Four Brothers and a Bride

Chapter 114: Chapter 114

ASHTON

Ashley’s raised voice on the phone catches my attention. I retrace my steps and advance towards his room.

"Ash, are you okay?"

When he doesn’t reply, I let myself in. His room is a hot mess. He continues to stand and beg on the phone. From the snippets of his conversation which I manage to pick up, he’s talking to Demi. They’ve been in a very bad place since her miscarriage. She’s gone off the rails. Ashley chucks his phone to the corner of the room and rubs absentmindedly at a spot just above his eyebrow.

"Hey, Ashley, calm down."

"She’s not coming home, Ashton. She’s so pissed at me that she has moved in with Anna for the time being." He whistles a breath while a small, unfunny smile tugs at the corners of his lips. "She doesn’t know how long she’ll be staying or how long it’ll take her to forgive me. She’ll stay at Anna’s, go to work from there and will only return to the mansion when..." He trails off and plunks down on his bed.

"When what?" I ask, crouching beside his nervous form. I haven’t seen him this nervous since Shay’s attacks. "When what, Ash?"

"When I tell the entire family about Nicci."

"Nicola? What’s there to tell?" We all know she’s his ex whom he hasn’t been able to let go of. Why would Demi be upset about Nicola right now?

"I don’t understand, Ashley. Did Nicci have something to do with Demi’s miscarriage?"

"No." Ashley pushes to his feet and holds his head in his hands. "God, I fucked up." He starts pacing his room and with every gasp or bad-tempered kick to the innocent furniture, my anxiety grows. I grab him by his shoulders and try to shake some calm into him.

"You have to stop beating yourself up about the miscarriage. There’s nothing you could have done. You didn’t even know about the pregnancy to begin with. Give Demi some time. She’s still grieving. She’ll come around eventually."

Demi can’t stay over at Anna’s for too long. If father gets wind of her recent relocation, he’ll just send bodyguards to go pick her up.

"We’ll have to keep this from father so he doesn’t send men in black to go forcefully bring her back home. Mother too. She’s a bit anxious about Demi’s hysterical display the last time so she may side with father in bringing her home. That might just worsen thing between you and Demi..." I trail off when I realize Ashley shaking his head. "What is it?"

"You don’t understand."

"Then make me understand."

"Nicci has nothing to do with Demi losing our unborn child."

"Then what does Demi want you to tell the family about Nicci?"

Ashley fixes me with a frustrated look. There, in his eyes, realization dawns on me. My fingers fall from his shoulders. It can’t be. This time, I shake my head and laugh nervously.

"You didn’t. Tell me you didn’t!"

"I didn’t mean to. It was an accident!"

"AN ACCIDENT? DEMI JUST LOST HER CHILD AND YOU’RE HAVING ANOTHER WITH YOUR EX? HOW COULD YOU BE SO RECKLESS?" I shove at his chest, anger blazing in my eyes. Why does he always have to make Demi suffer?

"I’m sorry. I didn’t want this."

I rake a hand through my hair, suddenly feeling intense grief for Demi. No wonder she lost it the last time. This is the worst period of her life. She has been betrayed by her family and her husband while nursing tremendous pain over the loss of her child. How could Ashley do this?

"Ashton, please, I need all the help I can get. Nicci is keeping the baby but she doesn’t want to be a single mum. She’s threatening me to divorce Demi and marry her or she’ll reveal everything. She’s got steamy videos and pictures of us together. She has screenshots of our messages, recordings of our calls. I don’t know why she flipped in one night. She’s trying to ruin me."

"And that is supposed to be surprising? She has done it once before and yet you let her back into your life. I can’t believe you’re even more worried about yourself right now. What happens to Demi? Are you going to do Nicci’s bidding and cast your wife away in spite of everything she’s been through?"

but Nicci’s pregnancy is more urgent right now. If I don’t find a way to handle this, then everything I have suffered to build, including our family’s reputation, will go up in flames. Ash," He takes my hand with a pitiful look on his face. "I can’t sink into that depressive state again. I don’t think I’ll make it this time. Please help me talk to our brothers. I’ll need all hands on desk to fix this problem of mine. I’ll even forgive Asher if that’s what it’ll take to put his mind to work

from

However, his face is pinched with worry. I know he’s deliberating on a quick solution so nothing affects the company’s stock market prices. Ashal’s face is hard

mother know?"

you guys in the dark. I know we somehow find a

forget most of those messes happen to be false claims against us, emphasis is on the word ’false’. If Nicci is truly pregnant with your child, then you picked the worst time to sire a child. If

sorry. I know it’s too soon to make

I reply. "Why

lesson. I think I might have a way of convincing Nicola to keep the baby without

plan with us, Ashley exhales

"I hope this works."

you guys but you must promise not to lash out or give away the fact that you’ve come to know the truth." His eyes sweep

Demi attacked. It’s like I told you from

steals a glance at me, then back to Asher. "If you didn’t do it, then who had those men attack her and kill my

follows his question. Asher trades glances with me. I turn to the

"Father did it."

***

"That can’t be true."

ready to forgive you if you helped me out with Nicci. What’s the need to lie against

men attack Demi and by his men, I mean the same ones that hover around him and this mansion every damn day. He doesn’t need to hire thugs. Most of our bodyguards have worked with him for a very long time. They’ll do his bidding without asking questions even if it’s an order to maim

are you

had him take the blame for Demi’s attack to cover his own tracks. Asher didn’t do it. Sure, he isn’t particularly fond of Demi and is the most culpable of the crime committed against her but he truly didn’t do it this time. He told father over brunch that Demi is pregnant. Displeased with the idea, father texted Nessa with instructions to distract Asher and even drug him so his minions can go

everything

father do that to me? That was MY child!" His eyes

that you don’t know. For now,

her baby too if he

you really want to find out, Ashley? That’s what I

his pensive thoughts. He looks up at us frightfully. "I also told father about her pregnancy. Could he be plotting

now given your threat. He was only able to hurt Demi because he believed Ashley would never suspect him. He does things like this and ensures that fingers will

sister. I also need everyone to be onboard with the plan to find and protect our sister

"You broke your promise!"

Asher and I apologize. I tried to ignore it. I really did but I just couldn’t. I wanted to pursue the lead I had till I confirmed that the

lied about Cree." Ashley

truth of her words before bringing this to you all. I’m sorry. I know it seemed insensitive when I kept defending her after what you

asks. A small smile breaks on my face as I quickly whip out my phone and pass the photo along. They all take

"She looks familiar."

to

same but the resemblance is there." He passes my phone back to me. Can I join you in meeting her? I’d

some other time if she allows it. She seems

of our biological parents. My brothers are all finding it difficult to digest and I can relate. Asher insists that he won’t believe that bit until he questions Cree’s informant. Ashal concurs with him but Ashley remains mute. I bet he is adjusting his view on father’s capabilities given the heartless murder of his unborn

phone beeps

later. Ashley, everything will be

been calling me nonstop. I don’t know why she has chosen to be so

me that she has a tendency to threaten to expose secrets when she doesn’t get

truly sympathize with Demi. The

the best views of the small café. She has sunglasses on. Her drink is untouched. She merely twirls her straw around the cup,