DEMI
"She called you to say that?" Eliana asks in astonishnt. We are at her dainty apartnt downtown which she shares with her boyfriend, Taylor. While we huddle up on the couch, he steps out to go walk their golden retriever, Cash.
Eliana clucks her tongue. "She can’t an that. I don’t know what is going on with her but it slls fishy to . I didn’t misread the situation. It’s like you said. I am grown and I can tell when a woman is feeling suffocated or trapped in a relationship."
"What was she like before she t this person?"
"A wild bird. Olivia clubbed like it was her second ho. She was so much fun, very vocal and confident. Whenever she walks into a room, everyone would know her within two minutes. It wasn’t just about her beauty and fashion sense; she was very sociable with a beautiful laugh. She makes friends pretty easily."
Adjusting her reading glasses, Eliana’s deanor drops. "I always hung out with her. The day she invited to the club where she t her boyfriend, I was sick so I declined. That was the last ti I saw Olivia for at least eight months. Whenever I called her phone, it was switched off. Her family weren’t saying anything aningful too. Once, her dad told she travelled to further her studies and the very sa day, Maddie told Olivia went out of town for a job. That’s when I knew sothing was off."
I sip my juice and drop it ceremoniously on the small table.
"Has she called you since you spoke to her in the car? Have you two spoken again?"
"No. I think I am blocked for now. She must be pissed at for surprising her like that with you on the phone. She’ll probably reach out again when she’s at her lowest or when he pesters her to sift information from , whichever happens first." She bites down on her lower lip. "Are you still going to try and help her? You know she only said those things because he probably told her to, right?"
"I don’t know how to help a person who doesn’t want to be helped, Eli. Besides, Olivia is the only one who can tell how I can help her out. She knows this guy by na and face. We’ve got nothing. I’m not sure how I can be of any help."
The doorbell chis and I wonder how Taylor is back so soon and why he would be using the doorbell in his own house when he’s got his keys.
"I thought about that," Eliana tells , dropping her glass too and shuffling towards the door. "And I invited soone over."
"Who?"
When she welcos her guest, the young, bright eyed lady steps cautiously into Eliana’s cozy apartnt and gives it a double take. If she is impressed or disappointed, I can’t tell. She tilts her head when her eyes fall on . They double in size. She recognizes .
"This is Demi Rollins." Eliana begins with the introductions, pointing at . I stand to my feet and beam at the lady. "Demi, this is Maddie Dunn, Olivia’s younger sister."
Maddie Dunn? Interesting.
"Hi, Maddie. It’s a pleasure to et you." Maddie stares at my outstretched before taking it in a firm grip. The corner of her lips quirk up in a half smile.
I know she recognizes , not just as the daughter-in-law of the famous Rollins family but as the sister-in-law of the man holding her sister captive. Her eyes continue to search mine intently. Is she looking for clues to see if I know Ashal’s secret? This might not be fun.
"You didn’t tell you had company." She says when Eliana ushers her to a seat. The latter laughs softly with curious eyes on her. She also didn’t ntion to that she was expecting Maddie to join us.
"I didn’t want you to change your mind. I know you don’t like talking about Liv or her boyfriend but you have to hear out. Liv always wanted to find Demi here. She told Demi is one person that can help her. I don’t know what that ans. However, when I finally t up with Demi and got Liv on the phone, she hung up the mont I ntioned that Demi was with . That was very strange."
Maddie’s piercing gaze continue to study like I am a mystery novel. "She said that?"
"She did. It took a lot to finally find Demi and for Olivia to act like that was very strange indeed. Like that wasn’t enough, she called Demi a few days ago and threatened her over the phone, warning her not to bother with our rescue mission. I know that wasn’t Olivia speaking. Her crazy boyfriend must have put her to it."
Maddie exhales. "If Liv says she’s fine, that’s because she’s fine. Why can’t you let this go, Eliana? What exactly is she going to do?" She asks, jutting her chin towards . Her eyes wheel to . "What do you know about my sister beyond what Eliana has told you?"
