Four Brothers and a Bride

Chapter 92: Chapter 92

ASHAL

I leap to my feet like my chair is on fire.

"What did you say?"

Your sister-in-law, Demi Rollins is parked outside and requesting clearance, sir."

This has got to be a joke. Demi doesn’t know this place. She couldn’t find it without my help. How is she outside my house right now? The same house Olivia is in? My blood chills with dread. Did she tail me? I thought I managed to quell her suspicions with my last penthouse trick. How is this even happening?

"Don’t let her in!" I shriek. "You hear me? Don’t let her in here!"

"Yes sir."

"What the hell?" I blurt out after hanging up. "How the hell did she find this house?"

"The house guest."

I whip my head up to find Lily hovering by the door. She’s taken off her apron and looks graceful in a simple top and pants.

"What was that?"

Lily helps herself into my room without bothering to wait for an invitation. "Don’t you find it strange that the very moment you allowed a guest-your wife’s sister-into this home, your nosy sister-in-law shows up unannounced to the very penthouse you’ve sworn to keep her away from because of who lives here?" She folds her arms across her chest and faces me with square shoulders. "Maddie has been texting someone nonstop on her phone since she got here. I found it strange and grew curious to know who she deemed more important to chat with than her sister whom she hasn’t seen in long time."

Anger flares inside me as I recall Maddie texting in the car while I was doing the security checks and then just outside the house when Olivia was thanking me for the surprise. I don’t want to believe it. Could Maddie really be behind this? Heck, has she been planning this with Eliana and Demi? How long have they been seeing each other.

I clench my fist and breathe heavily when Demi’s call comes through my phone. Lily’s hand to my chest quells my racing heart.

"Breathe. Calm down. You can’t let the anger win. You’re stronger than it."

I know how dangerously I am teetering between lashing out and backing away right now. This is the pivotal moment where I decide if I want to follow through and hurt somebody or walk off the steaming rage. Damning the consequences, I ignore Lily’s warnings and go to find Maddie.

She and Olivia are still by the pool. The minute I burst through the door, I note the look on both women’s faces. Maddie doesn’t look as surprised as Olivia. I march towards Maddie who lays still while her sister jerks up with panicked eyes and pull Maddie up by her hair.

"Ashal, what are you doing?" Olivia shrieks as her sister moans in pain.

"Let go of me." Maddie struggles.

"Fine." I reply before pushing her into the swimming pool. Before Liv can jump in after her, I grip her arm and together, we watch her sister thrashing about in the pool.

"Ashal, she can’t swim! What are you doing? HELP HER!" Tears roll down Liv’s face as she tries to break from my grip and save her sister but can’t. I make her sit down and go to yank Maddie’s head up. "Please help her out!" Liv screams.

"I will...AFTER she tells me why she invited Demi to my house!" Maddie spurts out water and stares up at me. Fear glistens in her eyes now. I lean close to her. "It’s going to be Olivia’s head in the water next if you don’t tell me EVERYTHING.

When I pull her out, Maddie is shaking like a leaf but I can’t be bothered. Olivia wraps a towel around her sister and crouches next to her. They both look afraid of me but I am more concerned with getting the truth out of Maddie. When Lily brings a cup of hot chocolate at Liv’s instruction, I flip the tray, spilling the chocolate on the floor.

"That’s it. You better start talking Madeline or I will make good my threat. WHY DID YOU CALL DEMI HERE?"

"I didn’t..."

I grab her phone and force her to unlock it. I thought I couldn’t get angrier until I saw her text to Demi where she pinned the location of my house.

"How long has this been going on? What did you tell Demi about me and Olivia?? What is Demi here for??? SPEAK UP!" Rather than Maddie, Liv is the one who shudders at my tone.

"Lily, take Olivia to her room and see that she gets some rest."

"Yes, sir."

"NO! I won’t leave my sister. Please Ash, please spare her. Maddie, apologize to him. Whatever you did, tell him everything so he can fix this. Talk Maddie!"

