Four Brothers and a Bride

Chapter 41: Chapter 41

ASHER

It all happened in a flash. One moment, I was having a conversation with Anna and the next thing I knew, she was being hefted onto an ambulance headed for the hospital, leaving a pool of her blood on the cobblestones.

My head spun when they wheeled her on a gurney into the theatre. I had thought my blurry vision was due to stress and my tumor until I wiped my eyes and found my palms smeared with actual tears. That was over four hours ago.

What’s taking so long? Why hasn’t anyone told me anything? Is surgery supposed to take this long or is it a bad sign? My fingers are still ice cold as I wait patiently outside the operating theatre. Anna’s blood is smeared all over my clothes and hands. Hard as I try, I can’t stop reliving the last few seconds before she pushed me in my head.

Why didn’t I turn around the second I heard a strange voice? Maybe I could have blocked Iman’s attack. Even if I hadn’t succeeded, I would be the one in there now not Anna. What the hell was she thinking when she pushed me away to take the hit herself? She already lost her father. Does she have a death wish?

"Stupid girl." I mutter through gritted teeth. "Is this your idea of making me indebted to you? You could have just blackmailed me or begged me for money. Why the hell would you put your life on the line like that? I am the one with a short life expectancy and billionaire parents. I am the one that fool wanted to hurt. What were you trying to prove by getting in the way?"

I bury my hands in my hair and pull. I hate feeling like this. I don’t want anyone’s pity or favors. Anna shouldn’t have added to my trauma like this. How am I supposed to forget this night?

My phone continues to buzz in my pocket. To distract myself, I pick it up for the first time and realize it’s Nessa. She has called severally and sent a couple of nudes to my phone. I feel nothing but anger as I read her desperate text messages. Angrily, I shove my phone back in my pocket and cover my face with my hands.

Do I call the boys? Won’t father and mother get suspicious if they all left the house tonight? I have no freaking idea what to do.

I don’t even know if Anna is going to make it. How am I going to handle it if doctor Ezra informs me that Anna has passed? I don’t even know anything about her or her family besides the sob story she told me in the car regarding her late father.

I definitely can’t call Demi. She’ll freak out and because she knows I hate her and have been onto her, she might accuse me of intentionally trying to kill her friend and try to scratch my eyes out. It will be too dramatic and lord knows I can’t deal with anymore drama tonight.

"What do I do?" I wonder with my hands on my head. The doors to the operation theatre swing open and doctor Ezra steps out peeling gloves from his hand. A nurse behind him quickly accepts the gloves and retreats. I leap to my feet, scared to death at the bland expression on his face.

"H-How is she?"

"We did our best. The blow to the head caused quite some injury but nothing fatal. We’ll have to wait for her to wake up and see if there are any lingering consequences."

"She’ll be fine?"

"All things being equal, she should be."

I stagger back to my seat and clutch the arm rests.

"Are you okay, Asher? Let me take a look at you."

I shove his hand away as he tries to check my eyes. "I’m fine. I’m just...exhausted."

"You should go home and rest."

"She doesn’t have anyone...I mean, I don’t know any of her emergency contacts."

"I’ll have someone call to inform you of her recovery progress. We’ll look after her. You have nothing to be worried about. Once she comes to, you can come back and see her." Doctor Ezra’s eyes narrow with precision. "Is she someone close to you? A girlfriend maybe?"

"No. No. It’s nothing like that. It was an accident and I happened to see her get attacked."

"Have you informed the police?"

The police. Iman. No. I can’t involve the police. It will be a media blizzard. I can’t have my family be associated with a criminal like Iman moments after we just concluded the general meeting of the company. Our stock prices will dip. I have to handle this quietly. I don’t know why Iman would attack me but I intend to find out.

"I’ll take care of it, doctor. Right now, I am just more interested in ensuring that the victim is out of the woods." Doctor Ezra nods with understanding.

"Like I said, though the operation was successful, we can only tell that everything is alright when she comes around. That’s how tricky the brain is." He gives me a look. "You should get cleaned up. There’s blood all over your face and body. If you don’t want to go home just yet, try rinsing off in the bathroom."

"Doc?"