She is gauging now. I am certain she’s unsure if Ashal sent here as a spy on Eliana or if I am truly clueless about the entire situation and genuinely want to help out however I can.
"Nothing more than what Eliana has told ."
"Actually Maddie, we need your help if we must band together to save your sister." When Maddie rolls her eyes, Eliana continues nonetheless. "Liv is too scared to tell anything. I am sure you know who her boyfriend is, his na, what he looks like and possibly his address where Liv resides with him. Help us out here. We’re working blind. We just need you to give us those details..."
"And what exactly do you plan on doing with those details?" Maddie fires at . She’s venting her frustration on as a representative of the family she loathes to the core. "If my sister was really in so kind of trouble as you say, how exactly are you going to help her?"
"Maddie, Demi doesn’t really..."
"Let’s start with who her partner really is. What’s his na, Maddie?" I ask, matching her defiance. If she’s not spineless as she’s trying to prove, then she’ll tell what her sister can’t.
"If I know who he is, I’ll figure out how best to deal with the situation. I have very powerful in-laws as you know. Money and connections are not a problem for ."
I intentionally threw in the last bit to elicit a reaction from Maddie. I just want her to take the bait and drop Ashal’s na. If she proves to that she’s willing to work with to save her sister, then we can discuss next steps.
Maddie scoffs as I expect. "In-laws? Right." She tosses her head back and stares at Eliana. "Your wonder woman here doesn’t have any real power. She’s dependent on her in-laws. So, what happens if they turn you down?" She asks . "What if they don’t want to support your charity work or refuse to assist you? What if they order you to stay ho or lock you up in your room to stop you from playing detective? What then?"
More derisive laughter.
"I have power, Maddie. I may not have my na on important docunts or a hefty bank account but I am surrounded by people who do and I know how to work them. Let’s get sothing straight however. I am not here because I have a lot of free ti on my hands. I am here out of a sense of duty to a fellow woman whom I have reasons to believe needs saving. Are you going to tell his na or not?" Maddie blinks in surprise at the nasty edge of my voice. She’s roughly a year or two younger than . I will not take her disrespect.
"Fine. I will tell you what I can. I won’t give his na though. If you’re as connected as you claim, you should have no problem finding that out for yourself." She arches her brow at , as though asking if I am up for the challenge. Eliana also waits for my response.
"You’ll only be slowing us down but whatever. She’s your sister, not mine!" That last bit gets to her but she feigns indifference.
"He’s from one of the wealthy families in Danvarr." She begins with a smirk. "He’s the poster boy for the most eligible bachelor. He’s devilishly handso with a very low ranking on Danvarr’s most scandalous CEOs list. He runs a dia and entertainnt company and is on the cusp of being voted CEO of the year." Her eyes hold my gaze for another testing minute while Eliana watches us, a little lost. "Any guesses, Mrs. Rollins?"
She doesn’t have to ntion his na. Any person who pays the smallest attention to the dia and entertainnt news in Danvarr will rank Ashal as the best guess but I will not let Maddie hear it from my mouth. I can’t trust her yet and I won’t give her the satisfaction of absolving herself of the bla if rescuing Olivia goes south.
I know Ashal must have her family on a tight watch. The last ti Olivia’s na was ntioned cursorily online, they must have been threatened which is why Maddie is being careful not to be the one to drop any nas. She’s smart but so am I.
"A few powerful nas co to mind but like you, I won’t be dropping any until I have them fact-checked. I’ll warn you though that you had better be sure of the descriptions you just gave. If I start poking around the wrong people in the corridors of power, I won’t spare you."
"I’m sure you won’t. You are a Rollins after all." She sips her juice and watches over the rim of the glass. "I’m certain of the description."
"And you say your sister is just his girlfriend?"
She hesitates now. "Is there a problem with that?"
"I’m not certain what exactly she’s going through with him, whether it’s a case of dostic abuse or house arrest or worse. However, if there’s more to their relationship..."
"That’s for you to find out. I don’t know the specifics. Liv is very private. If their relationship status has changed, she didn’t tell ." She shifts uncomfortably.
I turn to Eliana. "You said she was going to help out. All I see is her dilly-dallying around the issue. I don’t have a lot of info to work with here so this might take a while."
