DEMI
I had thought I would be more excited to visit Ashal’s penthouse but more than anything, I feel a twinge of worry. It started when Olivia called out of the blues yesterday. I didn’t know what to make of the private number so I took the call.
"Who’s this?"
"It’s Olivia."
My heart leapt. "Olivia Dunn?"
"That’s right." Her voice sounded firr and slightly harsh.
"Hi, Olivia. How are you?"
"How do you expect to be when you’ve got nothing better to do than to poke your nose in other people’s affairs." She spat with venom.
"Woah, watch it. Why are you being so rude? You’re the one who cried for help and asked your friend to find ." I can’t believe her. She might be putting up a brave front to hide Ashal’s wrongs out of fear but that doesn’t make it right for her to lash out at .
"Fine, I admit I pranked my friend. I was just having a squabble with my partner back then. Every relationship has their ups and downs. Couples fight and make up all the ti. Eliana was making a big deal out of it so I indulged her and pretended to be a damsel in distress. I tasked her with finding you as a potential savior only because I knew she couldn’t pull it off. I didn’t think she would fall for it. I didn’t expect she’d go this far."
"She’s a smart woman, Olivia. I don’t think she is incapable of recognizing a joke. If she didn’t think you were in serious danger, she wouldn’t have tried to find to help you."
Olivia chuckled. "Danger? And what could you possibly do if I was actually in danger? Are you so kind of police detective or an undercover ninja? Don’t you see how senseless it all sounds? You’re just a woman with no real power or influence. I bet you cower in fright when your in-laws bark orders. How could you possibly help anyone?"
"Olivia..."
"I don’t even know you besides what I read in the news." She huffs out a breath to calm herself. "Listen, I called to tell you to stay away from Eliana. Stop encouraging her to chase shadows. I’m enjoying my relationship. I am not in any kind of distress. If you’re so bored of your wifely roles, find a hobby. Don’t try to play sherlock Hols and interfere in other people’s lives. Worry about yours."
I let her rant, wondering why she was lying through her teeth after we finally got a chance to talk.
"If you ever try to contact again or blow up my quiet life by ntioning my na on popular blogs, I’ll make sure I involve your in-laws and tell them what you’ve been using your free ti to do."
That call still replays in my head. When I told Liam, he rely suggested that I focus on my visit to Ashal’s house.
While I am getting ready, Anna’s ssage beeps in. She can’t make it. A new wave of disappointnt washes over .
I think of giving her a call to convince her to co along but her ssage is vague. It only tells that she is still mad at and isn’t ready to talk. I decide against putting any kind of pressure on her. Maybe this ti, I should listen to her for a change. If she has an urgent matter to attend to, I should respect her wishes.
"Thank you so much for doing this, Ashal. I really needed to get out of the house for a bit."
"You’re welco. It’s the least I could do to redy your birthday." I shoot him a thin smile and focus outside, watching the lush green palms and skyscrapers zipping by.
"What happened to Anna?"
"She can’t make it."
"Oh, that’s sad. She would have had so much fun." I nod glumly at his words. "Cheer up, Ashley’s going to be there. I made sure he cleared his schedule for this. I didn’t want you to feel uncomfortable at the house."
"Why won’t I be comfortable with just you?" Sothing about the face he makes causes to shift uncomfortably in my seat.
"No, it’s nothing like that. It’s just that William is still in town and being an old friend of ours, it didn’t sit right to let him keep staying at a hotel while he’s visiting Danvarr so I invited him to stay at my place." My eyes are already the size of saucers as Ashal drops the bomb on . "I thought having Ashley over would make you feel comfortable being around him and my other brothers."
"W-William is at the penthouse?"
"Yeah, he’s sort of living there at the mont."
The air suddenly starts constricting in my throat. William is at the penthouse? Oh crap, I didn’t expect this. I take in huge gulps of air and pray I don’t sweat bullets when I get there.
I can’t trust William to keep his mouth shut about our past and with the quads around, he could try to get back at for my alleged betrayal. He might give the brothers fresh reasons to suspect .
Then again, there’s no way Ashal will let William stay at the penthouse alone with Olivia who is pretty much a secret to everyone outside the family, including and William. Could that an he had her moved or does he keep her in a different house? My forehead starts coating with sweat as I wonder what exactly I will be walking into at the penthouse.
"Are you okay?" Ashal asks, watching .
"Not really. Now, I kind of feel like I am crashing a boys’ night. Maybe it was wrong of to insist on visiting."
"Nah, it’s fine. It’s just one visit"
"Anna’s absence is really weighing on . I don’t want to ruin your fun night with the boys with my sour expression and my low spirits. Maybe we should reschedule?"
"C’mon Demi, it took a lot to convince my brothers to allow this." I burrow my hands between my thighs and make a good show of my disinterest in his explanation.
