Four Brothers and a Bride

Chapter 164: Chapter 164

ASHTON

"Are you sure?"

"Yes sir. I ran a deep background check on Ms. Cree and discovered a specific timeframe when she volunteered at a home for the elderly two years ago. The records show that she was particularly fond of one of the patients there. His name is Patrick Sawyer."

Chills run down my back.

Patrick Sawyer? I mumble in my head. Who is he? Is he my biological father who’s rumored to be dead? If he isn’t, how is this man related to my family? What’s his relationship with Cree? Why did he tell her those secrets? Does father know about this man?

Speaking of the devil, I jolt in surprise when father pats my shoulder. Instinctively, my informant hangs up the call.

"What’s the problem, son? Why are you so jittery?"

Son? It’s been a while since he used that term.

"Want to have a meal with us?"

I glance at my brothers and mother who beam up at me. Is father seriously being kind to me because he believes I have gotten rid of Demi, his enemy? I shrug my shoulders.

"Sure, but we’ll wait till Ashal returns. Where is he by the way?"

"I can’t reach him." Asher replies. "His phone’s turned off. Maybe he went to blow off some steam. Come on, Ashton. We can have a drink with him later. Let’s all have a late lunch." He swings an arm over my shoulder and steers me towards the dining table. "Don’t turn this down. This is the first time the family is speaking about eating together since the lid on Josh’s paternity was blown open." We both glance behind to see Ashley pulling mother and father along. "Mother’s been avoiding it for a while but because of you, she’s willing to eat as a family today. Let’s just make it through this meal without hitches. It’ll be a win in my books."

We get to the dining room and our lunch is served. Naturally, everyone is awkward at first. Mother and father eat like birds while avoiding each other’s eyes. They literally have to be reminded, prodded or coaxed to take the next spoon after swallowing. Otherwise, they space out. Asher and Ashley steer the conversation but no matter how tact they try to be, there’s no escaping the elephant in the room.

I try not to stare at Demi’s chair. It seems like ages ago when she used to join us for a meal as a whole family. A lot has changed since then and frankly, I fear that things might never go back to that point again when we felt like a formidable unit.

"Where have you been staying?" Father asks me out of the blue. My brothers almost choke on their meals. Before I can reply, mother beats me to it.

hear me? You can snatch his inheritance and shove it up your bastard’s throat in the guise of reprimanding my son. We all know you’ve just been dying to weasel your biological son in here. Go

in the room is

"Why can’t you let go of the delusions in your head for one second to

I pretended not to understand the

"Mother, please..."

flashes her palm at Asher to

to have

of them?" Father shakes

turns to each one of us. "I have grown to expect your father to keep things from me but it hurts to realize my sons have been doing the same too. You might think hiding things like Nicola’s miscarriage will protect my feelings but it won’t. It’ll only delay the hurt and coupled with the disappoint of keeping me

You’ll be a father one day. You’ll start a family with the right woman. All of this

am essentially saying is that those days when everyone treats me like a fool who’s oblivious of what’s happening in her family are gone. I won’t sit back and watch you

too, Barbs. Stop talking

Ashton under the bus in a heartbeat all in the name of punishing him. You disinherited a child you raised for twenty-five years; a child who was instrumental to the wealth you’re enjoying today. You threw him out in the cold and stripped him of everything he is entitled to and you call that discipline? Wow. you just unlocked a whole new tier of

"Mother, that’s enough. Please."

by giving you an inheritance. Unlike the other billionaire families in this country with heirs that didn’t work for their inheritance, you boys built this so-called empire. Right from infancy, you garnered the attention we’re enjoying today. You brought the fame into this household and you’ve been working your bones off since you turned sixteen. I won’t let anyone make you

through Ashton’s thick skull how wrong he was to doubt my love for you all. He stubbornly kept upsetting my plans because of his obsession with..." He trails off at mother’s burning look.

is coming back home and you’re going to reinstate him. You have enough resources to settle Kristy’s son. Don’t you ever take what

Barbara.

that went better than I

her knuckles. Before I can wallow in the euphoria of this moment, my phone buzzes with a message. Not just my phone, but everyone’s phone at

we just have our meal like a

here has been a rare sight for weeks. Let’s not ruin it." He slides his phone to the far end of the table. "Go on." He

father and

one more time? It’s not

what else my informant has uncovered. This is the wrong time to be away from my phone. Maybe Kayla’s the one trying to reach

"Fine. Call him."