Four Brothers and a Bride

Chapter 149: Chapter 149

ASHER

Hugh Spellman has never looked smugger as he swirls a snifter of brandy in his hand with one leg crossed over the other in our living room. By his side, Liam sits, donning a white, unbranded tee-shirt and jean pants. Like his father, he smirks unabashedly. Mila is the only family member who sits with a little compassion coloring her cheeks.

Father draws in a deep breath and glances across the room at my brothers and I. The fire in his eyes have almost winked out. Our stocks have never crashed so low. Our reputation has never been this muddy. The negative outpouring of hate from the people that once worshipped the ground we walked on has been unbelievable.

Now, as we try to negotiate with Billion-Err who recently called us out for murders, Hugh is enjoying the fact that power has shifted hands. Following our nosedive, Spellman group has been basking in the euphoria of their upliftment after our downfall. Their company has directly benefitted from it and is currently topping.

"Liam?" Father repeats, the cool edge of his voice about to fray. He has spent the last few minutes justifying his right to privacy and alerting our guests to the dangers of their damaging posts but all seems to have fallen on deaf ears.

Liam peels off his glasses. "Mr. Rollins, I have heard everything you have to say but my answer remains the same. I don’t fabricate lies on my blog. I get direct messages leaking information about the wrongs committed by influential families in our society which I only post after verification." He turns to his father with a humble look. "I failed my father once because I refused to take accountability for my actions. I nearly wrecked the company he built with his sweat and blood. Our relationship suffered because of it. I was estranged from my beloved family for almost a decade to the point that everyone forgot the Spellman family had a son."

His eyes twitches as he scans our faces. "I know you all would like to believe that I started my blog with an ill intent to personally attack your household but that’s not the case. I hold myself to the highest standards of impartiality and won’t hesitate to call out my own family if our errors are brought to Billion-Err’s attention. My father understands that." He glances at Hugh who bobs his head in agreement. "Unfortunately," Liam continues, wringing his hands, "my DMs constantly get flooded with your family’s secret more than any other. I don’t know why that is but if you’re trying to get me to ignore the messages, I won’t do it. I owe the people of this country the truth and you owe them your best behavior."

I ball my fist to strap down on the clawing urge to punch the daylights out of his smug face. We all know he doesn’t mean a word he just said. We all know he intentionally created the damn blog to take down my family-their biggest competition- so his could top the market. I keep my cool because I still have no idea what sort of evidence he as regarding the shopping mall accident, Tobias’ murder and every other accusation his last blog post teased about.

My eyes rake the Spellman family. They’re all a bunch of liars.

"Can you at least divulge the names of the people who leave you these messages about my family? I just want to interview them to know their source. The authorities have been monitoring my family like hawks. Charges are on the brink of being filed and all because some faceless and nameless people keep pedaling lies about my family. Can’t you understand the gravity of the situation?"

Liam tosses his hair back and stares at father. "I’m sorry but the system for leaving Billion-Err information is obviously anonymous. I wanted people to feel safe and free to share their truth."

"Or their lies." I cut in, earning a sharp look from father who had already warned us to allow him steer the conversation because of how hot-tempered we can be. I ignore him and lock eyes with Liam. "Did it ever occur you that a system like that could fester unfounded lies against innocent families?"

any information at face value. I do my thorough investigation and verify such information before putting it out on my blog. I knew for a fact that the kind of content I put out will ruffle the feathers of powerful people and I needed to

I guessed; he’s pissed at us. He’s holding a grudge. Despite how calm he’s being, I can tell he’s harboring a deep-seated hatred for us. I can see it in his eyes. My heart pounds as I wonder what else he

by someone very close to us." Ashley cuts in, mirroring my defiance against father. "I wager you know exactly who that is." When Liam shrugs, Ashley inhales. "My soon-to-be ex-wife already confessed to being your major informant and leaking some sensitive family

However, a different chill flows from father’s direction as his ears twitch at Ashley’s words. Ashton bites down on his lower lip, then turns to give Ashley

smile over Ashley’s wise move. Demi hasn’t unequivocally confessed to anything but if she’s indeed

unconnected to my blog. If she ever slipped me a tip

rather than engage with Liam who seems overprepared to deflect any missile thrown his way, he turns to Mila, the ostensibly weaker link

my family?" Mila’s lips quiver but before she can respond, Ashton continues. "Did you also slip him information too? Was that the

Father calls in a low

about his connection to the blog after his arrest so don’t apportion blames just because you aren’t prepared to believe Demi might have stabbed you in the back. If anyone within your family was slipping information to Billion-Err, it wasn’t me!" She sinks back in her seat with

to suspect you." Ashley presses on. "I personally asked you about Liam days before his arrest and you clearly lied about knowing him. How do

for your family and company, Brett. My apologies. But like my son explained, he only posts the truth. He

envelops the living as they

information to him?" Father asks with arched brows

***

cheek stings after father’s hot slap. All I did was bring

A BUNCH OF FOOLS! How could she have gotten past you? Perhaps, I am the bigger fool for choosing to trust you

phone tapped and her movement monitored for weeks afterwards but she was clean. I’m sorry I

labored. "Where the hell is she now? Get Duncan and his men to drag her here

want to question her, fine, but your thugs won’t harm a hair on her head, you get that?" Like a reflex action, his hand shoots up and stops father’s incoming slap. They

efforts to shape you into a powerful man, you go and fall face first in love with

simultaneously to stand behind our brother, making father reconsider

Ashton’s grip. "Great,