Chapter 15

ASHTON

I can't believe Asher can be so reckless. What the fuck was he thinking kissing Anna? He even had it filmed? I jam my hands in my pockets to avoid punching something. Tearing my eyes away from Ashal who is trying to calm mom down, I let it sit on Demi. She's been on the phone for a while, mostly listening to her caller and speaking in hushed tones when she responds. That must be Anna calling to explain herself or perhaps Demi's overbearing aunt scolding her for her poor choice of a friend.

Asher isn't back from taking his call. I'm curious to find out what else he is hiding from us. He has a lot of explaining to do for going behind our backs like that and getting the family name smeared with distasteful gossip. He made the fucking rules of quad behavior and now he has broken a vital one. Just as I am about to go look for him, Asher emerges from the hallway, all bright-eyed with a ghost of a smile on his face.

"Mom, I'm handling it. Please trust me." He plants a kiss to our mother's forehead and orders a servant to escort her to her room. Demi hangs up now and turns to us four. Her eyes are red and teary, worse than they looked when I rushed home to find her with mother, steaming over the leaked video.

"Asher?" Her voice is hoarse and raw. Asher turns to her. With mother gone, his eyes are now cold pools, his lips curved sternly.

"Demi?"

A storm is brewing in Demi's eyes. A war of anger and frustration. For a split second, I fear she plans to charge forward and tackle my brother. The tension between them is more palpable than the one between the four of us. To my shock, Demi lumbers forward, her tears pouring. Her eyes skirt across all four of us.

"Anna's been fired."

Not the words I expected to hear. Still, my heart aches at her reddening face.

"I know she didn't mean to get involved with you." She says to Asher now. "I know Anna. She won't risk her job like that knowing it's her only source of livelihood. Please Asher, her family depends on her. She has a sick mom and a kid brother who's still in school. She doesn't deserve the hate she's getting. She's not a whore."

Asher grinds his teeth. Everything about his body language tells me he doesn't want to help but then he goes on to say, "I'm sorry about her situation but right now, saving the family's reputation is my top priority."

"Asher."

Asher turns to look at Ashely who steps forward and stands by Demi. Asher's brows furrow slightly at the show of support. "I don't think Anna can wait. We have a whole PR team and a team of lawyers at our beck and call. Anna only has Demi. I think you should consider helping her since you're not entirely blameless for Anna's present situation."

"I agree." Ashal and I quip in unison. We exchange a small smile. Demi wipes her eyes.

"Right now, her source of livelihood is paramount. If you can just talk to Donna…"

"I will." Asher's hasty response is suspicious but Demi breaks into a sweet, teary smile and even rushes to hug him.

"Thank you so much. Thanks a lot, guys. I'll let Anna know there's hope right away." Seeing her skip up the stairs like a happy child warms my heart until Asher's frozen stare hits me.

"My bedroom. Now!"

In his room, he takes off his suit, loosens his tie a bit and sits cross-legged on the couch. His eyes remind me of father's whenever we have been summoned to his study to get a third-degree. After staring intently from one brother to another, he lets out a short laugh.

"Oh man, she's got you all whipped."

"What do you mean by that?"

Asher drops his leg to lean on his elbow. His eyes darken as he glares at Ashley. "Exactly what you heard. That girl, Demi Branson, is a fine actress and she's got all my brothers dancing to her tune. Unfortunately, she didn't count on one of us not being a lovesick puppy."

"Not again with this Sherlock Holmes bullshit." Asher shifts impatiently. "You've got a problem with her, spit it out, chapter and verse. Don't sit there playing dad. Some of us have better things to do." Asher is so clearly scorched by Ashely's words that he stands to his feet. He's never looked scarier and that's something coming from me.

"I'm going to say it this once and whether you all believe me or not, I will do everything I can to get that woman out of our lives. DEMI BRANSON IS NOT THE INNOCENT, NAÏVE WOMAN SHE CLAIMS TO BE! She's got something against our family. I can feel it in my marrow."

He is pacing now, running a hand over his messy hair. "Yes, I wanted us to interrogate Anna. I've been replaying the whole story in my head and it's not been adding up. Demi, a seemingly innocent and sweet book seller gets cheated by her boyfriend and decides to drink away her sorrows, right? Now, she allegedly gets drunk and instead of going home, she commutes a good distance to the Blue Cove where her best friend happens to be on shift and on a night when one of the Rollins brothers is drinking alone in the VVIP room. Stay with me. It so happens that she arrives on a night when the cameras in the building malfunction. There isn't a single footage of her arriving or leaving." Asher bites down on his lower lip. "This is fucking real life not a web novel and in real life, things only work out that way when it is strategically planned. Luck can't cut it."

