NovelBookChapter 185: Chapter 185
DEMI
For five minutes, I let my body be battered under Ashton’s shower. The steam from the hot spray rises in the air
like a mist, fogging the bathroom glass. My mind whirls with disconcerting thoughts.
I've tried to stop myself from constantly reliving the embarrassment and the pain | felt when Skylar claimed to
be distrustful of me. It wasn’t the words she said or the way she had said. No. For me, the most painful aspect of
that hellish two minutes was the timing.
Under the circumstance of her accidental fall and hospitalization, coupled with the presence of her anxious
brothers, her words had been no less than a dagger to my heart. One stabbed from the back for that matter.
Very unexpected. Very painful. Very damaging.
| went through hell because the Rollins family didn’t trust me. They marriedoff to the wrong brother, killed
my baby, threatened my life on several occasions. The list goes on. After everything, | managed to redeem
myself and win over shearts, especially after saving Ashal’s life. Now, with Skylar’s outburst, | feel like | just
got knocked back a hundred steps behind. I distinctly recall the doubt on Asher’s face, the shock on Ashal’s and
the accusation in Ashley’s while | hopelessly tried to defend myself.
Tears mingle with the water sluicing down my body. | smoothen my hair down the back of my head and continue
to let myself be battered by the spray. Crying won't do. Anna had askedif | was sure of the consequences
that will followif | chose to reinsert myself into the Rollins family . More than before, | am starting to
understand it now. There will always be an endless cycle of pain for me. | will always battle to earn their trust
and | will continue to suffer for as long as | don’t have it.
Another hurtful memory of the hospital flashes in my head.
While we kissed, | had shoved Ashton back, breaking the kiss when | sensed someone watching us.
"What's wrong?" He askedwith an arched brow.
"| think there's someone there." | whisper to him. He glances at the direction leading away from the restroom,
then takes brisk steps to check the hallway.
"There you are. | need to talk to you." Asher calls him from the far end of the hallway. Hesitantly, Ashton turns to
When | peep from the corner, Asher is too far to have been the one | felt watching Ashton and | kiss intensely.
Was my hunch wrong? Was | just being paranoid after Skylar’s accusations? | shrugged off the eerie feeling and
decided to head home.
But | didn’t just want to leave rudely. | thought it'd be better to inform at least one brother of my departure. |
walk over to Skylar’s room where | am certain I'd find one of them but my pace grinds to a halt when | spot Asher
talking to Ashton in muted tones (not so muted due to his deep voice) at the waiting area. | thought they had
gone somewhere else to talk.
"I just wanted to make sure you also heard what Skylar said. Yes, she might be a little disoriented from her fall
and | don’t necessarily think Demi meant to push her but Ashton, what | am most interested in is that Skylar’'s
experience lends more credence to my theory that Demi might not be a good omen for our family. Something
terrible always happens when she’s in the picture. Don’t tellyou don’t see it too."
"Again with this B.S?" Ashton queries him. | flatten my back behind the wall. They've had this conversation
before? The quads thought | brought them ill luck? | shook my head at the irony but my heart tightened with pain
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtas | continued to listen.
"It was just an accident, Asher. | thought you were all about logic? This theory of yours lacks it. You're just going
by a hunch."
"A hunch that Ashley and Skylar are starting to get as well must definitely have more to it. You certainly would
have been one of the first ones to nurse the ssuspicion if you weren't blindly in love with Demi." He added,
poking Ashton’s chest with his index finger. "What the heck are you doing refusing to question her or the
disturbing angles of her story? Are you forgetting that this involves the safety of your family?"
"I haven't forgotten anything, okay? | am not blind or stupid because | happen to be in love with your suspect. If |
thought the facts didn’t add up, I'd have done my findings or asked her. That's not the case here. | just think
everyone's on edge and it’s easy to blthe girl who was always branded the enemy of our family." He lurches
forward and poked Asher’s chest in return. "Do you know how many times she’s given us the benefit of the doubt
even when we didn’t deserve it? Do you think trusting us blindly comes easily for her? Yet, she does. And in
return, we throw her under the bus at every chance we get. How's that fair?"
"This isn’t about fairness; it's about facts."
"Facts? Then let's do facts. What facts do you have to believe Skylar, the sister whom we just met over Demi?
Both women have legitimate claims to their hatred towards our family so | hate to put it out there but we know
less about our baby sister than we do about Demi. Demi saved Ashal’s life despite everything and your security
footage shows that both women simply got into a heated argument and Demi slapped Skylar. The fall was
accidental, not premeditated. Demi DESERVES the benefit of doubt here as well, don’t you think?"
Asher grunted in response after Ashton stalked off angrily. My heart palpitated in my chest. Now, the brothers
were fighting over my presence in their lives?
Finally, | flick off the shower and inhale sharply, cloaked in the steam. That all familiar hollow feeling caresses
me, twining around my neck like a noose. Why must my happiness always be short-lived? I've literally managed
to unite with the man that I love after so many hurdles stood in our way. It’s not even been up to a week and
problems have begun to rear their heads. Could Asher be right? Am | jinxed or is it my relationship with the
Rollins family that is doomed?
