Chapter 190: Chapter 190
ASHER
When Hatred Becomes a Mission – The Obsession of Demi Branson.
By The New Editor of Billion-Err
This platform was created with a simple goal to expose the truth billionaires try to sweep under the rug. As the new editor of this blog, I’m taking it a step further. The truth won’t just be about those at the top, but also about those clawing their way upward with dirtied hands and broken ethics.
Today, let’s talk about Danvarr’s former Sweetheart, Demi Branson.
When her freckled face first appeared next to a marriage certificate with Ash Rollins, it was easy to see why the unconventional beauty won hearts. Her story is tragic—there’s no denying that. At just fifteen years old, she lost both parents in what was widely reported as a tragic elevator accident at the Rollins Departmental Store. Lives were lost. And yes, the Rollins family paid the settlements. They issued public condolences. They were never criminally charged. The incident was ruled as "structural failure due to contractor negligence."
Here’s what you didn’t know. For Demi, the court’s ruling was never enough. Grief metastasized into obsession.
For five long years after her parents’ death, she waited, prowled and mapped out a plan to insert herself inside the family that allegedly took everything from her. Behind the innocent face that you defended as the rightful daughter-in-law of Danvarr’s most eligible bachelor hid a black, vengeful soul who orchestrated the entire event of the drunken night with Ash Rollins. The result of your blind trust in this commoner? A poisonous serpent was unleashed into the Rollins household, and thus, their destruction began.
From the moment she copped their last name, no scandal or misfortune that befell her in-laws was a shock to her, because she cheery-picked each disaster like a restaurant menu. Using different online accounts, she solely fed the previous owner of this blog all the fabricated evidence that was relied upon to tarnish the global image of the Rollins family till date.
Though her lips didn’t move, Demi became one of the loudest voices accusing the Rollins family of orchestrating a global conspiracy to silence whistleblowers and rig investigations. She wrote anonymous posts online, even submitted "leaked documents" to media houses and platforms like this one all while building a sympathetic brand around being a victim seeking justice.
Here’s what your sweetheart did in her spare time while in the mansion:
She forged emails purporting to show the Rollins family bribing officials. An independent forensics analyst found the metadata mismatched and timelines falsified.She paid small-time journalists to run unverified stories, then cited those stories as "independent sources" to back up her claims.A close source came forward (anonymously, for safety) with recordings of Demi admitting she would "burn the Rollins family down, even if I have to lie my way through it."Multiple online identities used to corroborate her claims—commenters, alleged "eyewitnesses," "activists"—were all traced back to her VPN activity.
But she wasn’t just trying to crumble the family’s empire; she also devised a plan to tear the cherished quadruplets apart. While married to Ashley Rollins, she tried to get intimate with the other brothers on a number of occasions, under the flimsy excuse of not being able to tell them apart.
And when that excuse ran cold, she actively pursued Ashton Rollins, made him fall hopelessly in love with her thereby driving a wedge between him and his brother who was forced to divorce Demi. Even after the divorce, Demi continues to find reasons to cling to the family like a leech, the most recent being a long drive with Ashton to a remote part of town after the quad’s birthday party, where she eventually seduced him and convinced him to have sex publicly under the pouring rain.
Here’s the bitter truth about Demi. Trash everything she’s led you to believe about her till now, because everything was scripted by her. Her crusade against the Rollins family has never been about justice. It’s been about vengeance. And fame.
I’m not saying the Rollins family is perfect. No billionaire family is. But we must ask: at what point does the pursuit of justice become an excuse for dishonesty, manipulation, and destruction?
Is Demi a victim of injustice—or a cautionary tale of how hatred can consume and corrupt?
Conclusion:
Sometimes, the ugliest truths aren’t hidden in boardrooms or billion-dollar accounts. They’re in the mirror of the people who claim to be fighting for the oppressed—those who will stop at nothing, including fabricating reality, just to watch someone burn.
This blog won’t blindly follow narratives anymore. It will turn over every stone to uncover hidden truths and identities—from those who deem themselves untouchable (The rich) to even the ones who think they’re invisible (The Poor)
My face remains impassioned after I finish reading the new post. Honestly, I don’t know how to feel about it. As much as I don’t want more eyes on my family, I can’t disagree with the fact that the post did hit home just by telling the truth. It’s hard to fault it. As much as some of my family members might not appreciate it, I personally don’t consider it a cause for alarm.
"Did you write it?"
