Four Brothers and a Bride

Chapter 71

Chapter 71: Chapter 71

DEMI

"Thank you for coming." Aunt says with a ghost of a smile. I am not ready to be around my aunt and cousin yet. My body language screams this fact. However, we might as well get it over with.

Kira sits across the center table in the small living room. Like mine, her legs are crossed and her back straight. She is looking at me but not contemptibly as usual. There’s a churning mix of shame and envy swimming in her eyes. Her mother nudges her to stop to staring fixedly at me.

"Demi, we apologize for our poor behavior at your in-law’s place. We agree that sometimes, we can come off as unloving and distant..."

"Distant? I think the word you’re looking for is hateful." Aunt gulps at my raw correction. Kira’s eyes dips to her hands where she is quietly pressing her artificial nails into her palms. She’s not happy to be in this position but it appears her hands are tied and she has to kiss my ass or they can forget about currying favors with my in-laws forever. That’s really their motivation for this fake apology meeting.

"Hateful." Aunt accepts my word choice. She wrings her hands with a bowed head. "I want you to understand that I don’t hate you. I don’t wish you harm. You are my sister’s child after all. I could never wish for your death."

"But you can wish for my downfall, my divorce, my disgrace?"

"Demi..."

"I’m not quite finished, aunt Elizabeth!" I fire at her.

Kira’s downcast eyes flutter towards me. There’s ticking bomb behind them. I am waiting for her to break character and say one wrong thing to me so my exit from their house will be justified. However, aunt reaches for her daughter’s hand and squeezes it to remind her to stay calm.

"I have endured so much under your roof and I was fine with it. You and my mom weren’t very close. You never sent me any cards for my birthday, no gifts or even calls. I know mother did those things for Kira here even though you never properly acknowledged them. From a young age, I suspected my only aunt might not be a very friendly person but my mom defended you and constantly tried to change my mind about you. She was wrong about you and I was right." I shake my head at her.

"The first time I stepped foot in your house was after my parents died and even then, you weren’t thrilled to be saddled with the responsibility of taking care of me. The fact that my mom’s death settlement and savings were paid to you didn’t soften your heart. You splurged everything on your daughter while I lived like a pauper. You put me to work and made me earn my keep. THAT was a hateful thing to do to your own niece."

"I understand why you would see it that way...."

"That’s the only way to see it, aunt. There’s no other interpretation."

"But she paid you back everything she owed." Kira interjects, ignoring the flash of warning in her mother’s eyes. "She got you married into the richest family in Danvarr. The life you’re enjoying right now is all thanks to my mom. If she hated you so much, she would have dragged me there in your place, right? She would have lied that I was the person one of their sons was married to."

I lean forward and pin her with a piercing gaze. "Your mom didn’t do shit for me, Kira Collin. If I hadn’t got drunk and gone to the Blue Cove, it wouldn’t matter what story Billion-Err could come up with it. I had a marriage certificate to prove my claim. You and your mother never gave two cents about me and whether or not I wanted to go through with the marriage. You only thought of yourselves and how you could exploit the Rollins family at my expense. What you didn’t count on, aunt, was Mrs. Rollins taking a liking to me and Billion-Err fighting for my right. Those two things AND my certificate are responsible for the wedding band on my finger, not you!"

I lean back and stare at them. "I bet you wish Kira was in my place."

"I wish you two would get along. I don’t want your stories to be a repeat of that of your mother and I. I’m ready to end the cycle, Demi but I can’t do it alone. You and Kira have to make peace so we can be one happy family."

I gasp at how relentless she’s being. She turns to her daughter whose eyes are still fired up at me.

"Kira, Demi is your cousin. You are related by blood. Whatever unhealthy rivalry you two have going on, you have to ditch it and make up with her."

Kira’s eyes soften as she lays it on her mother. "I’m not the proud one, mom. As soon as Demi learns to swallow her pride and come down her high horse, then we can talk like cousins. I am not going to let her treat us like doormats until then."

"I scoff at that. "Doormats? Asking for the apology I deserve is equivalent to treating you as doormats? Wow. You’ll never learn." I get on my feet and aunt’s eyes widen with worry.

"You can’t leave yet. You two have to sort this out."

"Let her go, mom. We’ll survive. And Demi, don’t forget your contract expires in six months." Her eyes twinkle as she stares at me. "You’re not going to be Mrs. Ashley Rollins forever. I might not have the luxurious life you’re enjoying but at least I have a real mom and a family that doesn’t come with an expiration date."

