Four Brothers and a Bride

Chapter 60: Chapter 60

DEMI

I don’t think I heard her right. "I’m sorry, what was that? You are friends with who?"

"Olivia Dunn." The lady called Eliana repeats. "She’s an old friend of mine. Look, it’s a bit of a long story. Can we maybe grab a seat inside and talk?"

I flick my wrist to check my time. I am late from lunch by ten minutes. It’ll take me another five to seven minutes to get back to the office assuming there’s no traffic. I glance back at the restaurant. It’s so tempting to hear everything this woman has to say but I already got on father’s bad side this morning. If I disappear from work, mother won’t be able to cover for me on that front.

"Hey, look, I am rushing back to work but I’d love to speak with you about Olivia. Do you think we can reschedule?"

"This will only take ten minutes." She insists with big eyes.

Fuck it. "Okay, let’s grab a seat then." We park our cars properly but instead of going back into the restaurant, I insist we sit inside my car and talk. Maybe that way I won’t get too carried away and hurry back to work as soon as I can.

"So, why were you trying to reach me?"

"My friend Olivia, I haven’t been able to contact her for some months now. We used to be very close until she started seeing some guy. He seemed to be very rich. I could tell because he would rent out an entire restaurant whenever Liv and I had dinner dates. However, he also struck me as abusive and controlling. Liv always had bodyguards around her during our dates. They even followed us whenever we needed to use the ladies’ room and timed us. It was very weird. Aside from that, I noticed some bruises on Liv’s body but she often made excuses about hurting herself in the kitchen or falling down the stairs."

"Do you know who she was seeing?"

"No. She never let me see a single pic of him. She talked about him though, babbled his praises like he was an answer to her family’s prayers. Apparently, he’s the one funding her family and sponsoring her sister’s education. However, there was always a sad glint in her eyes like she was afraid of him and felt trapped in the relationship. I am certain she wasn’t in love with him. I think she had no choice but to be with him."

"Ok Eliana but where do I come in?"

Eli leans close to me. "Once, when Liv was feeling very downcast, I managed to talk some sense into her. I tried to get her to tell me if she needed help. I asked her to blink once for No and twice for Yes so that the bodyguards wouldn’t know. She blinked twice! She whispered to me that if I truly wanted to help her, I should find the new daughter-in-law of the wealthiest family in Danvarr."

"She said that?"

"Yes. I didn’t understand it but she said you can help her by being her friend. She said connecting you both was the best thing I could do for her. I managed to get your phone number from the bookstore where you used to work and passed it to Olivia. By then, she was back to acting weird and seemed resentful of you. She took your number though. I don’t know what she did with it. A couple of days later, someone threatened me to stay away from Olivia. I couldn’t reach her phone anymore. I think she might have changed her phone number. She didn’t hang out with me again and I wasn’t sure where she lived." She scoops hair out of her face and shakes her head.

"I couldn’t reach you either because I lost the paper with your number on it before I could add it to my phone. When I went back to the bookstore, the guy there refused to give me the number again despite how much I pleaded. I think he might have been scolded by his boss for giving it to me in the first place."

"What about Olivia’s family?"

Eli sighs. "Talking about Olivia is like a taboo to them. They act like she’s been ostracized or dead to them. Her sister, Maddie, seems upset and sad whenever I bring up Olivia. I know she knows where her sister is and under what circumstances Olivia is living but she refuses to tell me anything. She pretends Liv is fine. it feels like everyone in that family has been threatened to silence by the rich bastard."

I think through everything Eliana has told me. Olivia is definitely living in the penthouse and I have to visit that place one way or another. Still, I check my reaction so as not to give away anything that could reflect my suspicions about my in-laws.

"Did she ever contact you?"

"No. I mean, I’ve had random messages and calls from strangers on my phone but I hardly pay attention to them. I don’t recall anything from anyone called Olivia. If she did reach out to me, she probably didn’t state her name."

"Yeah, she wouldn’t. I think her boyfriend even bugged her phone. I wouldn’t put it past him."

My phone starts to ring. I excuse myself and take Nessa’s call. "Hi, Nessa, what’s up?"

"Hi Demi. Where are you? Lunch break ended thirty minutes ago."

"I’m sorry. I got tangled in some mini accident situation. I bumped into someone and I am trying to sort it out."

"Really? Are you hurt? Is it serious?"

"No. I’m handling it."

