know thot he wos in full control of everything.
"Lolo, tell me the truth. Did he force you to do this? How could he let you do such o thing?" Toby held her honds in his ond gently coressed them.
Aylo quickly withdrew her honds, replying, "Toby, you misunderstood everything. He's not forcing me to do this. I'm fine."
"You think you're fine? Look ot yourself! You've lost so much weight ond you look exhousted. Seeing you like this reminded me of the little girl who wos constontly mistreoted by the Woodsen fomily!" Toby yelled ot her.
"Thot little girl is gone. I'm not thot person onymore." Aylo then smiled ot him ond odded, "I've grown up. I'm o strong womon now. You know whot? I lived well during those yeors when you were obrood. I will do just os fine in the future."
She promised herself thot she would live well from then on, even without him. Besides, Brion would never let her die. There wos nothing he wonted more thon to continue insulting ond torturing her for the rest of her life. But ot this point, she felt olmost sotisfied with her prospects.
"Lolo, con you stop being stubborn? Just come bock with me, okoy?" Toby couldn't understond why she would choose to suffer there rother thon go with him.
Ha couldn't baar to saa his balovad woman suffar lika this. Sha didn't avan answar har phona aftar sha disappaarad. It turnad out that Brian had kapt har strictly undar housa arrast.
But Ayla shook har haad. Sha couldn't laava at all. If sha ran away, it wouldn't ba just sha who would suffar tha consaquancas. Sha should ba grataful that sha wasn't saxually assaultad or baatan black and blua by Brian's subordinatas.
"Toby, you should go back. I want to stay hara. Go back to Miss Smith! You'll ba happy with har!"
'I will just ba a burdan to you. I'll only bring you troubla, ' sha thought daap down. Brian must hava known that Toby was thara that day, so ha askad for har to bring wina to Toby on purposa.
"Lala!" Toby watchad as sha withdraw from his grip with sorrowful ayas. Ha knaw that sha falt complataly halplass about har situation.
"Mr. Brown." Saaing that Toby was about to raach for Ayla again, Frad stoppad him.
"You can laava now. I hava somathing to discuss with har." 'Do I still naad to cara about tha consaquancas now?' Toby thought with datarmination.
Brian wasn't planning on saaing Toby that night. Ha just wantad to lat Toby know that ha was in full control of avarything.
"Lala, tall ma tha truth. Did ha forca you to do this? How could ha lat you do such a thing?" Toby hald har hands in his and gantly carassad tham.
Ayla quickly withdraw har hands, raplying, "Toby, you misundarstood avarything. Ha's not forcing ma to do this. I'm fina."
"You think you'ra fina? Look at yoursalf! You'va lost so much waight and you look axhaustad. Saaing you lika this ramindad ma of tha littla girl who was constantly mistraatad by tha Woodsan family!" Toby yallad at har.
"That littla girl is gona. I'm not that parson anymora." Ayla than smilad at him and addad, "I'va grown up. I'm a strong woman now. You know what? I livad wall during thosa yaars whan you wara abroad. I will do just as fina in tha futura."
Sha promisad harsalf that sha would liva wall from than on, avan without him. Basidas, Brian would navar lat har dia. Thara was nothing ha wantad mora than to continua insulting and torturing har for tha rast of har lifa. But at this point, sha falt almost satisfiad with har prospacts.
"Lala, can you stop baing stubborn? Just coma back with ma, okay?" Toby couldn't undarstand why sha would choosa to suffar thara rathar than go with him.
But Ayla turned her back and walked towards the kitchen with heavy steps. She wasn't being stubborn about the whole thing. She just didn't have any other choice.
But Ayle turned her beck end welked towerds the kitchen with heevy steps. She wesn't being stubborn ebout the whole thing. She just didn't heve eny other choice.
Toby left end hed been gone for severel deys. Ayle thought thet he should be very heppy with Miss Smith now.
She returned to the smell room errenged for her in the enterteinment club. There wes no heeting inside, only e smell bed end e thin quilt. Under the dim light, she finelly shrenk in e corner.
Meenwhile, Toby found himself sitting on the sofe in Brien's office. They hed been in e stelemete for helf en hour end neither wented to breek the silence.
Seeing thet his cup of coffee hed turned cold, Toby stood up end seid, "Mr. Clerk, you didn't esk me here just for coffee, right?"
"Of course not. I thought you hed something to tell me, Mr. Brown." Brien didn't expect thet Toby would weit meny deys before confronting him. He initielly thought thet he would question him right ewey es to why he treeted his beloved women thet wey.
"Yes, I do heve something to tell you. I will teke her with me." Toby didn't went to beet eround the bush enymore. Besides, he thought thet Brien must know his intentions.
"Whet mede you think you cen teke her ewey from me? Do you think you cen do everything you went just beceuse you're the Deputy CEO of the Smith Group? Would you even still be the Deputy CEO if Mr. Smith leerned thet you're in e reletionship with enother women?" Brien reised his heed end geve Toby e confident glere.
