Four Brothers and a Bride

Chapter 61: Chapter 61

ASHAL

"Please, you can’t say no. I know you said it’s a play pen for you and your brothers but can you make an exception this one time? I’ve already been there once before so what damage can one more visit do? Please Ashal." Demi pleads with me, her teary eyes are piercing and poking holes in my soul.

"I...I’ll have to ask the boys."

"They won’t allow it and you know that. I am asking you because it’s your house and you can override their decision. Please, do this for me. I don’t want anything else for my birthday gift."

I feel cornered. Why didn’t I see this coming? There’s no way I can take her over there for the whole day without risking her seeing Olivia? I don’t have enough time to move Olivia to a different place or hide all traces of her. The weekend starts in two days for goodness’ sake!

Demi is still waiting for my response with sad eyes. How am I supposed to turn her down in her state? What could possibly be a good excuse right now? If I keep denying her, she’ll only grow more suspicious of me.

"Can I at least think about it?"

"Never mind." She says, getting on her feet and wiping her eyes. "I didn’t think it was going to be such a big deal to visit your play pen and play games with you. If you have to sleep on it, you can just forget I asked." I tighten my eyes and grit my teeth as she trundles towards the door. Shit! Shit!! Shit!!

"Fine!" I echo with clenched teeth. Demi halts by the door and turns to shoot me a weak smile.

"Really? You mean that?"

"Yes. I’ll need some time to tidy the place though."

"No problem. Thank you so much Ashal."

"Another thing, the guys are all going to come along."

She pauses a bit. "Ok. That’s fine too. I just need a change of scenery. Can I bring a friend? Anna was planning on visiting me over the weekend. I promise she’s fun. You’ve met her." There goes those puppy dog eyes again.

I agree because I wouldn’t want her by herself with all four of us. The games will get tiring and she’ll require a break for some girl talk or whatever. Plus, Anna might keep her distracted around the house.

Demi thanks me once more and returns to her room. I cradle my head in my hands and try to analyze the potential damage I could be causing myself. I hang back a while longer to think of a viable plan to get through this unscathed.

Naturally, my brothers are not pleased when I break it to them.

"You said what? How could you agree to take her to the penthouse?"

"I didn’t have much of a choice, okay?" I reply Ashton. "I found her crying in the drawing room. She was very sad about how her birthday and how nothing went her way. Ashley, she was mostly heartbroken about you hooking up with Nicci at the party. The only thing that she could think of to distract herself from it all is hanging out and playing games with me at the penthouse for a change of scenery."

"With you?" Ashley asks with a weird look in his eyes.

"She’s pissed at you so don’t blame me if she wants to avoid you at all cost. She wanted it to be just us but I insisted that we all go or nothing. You are welcome by the way." I lock eyes specifically with Ashley.

"Gee, thanks bro, that makes me feel chipper." I ignore Ashley’s sarcasm and face my other brothers.

Ashton rubs his hand behind his neck. "Ashal, this isn’t a good idea."

"You’re damn right it isn’t." Finally, Asher jumps into the conversation. I know he has a lot to say. "I can’t believe you, Ashal. A woman sheds a few crocodile tears in front of you and you’ll readily give her your organs. How could you have fallen for that? You know the penthouse is off limits for a reason. Were you so worried about hurting her feelings and feeling like a jerk that you were prepared to risk the biggest secrets of your life getting out? How can you trust that woman?"

"I don’t trust her but I can’t keep turning her down. She’ll be here for another six months, Asher. It’s a fucking long time to have her nurse suspicions as to the real reason why I won’t let her see the house I visit almost every day. Again, we already took her there, remember? If the house is so sacred, she shouldn’t have been taken there. That’s Demi’s reasoning and why she suspects there’s more to the story than our lame excuse of it being our playpen." I hiss out a breath.

"Look, I am not thrilled about this idea, okay? I just want you all to understand that I am only trying to put her suspicions to rest. I did say I am taking her to my penthouse. I didn’t say which one." They all look at me.

"I’m not taking her to the house where Olivia stays. I am taking her to my penthouse downtown, the one up the hills that I rarely visit? That’s also my penthouse and Demi can play games all day if she likes. I haven’t told her that I am adjusting the plan but I doubt she will protest seeing that the second house is even more luxurious and larger. I doubt she’ll insist on being taken specifically to the other smaller house. What reason could she possibly give as to why it has to be that house and not the one I plan to take her if all she wants is a change of scenery?" My brothers seem to get my point. "Once she’s sated, I will be justified in turning down any future requests. I just need your help to make the arrangements."

"Don’t you think she’s going to keep wondering about the other house though? She’s been there like you said and her suspicions lie there. If you take her somewhere else, she might try to find the other house herself or to gain access to it to satisfy her curiosity one day."