When he breaks it down like that, it makes a whole lot of sense but I still can't digest the thought of Demi in that light.

"Great. So, let's say your hunch is right and Demi did plan to be at the Blue Cove that very night so she could get married into this family, how does that prove that she intends to harm us and not that she just wants to marry rich like every other damsel in Danvarr? Do you have any solid proof to be wary of her?"

Asher smiles cheerily at my question. "If Demi was merely interested in our wealth and status, she wouldn't have put in a no sex clause in the fucking marriage contract. She'd tire Ashley out with baby making sex and get pregnant to secure her place here. Her arrogance in keeping her distance from each and every one of us is fueled by something deeper than pride and I intend to find out."

He drops back in his seat and exhales deeply. "But with respect to your question Ashton, the answer is yes. I do have proof. The video. I had someone film the kiss between Anna and I because I was convinced Anna was withholding information from us out of a sense of loyalty to her friend. When she fell for my trap and kissed me, I sent Demi the fucking video hoping to rattle the foundation of their friendship. I merely hoped Anna, without Demi's guaranteed support, would become more pliable in my hands. Imagine my surprise when the very same video is leaked to the biggest critic of the Rollins Group, Billon-Err."

I don't want to believe it but Asher's theory is crystalizing very fast.

"Demi was the only one I sent the video to so if Billion-Err got it…"

"She leaked it herself." I frown at this cold truth.

"How are you sure she didn't forward it to anyone else, not even Anna?" Ashley asks. "Could Anna have leaked it hoping to get Billion-Err's support like Demi did?"

Ashal answers before Asher can. "Anna couldn't have sent it. Billion-Err couldn't have supported her with one flimsy video of a kiss with Ash. Demi's case was different, she had a marriage certificate with our signature that couldn't easily be ignored." Ashal leans back in his seat. "If anything, Anna would have tried to use it to extort money any one of us by threatening to release it to Billon-Err."

"But why would Demi leak it knowing it would affect her best friend so?"

I give Ashley a pat on his knee. "She was probably mad and did it in anger before she thought better of it."

"No." Asher counters me. "I don't think she meant to target Anna. I think she meant to target us. Demi knows exactly what a video like that would stir. She's newly married into the family and she can't tell us apart. It scares and frustrates her. I see her trying every day to note the differences. She's mastered our fashion preferences. Ashley, how did she try to recognize you when you went into her room the other day?""

"She sampled my outfit and assumed who I was, Ashely but when the behavior didn't match, she tried to leave, saying I wasn't Ashely after all."

"Exactly." Asher continues. "Demi knew exactly how this would pan out. The public would want to know which Ash Rollins is in the video especially because the woman being kissed is Demi's best friend. They rallied in support of Danvarr's latest sweetheart, Demi Branson, the poor, innocent new wife of the flirtatious hotshot, Ashely Rollins. No offense."

Ashely shrugs. "None taken."

"All that drama in front of mom knowing fully well she sent the damn video?" Ashal's eyes blaze now. "Oh, she's got to go."

"So, what's your plan here?" I ask Asher.

"We'll deal with the press first. They're not really expecting us to come show them how they can tell us apart. They're more interested in us proving that Ashely isn't the one in video and didn't cheat on Demi with her best friend. So, we'll give them sufficient proof without necessarily showing off our birth scars. No, Demi won't have her way this time."

***

"What?" Demi asks with a shocked expression. "What honeymoon? What are you even saying right now?"

"Exactly what you heard." Asher repeats the plan. He's trying really hard not to snap at her. He doesn't want to give it away that we now know her schemes. I watch Demi's expression drop in disappointment. "What?" Asher asks her. "Were you hoping for a different outcome?"

Her face firms and she crosses her arms across her chest defensively. "Forgive me but I'm trying to understand how pretending to be away on honeymoon with Ashley can quell the rumors."

"Who said anything about pretending?" Ashely asks, emerging from the elevator. A servant escorts him, lugging light suitcases in both hands. "We're taking a private flight to our vacation home in Brellis Island. We'll stay there till everything blows over. Meanwhile, my brothers here will handle the rest and make sure everyone who knows we were in Danvarr last night will be compelled to keep their mouths shut."

