Four Brothers and a Bride

Chapter 139: Chapter 139

ASHLEY

How in the world did my family get to the point where the media gets wind of my brother’s engagement being called off BEFORE I do? I have a trillion questions for Ashton but I save them for later seeing as father has had him on the hot seat for close to three hours since I returned from work.

Ashton sits upright in the chair with a bland expression on his face while father yells, badgering him with questions. Mother is somewhere upstairs consoling Mila but too afraid to assure her that Ashton would change his mind. The rest of my brothers are with me in father’s study, taking turns to grill Ashton for his rash decision which could affect us in more ways than one.

"How could you just wake up and decide to break off your engagement with the daughter of the CEO of Spellman Group? Were you drunk or high? What made you think that’s a decision you can arbitrarily make?" Father thunders.

"The daughter of the CEO of Spellman Group?" Ashton reiterates with a smug expression, followed by a low chuckle that further infuriates father. "Why can’t it just be Mila? Don’t you get it? I warned you about commercializing my relationship. When you started shipping Mila and I together immediately after learning whose child she was, I warned you to give us time to grow on each other, organically. You refused. Instead, you kept sucking the life out of our fledging friendship by pushing too hard for us to be lovers and then a married couple. Somewhere along the line, you even foisted those dreams on Mila and she hasn’t been recognizable ever since. What you failed to remember is that I am not Asher who is wired to always do what pleases you. I’M DONE WITH THAT SHAM OF A RELATIONSHIP."

"Ashton!" Asher cautions him with a look.

"No, let him talk." Father stubs out his cigar and smiles crookedly at his second son. "You think you’re special, don’t you? You think your headstrongness makes you special? What you fail to realize is that I have enough obedient sons to survive on. I have three other faces just like yours to work with. I could easily make you disappear for an entire year and nobody outside this home would notice or care."

"Father."

His raised hand shuts me up. Uncomfortable with where this conversation is going, I trade glances with Ashal and Asher. Are they really going to let father say such things to Ashton? If father says things like that, half the time he’s already made the arrangements to make it happen.

"The point I am making, Ashton, is that I don’t consider YOU indispensable in this group. It’s awfully easy for any of your brothers to play you. They just have to be unnecessarily rude and act before they think."

"I highly doubt that. Your obedient sons can’t play me because I live unscripted. They would have to defy you in the face of serious consequences, not according to the script you handed down to them. "Ashton turns to wink at Asher. "Up for the challenge, little Brett?"

"STOP IT, ASHTON. THIS IS SERIOUS." Asher snaps at him. He clenches and unclenches his jaw. "How could you discuss with the press before your own family and even your fiancée? Do you know the implication of what you’ve done? You’ve publicly humiliated Mila and her family. The media is having a field day making assumptions of the reason why you dumped her. Her father is livid. All negotiations between their company and ours have been paused indefinitely, BECAUSE OF YOU."

"Why are you pretending to be slow, Asher? You know exactly what to do to remedy this situation. Mr. Hugh Spellman has always preferred you for his daughter anyway. Seize the opportunity and marry her in my stead. At least father won’t have to worry about you developing cold feet afterwards."

Father’s hand travels fast towards Ashton’s cheek but gets blocked midair.

"We don’t do that anymore, father." Ashton says before pushing father’s hand away to everyone’s shock. "You want to make me disappear? Try it? I dare you to act like you don’t have imperfections of your own that you shamelessly tasked your sons to hide from your wife and the world. You have no prerogative to speak to me about my duty to this family. I only broke off an engagement that could have made me miserable for the rest of my life. That was me protecting this family from the miserable version of Ashton which you all clearly remember, right?" He stares at every one of us and we clue in.

It’s true. He was a different person after the shopping mall accident. It was horrendous to watch him self-destruct slowly, every day.

"The Spellman family will survive. We also will. This wouldn’t be the first time we’re losing money on the stock market or losing face in society so dial down on the blame game, father, especially given your recent scandal." He throws his head back. "Anyone else have something to get off their chests? The floor is yours."

I take a deep breath and try to distract myself from Trevor’s report. According to him, Ashton had demanded to know Demi’s location and gone to see her at Rahl’s bookstore where he found her in a lip lock with another dude.

upsets me more; the fact that Ashton might have called off his engagement a little too soon after I declared that my wife

have a chance with her? Did he go to see her to declare his single status? Is he acting out because he was shocked to realize Demi already got herself another man and his sacrifice was all in vain? How exactly is Demi taking the news of her

lives or make it about me but I

Ashton. He inclines his head with an air of surprise at my

"What?"

engagement at this crucial time knowing the heat from the media on this

question is stemming from some other concern

anyone because I knew you all would be opposed to the idea so I put

I don’t know if I

we leave father to brood, Asher pulls Ashton into the elevator and shoves him up against the wall when the doors

not what I am thinking. You didn’t do this to fuck up the Spellman deal,

"Why the fuck would I care about Billion-Err? Is it so hard for you all to believe that I did this for my peace of mind?" He wrenches Asher’s fingers off his shirt and smoothens it down. "Well, now that it’s just us, I might as well tell the whole truth. There was a bit of a plan to escaping Mila’s clutches. I timed it this soon to distract father from Ashal’s family issues. Father won’t spare him if he comes to know about the divorce and Olivia’s disappearance. At least I have the

sniffles. "I knew it all along." He hugs Ashton and thanks him. Asher and I now feel stupid for attacking Ashton. When the elevator doors open to the first

I am curious to know how she’s faring with everything going on. I have no idea why I am expecting her to be easier to read than Ashton. If both of them are back to nursing feelings for each other, maybe I will be able to tell

doorbell for the second time, the door swings open

She pauses at the sight of

over to accuse her of being responsible for Ashton’s change of heart? I silently

to defend myself to anyone, not you, mother or Mila. So, if you’re here like the others to talk about your brother’s sudden decision, I had no clue about it and

anyone’s been badgering you or accusing you for another man’s decision. However, I

what brings

sharp breath. "I’m

***

in her eyes when I mentioned our divorce. It

at the prospect of leaving me forever? I guess my pregnant side chick makes the answer obvious. Still, it will always

assistant manager?" I ask

any real work so far because of

curious to know what your plans are afterward. I fear your association with my family might have soured your relationship with your

"When was my relationship with aunt Elizabeth and Kira not sour?" She chuckles. "Anyway, I think I’ll crash with Anna in the meantime and resume

she constantly meets up with her lover? Does that mean she plans

can make a decent living there? I hear

certain he will fuck a lot of things up for me afterwards. If I am unable to cope in Danvarr, I just might leave to start afresh in a new

what I can to get him to lay off your back." Impatient, I throw in the bait. "And love? Marriage? Any plans