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.

way I was going to watch her disparage us like that. To hell

the door. I don’t care what you have to do. Grovel at her feet if you must but you have to get

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

cold shoulder, Asher won’t abandon us. He still needs our help to get rid of her. I’ll continue to work my magic on him and make him

us. He’ll ditch us and find

mom, even if Demi no longer listens to us. Plus, I don’t need vast experience with Asher. I just need him to spend one night me. I’m sure he wouldn’t

heavens, I think, rushing to my car. Mother and daughter are mad. They’re both very mad, I keep thinking as I trot to my car parked a

straight for Ashley’s to have lunch with him. He has been slightly clingy ever 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 the fact that I like

still crops up in my mind. It was so much fun getting to know his unhinged side and speaking freely about ourselves. Ashley felt more like a cool guy friend rather than a grumpy husband. I don’t mind being around this new version of him. Besides the truth of Tobias’ murder, I am

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

calls to me from the mannequin he’s

doing what he knows best. "Anything on Shay

discovered that Cree wasn’t lying. Her story checked out. 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

glad you feel that

his squatting position so fast I barely have time to shift

avoid bumping heads with him and start falling on my back when his deft hands catch me. Breathing heavily, I stare up at his bluish eyes as he

"Are you okay?"

have a clear picture of

"Mmhmm."

misconstrue the look and lean down to kiss me. The shock of his warm kiss causes me to topple us down to the

my god. I’m so

on his back and

"Are you hurt?"

funny." He stands and offers a hand to pull me up. 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

his gaze to the

"Isn’t that Nicci’s job?"

runway. I can pick whomever I want

to

sometime. Asher won’t refuse me. Is that a yes?" His eyes are hopeful and pleading. I shrug

the couches and crosses his legs like the boss he is. "Now, strip." His voice is

eyes slash towards him. He doesn’t flinch at the

"What?"

have to try it on butt naked so I know it

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

grab my bag and keys while he rushes to the door to block me. "Get out of my way. I hate it

went pale." He laughs a bit more. "I swear, no more of that shit. Please forgive me. I thought you’d be used to it by now but you fall for it every time so it’s hard to resist pranking you." I let him pull me

kiss.

you." My mood is ruined for the modeling. "I need to get

He

desk. I head to my office and set

her like he does every five minutes. I rise from my desk, grab a few papers and head for his office. I knock twice and push the door open. My eyes boggle in surprise to find Nessa inside the

appears to be taking some

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. Could there be more

***

work. "Who freaks out like that because someone saw them taking regular pills? Even Nessa acted strange like she knows something I don’t. I tried to siphon the details from her afterward but her mouth was

Earth to Anna." I pipe, clicking my thumb and index fingers in front of her eyes. She blinks at me with a small smile. "Where’s your head at? Have you been listening to me all

heard you. Asher was taking some medication in his office

I always do. There was nothing sudden

Her eyes curiously fixate on mine. "She was

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