Four Brothers and a Bride

Chapter 176: Chapter 176

ASHTON

| finally get a moment to pull away from Monaco to get a breather. Talk about a woman being intense! | take the

elevator and upon arriving on the first floor, | overhear Ashal’s conversation drifting through the balcony. When |

look, he is indeed talking to Olivia. Mother stands behind a wall, eavesdropping with nervousness splattered all

over her face.

"Hey."

But she shushes me. | pull her away to the piano room.

"What are you doing, mother?"

"I don’ know how to face her. Nothing | can say or do now will strike her as genuine. She already accusedof

pretending to care because of my grandchild in her womb, when | had someone bring her upstairs to rest."

I rub her shoulders reassuringly. "It’s going to be okay. Remember, we always knew this was going to be hard.

It'll take tto win their trust again. The most important thing is that you don’t stop trying." | pull her in for a

hug. "Have you thought about Madeline, the sister Ashal is madly in love with? How does that make you feel?"

She pulls back with an easy smile on her face. "As much as it was unexpected, | can’t help but love her too. Have

you seen the way she looks at your brother? | prayed for years for Olivia to have that look in her eyes for Ashal.

Maddie truly loves him. She doesn’t see a monster or a sick man. She sees a diamond in the rough and is

willingly to help shape it into something more beautiful. Ashal is himself around her. He feels SEEN for once. This

is the happiest and most peaceful | have ever seen him and it’s all because of Maddie. | am happy for them."

"And father?"

"He's beginning to have an open mind lately. What other choice does he have? He saw Asher cozying up to Anna

and didn’t feel the need to question it. | think he’s slowly giving up on matchmaking his sons to billionaire

heiresses."

"Probably because he knows none of those families are eager to arrange a marriage to us right now."

Her smile is thin as she looks up at me. "Your happiness is now his true priority." Her hands curve over my chin.

"Ashley’s taking a break from relationships to rediscover himself. What's your excuse for flying solo?"

An uneasy laugh escapes my lips as | ease away from her and run a finger over the white piano keys. "My

feelings are on par with Ashley's. | don’t even want to think about that for a long while. I've got more important

things to worry about."

"Ashton, | know what a turmoil this period has been for you but | want you to remember that it took a lot of team

effort for us to be here tonight, smiling and not crying. It’s high tyou stop torturing yourself with guilt and

move on."

Before | know what is happening, she’s grabbing my wrist. "I don’t want you slipping back into your old ways.

That always happens when you shut the world out. Please, | want you happy and in love. Those were sof

your best moments..." Then in a whisper, "...when Demi was here."

What? The mention of Demi surprisesas | yank my wrist free. What is up with everybody and why are they

constantly trying to push her in my face? Don’t they know how hard | worked to resent her? How could they turn

around now and serenade her every chance they get? Who's next? Father?

Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt

"Please mother, | really don’t want to talk about all this. We have a company to resurrect and an image to

redeem. There's enough on my plate as it is." Then because | can’t help myself, "By the way, what is up with all

of you? Why is everyone suddenly taking Demi’s side? Have you all forgotten the events that transpired over the

last week? Ashal was kidnapped and tortured, and while | understand Demi’s motivations for orchestrating that, |

don’t have to be cool with it."

"You're getting it all wrong."

"No." I cut her off. "I'm not."

"Yes, you are." Ashal interjects, joining us. He kisses mother’s forehead. "Olivia is in my bedroom. She'll see you

now."

"Really?" Mother's eyes light up. "Ok, I'll go talk to her." She scurries off.

Ashal turns back to me. "Why are you struggling to accept the truth that’s right in front of you, Ashton? Even

after | narrated what truly happened at Liam's basement and all the tiny details of my assault and eventual

rescue, you still won't believe Demi’s innocence? Why?"

"Ok, | think it’s tyou tap out bro."

"Don’t bro me." He replies, scowling. "This is exactly why | wanted Demi to leaveat Liam's. | knew that no

matter what she did, she’ll always be our family’s culprit. If she had listened toand left, Liam will not have

forced her to make that call. Look Ashton, | am not saying that you two have to becfriends again if you can’t

handle it. | just hate the blshe’s forced to bear for something she is clearly innocent of. | WAS THE VICTIM. |

saw everything that happened and | told you the truth. If you don’t trust her, why can’t you trustand my

account of the story?"

"I've been down this road before, Ashal. | constantly chose to trust her blindly and she always proved tothat

there’s more to her than meets the eye. Yes, all of that might have happened before your eyes but it could all

have been part of her plan anyway; to lull us into a false sense of security before her next surprise attack."

"I understand your concern but | doubt Demi would ruin her best chance at getting back at our family just to go

plan another surprise attack. She knows it'll be difficult to get us so perilously close to going bankrupt and

begging on our knees. She’s never going to have a better opportunity for revenge than the last couple of weeks.

SHE WASN'T ACTING, Ashton. | know it. Maybe | don’t know her heart and what goes on in her head but I know

what happened in Liam’s basement and the role Demi played to save my life. Can you at least acknowledge that

and cut her sslack?"

But | am afraid. If everyone in my family starts trusting Demi the way | once did, who's going to be on the

lookout for her next move? What if none of us sees it coming and we eventually get completely destroyed?

There'll be no end to my guilt in this, because I brought her into our lives. | have to find a way to appease her

once and for all so she can permanently shelf her revenge plans against us.

