Four Brothers and a Bride

Chapter 146: Chapter 146

ASHTON

Fuck! Fuck!! Fuck!!! How did I forget to erase that file from Asher’s computer? How could I have been so careless?

Demi pales after I tell her about Asher’s discovery.

"W-What are you...saying? How did he...no, it’s too early. He c-can’t find out, Ashton. He’ll come after me..." I grab her cold hands and force her to look at me. She’s so terrified her body is shaking.

"It’ll be fine."

"No. He’ll tell father and..."

"HE WON’T. HE WON’T, DEMI. IF he was going to, he wouldn’t have bothered to call me or ask to see me. I still have time to convince him to keep your secret." Though she bobs her head, I don’t think she’s fully processing my words. Absentmindedly, I pull her head close and kiss the top of it. Our foreheads touch for a few seconds while her breath calms. "I promise I won’t let them hurt you. Please, trust me."

"Okay." She mutters weakly. I kiss her hair one more time before leaving.

Asher is fuming when I get home and find him in the gym fully clothed in a suit. He hasn’t even bothered to remove his shoes or his tie. He leaps up like a frog once he our eyes meet and ambles towards me.

"How long have you known?"

I ignore the rough shove at my chest and his blistering gaze.

"HOW LONG HAVE YOU KNOWN THAT SHE’S THE DAUGHTER OF THE COUPLE YOU KILLED?"

My eyes flash at his hurtful words. This is the first time in six years that a family member is calling me a killer because of what happened that night. I get that my brother is angry but it’s very tactless and mean of him to hit below the belt just to register his anger.

I inhale deeply. "I found out after your surgery that she’s Camille Branson’s daughter."

"And you kept it a secret because of what?" Asher rages with furrowed brows. "Huh? Who exactly were you trying to protect, Ashton? You hid such a crucial information from the same family that protected you from jail and coddled your little secret while you drowned yourself in alcohol for years to forget that night. You chose Demi over us? That’s what we get?"

"Asher, you know very well that this isn’t about my feelings for her. I committed a sin against her, ruined her entire life and family..."

you from the consequences. How could you not immediately alert us to the fact that the woman who joined our family six months ago was Camille’s daughter? How could you hide her secret knowing fully well

he inclines his head as something crosses his mind. "I always knew it. I felt in in my bones from the moment she stepped into this house that she seemed ominous but no one believed me." His eyes flicked back to mine. "Where the hell is she? I need to have her interrogated. She must be behind most of the shit we’ve been through since she married Ashley. I need

a

as

SAID YOU WON’T

and sick around the edges.

Camille. If I never mentioned finding that reporter’s

"Oh, come on, that’s..."

Demi." I lunge to my feet. "Yes, I am a

what if she’s itching for revenge? Wouldn’t you feel the same way if the roles were reversed?" I draw closer. "I may not have been able to protect

breath

truth?" He

she does."

her while she’s busy plotting your death." Asher loosens his tie and fists his fingers. "You better hope I don’t find evidence that she’s trying to take us down. I won’t spare her,

who?" Ashley asks, walking in with both hands buried in his pockets. Asher

him, or should I?" He yells at me. When I remain intentionally mute, Asher drops the bombshell. Ashley is speechless at first. Slowly, he drops his hands by his

truth about that night?"

"Yes." I reply.

drunken wedding? Was

even ask? She clearly staged everything to wriggle her way into our family.

day one. She’s been nursing a huge grudge against our family while pretending to have our best interest at heart. If this is true, she must have plans to expose and wreck us. Yet, you still want to protect her when she obviously detests us and blames us for the

prefer? That we rat her out to father and find her dead body being pulled from a lake leagues from here?" I didn’t mean to hurt him by the Tobias reference but he grimaces as the memory filters into his head. I turn to Asher.

MAKE THIS ABOUT

capture an innocent woman is spurred by the zeal to please father! Demi isn’t half the menace father is and we all know that. Why does he get to dictate who lives and who dies? If you all truly want to be his minions and please him, then don’t stop at Demi. Hand Adriana over to him as well and let’s see what he does with your little sister!" Their

what I thought." I square my shoulders and glance from one to the other. "I feel guilty enough for the pain Demi is going through and for that

working against us?" Ashley

you tell father that Nicola was Shay even after all the torment she put you through? Why didn’t you do anything in retaliation but rather forgave her?" He pales and jams his hands back in his pockets. "I’m keeping an eye

swallows back a retort when I give him a

sake, you better be right." He thunders before storming away. When Ashley turns to leave, I stop him