"You were just excited monts ago though. Is this about William? I’m so sorry, Demi. I honestly didn’t know the two of you had history and I didn’t..." My eyebrows slash up at his words. "...Know you were going to ask to visit the penthouse as your birthday wish. I can’t ask him to leave because we are literally the only friends he has in Danvarr and..."
"How did you know that?" I ask, cutting him off.
"Um, Ashley ntioned it to after William ntioned it to him."
William told Ashley about her past relationship? What is he trying to stir? Trouble obviously. Now, I’m really uncomfortable with this visit. It feels like a setup. How long has Ashley known and why hasn’t he brought it up with even once? How am I supposed to be chill around my ex, my husband and my husband’s identical brothers in one house for over four hours? I clear my throat and scratch my neck.
"Ashal, I really think we should reschedule."
"Too late. We’re already here." The long, winding road ends as a huge electric gate opens. Ashal follows a narrow driveway with lush greens by the sides till we stop in front of a mini hill. The glassy penthouse sits atop a rocky path. I blink at the huge house with white and gold accents and glass walls. It’s beautiful but this isn’t the house I rember being dragged to.
"Ashal turns off the engine and looks at as he unbuckles his seat belt. "Excited yet?"
"Ashal, this house is different. This isn’t the sa place..."
"You said you wanted to visit my penthouse aka my play pen; this is it. I co over here with my brothers all the ti to just chill and have mad fun like we’re teenagers again. Sotis, adulting gets exhausting. This is my escape."
I join him to step out of the car. "I thought we were headed to the house..."
"...where we dragged you off to when we first t?" He chuckles as he leads the way up the rocky steps. "Nah. That house is smaller and desperately needs renovation. This," he says pointing at the house ahead of us, "...is more like it. Isn’t this what you wanted? It’s a confluence of serene nature and opulence. Co on in, you’ll be blown away. I had the house prepped just for you."
My heart skips as Ashley and William et us at the entrance. Ashely hugs . William waves in greeting. How are they so cool around each other if William spoke about my past relationship with him? Was he vague in discussing it or did he attempt to be a kind human and choose his words carefully so as not to hurt my marriage? The latter doesn’t sound like the William that accosted at my party but I push back the thought and focus on the present.
Inside, I stick close to Ashley while Ashal gives a mini tour of the living area with buttery yellow sofas that are as soft as pillows. Flower pots with fresh plants add to the vibrant pop of colors inside the house. Expensive art collections deck the walls. We take the stairs all the way to the first floor. Beautiful music drifts along the halls.
I run my fingers over the glass railings upstairs as we peer down at the living room. Ashal pulls my hand excitedly while he takes around, opening doors and showing several bedrooms, bathrooms, a gym, a sauna and so much more.
I feign excitent to mask my nervousness especially given the way William has been staring at . Ashley tags close, his eyes shuttling between Willam and I. I get tingles every ti I try to imagine what could be going through his mind.
"That’s Lily." Ashal points to a young lady in a button up shirt and black pants hunched over what I assu to be lunch in progress, in the kitchen. A small apron is wrapped around her waist.
"She manages this place. She’ll assist you with whatever you need." The pretty lady beams brightly at and mutters pleasantries.
"Where’s everyone else?" I haven’t spotted Ashton and Asher. I don’t care where Asher is and I frankly don’t want him around but having Ashton here might ease my mind a bit. "You said ALL your brothers were going to be here."
"Asher and Ashton are tied up with other engagents. I don’t think they will be joining us." Ashal replies casually, then clapping his hands together, "Ok, what gas were you thinking, Demi? I’ve got Basketball, tennis, pool, card gas, video gas, VR, you na it." They all turn to look at .
"Maybe we should start simple with Question tags or never have I ever, you know, to get her feet wet. Charades and card gas might be daunting for her."
Ashley cranes his neck to look at William. "Why?"
"Well, she isn’t much of a ga person." He chuckles lightly but no one else finds anything he said funny. I give him a scorching look while Ashley tries not to be the jealous husband.
"Years have passed between you two, Will. Things have changed around here. Why else would she specifically request for a ga night if she isn’t into gas?" Ashley shoots a sunny smile but it fails to reach his eyes.
"You’re right. I stand corrected."
"I can answer my own questions, William Thorpe, thank you very much. I’ll appreciate it if you desist from making assumptions about my life. Like my husband clearly said, years have passed between us. A brief high school relationship that ended six years ago doesn’t make you an expert on all thing Demi, okay?"
I didn’t realize how furious his presence makes till I snapped at him. A mont of awkward silence passes as everyone stares speechlessly at . A genuine smile crinkles Ashley’s eyes as he takes my hand.