"Why? Can’t you just pass it on to one of your security personnel to run a probability scan or sothing with all the high-tech you guys have?"
"Contrary to what you might think, I HAVE A LIFE too. I am not devoting a hundred and ten percent of my ti to a ’maybe’ type situation. I know you know the answers to all the questions we have. If you are not willing to push forward fast by giving specific details so we can help your sister, why should I care so much how fast I jump on this?" I grab my purse and rise to my feet. She’s so rude and arrogant. Eliana joins at the door.
"Demi, I’m so sorry. Maddie can co across as blunt and..."
"She’s a rude piece of shit, that’s what she is." I cut off her patronage. "How dare she sit there and talk to so disparagingly simply because I offered to help. Maybe Olivia is doing just fine if her sister isn’t taking any of this seriously. I’m sorry for wasting your ti Eliana but I don’t think I want any part of this anymore."
Then turning to Maddie on the couch. "My best to Olivia and her happy life." I note how the light wanes in her eyes before leaving despite Eliana’s frantic calls.
I am so pissed at her. She has no right to talk to like that. She’s no braver than Olivia. She just pretends to be. If she is, she would have boldly declared Ashal’s na. Why didn’t she?"
When I get into my car, Eliana’s door bursts open and Maddie cos jogging after . She taps on my glass and gestures that I roll down my window. With a silent oath of disgust, I oblige her.
"WHAT?"
"IT’S ASHAL ROLLINS."
I beco speechless, not because I didn’t know that already but because I didn’t expect her to be so brave.
"What?"
"THE GUY WHO HAS MY SISTER IS ASHAL ROLLINS, YOUR BROTHER-IN-LAW. I SWEAR IT. Now, are you going to help her or not?"
***
Shock waves run down my body as I make my way ho. Maddie had somberly brought up to speed on Olivia and Ashal’s relationship. The details she shared with don’t sound anything like the Ashal I know. No, I just can’t reconcile that image with the perception of Ashal in my head.
If any of the brothers is capable of hurting soone out of anger, I’ll give it to Asher. Even so, he has a great capability for restraint. Unless he can get away with it, Asher wouldn’t risk anything that would put his family and the business in a bad light.
Ashton might be a hothead but he wouldn’t punch a woman. I just can’t see him doing that. He mostly throws his fist at guys who deserve it. Ashley is not much of a physical brawl kind of guy. He’d rather hire hands to do the dirty work for him than risk sullying his designer clothes or his face and hair.
Ashal has always struck as a bit of an open book but one written in Chinese. Though he appears to be harmless, I have always felt there was more to him than he lets on but this? A fucking rage? I just can’t picture him like that.
"You’re mistaken Maddie, you’ve got to be mistaken." I had countered Maddie.
"I’m not."
"Ashal doesn’t even have an official girlfriend. Aside from that, he’s the calst and sweetest guy you’d ever et. He can’t beat up a woman to a bloody ss. He’s not got it inside him."
I couldn’t outrightly jump on her support train and leave my family to hang dry which is why I insisted she was wrong. She would have to give more evidence or proof to back her claim.
"Those are the most dangerous guys, Demi, don’t be so daft. Your in-laws are keeping you in the dark about a lot of things. Ashal is married to my sister. He’s been keeping her in his penthouse and hidden from everyone else for two years now. At first, they claid they didn’t trust Olivia not to tell the world what their ostensibly perfect son had done to her. When she tried to convince them to annul the marriage and set her free after signing an NDA, they still wouldn’t let her go. Ashal even started gaslighting her about being in love with her and wanting their marriage to work. That was when his mother made it about Ashal’s desires and demanded my sister stay with him since the chances of getting another woman to marry him and keep his secret would be a long shot."
I ran my hand through my hair. "I can’t see it, Maddie. I just can’t. Ashal is not a sick person. He’s a lot of things but not what you’re accusing him of."
"You said you’d help if I gave you specifics. Why won’t you check it at least?"
"You want to run a secret check on my own family? Do you know what you’re asking?"
