Four Brothers and a Bride

of yours. That would have put a huge smile on my face."

| swallow hard and look away. "Yeah, too bad." With a nervous laugh, | run a hand over my desk and look around

the room. | actually missed it.

"So, before you address everyone on your first day back, can | ask how things are on the hfront? How's

everyone holding up?"

"Thanks man. Everyone's doing great. We're taking it one day at a time. Things are looking up."

"They sure are. The hate train is running out of steam." We share a smile. "Really glad to have you back, man. |

mean that."

"Thanks, brother. I'll be out in thirty minutes. Just need to center myself. Let the team know."

We shake hands once more before he leaves. | inhale deeply, lolling back on my chair. Quietness has never felt

less lonely and more peaceful. A fond memory of Maddi bursting into my office with a ripe scowl on her face and

an acerbic tongue ready to go off, makessmile. Grabbing my phone, | dial her number. | didn’t have tto

kiss her goodbye this morning. She must be stewing after walking up and realizing | left so early.

She picks up the phone on the third ring.

"Don’t be mad at me, Maddie." | utter, fully intending to play the pun. "I had to rush out this morning. Guess

what? | just arrived in my office and the first thing | recalled as | sat on my chair was the thought of you bursting

through my door and givingan earful about what a devil | was for holding your sister hostage. In hindsight,

maybe that’s when | started falling for you." A sheepish grin spreads across my face. "You look cute even when

you're fuming."

She sighs on her end. "Maddi is in the bathroom."

| sit upright in shock. "Olivia? I...didn’t know..."

"It's okay. I'll let her know you called."

"Wait, don’t hang up." | bite down on my lower lip. "How are you? Does it hurt anywhere?"

I imagine she rolls her eyes at me. "Save your breath, Ashal. You don’t have to pretend to care. If you really did,

you wouldn't asksuch a question as an afterthought and you certainly won't dumpwith your mother to

be a burden on her."

"Liv, it's not like that."

"It’s exactly like that, Ashal." She heaves a deep breath. "Look, we don’t have to do this song and dance. | know

where your loyalties lie. As soon as | give your family the baby they crave, this little where you all get to

pretend like you give a shit aboutwill end. | literally can’t wait for the day, to be frank. I'll let Maddi know you

called." She hangs up abruptly before | can get another word in.

"Shit." | cuss under my breath. Why did she have to pick up Maddi’s call and hear all that? She almost had a

pregnancy complication yesterday. The last thing | want is to cause her any more problems. | massage a

throbbing spot on my temple, wondering how much of a mess I've made and if | should call Olivia's phone. |

don’t think she'll take the call anyway. Like she said, it'll be painfully obvious that calling to check on her was an

afterthought.

Elyon raps on my door twenty minutes later and pokes his head in. "We're ready for you, sir."

"Be right out." | dispel the worristhoughts cluttering my head and choose to carry on with my day.

During lunchtime, Elyon joinsto have a meal in my office.

"Expecting a call from someone? You keep checking your phone." He tellswhile enjoying his bowl of salad.

Frustrated, | set my phone aside to concentrate and be in the moment even though my mind has been whirling.

Maddi hasn't returned any of my calls all day. Her phone’s been switched off. It’s very unlike her. Is everything

okay at the mansion? | hope Olivia didn’t give her sister a hard tbecause of what she heard over the phone.

"Yeah." | reply Elyon. "I hate it when | don’t hear from my loved ones regularly, especially this period. Makes me

anxious."

"I'm sure everything is fine."

"I hope so." But my appetite only continues to diminish with every bite of food | have. Eventually, | toss aside my

barely touched burger and call mother after lunch, because it feels easier than calling Olivia directly.

"Hey son, how's your day going?" She replies cheerily.

"Great. Um, mother? Is Maddi home? | haven't been able to reach her all day. Can you put her on the phone?"

"Oh, sure. She and Olivia have been keepingcompany all day. Just a second. Madeline? Can you cover

here, dear? Ashal will like to speak with you." | hear her saying. There's a bit of static interruption before Maddi’s

beautiful voice sails in. "Hello?"

| expel a deep breath of relief. "Baby, what happened? I've been trying to reach you all morning. Why is your

phone switched off?"

"I'm so sorry. | accidentally dropped it from the balcony. | was trying to call you but my hands were slippery with

my body lotion, and it fell right off my balcony."