Madeline stares up at me with red rimmed eyes. I can’t believe I almost thought she was starting to see some good in me, to trust me. I can’t believe I believed her when she spoke about having a gut feeling that was never wrong about people. She was intentionally messing with my head the whole time.

here?" I run my hands over my face and laugh bitterly. "I am such a fool! I have been so lenient with you, so forgiving and every time you make me look like an idiot for giving you another

sorry." Maddie cries. "I thought Liv was in a bad state in here. I thought..." her eyes drift to her sister’s tearful ones. "I thought she needed help

exactly was Demi was supposed to do if Liv was in chains,

nice and good hearted. I hypothetically told her about my sister’s condition and she was sweet enough to offer to help save my sister. I didn’t mention your name, Mr. Ashal. Demi wouldn’t even have taken me seriously if I dared to accuse her family of something like this so I gave her a fake name and altered Liv’s situation to be a case of an obsessive boyfriend. Demi promised

Then turning to me. "I’m sorry Mr. Ashal. Demi doesn’t know any more than what I told her. She’s probably surprised to realize that this house belongs to her brother-in-law but I’ll just tell her

it and chuck it

name to Demi, didn’t you? I know you, Madeline. You don’t mince your words. You say what’s on your mind faster than you can think to alter anything. You ratted out

"Ashal, please believe her..."

a pathological liar! Demi has been asking all sorts of questions about my penthouse and pestering me to bring her here. It all makes sense now. She was curious to confirm everything Maddie told her." I give a pool chair a bad-tempered kick startling everyone except Lily

know about this?" I ask

"What?"

must have shared this with you over the phone

backwards, devastated by the betrayal. Olivia surges to her feet and draws close

or I

is in on this

"Ashal, wait!!!"

for a million times. I am just so slow I keep hoping that you and I..." My voice splinters with emotion. Why did Olivia keep this from me? Why did Maddie stab me in the

cries with me and begs

towel. "I’ll make this right, Mr. Ashal. I promise I

THE HELL UP MADELINE. YOU’VE DONE ENOUGH ALREADY! GET YOUR

around, throwing things off my drawer, knocking down lamps and shredding pillows. My room is a hot mess in a matter of minutes. Why can’t I be enough? Why does everyone around me keep betraying

few more minutes of breathing exercises, I grab my phone and redial Demi’s line, eager to learn what she knows. Is she also going to start seeing me as

I missed your call.

that the beautiful penthouse close by belongs to you. I tried

am still at

had more

properties all around the country, as do the rest of my family. It’s impossible to keep track of them sometimes. Anyway, you didn’t ask. Do you want to visit all my

forget how insanely wealthy my new family is. I’m sorry for bothering you like that.

"Sure."

"Ok. Take care."

"Bye."

phone wondering if Demi is

Madeline reads my thought from the doorway. "I told her it was a false alarm. She already knows about Olivia so I sent a picture Liv and I took earlier today in the dining room. Told her Liv is doing great with her boyfriend and being treated

to think I’d believe

of me, you two have drifted farther apart from each other. That’s not why

why

"It’s Maddie."

voice. "You came here to find a way to separate your sister and I. You’ve never accepted me for Liv and you never will. I will never get that mixed up

falls to her knees.

a few days. You’d be married and long gone

eyes boggle with shock.

before trifling with me or my family ever again. Don’t worry about Olivia. She’ll be well taken care of after the move to a different house. You can forget about seeing

all this knowing the consequences of being wrong. You

you tried. I dare you to try and see. Now, get out of my house this minute because if I give into the rage and hit you, there won’t be a need

watch Olivia shedding tears as her sister hugs her goodbye. Madeline looks up at me for a few humming seconds before getting into the car meant to drop her off at her dorm. Before she reaches, there

the car leaves, Liv sinks to the ground and cries even more while Lily tries to take her inside. She is still there when I get into my car and

***

shit show I keep finding my way back to bars. When my bourbon is served at the

guests, smiling beautifully and assisting them in one way or the other like a trained waitress. She’s come a long way from the lady hurling abuses at the hotel receptionist for not letting her in while being dragged away by security. I am glad her life turned out better

my way. The few times we have locked eyes, she waits a beat for some reason and then returns to her duty. She must hate everyone with my face now, especially

met me in this very bar, she has been falsely accused of one thing or the other and treated poorly because of it. If I hadn’t stepped in to get

glass

sir. That’s the fourth glass in twenty minutes. Are you okay? You shouldn’t

the bartender. "It’s 3pm somewhere,

seeing you staring over there.