I’ll admit that one lances at my heart. Nevertheless, I never went into this to bag the Rollins last name for a lifetime. I just want to avenge my parents. I don’t think any other regrets after my divorce will trump my failure to do right by my murdered parents.

"I’ll take that temporal family any day over a lifetime with the likes of you." While aunt continues to call for me, I wrench open the door and slam it shut behind me. Then I heave a deep breath. Families are so exhausting.

"Why did you have to antagonize her? You promised you would keep your mouth shut and follow my lead." I hear aunt scolding Kira in a hushed tone.

was going to watch her disparage us like that. To hell with her and the Rollins! They’re not the only wealthy family in

I don’t care what you have to do. Grovel at her feet if you must but you have to get us back in her good graces. Think of the opportunities we would get if you’re the first one to have their grandchild. They’ll throw a big wedding for you and adorn you with diamonds. You’ll have servants at your beck and call. While Demi gets divorced in six months, the entire Rollins

and her evil stepmother twisted remake is this? I plaster my ears to the

give us a cold shoulder, Asher won’t abandon us. He still needs our help to get rid of her. I’ll continue to work my

that Demi no longer listens to us. He’ll ditch us and find other ways to get rid of her. And frankly, I don’t think

no longer listens to us. Plus, I don’t need vast experience with Asher. I just need him to spend

my car. Mother and daughter are mad. They’re both very mad, I keep thinking as I trot to my car parked a few paces ahead. I can’t believe I

since his return from Brellis. I am not put off by it. I don’t mind being around him, especially since he stopped being awkward about

ourselves. Ashley felt more like a cool guy friend rather than a grumpy husband. I don’t

linger a bit to kill time. His office reminds me of the last time I was in here with Ashton. A twinge of sadness curls up my stomach when my eyes fall on the couch Ashton and I had almost kissed in. We hadn’t even gotten around to going on a proper date while

wrong?" Ashley calls to me from the mannequin he’s

edge closer to admire him doing what he knows best. "Anything

My blackmailer is still on the loose but I am not going to halt my life while waiting for her next move. I have the support of my family. That’s all I need to

you feel that

from his squatting position so fast I barely have time to shift back. Our foreheads narrowly miss colliding with

when his deft hands catch me. Breathing heavily, I stare up at

"Are you okay?"

often forget how daunting being this close to one of the quads can get. Ashley could easily be Ashton in my eyes right now, especially since I already have a clear picture of Ashton in Ashley’s clothes from the latest switcheroo they executed. My throat dries up

"Mmhmm."

and linger long enough for Ashley to misconstrue the look and lean down to kiss me. The shock of his warm kiss causes me to topple

my god.

lays on his

"Are you hurt?"

When I take it, he pulls me close to him till our stomachs are meshed together. My eyes go wide with shock. I thought he wasn’t going to

for me?" I follow his gaze to the dress

"Isn’t that Nicci’s job?"

designs on a runway. I can pick whomever I want to be

have to get back

that a yes?" His eyes are hopeful and pleading. I shrug my shoulders since

onto one of the couches and crosses his legs like

He doesn’t flinch at

"What?"

on butt naked so I know it sits right. Go on, strip." Again, his

to tell me he is pulling my legs but there is a cold air around him that makes me feel like it’s Asher on the couch. Just as my heart plummets to my stomach,

of my way. I hate it when you do that." It’s a new habit of his since he returned, switching between

more of that shit. Please forgive me. I thought you’d be used to it by now

kiss. I didn’t mean to make things

mood is ruined for the modeling. "I need to

He offers with a

by her desk. I head to

minutes go by and I get curious. She wouldn’t leave her desk unmanned for this long with Asher around. Speaking of Asher, I find it weird that he hasn’t called for her like he does every five minutes. I rise from my desk,

appears to be taking some medication with

hollers at me. Nessa rushes to the door and with a strange look in her eyes, nudges me to stay out. She slams the door shut in my face. I stand outside, perplexed. What was that? Why were they being weird? My mind reels back to the pills I had once seen Asher taking and him giving me a similar reaction.

***

she knows something I don’t. I tried to siphon the details from her afterward but her mouth was a steel trap. I wonder what the truth could be." I crane my neck when Anna remains

eyes. She blinks at me with a small

in his office today and yelled at you

like I always do. There was nothing sudden

was with him?" Her eyes curiously

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