"You knew I'd be worried if | couldn't reach you. You should have found a way to inform me."

"I'm so sorry, baby. | got carried away with mother and Liv. Can you believe Liv stepped out of her room today?

She joined us in the living room, saw a movie with us and even did slaps in the swimming pool. | think she’s

starting to feel better about everything."

"Really? That's good to know."

Liv hasn't made her feelings about my relationship with Maddi clear beside showing concern for her sister's

safety with me. When | assured her that | had gotten the help | needed and that | will never hurt Maddi, she

hadn’t looked convinced. That was the most we spoke about it.

She has never let us know how she truly feels seeing Maddi and | together. During my birthday party, she had

walked in on us kissing in my bedroom. Her expression that night was more of disgust than anger. Hence, | can’t

really fathom her feelings on the matter, whether it is that of resignation or indifference.

"I'll send over a new phone. Keep it handy, okay?"

"Okay. Thanks. | love you."

"| love you more." | blow a kiss into the phone that makes her chuckle before hanging up. Finally feeling at ease,

| double down and get swork done. While reviewing the names of the new hires that Elyon made in my

absence, my eyes double in size as a particular nand picture strikes me. What the hell?

Immediately, | dial Elyon’s office line. "My office, now!"

ork

Elyon appears in five seconds. "What's up?"

| flash the papers at him. "Why the fuck did you hire this guy?"

He takes a good look at the resume. "Because he’s competent? Why?"

"No, he’s not. He's clearly a high school dropout with a police record spanning rape, theft and assault. He's also

got a huge employment gap of five years! Ever wonder what he was up to that entire time, Elyon? For goodness’

sake, what the hell were you thinking hiring just about anyone simply because our workers were dropping like

flies? How did you think this was ok?"

Elyon rubs the band of his neck. "I'm sorry. The dude's resleaves much to be desired but he was really

desperate for honest work. He was also prepared to receive half of what we pay interns. | thought I'd give him a

shot. He's been here for three weeks and has proven to be a fast learner. He's been very competent, Ashal."

"Fire him. We'll find more competent people to take his place." Flinging the resume, | plunk down on my seat and

focus on more reports floating on my Mac book while Elyon watcheswith a confused expression. "it’s not

open to debate, Elyon. Get on with it. | don’t care what official reasons you have to give him just get him out of

my company, now!"

"He's just mopping floors, man..."

"lI don’t carel He's not qualified to mop MY floors. You know what? Lethandle it. Call him in here."

Three minutes later, a meek looking Iman enters my office. His head hangs low when he locks eyes with my

fierce ones. | wait until Elyon leaves us before | speak.

"You have snerve approaching a Rollins family business for employment, don’t you?" Rising to my feet, |

circle my table to go stand in front of him. My fingers are jammed in the pocket of my pants to keep my clenched

fists in check. "What's the grand plan here, Iman? Don’t givethat silly excuse of being a changed person. I'll

break your nose before you're done spouting that lie."

In a flash, he drops to his knees and clasps his hands. "Please sir, | beg you. Do not kickout. I've been living

off of food stamps for the past two months. I've tried to get a job elsewhere but no one would hire me."

"Gee, | wonder why." | snort at him.

"Please, just givea chance. | promise | have no ill intent. | promise to work twice as hard to earn a place

here. | just really need a steady incto survive on."

linhale sharply. "You need money? Sure, I'll give you sbut you working here isn’t going to happen. Even if

my company is down and under, there's a staffing standard we can’t go below." | whip out my check book and

scribble down on it before tossing it at him. "You better make good use of that to fix yourself up. Consider it a

gesture of goodwill seeing as you don’t deserve a dfromafter everything you've put my family through."

With trembling hands, he gets up on his feet, bows his head and leaves. | hate everything he represents. | can’t

stand him and | don’t want my brothers or Demi running into him here and being reminded of an ugly past where

he played a starring role as a torn in my family’s flesh.

On my way hfrom work, | call Skylar to check on her.

"The food’s bad." She blurts out the second she picks the phone. "And the bed’s starting to feel uncomfortable. |

want to go hbut they won't let me."

I"

| chuckle at that. "You need some

more rest, Sky. | promise you can

leave the hospital if the doctor clears

you tomorrow. He Ketpstaniia