The color drains from Demi's cheeks.

"Wha-What? This…this is all so sudden." She flinches when Ashely wraps a hand around her waist. "What are you doing?" Her eyes boggle in shock.

Ashal, Asher and I exchange meaningful looks at her reaction.

"Relax, we're off to our honeymoon. You'll have a lot of role-plays to do if we must put out convincing photos for our fans here. I trust you'll cooperate." He grabs her arm and steers her towards the door while the servants trail behind with their luggage. Demi struggles to pull away and keeps looking back at us and asking if our parents are on board with this sudden plan. She's clearly frustrated and angry.

"What about Anna?"

"Asher will handle it."

I watch her till Ashley tucks her head into the car and slams the door shut. She meets my eyes through the half-open window of the back seat. I can tell she's scared. This isn't what she envisioned. In the waning light of dusk, her moist eyes manage to communicate pain and fear before I look away. I still can't believe she'd do something so wicked to a family that has accepted her. Her innocent face won't fool me anymore.

I am pissed that I let myself get so distracted that Asher was the one who sniffed out her lies. This is usually my thing around the house. Not much gets past me, or used to. Now, my battle with self-discovery has made me lose sight of what's important which is protecting my family. I make a mental note to rectify that lapse of judgment.

"Jeez, such a drama queen." Ashal retorts after the cars leave. "What now?"

Asher runs a handkerchief over his face. "Ashal, I need you to stay call the PR team. Have them craft a believable story regarding Ashley and Demi's vacation in Brellis in defense of the adultery claims. Sprinkle a little threat of libel and defamation in there as well, just to scare the roaches."

"On it." Ashal whips out his phone and heads for the elevator.

"Ashton, I need you to go to this address and interview Demi's ex, Iman Burke. He's expecting me. Play me, okay? Don't go all Ashton on him. We need his story to kick Demi out for good."

This is the part of the plan that I find unsettling. However, I nod vigorously.

"I'll get back to the office and bring dad up to speed."

"And Anna?"

Asher scoffs. "She'll survive."

He doesn't mean to help her. Why should we, anyway? Why do I even care? I wonder.

Iman's apartment complex is unsurprisingly a stone throw from the bookstore Demi used to work in. I wriggle in my suit, adjust my dark shades before taking the stairs. The corridors reek of cigarette, alcohol and piss. The door bell is broken when I try it so I knock softly instead. Iman spies me through the peephole before cracking his door half open.

"Asher Rollins?"

I nod briskly and he ushers me in. His place is not the tidiest. His sitting room is crammed with shabby furniture. He gestures me to his peeling couch and plops down on one himself. A half-empty bottle of liquor lies by his feet. He picks up a cigarette, lights it and smiles at me through the stream of smoke oozing from his nostrils.

"You mentioned something about making me very rich?" He coos with a lopsided grin. I cross my legs the way Asher is fond of doing and pretend this is any other negotiation with a worthy client.

"…and helping you get back at your ex, Demi Branson." The mention of her name significantly distorts his cherry face. "The money is not the problem. The question is, is your story worth it?

Iman shrugs in his seat. "You mentioned you want to be rid of her because she's trying to ruin your family. I am not surprised. That bitch is not as innocent as she looks. She's a pathological liar. Woe to anyone who doesn't realize this on time."

"What do you mean?"

He leans forward. "She broke up with me because I cheated on her and went on to drink herself to stupor and wed your brother, right? That's the tale she's been pushing online but that couldn't be further from the truth. That night wasn't the first time I was cheating on Demi and she knew it. I've been inside, romping naked with some bitches and heard sounds in my living room. When I came out to check, my door was slightly ajar. Once, I caught a whiff of her perfume right in here and the second time, I saw her hopping back into a taxi and leaving. Both times, she never confronted me or gave me attitude the next day. In fact, she was very sweet to me like nothing happened."

He pauses to take a drag of his cigarette. "I thought she probably had another guy on the side and stalked her but she wasn't seeing anyone. However, I did notice something weird."

"What's that?"

"She has always been vocal about not being a fan of you and your brothers. I found it fascinating that she was one of the few women who didn't have a massive crush on the Danvarr quads. One day, I visited her at the bookstore and noticed she kept a special collection of business magazines."

"What's weird about that?"

Iman smiles. "They were all the editions of magazines where your family made the front cover. Your pictures were all defaced with a red marker."