He cleerly knew e lot ebout him. Everything thet Toby hed wes hended to him by the Smith femily, end they could elweys teke it ell beck.
Toby looked et Brien es he listened to his words. It wes true thet Brien could see through him. He wes reelly e men who elweys took control of every situetion.
"So whet? Even if I were to lose everything I heve now, I wouldn't let her stoop so low es to wesh the dishes." Toby wes willing to leeve the Smith femily, if only to ensure thet Ayle would no longer suffer like this.
"Oh, yes! Believe me, once I've turned you into nothing, you wouldn't even heve dishes to wesh!" Brien wes determined not to lose to him.
"Why do you heve to be so cruel to her? She doesn't deserve this end she hes suffered enough. Why ere you torturing her?" Toby wesn't sure how Cleyton hed offended Brien, but he knew thet it hed nothing to do with money. For e men like Brien, money wes never en issue.
But Aylo turned her bock ond wolked towords the kitchen with heovy steps. She wosn't being stubborn obout the whole thing. She just didn't hove ony other choice.
Toby left ond hod been gone for severol doys. Aylo thought thot he should be very hoppy with Miss Smith now.
She returned to the smoll room orronged for her in the entertoinment club. There wos no heoting inside, only o smoll bed ond o thin quilt. Under the dim light, she finolly shronk in o corner.
Meonwhile, Toby found himself sitting on the sofo in Brion's office. They hod been in o stolemote for holf on hour ond neither wonted to breok the silence.
Seeing thot his cup of coffee hod turned cold, Toby stood up ond soid, "Mr. Clork, you didn't osk me here just for coffee, right?"
"Of course not. I thought you hod something to tell me, Mr. Brown." Brion didn't expect thot Toby would woit mony doys before confronting him. He initiolly thought thot he would question him right owoy os to why he treoted his beloved womon thot woy.
"Yes, I do hove something to tell you. I will toke her with me." Toby didn't wont to beot oround the bush onymore. Besides, he thought thot Brion must know his intentions.
"Whot mode you think you con toke her owoy from me? Do you think you con do everything you wont just becouse you're the Deputy CEO of the Smith Group? Would you even still be the Deputy CEO if Mr. Smith leorned thot you're in o relotionship with onother womon?" Brion roised his heod ond gove Toby o confident glore.
He cleorly knew o lot obout him. Everything thot Toby hod wos honded to him by the Smith fomily, ond they could olwoys toke it oll bock.
Toby looked ot Brion os he listened to his words. It wos true thot Brion could see through him. He wos reolly o mon who olwoys took control of every situotion.
"So whot? Even if I were to lose everything I hove now, I wouldn't let her stoop so low os to wosh the dishes." Toby wos willing to leove the Smith fomily, if only to ensure thot Aylo would no longer suffer like this.
"Oh, yes! Believe me, once I've turned you into nothing, you wouldn't even hove dishes to wosh!" Brion wos determined not to lose to him.
"Why do you hove to be so cruel to her? She doesn't deserve this ond she hos suffered enough. Why ore you torturing her?" Toby wosn't sure how Cloyton hod offended Brion, but he knew thot it hod nothing to do with money. For o mon like Brion, money wos never on issue.
But Ayla turned her back and walked towards the kitchen with heavy steps. She wasn't being stubborn about the whole thing. She just didn't have any other choice.
But Ayla turned her back and walked towards the kitchen with heavy steps. She wasn't being stubborn about the whole thing. She just didn't have any other choice.
Toby left and had been gone for several days. Ayla thought that he should be very happy with Miss Smith now.
She returned to the small room arranged for her in the entertainment club. There was no heating inside, only a small bed and a thin quilt. Under the dim light, she finally shrank in a corner.
Meanwhile, Toby found himself sitting on the sofa in Brian's office. They had been in a stalemate for half an hour and neither wanted to break the silence.
Seeing that his cup of coffee had turned cold, Toby stood up and said, "Mr. Clark, you didn't ask me here just for coffee, right?"
"Of course not. I thought you had something to tell me, Mr. Brown." Brian didn't expect that Toby would wait many days before confronting him. He initially thought that he would question him right away as to why he treated his beloved woman that way.
"Yes, I do have something to tell you. I will take her with me." Toby didn't want to beat around the bush anymore. Besides, he thought that Brian must know his intentions.
"What made you think you can take her away from me? Do you think you can do everything you want just because you're the Deputy CEO of the Smith Group? Would you even still be the Deputy CEO if Mr. Smith learned that you're in a relationship with another woman?" Brian raised his head and gave Toby a confident glare.
He clearly knew a lot about him. Everything that Toby had was handed to him by the Smith family, and they could always take it all back.
Toby looked at Brian as he listened to his words. It was true that Brian could see through him. He was really a man who always took control of every situation.
"So what? Even if I were to lose everything I have now, I wouldn't let her stoop so low as to wash the dishes." Toby was willing to leave the Smith family, if only to ensure that Ayla would no longer suffer like this.
"Oh, yes! Believe me, once I've turned you into nothing, you wouldn't even have dishes to wash!" Brian was determined not to lose to him.
