Four Brothers and a Bride

Chapter 125: Chapter 125

ASHLEY

I am pleasantly surprised to see Demi strut into my office on a bright Tuesday morning. I have barely been home for three nights in a row and I didn’t expect her to notice or care. Seeing her now makes me feel relieved that maybe all isn’t lost between us. I abandon the fitting of my latest design, leaving my new model flustered as I turn to my wife.

"Hey. I didn’t know you were coming."

My eyes skirt around my working space. There’s barely enough space to step on the floor because of the pieces of fabric littered everywhere. The sofa is currently occupied by my four assistants.

I don’t even know why I felt the need to hire more assistants. I guess I just want to have a lot of people around me so I don’t feel too lonely while working.

With a subtle arch of my eyebrows, my assistants leap to their feet like their butts are on fire and quickly begin to tidy the place.

"Thank you, Kenny. Let’s take a break." I tell my model who nods and sashays out. Demi stands quietly, watching everything. With the room substantially tidied, my assistants all dash out and I shut the door. When I turn, Demi has already helped herself to a seat; my chair.

"Ok. How are you?"

She snorts. "It’s just us. No need for pretense."

Her indifference grates on my nerves but I let it slide. It will be a miracle if she stops hating me so soon.

"I meant that, Demi." I reply, edging towards my desk. Why won’t she even look at me? If she looks at my face for longer than two seconds, she’d see that I haven’t been resting well, that my beard has grown inches longer than my brothers and I wear and the skin of my face is in desperate need of skincare. I really wish she could pretend to care.

She looks at me and says nothing. If she has noticed anything about my looks, she ignores it.

"That question is the most annoying thing any member of our family can ask me during this time. The answer will never change so please, desist from asking me how I am doing and ask me instead what you can do to make my life a little better."

"I’m sorry."

Scoffing, she shakes her head. I guess that’s another thing she doesn’t want to hear especially from me.

"I don’t know what you want to hear from me." I pull out the visitor’s chair and slide in. It feels weird sitting at this angle and watching someone else occupy my chair. "What brings you here? Why don’t you tell me already instead of watching me fail miserably to break the ice between us."

"Have you been in touch with Nicci?"

Her question takes me by surprise. Why in the world would she care about that? At the bemused expression on my face following her question, she proceeds to add.

"What? Is it strange for me to hope that though you couldn’t care less about your fake pregnant wife and how she’s feeling being trapped in your mansion, that you would at the very least have the decency to routinely check on your girlfriend who’s currently carrying your baby?"

"I’m in touch with Nicci." I reply flatly. "Is that all you wanted to know? You could have called. I would have spared you the effort of coming here yourself."

"I know." She bites down on her lips. "But the thing is my movement is heavily restricted in that house. I’d do anything to take a break from it even if it means paying a sudden visit to my husband who doesn’t give a shit about me." She lurches to her feet, as do I. When she tries to leave, I block her path.

"Again with this talk? You hate it when I try to be around you and you still hate it when I keep my distance. WHAT EXACTLY DO YOU WANT FROM ME? MAKE UP YOUR MIND, DEMI."

"You don’t have to breathe over my neck to ensure that I and my interests are protected in that house, Ashley. You have consistently failed in your duty as my husband to protect me especially from your father. Do you know how helpless and lonely I feel at home when I remember that your father calls the shots even in our marriage? How could you be surprised that I would want to expedite our divorce after you’ve let him walk all over you like a doormat?"

"Demi!"

"I’m not finished!" I yell at him, vibrating with anger. "If you had been an only child, I might have settled for it but you have three brothers, each of whom respect your father just as you do but know how to put him in check when he crosses the line. Even Ashal doesn’t always kowtow to your father’s every whim. He refused to date a woman father forced on him but you...you do only what mommy and daddy want, don’t you? You married me because your mother asked you to. You live to please them. That’s why you stood and watched when father insulted my pregnancy, when he treated me like a criminal and had me locked up, even when he was complicit in the murder of our baby!"