"I thought this was about saving a woman’s life? Why do you think Liv asked for your help? You’ve gained traction online ever since your accidental marriage or whatever it was. Billion-Err loves to spread news about you. Maybe Liv was hoping you’d use your traction on the platform and your closeness to the family and their secrets to draw attention to the injustice being ted out to her. Please Demi, you have to try."
"I don’t know how I feel about this. I can’t just trust your word and betray Ashal by suspecting him."
"Then test him. Go over to the penthouse where he keeps my sister as see for yourself if he’ll let you in. He has never even let us in to see Olivia. We barely speak to her on phone and when we do, she pretends to be fine. Test Ashal to see if my claims check out, and when they do, you have to help save my sister. Promise you will, Demi."
I pull into the mansion after briefing Liam on the phone. When I head for the entrance, father’s car cos up right after . I walk in to go get so rest and figure out what I am going to do with the information Maddie just unloaded when I bump into one of the quads. His hand is reeled backwards to deliver a fatal blow. I lose my balance and fall on my back with dread in my eyes.
Ashton?
Asher runs up behind him, calling his na. Ashton’s eyes are on but he isn’t seeing . Asher finds on the floor and quietly coaxes his brother but his efforts seem futile against the blind anger in Ashton’s eyes.
"Ashton." I call him softly, getting on my feet. He looks terrible. "What’s going on?" Asher says nothing when I edge close to his brother and lay a hand gently on his chest. Ashton’s breath evens and he blinks at with teary eyes.
"I’m sorry. I’m sorry." He repeats before storming up the stairs. As father and mother start to make their way in, Asher grabs my hand and mutters.
"Go help him. Make sure he doesn’t co out of his room until I get there. Please."
I have never seen Asher beg and never thought he would beg for anything in this lifeti. It must an the matter is severely serious and the other brothers aren’t ho yet. I nod at him and make for the elevator while he rushes to intercept his parents.
Upstairs, Ashton won’t let into his room.
"Ashton, co on, open up. It’s ." I listen close to the door and make out sounds of soone crying. My heart breaks now as I intensify my knocking and punch the doorbell like a maniac. "Please let in, Ashton. Talk to . You’re scaring ."
Still nothing.
I relentlessly knock on his door for almost five minutes before I hear him jiggle the lock. I rush in before he can change his mind.
"Ashton." I moan with tears glistening in my eyes. He looks pitiable. I cup his face with my hands but he moves away from . "Ash, talk to ."
"I’m fine."
"No, you’re not. Look at you. What’s going on?"
"Leave Demi. I can’t do this right now."
I can tell he is in a lot of emotional pain. Sothing is eating at him but he’s not ready to share with anyone, not even his brothers.
"Just talk to ..."
"I SAID LEAVE. I DON’T WANT YOU TO SEE YOU OR ANYONE RIGHT NOW. WHY CAN’T YOU GET THAT? USE THE FUCKING DOOR..."
I cut him off by planting my lips on his. I have no idea why I am taking such a risk but I know it’s not just for Ashton. I also need this. I need him. I grab him by the lapels of his shirt and pull him closer to feel the warmth of his body. My mind goes numb following the soft kiss we share. This is the only thing I can think of that will blank his mind of whatever turmoil it’s under, even if briefly.
Slowly, I feel Ashton relaxing into our slow kiss but he still doesn’t wrap his hands around my waist. He’s holding himself back and rely responding to the kiss. When I let him go, I take his face in my hands and wipe the tears off with the pad of my thumbs. He sniffles a bit.
"You’re okay. I’m here." I mutter softly before touching our foreheads together. Finally, his hands reach for my cheeks as he sighs weakly. He leans forward to brush his lips against mine again. My heart thuds in my chest as he pours himself into this rough kiss he initiated, as his hands scrape my back and fist in my hair.
"Ashton?" Soone calls behind us. Imdiately, the familiar voice snaps him out of his horny state. His hands fall from my face as we both turn to his door.
"Mother!" Ashton breathes, staggering away from . Next to mother, Ashley stands with a look of disappointnt directed my way.
Reviews
All reviews (0)