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."

Asher replies Ashley. "She has no way of proving anything. 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

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

goes on in Ashal’s house. The

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 into a deceitful woman’s plot disguised as her birthday wish, a woman who is a culpable

and we definitely can. However, that doesn’t mean we should. We’ve got too much on our plate already. We have to deal with

a hand on my shoulder. "Demi’s suspicions are 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.

I supposed to retract the promise I already made to

his indifference today. "I’m sure you’ll figure out a way to make it up to her later." He glances

recline on the sofa and rub my eyes angrily thinking how this could have gone differently if my superb idea had come from Asher or Ashton. The duo pat my shoulder before leaving. Ashley remains

Dr. Welsh, you know? I can sit in during the session if

watch him leave. Something is clearly weighing on his mind but I respect his decision not to share. He’ll

I skip breakfast and leave for work earlier than everyone else. I want to get some work done before I head over to my check on Olivia at midday. I hop on a few zoom calls with some of our foreign clients to

meetings in the conference room with newer clients

even headphones is painful, but I prefer it to availing my memory to all the problems I

office. I give

my office indeed. I adjust my neck tie as I walk 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 my

are you doing here? You know better

couldn’t reach you on phone because Olivia wasn’t sure she was allowed to give us your phone number. On behalf of my family, I’d like to apologize once more for the comment on the

with her head held up high. She hates me and makes a bold show of it. Maddie

better? Your father seemed very

is." I go to sit

all the troubles Olivia has caused. She’s still a child and doesn’t realize the good fortune she 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

woman bobs her head and whispers a small apology. After he gives Maddie a scorching look, she

my workplace like this again. I’ll inform Olivia to pass

The sturdy man begins to herd his family out of my

Dunn, if you don’t mind, I’d like a word with Maddie. Could you give us a few minutes?" Uncertainty washes over the father’s face. By his side, his wife tenses up, her grip tightening on Maddie’s wrist. Maddie’s eyes are like flaming

shoulders and stares at me like she wants to run me through repeatedly

"Sit, Maddie."

sit. What is this

your

eyes darken as she holds my gaze. I

fingers. With a grim look on my face, I moisten

least you know who did. You shouldn’t play with fire like that. You’ll end up hurting your family, especially your sister. Liv and I are

for giving me the satisfaction of seeing this look on your face and watching your family squirm." She approaches my desk with a deep frown. "You can’t hide my sister forever, Ashal Rollins. I won’t have to lift a finger before all your family’s dirty secrets come to the

heels and storms out. I merely shake my head and strap down on the annoyance simmering in my

has already suffered enough under my care but I can’t guarantee that

protect one another, but

my meetings for the morning, I head over

ask Ashley over the phone on my

"Hey, did you tell

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

might have made a difference but right now, it’ll only make it worse. I fucked up at Demi’s birthday party.

"I understand."

get it

"What do you mean?"

I 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

don’t think it’s just 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.

whom I did invite because he was new in town and wanted to catch up? How was

No way!

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