Through the corner of my eye, | catch a glimpse of a shadow hovering outside the bathroom. Though the steam
is yet to dissipate, | can tell it's a person standing outside.
"Ash, is that you?" Is he back so soon from visiting his sister? He left barely fifteen minutes ago. When | don’t get
a response, a cold shiver runs down my spine. "Ashton? Say something if that’s you."
The silhouette retreats from the foggy glass in a flash. Hastily, | shrug into a robe and dash out of the bathroom.
There are no footprints on the floor except the wet poodle left by me. Tying the sash of my robe tighter, | take
cautious steps all around, checking for any signs of entry. The chef is stir-frying food in the kitchen. She's an
older lady and couldn't have retreated to the far kitchen so fast.
| could have sworn someone was standing right outside the shower.
When | get to the living room, the door is unlocked. The | feel cold hands rest firmly on my shoulder. Startled, |
yelp in fright.
"Hey, hey, it's me." Ashton throws his hands in the air. Forgot skeys Gris needs at work so | cback to
grab it."
| take a second to catch my breath. "Why do you brothers have individual houses on every corner of Danvarr
when you live in the mansion anyway? What's the damn point?"
"Because it’s better for privacy than hotels, and since we rent it out to a handful of rich folks when we're not
using it, it’s still a sweet deal." He winks at me. "But the most obvious reason is because we can." When | don’t
mirror his humor, he stares deeply at me.
"Are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost."
"Why didn’t you say anything when | kept calling out for you? If you want to watchshower, do it inside the
bathroom not outside like a freak." | pat down my wet hair as my heart continues to pound furiously.
"What are you talking about?" He tugsclose by the sash of my robe, teasing me. "You know | don’t do creepy.
Why would | watch you when | can just join you?" | turn away when he leans down to kiss me.
"You weren't watching me?" Goosebumps break out on my arms as my eyes dart around the room. "Ashton,
someone was definitely standing right outside the bathroom. | saw a silhouette and | instantly thought it was
you."
"It's okay." He pullsinto his arms and begins to rockseeing how frightened | am. "Maybe it was the chef
or one of the guards. You've got nothing to be scared of."
But knowing he specifically bans his staff from going into his bathroom when it’s in use doesn’t stop my
trembling. | press my eyes shut and stifle the panic welling up inside me. Maybe | didn’t see right. I've been on
edge lately. Maybe he’s right. It was probably one of the cleaners.
"Can you still check the cameras though?"
"I will." Easing back, he presses a kiss to my forehead. "Will you be here when | return?"
"| already promised Anna I'd spend the night with her."
He's eyes soften as he cups my face. "You promisedfirst that you'd spend two weeks with me,
uninterrupted."
"That was when | thought | needed to help you guys out with Skylar." | don’t mean to but my expression falters
as | recall my last exchange with Skylar. "It’s best | steer clear of her for now."
"Don’t feel bad. I'm sure she’ll caround. Everyone will." He kissessoftly, then deeper to cement his
trust. "I'll call you." With a bright smile, he leaves for the hospital.
| hate that | lied to him but | plan to
i
cclean after I'm back from my
visit. | hurriedly dress up and head
Co q Ws
over to Liam's plage His ©inded in
hfs livinbréom, Gonning a face cap,
plaid shirt and sdark pants. His
posture remindsof the twhen
he would dress in a similar fashion to
meet withat the honey pot or the
book store while our interests were
still aligned. The content is on
novelenglish.net! Read the latest
chapter there!
A smug grin stretches his lips as | approach him.
His anonymous message had been
cryptic but | instantly knew it came
: )
from him. It wasn't the artwhergihe
IEALGE (TS) for@endin flowers to
hl fom that madecto see
q q and
him at his behest; it's the part where
he mentioned he had news that |
would regret not learning on time
about Billion-Err. The content is on
novelenglish.net! Read the latest
chapter there!
"You better hope whatever you have to say tocouldn’t have been as effective via text." | blurt out, plunking
my purse on the couch furthest from him.
"Sit down, Demi. You're going to need to when you hear this."
| sit because | want this to be over soon enough. | hate that his house remindsof Ashal’s suffering. "You have
my attention. What is it?"
"I'll make this brief." He sits up and stares intently at me. "Someone offered big bucks to buy off Billion-Err from
me, and | sold it."
"What? You were supposed to discontinue that blog. Why would you sell it?"
"Because thanks to you, one of my major sources of inctook a hit. Of course, | could have survived without
it but the offer was too tempting. A whopping two billion!"
: I"
| grit my teeth to calm myself. "You
just sold a weapon, you realize that?
Lives have begreivclel because of
O f
the Ray)od abused that blog.
Shaking my head, | lower my voice.
" f P : n
Who did you sell it to, Liam? Tell me.
He smirks at me. "I'll tell you this much; my buyer's nends with Rollins!"
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