"Okay. Please hurry back before Asher returns. He already called to ask me if you’re in your office. He sounded really serious and pissed. I covered for you and told him you were here. Please hurry back before he returns and finds out I lied. I don’t think it will be good for both of us."

She covered for me? Are we besties now? A warm smile stretches my lips.

"I’ll be back in ten. Thank you so much, Nessa." I hang up and face Eliana. "I’m sorry. Work is calling. Let’s do one thing; why don’t we reschedule this meeting and talk somewhere else in detail? I’d really love to help as much as I can. I hate the idea of leaving my fellow woman in an abusive relationship when I am in a position to help. If Olivia thinks I can help her, we’ll find a way for us to connect so she can tell me exactly how I can free her from that life."

number before taking the call. "Hello? Who’s this?" Her eyes

***

the call on loudspeaker. True

been?" Eliana’s eyes grow misty as she struggles

I was worried sick about you. Why did you ghost me like that? I thought something bad

I got this new phone number, I couldn’t reach you anymore because my contacts weren’t backed up on the old phone. It’s just my luck that I had scribbled

voice sounds weak. I can sense she’s trying too hard to

threatened me never to contact you again. I think it was your boyfriend. No one

chuckles softly. "No, it can’t be him. He’s been trying to help

meet you, I mouth

lot of catching up to do.

nod at Eli’s

right now and I am supervising everything. Maybe we can talk in

me or let me come to you? It’s your man, isn’t it? He won’t let

haven’t hung out before.

the secret woman her brother-in-law, Ashal, was seen with. Someone seems to have commented my name as a joke. Was

happened to my good friend and you only called to ask me something so silly? I don’t even read Billion-Err, you know that. Why would I go on the blog and leave a comment? Why would I leave your

call me yourself but I also happened to bump into Demi Rollins. I am sitting in her car right now and we were just talking about you before you called. You’re on speakerphone. Go on Olivia, tell her how she can

short pause

at me in shock. "She

either too afraid to upset her boyfriend by trying to get help or he’s there with her, listening to her

it to her or him? Why is it so important that she even had to dig up my

development. Eli gets on her phone too. When I put my phone aside and look up at her,

"What is it?"

"The comment...on the blog..."

"What about it?"

my face. "It calls Liv the secret wife of Ashal

good show of not getting the point.

mentioned that I had finally found the woman she wanted to be friends with and like you said, her boyfriend might have been listening to the call. What if...what if the mysterious

her now. "It’s not. Ashal is my brother-in-law, remember? I can tell you for a fact that he’s not married!" I can’t have her running her mouth with this rumor before I can see Olivia. If word gets spread,

a gentleman with less scandals compared to his brothers.

why does

that the identity of Ashal’s date that night be revealed. It’s so invasive. I can’t blame Olivia for not finding it a funny comment. She’s being dragged into this and her boyfriend

help? If I post her story here, do you think people will try to

I’ll call you later but for now, I have to head back to work before someone

***

a call. I want to know if he’s alright since Liam’s words about Ashley going into panic mode has

my actions earlier. It’s no surprise when he appears in front of his study just before I can tap the elevator button. I freeze in shock but then mother steps out too, followed by Duncan and the rest of the quads except Asher, I guess, whose car isn’t

on, as usual. His face looks hollow as he feigns a smile at her. The other two

are both dark and brooding. I feel embarrassed for not knowing what’s going on in the family. The fact that it seems to revolve around my husband

tell apart both slant a glance my way. I helplessly search

makes a familiar hand signal and I smile at Ashal. Ashton is wearing a multi-colored sweater and dark pants. Ashal is also wearing dark pants but with a plaid shirt. I glance at Ashton and he offers a

everything alright?" Ashley glances at me briefly. His

dear, everything

only mean mother has managed to pacify him. He signals Duncan and they return back to his study while mother

could you keep Ashley company

happen?" She chuckles at my

two are married. Even if you’re not having any type of romantic relations at the moment, it can’t be asking too much for a wife to cuddle her husband to sleep, can it? I just think he would appreciate your company tonight. He had a stressful day at

anything for helping you out with my husband today. This is just me asking you to do me a favor. I’d really appreciate it." She squeezes my arm before

into a corner. How am I supposed to comfort Ashley while I am still pissed over what he did at my

silly elevator door starts to close with the speed of a snail and stops midway. When I look down, it’s Asher’s foot in the door. I think he regrets his decision when he

of us stand with a reasonable distance between us

You left work in

his head at me. "Is that supposed to be