"You don’t have to ask. I know you don’t want me telling your family about this incident. Give me some credit, Asher. I know you slightly better now. However, ensure you do what you must and inform the police before they come asking questions that I have no choice but to answer."

"Thank you."

I watch him leave, thankful for his understanding. Just then, the doors to the theatre open and Anna is wheeled out, ready to be transferred to a hospital room. I already paid for VVIP treatment so I am certain she’ll be taken to the special ward with better room facilities and privacy. A nurse comes over to ask me to sign some papers as her guardian. After signing, she entrusts me with Anna’s things.

here just yet. I could easily have called any one of them but Ashton is top on my mind given our little bonding scene lately. I’m certain he won’t

Anna’s room when he rushes in. He takes one look at Anna’s comatose state and grits his teeth.

The blood on my clothes takes him aback.

say to put his troubled mind at

texted this address and

loll my head back on the sofa. "I dropped off father and mother and needed to pick up something from work. On my way, I saw Anna. Earlier, our parents and I had lunch at the restaurant she works in. I felt I should give her a lift. When we got to her street, she thanked me. I was just biding her goodbye when Iman showed up out of the blue and tried to hit

switches from shock to

she pushed me away from the line of attack, making herself the victim." My eyes dart to the sound of labored breathing

with a

GOING TO FINISH HIM

"What?"

fault. I did something stupid

furious he had looked that day. He barely even looked at me. "What did

Iman’s place.

"Ashton!"

"That man has been nothing but trouble to our family. His house was just along the way

I had sent my brother to deal with him? That fool. Why would he even think that? We have a working arrangement going. I still consider him useful in getting rid of

Iman’s fears are not entirely baseless. While dealing with him, I had casually insinuated that I would send Ashton to finish him off if he dared to mess up. That was because I knew he feared Ashton, the violent one. Of course, I never meant it. How was I supposed

Anna. "I owe her a debt of gratitude too. None of you deserve this. It’s between me and

you’ll stay out of this. I’ll handle Iman

"Like heck I will."

already laden with guilt over the part he played in this, he grudgingly concedes. My head is still banging.

Ashley covered

can’t let father get a whiff of

"Have you informed Demi?"

at Ashton. "No and it will remain that way until

"Asher."

Ashton. If this gets out, our shareholders will complain. Our stock prices will plummet. We can’t trust the media to tell the truth as it is, especially that Billion-Err blog that’s out to make us socially bankrupt. I can’t involve Demi right now. Once Anna is out of the woods, we’ll tell Demi. That’s final." Ashton clearly has his own

to check on Anna and the ECG. "What did the doctor say? When

of hours tops." I leap to my feet. "I need to shower and have dinner. Can you watch her till I’m back?" Ashton’s face creases with worry. "I don’t know who else I can trust. The much I know about her family can’t even fit

for the same reason why you’re not calling

"Bingo."

hope she pulls through in time." Something worrisome flickers in

How could he even... I rub my aching temples and inhale sharply. I can’t think of death right now. It’ll mess me up in more ways than one. "Don’t say that. She will be

didn’t mean to...I’ll watch her.

"Thank you."

here." Ashton shrugs off his jacket and passes it to me.

about it. I peel mine off and wear

the only one that will have a seizure with this fashion mayhem." We both laugh over my suit and jacket combo. I thank Ash once more before leaving the

to drive so I quickly call one of our drivers to come take me home. I don’t realize how exhausted

the first floor and make a beeline for my room. My blood-stained shirt is already starting to itch uncomfortably so I start to

"Ashton?"

for heaven’s sake, not

"Ashton, I..."

turning to her with a cold gaze. "Not every brother who wears a black leather jacket is Ashton, missy." I can’t even feel bad at the shocked embarrassment on her face

dilate in horror. Immediately, I zip up my

you? It was a stupid club fight. Red wine. Mind your business, okay?" I swerve towards my door. Then, I figured I might

Ashton, Demi? Why are you constantly sneaking in and out

to him. Why do you keep leading everyone to suspect Ashton is having an affair with you? Are you trying to

"I don’t..."

in a dangerously low voice. "You and him can never

and I are just friends, just like I am with Ashal and Ashley. If he wants me to

"I am his brother!"

adult! Even his father can’t always make the decisions for

you Demi Branson. If you