Four Brothers and a Bride

Chapter 150: Chapter 150

DEMI

My phone has been ringing off the hook. I dry my eyes, turn it off and chuck it at the far end of the room. Someone raps softly on my door.

"Demi? Are you up?" My uncle asks.

I dry my eyes and pull my duvet over my head.

"No."

He opens the door and lets himself in. I feel the edge of my bed dip as his weight sinks into it. When he tries to pull the duvet off my head, I fight back to keep it on.

"You can’t hide in here forever."

"Watch me."

I’m going to rot in this room. It would be better than facing any of my ties back in Danvarr. I am mortified by how gullible I was. I am ashamed that my quest for revenge was never mine to begin with, but a small part of a major scheme. How did I never suspect Liam? How did he trick me for so long? I thought I was in control of the plan. I thought I was the star player in the game only to find out I was a pawn the whole time.

Just when I had come to my senses and wanted to call everything off, Liam and his accomplices already planned to heap hot coals of blame on me, blame I can’t defend myself from. He has recordings of all our conversation, pictures of our meetings. He could fabricate whatever crime he wanted and peg me as the culprit.

And Ashton? He would never believe me or forgive me. As much as his father deserves to go down, Ashton has shown remorse and willingness to change. I believe he deserves a second chance.

I wish I could somehow convince him that Liam set me up but it’s too late now. No one will buy that line, not with the overwhelming evidence stacked against me. Maybe I deserve to be framed as a punishment for the malice I bore in my heart for so long. This is my karma for not listening to my uncle, Mrs. Regan and everyone else who warned me along my journey to let bygones be bygones.

"Can you at least eat something? You haven’t had anything to eat or drink since you arrived last night."

"I’m not hungry, uncle Marcel. I just want to be left alone." Sniffling, I pull a pillow to my chest and hug it tightly.

"Demi, you can’t run away from your problems by staying cooped up in a room. You won’t even tell me what the matter is? You showed up at my home at midnight with a teary face and cried through the night. What’s really going on? Is this about the accusations of infidelity and your impending divorce?"

"I don’t want to talk about it..."

"You have to say something to me before my overthinking gets the better of me." He runs a hand over his face and stares intently at me for a few seconds. "I know you’re hurting but somehow, I have a hunch that the problem runs deeper than a marital spat."

"Please uncle, just stop."

He sighs heavily before leaving me. Alone, I cry even harder. By noon, my uncle returns with my lunch in a tray, only to find my breakfast untouched. My eyes are bloodshot now. He drops the food and attempts to apologize to me.

just so worried

need a day or two away from Danvarr to collect my thoughts before returning. I’ll sort out

asleep, I came in and broke into your phone. I needed to contact someone close to you in order to know what’s going on and how best

pull myself up, eyes wide with terror. "You what? Who did you call, uncle?" My eyes track to my phone on the side drawer. I reached for

"I just thought that..."

I almost cried in shock, seeing Ashley’s name atop

once I turned your phone on, a call came through. I grew conflicted about taking your call so I didn’t pick up. However, I copied out the

is galloping in my chest. "Ashley is coming

to get nosy under the guise of being worried? Aunt Elizabeth and Kira always abused my right to privacy by touching my things but I never figured uncle Marcel would

is already on his way here, then I don’t have a lot of time to take off. The call was already an hour and the half old. That’s about how long it should take the quads on their private jet to get here and I have no doubt they’d opt for quicker

afraid of." Uncle says after he finds

While we get into a brief, heated exchange about our differing perspectives on the poor way each of us has handled my sudden appearance

Ashley is here already?

not taking you back home if you’re not ready to

parked in front of my uncle’s house is very unfamiliar. "There are no bodyguards either." Though that shouldn’t surprise me as much, it still makes the hairs on my forearms tingle. I pull away from the

fuck was

***

"I’ll get the door."

you’re a guest. I’ll get it. Stay here." My fingers turn to ice glaciers as I watch him leave. I almost jump out of my skin when my phone rings. I pick the phone and

"Demi?"

"Ashley?"

you been? I’ve

a sneer over his fake concern. How can he act like he’s bothered about me when he turned my life into an obstacle course by leaking mine and Liam’s

dryly, glancing

"Where?"

"Here, at my..."

loudly. "YOUR

under my breath. How could Anna show up here? She doesn’t have

We really need to talk." Ashley insists before I hang up on him.

your best friend is here. Ashley thought you’d feel better seeing your friend so

crawl up my arms when Cree Baxter walks

bestie." She coos before giving me a hug. Then she whispers into my ear. "Play along, Demi. You wouldn’t want to upset Liam, trust me."

mad at you, Demi. How could you just up

Could you give us some privacy?" I politely ask him with a feigned smile. Naïve to the real situation, he beams at me before shutting the door behind him. Cree takes a