Four Brothers and a Bride

Chapter 141: Chapter 141

DEMI

"What?" Liam gaped at me. "Spellman Group is working with the Rollins Group to unmask me?" The worry etched on his face makes me panic as well. I have never seen him this frazzled over a piece of news in a hot minute and seeing him draining his glass of wine and sweating bullets tells me one thing.

"Liam? You said your system was full-proof. Why are you suddenly uneasy?" He spares me a glance, his lips poised to respond but no words spill out. "Liam?"

He expels a frustrated breath. "What’s not clicking, Demi? I am a top graduate from my father’s tech company. Obviously, my ’invincible’ hacking system is spun from the knowledge garnered at Spellman technologies. If there’s one company that can break my code..." He allows the ugly truth to hang thickly in the air while my head spins.

"It’s Spellman Group." I finish. "Shit, Liam, what are we going to do?" I reach for my glass of water and empty it down my throat. "Wait, do you think Ashton knows about you too? He was very particular about informing me of this deal. Do you think he suspects you’re behind Billion-Err too, like an accomplice?"

Liam shakes his head. "I can’t say. If that were the case, wouldn’t he have thrown a punch at me given all the mud I have managed to pile on his family’s reputation? Why was he so cool about everything, especially after seeing us together the last time he was here? I have no idea what’s going through that man’s mind but the one thing I am certain of is that he does give a rat’s ass about me."

I instantly backtrack to him breaking off his engagement to Mila and wonder if Ashton’s dealing with a broken heart. Why would he? He always knew he and I were never going to be endgame so it would be a bit silly of him to take such a drastic decision if the goal was to win me over, unless...

"Oh my gosh."

"What?" Liam questions when I close a hand over my mouth.

I can’t believe it. I don’t want to believe it. "Ashton b-broke off his engagement with Mila." I sputter.

Liam rolls his eyes. "That’s not news anymore, Demi."

"No, he did it all of a sudden, remember? What do you think happened to the deal between Rollins Group and Spellman?" Now, I have his attention. "It makes complete sense. Ashton hasn’t been able to give his family a satisfactory reason for publicly humiliating Mila and your family by calling off the engagement. I might be crazy and delusional but I think he did to stop the deal or buy time for Billion-Err."

Liam scowls as he gets the point I am too shaken up to specify. "He was trying to protect you."

I nod at that, taking it all in. Ashton did break up with Mia because of me. Chills crawl up my arms as I recall his words back on the island, his soulful gaze when he vehemently asked me to trust him with my secret and his unwavering promise to protect me from his family’s wrath. Did he really go as far as risking his family’s ire just to keep the lid on my secret intact? I feel something warm blossom in my chest before I can stop it.

"Demi!" Liam calls, snapping his fingers in front of my glazed eyes. "You can’t lose your shit right now because of his action. I’m sure dumping my sister wasn’t exactly a tough call on his part since he was clearly never in love with her." He shushes me when I proceed to defend Ashton and shoves his phone in my face. "I guess Loverboy still has some doubts of his own that he means to clear up."

I shake my head in disbelief after seeing pictures of me and Liam whose face isn’t clear, anonymously leaked to Billion-Err. Rather than wondering who could have taken the pictures, I defend Ashton.

"There’s no proof that these are from him. He couldn’t have taken our pictures that day."

"How are you so certain? We were the only ones in here and he was the only one who walked in on us."

"I know that but...."

OF IT. You’re already denying the plain truth for this man simply because he ended the deal with Spellman. Ashton just found out everything about you and your motive to take revenge on his family. Do you really think every move he’s made ever since is truly about you? What if he saved Billion-Err because he has personal plans for our blog? What if he means to take you down using the same weapon you used

"Liam..."

assumptions; it’s either he means to confirm that you’re affiliated with Billion-Err by checking to see if you’d post this damaging photo of

the second assumption?" My heart is

take this photo, then someone else took it and that’s even worse. We have no idea who this person is and what they hope to gain from this. Either way, if I don’t post it, you’ll come

back. Trevor had found me shortly after Ashton’s arrival. Could Trevor be behind this? Why would he take

my new relationship seemed a bit uncharacteristic of him. Did he already buy

is behind this. I am certain of

sighs. "It’s your call, Demi. What do you want

inhale deeply. "Post the damn

the people of Danvarr will tear

sooner I cut my ties with that bastard Ashley, the better for me. I don’t care anymore. I am sick and tired of being

Is the sentiment

my feet and grab my bag because I don’t want to broach that topic. "Nicci has been blowing up my phone.

way home, I call

I

my divorce from Ashley. Once that’s done, I’ll fake a miscarriage or go off the grid if my father-in-law proves a challenge. Then, you can fake an accident of your own and claim you lost the baby. Ashley would be more susceptible to leave the chaos here and go spend time with you while you recover from the shock. It’s up to you how you

She remains unusually quiet.

"Have I lost you?"

thank you or be wary of you, Demi Branson. Your criminal mindedness is a far cry from the innocence you

pushed around, used, abused and about to be dumped like me, you’d be lucky to have a shred of humanity left. Maybe I still do, seeing as I am about to deliver the love of

sense her recoiling in

like that. THANK YOU

hang up on her, fuming. She’s one to talk. The very woman that has been a bane to my life as Ashley’s wife? Ugh. I wish I was close enough to smack her cheek for that self-righteous comment. People who live in glass houses don’t have the prerogative to throw stones at others.

***

engagement announcement on the radio. That’s how fucked up my in-laws are; I,

sees me, she feigns a smile and excuses herself to come meet me. We sit inside my car for a few minutes. The second she gets into the car and shuts the door, I pull her

up." I say to

"I didn’t say anything."

hug. "You must have heard of Asher’s engagement. I know you feel something for him in spite of everything that has happened and the promise you made to help me. This is me saying it’s okay to let yourself feel. Cry a bit if you have to get it out of