Four Brothers and a Bride

Chapter 191: Chapter 191

ASHAL

"Where have you been? I couldn’t reach you on phone." Maddi snapped when I returned to the mansion and tried to sneak into my room at night. I didn’t expect her to be sitting in the dark, waiting for me. "You knew I’d be worried. I’m sure Ashton informed you that I went all the way to his company to enquire about you. Yet, you didn’t deem it fit to call me once? Why?"

I tossed my jacket on the sofa and stared at her. She had definitely been crying. "I’m sorry. I didn’t..."

My door swung open and Olivia entered.

"Maddi, could you excuse us? I have to talk to Ashal."

Maddi craned her neck towards her sister, shocked at the audacity. "Excuse me? Can’t you see he and I were in the middle of a conversation before you rudely interrupted us?"

I ran a hand over my face as both sisters exchanged heated looks.

"Your lovers spat can wait but my baby can’t."

"Really? Your baby?" Maddi brushed past me, shoving my hand away when I tried to stop her. "Now, you care about your baby? Liv, you tried to end your life earlier today, right in front of your baby’s father! You didn’t think of anyone but yourself. You didn’t think of your innocent child, me, our parents, Ashal or even his family who are eager to welcome this child. You haven’t spoken a word to me all day or bothered to give anyone an explanation as to why you did what you did. Now, you barge into my man’s room without knocking first and demand to have a conversation with him. Are you being serious right now?"

"It’s just a private conversation, Madeline. What are you so insecure about? He’s not going to knock me up because guess what? He already did." She rolled her eyes. "FYI, you don’t own the man. You’re not his wife or anything."

Maddi couldn’t believe her ears as she turned to me with eyes the size of sauce pans. I could tell she was holding back her tongue from spilling expletives out of sheer respect for her sister.

"What the hell is going on, Ashal? Why aren’t you saying anything to her right now? Did you not hear what she just said?"

"Yes, Ashal. Tell her now or I will." Liv interjected.

Somewhere at the back of my head, a nasty headache was starting to brew.

"Tell me what?" Maddi slanted a heated gaze at her sister, then back at me.

"Maddi, give me five minutes and I’ll come talk to you in your room."

"Stalling won’t help...."

"Shut up, Liv." I warned Olivia with a glare. "Don’t you dare test my patience!" To my surprise, she clamped her mouth shut and went to sit on the sofa. I turned back to Maddi. "I have a few things to say to her concerning this morning. Can you excuse us a moment?" With my thumb, I jerked Maddi’s chin up so she looked at me instead of her sister. "Please?"

lips to mine. The kiss was rough and possessive with a tiny

before the event of that morning. When she flicked a gaze at Liv, her sister’s jealous face gave Maddi sterling pleasure

knocking first!" I took a

"But Ashal..."

time, I was standing right in front of her. My stomach clenched seeing her doe eyes staring up at me. "Don’t you ever disrespect Maddi like that again, especially not in front of

be mindful of it." Her eyes lingered, hoping to hear more. "And about this morning?" I slowly pulled my fingers away from her and retreated

your parents. They’re eager to

on Liv’s lips. "Okay. Then you better go tell Maddi so she

were flat as I stared at

she looked up at me with pained eyes.

part of the day calling up institutions that can get you the help you need to find a new path after the birth of our baby, since that seems to be the scariest thing for you. I also set up an account with more than enough money for you to start a new Chapter of your life, wherever you so desire. I’m also going to buy you any house of your choice, inside or outside the

"ASHAL!"

added, straightening my stance, "is accept a woman who risked her own child’s life to keep a man she clearly doesn’t love on a leash just so her sister doesn’t have him." Eyes sizzling with anger, I gritted my teeth at her. "I also filed a police report seeing as this is the second time you’ve inflicted harm on yourself just to garner attention and sympathy from us. Yes, the

honestly couldn’t believe her. Tears streamed down her face as

so have I. We didn’t work out and despite how hard it was for me to accept that, I did eventually. I went through a lot to get to this happy place in my life, with the woman my heart beats for now. I refuse to be your puppet. I won’t walk away from everything

"But I love you..."

that basement and the certainty of returning home to my family dwindled with every hour, the only other person I thought about aside from

on her knees. "Please Ashal, don’t do this

months but after that, life will go on. Maddi and I will still be together, and after she’s done with her education, I’ll propose we take our relationship to the next level. I’ll eventually be a father again. But if you take what I am offering right now, Liv, you won’t just be a memory in our hearts. Two to five years from now, that hollowness in your heart and the bleakness of the future you envision will be gone. You could find someone and be happily married by then. We could all live happy, different lives. I once felt as lost as you. I never

you, Liv, give it two years. I promise it won’t be as bad as you think. Things will look up for you too. You just

sister. As I watch her over the rim of my glasses at the sit-down, I am slightly worried about her silence. She apologized to Maddi as promised but since then, she recoiled back into her shell, speaking

sister had planned but she was mature enough to let it

arrival of Demi and Monaco Vaughn replaces the awkward silence in the hall

doing here?"

here for them." She replies, jerking a chin towards the victims. "I told you, didn’t I? They all took my business card and later called to ask that I represent them at this meeting. Having your own lawyers here but not theirs seems a bit selfish, don’t you think?" She continues before Asher can reply. "I’d have loved to

begin?" Monaco

it was rightly due to Rollins Group or

to realize just what a monster I was to Olivia. Maddi tries her best to tell the truth while being mindful of her words in a bid to preserve my reputation. Tears

shifts uncomfortably as Demi’s turn

pass." Demi mutters with

Monaco

of my parents’ death is more popular than the