"What would you like to do first? It’s your birthday present after all."
"Can we eat first? I’m starving!"
Ashley looks up at the other gentlen. "We’re eating first."
While we have our late lunch, Ashal breaks the awkward silence by asking William about himself.
"Uh, I inherited my father’s business, obviously. I’ve managed to scale the business over the last four years. We’ve been setting up branches in different states. I didn’t just co to Danvarr for fun and gas, I am also scoping out the business scene here to see if I can set up a branch as well. I’m loving it so far."
"That’s good. How about the ho front? Got a wife, girlfriend, crush???" Ashal winks at him but William’s countenance drops. I try not to choke on my food and politely accept the water Lily pours from the water pitcher. She stands close by, ready to step in and assist us however she can as our lunch progresses. Ashley polishes of his smoked eel and sips his wine but I can tell his ears are prid for William’s response.
"Nah, fell in love once and got burned badly. I’m not ready to delve back into the dating scene. It will be bad and distracting for my business right now." His voice drops an octave and his eyes droops as he adds, "I’m not fully healed yet." The fake smile that stretches Ashley’s lips makes uncomfortable. "How about you, Ashal, are you seeing anyone? I’m keeping up with the mystery girl talk online. What’s that about?"
Ashal exhales. "Everyone always wants to get into other people’s business. Well, I am not dating at the mont either. There’s just so much on my plate that I can barely entertain a committed relationship right now. I t an amazing woman at a club recently and we hit it off instantly. It’s been a while since that happened and I wanted to spend so more ti with her even though we aren’t serious or anything. Hence, I invited her to Demi’s birthday party. It was perfect to retain her anonymity which she doesn’t play with. I didn’t expect all that ruckus from the dia."
"How’s she taking it?"
Ashal flashes his phone at William. "I’ve been blocked. That’s how." They both chuckle at that.
"I’m sure you’ll find love, bro." Ashley says, tapping his brother’s hand.
"I’m assuming you an YOU have found love, right Ashley?" My fingers curl around the stem of my wine glass as I take yet another sip to distract from William’s stupid questions. Ashley glances at him with a surprised air.
"I an, I read up on how you and Demi ca to be married. You know, like you ntioned. I understand you initially kicked against the marriage but she was persistent. Have you guys finally grown on each other and fallen in love?"
"Do we strike you as a fake couple, William?" Ashley’s face hardens. I watch his fingers tighten around the fork and knife in his hand. The gold rims catch the light and glint dangerously. William laughs.
"I didn’t an that. I just find it weird when love happens too fast, especially between two people that never wanted to be a part of each other’s lives to begin with..."
"Okay, Will, that’s enough." Ashal tacitly warns him with a look. I can’t believe they invited this guy. What else did hey expect from my ex if not sour grapes?
"Look, I an no disrespect guys. You don’t have to be embarrassed."
"Embarrassed?" I repeat.
"Yes, Demi, embarrassed. I know you resented everything your husband stands for so I am shocked you expect to believe you’re head over heels in love with him after what, four months? You’re not even his type but Nicola Grey, ooh, now that’s more like it. Right Ashley?"
"Fuck you, William!" Ashley pushes back his seat as he rises, drops his cutleries with a clatter and heads outside. I rush to follow him but Ashal offers to go speak to his brother instead. He gives William a searing look before dashing out after Ashley. I squeeze down on my napkin and glare at William who reclines in his chair to sip his Chardonnay.
"Are you happy?"
"Are you, Demi? Is that the best you could do? I know what it’s like when a man is in love with a woman and I can say for a fact that Ashley isn’t in love with you. He isn’t even excited by your presence. You’re nothing more than a necessary appendage for the caras. You know I am telling the truth."
"You don’t know anything!"
"I do. He is still very much into his ex. Can’t even keep his hands off her at his own wife’s birthday party." He clucks his tongue in disgust. At the shock in my eyes, he proceeds with a sly smile. "How long have you been enduring them together? Is that what you signed up for, Demi? Why are you clinging to him when he openly disrespects you in full view of the entire fucking country?"
"Ok, I can’t deal with your crap. I can’t." I turn to Lily. "I need to use the bathroom."
"The ones downstairs are out of order but you can use the one in the first bedroom upstairs by your left."
"Thank you." A cold sweat breaks atop my forehead as I take the stairs. William is definitely trying to sabotage my plans and I can’t let him. I have to figure out a way to get rid of him before things spiral out of control.
Above the stairs, I can see Ashal and Ashley in a heated argunt regarding William. What did they expect? If they knew him as well as I did, then they should have expected him to be nothing short of a prick.
However, their distraction works for as I make my way to the bedrooms. Maybe this will cut our evening short and I can go ho and leave this drama behind but before that, I need to follow my hunch and see if I can find anything that connects Ashal to Olivia.