My grip on her wrist goes limp. How did she learn about father’s role in the death of our child?

She sniffles and lowers herself to the sofa.

Ashley. I have nightmares. These thoughts haunt me every single day. I need a break. I actually came here to ask

crouch next to her. "What do

work. He won’t ease up on the bodyguards around me either. I need to get away for a bit. I was thinking I could pay Nicci a

"What?"

get some fresh air. Please, irrespective of the differences between Nicci and I, I know what she must be going

butlers, housekeepers, a

no friends. Please Ashley, I need you to put your foot down and ensure that I visit Nicci. I won’t be missed

my phone regularly and I got sick of it so now I hardly take her calls. I thought she had all she needed. I’ve never thought of it from this angle. Could she

beard. This won’t go down well with father. It will take a lot to convince him but much less to compel him. Maybe this is the time to use my trump card to force him to

"You’ll go see Nicci."

asks, jumping

as you get back. I’ll handle it. Please, trust me." Something warm flits across her eyes. She desperately wants to believe me. I close a hand over her cheek. "I’m sorry I haven’t been living up to my responsibilities as your husband. That will change.

That’s

good between us, this will be the part where we

jerks me out of my entranced stare. I tear my eyes away from the

breath, I answer the call. "What do you want, Mr. Grey? Can’t you give it a rest?

and you won’t hear from me again. Please Mr. Rollins, I just need proof that my daughter is

be? You know damn well that she’s doing alright. She’s on a

old line. I know you have a number that can connect me directly to her.

She was nothing more than a cash cow to you. What happened? Have you run out of money? Is that why you’re desperate to locate her?" Another thought crosses my head. "Or maybe you’re just fishing for information to leak to Billion-Err to aid their hunt for your daughter’s whereabout. I’m sure you have something to do

countless times that I know nothing about that. Please,

confirm Nicci’s whereabout? Don’t even

takes a deep breath. "Yes. Twice but I ignored

this call isn’t

"No, it’s not."

a breath. "I’ll tell Nicci you asked after her. If she wants to talk to you, she’ll call you." I hang up and prepare to visit my father regarding Demi’s plight. He has resumed work this week so he should be at

***

surprise." Father acknowledges, rising to greet me. All I can imagine is the big smile disappearing from his face when I drop the bombshell but it happens sooner as I reject his outstretched arms and remain standing by the

"Something wrong, son?"

leading here so I

all your help lately. You’ve outdone yourself trying to keep the family’s reputation up. However, I am uncomfortable with how you

with a hardened look on his face. "Where is this coming from? Did

insult about her. I am the one who has failed her in this marriage. You have no right to insult her

as her knight? Did she allow

unlike the man who plotted to have my unborn child brutally snatched from this world before I could even learn about my baby’s existence." I enjoy the shocked glaze in father’s eyes, a

break from the mansion to visit an island, I sanction it. I don’t want you interfering in my marriage unless I ask for your help. Do we

don’t

stab me in the back by killing my child. It’s not unlike him but I know how he thinks and I know he would have fessed up to me a little differently than the profuse apology at the hospital. I know my brothers very well father and it turns out that I know you too. That’s how I figured out

"Ashley, it was an...."

to attack my pregnant wife all within a short time frame? I’m trying so hard not to dwell on your betrayal right now father but if you keep this lie up, we are going to have a family meeting tonight and I will show you just how mad I

nods his head. "I’ve heard you. I won’t interfere in your life

look before swiveling towards

"Ashley?"

figured out the truth. Try to be a good father for once and don’t duck behind your son to dodge the

hear me

are

did was for my good and that of our family. I am sick of hearing that line. Why does he get to solely decide what

there acting like Ashton in my head to stir up my courage. I could get used to this version of Ashley. Not sure if this will be enough for Demi to give me another chance but even if it isn’t, I am glad I’ll feel

Asher’s office without knocking, he is chugging some water after swallowing a pill. His eyes bulge with shock at my intrusion and with a few deft

me. "You were the last brother who bothered to put a