But just what will do it? What does she truly want?

"Fine. I've heard you. She saved your life and | will continually be grateful for that." | hug him. Spotting Maddi, |

jerk my chin towards the door. "The party awaits."

His smile is full and bright when he sees her leaning by the door. That look painfully remindsof Demi and a

twhen her presence quickened my heart rate. | really thought | had found the one. Anyway, | am happy

Ashal finally found his person.

Even Asher has been intentional with Anna. Though he ignored the reporters trying to weasel a statement from

him about his relationship with the unfamiliar Anna all night, he spared no effort in flaunting her in front of the

cameras knowing what the headlines will read. Ashley and | are both on a quest of rediscovery. Too bad we were

forced here by the swoman.

"Happy birthday." Josh quips, cheeringwith a glass of wine. | clench my teeth.

"Keep moving, Randall. We don’t need this scene tonight."

"Jeez, why are all the celebrants so stiff tonight? It was a great party, way less chaotic than | anticipated. | just

wanted to wish you a happy birthday."

"Where's Nessa?" | ask. He had the nerve to parade her here hoping to spite Asher but it didn’t work. Asher has

long moved on. "Did you dump her because you couldn’t pull the right reaction you hoped to from Asher?" |

chuckle lightly. "If you're done kidding around, go find your mummy and get her to drive your drunk ass home." |

shove past him and go downstairs to rejoin the party.

Thankfully, Monaco is engrossed in a conversation with sof the lingering party guests.

"Hey" Asher calls, marching up to me. "So, father and | spoke to the victims. We've rescheduled the sit-down

date according to their convenience. It will be happening next weekend at our resort."

“Oh, yeah?"

"Yes. I'll handle everything."

"Ok." My eyes momentarily stray to the door.

"She's not coming." Asher quips.

"What?"

"Demi. She never planned to attend. Anna already confirmed that she isn’t coming."

"Good. Should have toldearlier so | could have relaxed a little rather than worrying about her showing up

and ruining the vibe."

Asher givesa lopsided grin. "I find that a little difficult to believe because every t| caught you watching

the door for her appearance, the look in your eyes was hardly that of anxiety or fear. If anything, it was

anticipation. Even when the crowd was awestruck by Monaco’s appearance, your eyes quickly went flat with

disappointment when you realized she wasn’t Demi."

| grab his drink and drain it in one gulp. "Are you quite finished? Yes, | anticipated her arrival all night but it’s

nothing remotely close to the reasons you think."

"Really?"

"Yeah." | reply with my poker face. He leans close to whisper to me.

"I will always have my guard up around Demi but this one time, she did save our brother's life." My phone buzzes

in my pocket. "Check your phone, then make up your mind on whether or not she deserves your contempt. I'd

respect your decision either way. | just feel obligated to ensure you have the full picture before making a

decision."

He strides off to entertain guests as the party draws to a close. | plug in my air pods and go watch the video in a

corner.

My expression doesn’t change when | watch Skylar and Liam boss Demi around, forcing her to do their bidding. It

doesn’t change when she begs for Ashal to be spared or when she makes the phone call saying exactly what

Liam had instructed. Something warm floods my chest when | realize how soon she could have cleared her name

by sending the video to me, but she hadn't in order not to jeopardize my brother's safety at the time.

| run a hand through my hair and gasp softly. "Who exactly are you, Demi Branson?"

Moments later, | whip out my phone and call Demi. She fails to pick up. Sighting Anna, | head over to her just as

she takes a call from her best friend. | signal to her not to drop the call because | need to speak with Demi and

just before she can respond, | grab the phone impatiently and hear the words.

"Love you." | know she’s referring to Anna but something still flutters in my belly nonetheless. In that moment, |

know our story is far from over.

ork

She comes out of Anna’s apartment, looking cute in sjeans and a yellow T-shirt. The face cap is an adorable

touch but if she meant to use it as a disguise, I'd say it won't work. Anyone can make her out in that outfit or is it

just me?

"You?"

"Yeah. Me." Seeing how dapper | look in my custom-tailored suit, she struggles not to feel underdressed. I, in

turn, try not to make her feel self-conscious by raking my eyes over her outfit, despite what a struggle it is for

me.

"Why did you have to cyourself?" She finally asks the burning question on her lips. "A driver or even an

Uber would have been fine. Aren't you missing your birthday party or something?" Her eyebrow slants upward

when | help her get the passenger door of my Porsche.

"Hardly any of the guests would notice | am gone. I've got three identical faces to keep them distracted in the

meantime."

She slides in and draws her legs close in an anxious move. "Those dark curls of yours beg to differ."

| stifle a smile as | climb in next to her. Closed in with our arms almost grazing, my breath hitches in my throat. |

start the car and speed off. | drive in silence for about three minutes, painfully aware of every move she makes

beside me, every intake of breath, every nervous clasp of her fingers and the fact that she keeps her eyes

peeled to the streets.

"Uhm, Ashton, this is not the way to the mansion. You just passed it." She informswith a hint of concern. |

turn to her for the first tsince the car ride. Have her eyes always been so brown and captivating? She

blushes really hard and turns away, her heart undoubtedly beating wildly.

"We are going in the wrong direction." She mutters.

"No, we're not."

"But the mansion..."

"We are not going to the mansion." Ignoring her shocked eyes, | step on the gas and zoom off.