I know for sure that Olivia didn’t an anything she said to on the phone. I also know Eliana didn’t exaggerate anything. Olivia had sent that text about not being the first daughter-in-law of the family.
It was definitely a text from her with the initials, O.D which stands for Oliva Dunn. That ssage can only an that she is the first and there’s only one brother who visits one of his properties almost every day, enough for to suspect that he does so to check on his secret wife.
I don’t know how much of a fool Ashal thinks I am to buy into that crap about his mystery woman being soone else. Every hair on my body can tell he was fibbing. He has to know where Olivia is.
I start at the first bedroom, pretending to be wandering around curiously. Though I didn’t see any in the bedrooms while Ashal gave a tour, I suspect there are hidden caras and don’t want to co off as one snooping. There has to be because how else would he monitor his property if he doesn’t spend so much ti here?
I admire a portrait on the wall, casually run my hands over the furniture and peek into drawers. If they happen to watch the tapes again, I’ll pass for a harmless guest admiring things in the room rather than a suspicious one frantically going through other people’s things. When I hear footsteps outside the door, I try not to panic.
"Mrs. Demi, do you need any assistance?" Lily calls out from outside the door. I step into the bathroom and flush the toilet.
"No, thanks. I’ll be down soon."
"Ok."
"Is my husband back in yet?"
"No ma’am. He and his brother are still outside talking."
"And Mr. William?"
"He got started on a video ga."
"Ok. Thanks. I’ll be down soon."
"Alright, ma’am. I’ll lay out dessert." Her steps retreat. I whip out my phone, turn on the faucet in the bathroom and call Anna. It’s unlike her to not even check on once. There’s hardly any service around here. I try her and Ashton’s phones but neither goes through. Must be because we’re so far into the hills.
Then I hear the bedroom door open.
"Hello? Lily, is that you?" No response. I turn off the faucet and yank the door open only to find William staring at .
"What the hell are you doing in here? Aren’t you satisfied with all the trouble you’ve caused? If you had any pride left, you’d pack up and leave Ashal’s house. You don’t expect him to continue to accommodate you after the stunt you just pulled, do you?"
"Accommodate ? Why would Ashal need to accommodate ? Do I look like a pauper to you because I am not on Danvarr’s richest 30 under 30 list?" He chuckles. "I just bought a property here. I don’t need nothing from nobody."
"What are you doing in here?"
"You’re not the only one who requires bathroom breaks." He puts out a hand to block when I head for the door. "You can’t keep running away from , Demi. You owe a shit ton of explanations and twice as many apologies."
"I don’t owe you anything Will so get over yourself." His hand snakes around my wrist and holds in place. "Get your hands off !"
"Why did you marry him? He never even wanted you to begin with. He is a fine, astute businessman but you’ve never been driven by those. I can tell from your body language that you are not into him just as he isn’t into you. Was this a forced marriage or sothing more?" The look in his eyes as he emphasized the last point makes uncomfortable. William still won’t budge when I try to free my hand.
"Le go, William. Ashley is mad enough as it is. He won’t take it lightly if he finds you manhandling like this."
"You and I both know he wouldn’t give a damn. You are not Nicola so he wouldn’t exactly miss you. Tell , do you let him touch you? Do you let him kiss you with the sa lips and tongue he uses to give Nicola an orgasm?" I give him a resounding slap that fails to faze him but I manage to pull my wrist away and make a run for the door.
"You’re pathetic Demi. I can’t believe I once thought you were special."
I ignore the insults he continues to throw at and try to pull the door open but it refuses to budge.
"You should be especially ashad for marrying into that family. You know exactly what I am talking about. Your parents must be rolling in their graves, unless they’re just as avaricious as you are!"
"SHUT UP! SHUT UP FOR ONE SECOND!"
"Don’t give that attitude." He says, coming to slam against the door. "You said you wanted to talk privately so here I am. START TALKING. Tell what the fuck you’re doing with a man like that knowing fully well that he continues to cheat on you. It’s disgraceful, Demi."
"What? What do you an I wanted to talk privately?"
"Don’t act like you didn’t request Lily to tell to et you up here to clarify things. Why else would I co here? Contrary to what you believe, I am not interested in stalking you and your cheating husband."
My eyes dilate in shock. I try to turn and try the door once more but William shoves back in place.
"It’s locked!" I yell at him. "The door’s locked and I never asked for you to co up here."
The anger in his eyes slowly burns out. He jiggles the knob and confirms it but rather than figure out a solution, sothing dark flits across his eyes. Chills run up my arms. Nothing good ever cos from Will having that look in his eyes. He turns to glance across the room till his eyes linger on the massive bed.
"Well, isn’t that convenient?" He whispers, his breath fanning my neck.
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