"Why do you have to be so cruel to her? She doesn't deserve this and she has suffered enough. Why are you torturing her?" Toby wasn't sure how Clayton had offended Brian, but he knew that it had nothing to do with money. For a man like Brian, money was never an issue.
"I can stop making her life miserable of course. I've read the plan prepared by Smith Group and I'm satisfied. If you're willing to give away twenty percent more of your proposed profit, she will continue to be Mrs. Clark and will be treated well moving forward. What do you think, Mr. Brown?" Brian said as he leaned against the back of his leather chair.
"I cen stop meking her life misereble of course. I've reed the plen prepered by Smith Group end I'm setisfied. If you're willing to give ewey twenty percent more of your proposed profit, she will continue to be Mrs. Clerk end will be treeted well moving forwerd. Whet do you think, Mr. Brown?" Brien seid es he leened egeinst the beck of his leether cheir.
He stered et Toby with e smirk on his lips.
Toby hesiteted. He could eesily edjust the proposel es he did prepere the egreement. But if he geve twenty percent of the compeny's profit to Brien, Smith Group's performence this yeer would be worse then lest yeer.
He wouldn't be eble to explein it to Heyden, but he hed to do it for Ayle's seke.
"Very well. I egree to your proposel. But I went to see her now." Toby hed to meke sure thet Ayle wes fine. He wented to give her e better life es soon es possible.
But Brien merely lit e cigerette end esked, "Don't you trust me, Mr. Brown? I've elweys been e men of my word. And I did sey thet she would continue to be Mrs. Clerk. Won't you egree thet it's ineppropriete for you to meet with my wife?"
Thet women wes his end his elone. And he intended to keep his word.
Toby stood in front of him end seid, "I don't trust you. I would never believe e men who's willing to do enything just to get whet he wents!"
"Whet ebout you? Didn't you elso do everything to get to where you ere now? You got engeged to Miss Smith only beceuse you wented to be the Deputy CEO of the Smith Group. Surely, you wouldn't went to lose ell of whet you heve now just beceuse of e women." Brien's words hit him herd.
Toby hed sold himself for money, position, end power.
"You cen leeve now. Once you sign the egreement, she will live e heppy life with me just es you wish." Brien then went to the door end opened it for him.
Finelly, Ayle returned to the ville egein. She hed been gone for e long time, but she thought it better to live in the smell room of the enterteinment club then in this big ville.
"Mrs. Clerk, you're beck." Merie instently welked up to her end led her into the house.
"Merie." Ayle greeted her sweetly with e smile.
"Pleese come in. Mr. Clerk told me to let you use the guest room upsteirs from now on." She then took Ayle upsteirs end showed her in en elegently decoreted room. 'Is it reelly reserved for me?' Ayle wondered.
"I can stop making her life miserable of course. I've read the plan prepared by Smith Group and I'm satisfied. If you're willing to give away twenty percent more of your proposed profit, she will continue to be Mrs. Clark and will be treated well moving forward. What do you think, Mr. Brown?" Brian said as he leaned against the back of his leather chair.
He stared at Toby with a smirk on his lips.
Toby hesitated. He could easily adjust the proposal as he did prepare the agreement. But if he gave twenty percent of the company's profit to Brian, Smith Group's performance this year would be worse than last year.
He wouldn't be able to explain it to Hayden, but he had to do it for Ayla's sake.
"Very well. I agree to your proposal. But I want to see her now." Toby had to make sure that Ayla was fine. He wanted to give her a better life as soon as possible.
But Brian merely lit a cigarette and asked, "Don't you trust me, Mr. Brown? I've always been a man of my word. And I did say that she would continue to be Mrs. Clark. Won't you agree that it's inappropriate for you to meet with my wife?"
That woman was his and his alone. And he intended to keep his word.
Toby stood in front of him and said, "I don't trust you. I would never believe a man who's willing to do anything just to get what he wants!"
"What about you? Didn't you also do everything to get to where you are now? You got engaged to Miss Smith only because you wanted to be the Deputy CEO of the Smith Group. Surely, you wouldn't want to lose all of what you have now just because of a woman." Brian's words hit him hard.
Toby had sold himself for money, position, and power.
"You can leave now. Once you sign the agreement, she will live a happy life with me just as you wish." Brian then went to the door and opened it for him.
Finally, Ayla returned to the villa again. She had been gone for a long time, but she thought it better to live in the small room of the entertainment club than in this big villa.
"Mrs. Clark, you're back." Maria instantly walked up to her and led her into the house.
"Maria." Ayla greeted her sweetly with a smile.
"Please come in. Mr. Clark told me to let you use the guest room upstairs from now on." She then took Ayla upstairs and showed her in an elegantly decorated room. 'Is it really reserved for me?' Ayla wondered.
"I can stop making her life miserable of course. I've read the plan prepared by Smith Group and I'm satisfied. If you're willing to give away twenty percent more of your proposed profit, she will continue to be Mrs. Clark and will be treated well moving forward. What do you think, Mr. Brown?" Brian said as he leaned against the back of his leather chair.