She can’t even access the house even if she manages to locate it. No one is going to believe anything bad goes on in there simply because it is

visiting the same house we dragged her to and threatened her? Doesn’t that seem strange to all of you?" Asher looks around at the rest of us. "She can play games here at the mansion. There are enough rooms here to lock herself in if she really doesn’t wish to run into anyone. What sort of silly excuse is a change in scenery if we are all

established that she might harbor suspicions about what goes on in Ashal’s house. The house is her primary

means she knows more about Olivia than she let on. Demi’s fishing for evidence. Look Ashal, what you’ve got sounds like a good plan but do we really have to cater to Demi’s wishes right now? We have more important things at stake here. We have neither found the person who left that comment on Billion-Err nor the woman who left Ashley that note. That’s what we should be focusing on right now. The last thing we should bother ourselves with is walking right

to face Ashton. "Look, I know you believe we can pull this off and we definitely can. However, that doesn’t mean we

just that...suspicions. They’ll go nowhere if we don’t indulge her. Taking her to a different penthouse might only end up fueling her suspicions of the other house. We can’t encourage that. It’s

I supposed to retract the promise I already

way to make it up to her later." He glances back and our other brothers nod

my word." I recline on the sofa and rub my eyes angrily thinking how this could have gone differently if my superb idea

can go with you to see Dr. Welsh, you know? I can sit in during

with a wry smile. "I’ll let you know if I need emotional support." I watch him leave. Something is clearly weighing on his mind but I respect his decision not to share. He’ll open up when

I want to get some work done before I head over to my check on Olivia at

into other physical meetings in the conference room with newer

about their vision for selling tech gadgets, apps and even headphones is painful, but I prefer it to availing my

me that I have guests waiting in my office. I give my apologies and excuse myself from the meeting half hoping that Elyon only lied to bail me out of that

in, a small apology for the delay leaving my lips. When I proceed to say more, the words get stuck in my throat as I glance at their faces. I don’t remember the last time I saw them. I hurry to shut

you doing here? You know better than to come see me

to apologize once more for the comment on the blog. Please, I assure you none of us had anything to do with it. I implore you to try to convince your father of this truth. I want you to assure

stands behind her husband, nodding to every word that falls from his lips. She’s very subservient and timid. In contrast, her second daughter and Olivia’s kid sister, Maddie, stands with her head held up high. She hates me and makes a bold show of it. Maddie meets my eyes and holds my gaze stubbornly. Her parents notice the two of us in a staring contest and Mr. Christian Dunn coughs and stares daggers at his daughter who reluctantly peels her eyes off me to set them on

we can make this better? Your father seemed very upset

is." I go to sit behind

has been blessed with through her alliance with your family. I’ll talk some sense into her." Behind him, I notice Maddie scoff and shake her head in disgust. She can be very blunt and damn all consequences whenever she has

small apology. After he gives Maddie a

can do." I tell them, rising. "Please, don’t ever come to my workplace like this again. I’ll inform Olivia to pass my number along. Henceforth, you can’t meet me

for your time." The sturdy man begins to herd his family out of my

side, his wife tenses up, her grip tightening on Maddie’s wrist. Maddie’s eyes are like flaming torches when she sets them

Dunn nods and pulls his wife away. Alone, Maddie squares her shoulders and stares at me like she wants to run me

"Sit, Maddie."

sit. What is this about?" Argh, she hates me more every time

are your

hellish but pales in comparison to my sister’s life with you." Her eyes darken as she holds my gaze. I let that one slide. "If you have something to say Mr. Rollins, come out with it

forward on my desk and steeple my fingers. With a

to stop, for your sister’s sake. I know you made that comment on Billion-Err or at least you know who did. You shouldn’t play with fire like that. You’ll end up

desk with a deep frown. "You can’t hide my sister forever, Ashal Rollins. I won’t have to lift a

and storms out. I merely shake my head and strap down on

excesses slide because her feelings of anger and hatred towards me are justified. Plus, her sister has already suffered enough under my care but

things to protect one another, but then what family is perfect? What

for the morning,

over the phone on my way. He indulges in

laugh. "Hey, did you tell Demi yet?

I’ve just had quite a bit on my mind and I didn’t want to do it over the phone. I’ll tell her when I get home tonight. Will you be there? I

it worse. I fucked up at Demi’s birthday party. I can’t apologize enough for the disrespect.

"I understand."

don’t get it

"What do you mean?"

just...it just feels weird that despite the fact that our marriage is merely contractual, she still gives off mixed signals to me. I know she says she feels nothing for me but it beats me that she still feels hurt by what happened between Nicci and

that one thing. I think she’s overwhelmed by a lot of things that happened at the party. She mentioned that nobody listened to her. She didn’t have a say in anything like the guest list for instance. She had no idea

invite because he was new in town and wanted to catch up? How was I supposed to know that he and Demi dated

way! For

understand why she didn’t tell me, especially after I introduced them." He expels a long breath. "Nicci told me she saw them conversing in hushed tones at the party, in a secluded area. Will even attempted to grab Demi’s hand. I know Nicci obviously isn’t a fan of Demi’s but this isn’t the first time she’s told me something about Demi