My eyes slant up at mother’s sudden question.
"What?"
"I really thought we agreed to let sleeping dogs lie, Asher. I know you’re very wary of your former sister-in-law and I do understand your feelings but we really didn’t need this. This post only serves to beam the camera on our family once again..."
"Did you skip the part where it mentioned that Billion-Err has a new editor?" I ask her with a frown. "It simply means that Liam sold the blog. Even if I still strongly desired to expose Demi, do you really think I’d work with that Liam to put out a shitty article as opposed to holding a press conference? Give me some credit, mother. If I did this, I wouldn’t hide my identity like a coward."
"I’m sorry. I just thought you might know about it since you’re usually always one step ahead." She sighs deeply. "It’s obvious the piece was written by someone with up-to-date information about our family, even down to what goes on inside the four walls of this mansion. Who could it be?"
"That’s the right question to ask." Father replies, entering the living room. "I couldn’t care less about what was written about Demi. I want to know who the new owner of the blog is but that prick, Spellman and his son won’t spill a word." He plunks down on the sofa and runs a finger over his greying beard. "I don’t know why but I have a feeling at the pit of my stomach that the new owner might even be worse than Liam."
"I’ll look into it." I assure him before strolling away. Within the short time it takes me to assemble my brothers, all social platforms are abuzz with the news. Everyone clamors to know the identity of the new editor of Billion-Err, whilst cussing Demi out. It’s the worst cyber bullying I’ve ever seen and somewhere inside me, I genuinely hope that Demi isn’t keeping up with the comments.
Ashton is the last to arrive at the Sky Lounge bar where I entertained Keith the last time. My guess is that he made a quick stop at Anna’s place to check on Demi. Another guess is that he approached Liam to get answers but I already tried that and it didn’t work. He looks royally pissed over the article and the unnecessary attention it has shone on his secret relationship with Danvarr’s most hated woman at the moment.
Ashley appears slightly indifferent but a lot less forlorn than he did hours ago, even with a band aid on his nose. Ashal couldn’t make it as he mentioned wanting to be excused from the meeting for his own personal reasons.
"Does anyone know who it might be?" I ask bluntly. "I personally think it’s still Liam. He’s just lying to absolve himself of blame by claiming Billion-Err now belongs to someone else. He’s given no proof whatsoever of the transaction. I think he’s messing with us." When I get no contributions from them, I proceed.
"If it’s indeed Liam, then he must be working with someone close to us. There’s no other explanation for the details he elucidated in the post. Those were things only family members were privy to, like Ashton and Demi’s feelings for each other. We already laid off our previous domestic staff and some of our guards. I can’t begin to imagine who the leak is among the old staff still working for us."
"Is it true?" Ashley interrupts, slanting a gaze at Ashton. "Did you seriously have sex with Demi on the road after our birthday party?"
I can’t believe out of everything I’ve said, he’s choosing to pick a fight. "Now’s hardly the time to compare notes, Ashley..."
"Don’t be disgusting, Asher. I’m not stupid. There’s a reason for my question so again, I ask you Ashton, is it true???" His firm eyes are trained on Ashton’s angry ones. "Is it true?"
"What do you think?" Ashton responds smugly.
To my silent amazement, Ashley comports himself despite the annoying reply from Ashton. "None of us knew about it despite being so close to you. That tells me that whoever this person is, he/she is no ordinary subordinate of ours."
"They have access to more information than we think." I continue, catching his drift
"They’re not just close to us," Ashton adds, "they have to be one of us." His eyes darken with understanding as it flicks to Ashley. "WHY?"
***
Ashley simply chuckles.
"Ashton, why would you think he did it?" I query him, sensing a brewing storm.
"Because he has every reason to want this. He feels hurt by my relationship with Demi and I am sure this is his payback. He already impersonated me, went to my house, watched Demi in the shower and kissed her passionately as though he was me. At this point, I wouldn’t put much past him. Tell me Ashley, are you behind that post?"
I can’t believe what I am hearing, can’t decide what’s more shocking; Demi staying at Ashton’s house or Ashley posing as Ashton to make out with her.
"I’d admit it did cross my mind. I absolutely wanted the world to find out about you and Demi, and how my life was affected because of your feelings for each other. Danvarr already remembers me that the pussy whom Nicola framed and made a joke of during our relationship. Do you really think I want to tarnish what’s left of my reputation by broadcasting to the world that my wife desired my own brother over me during our marriage, to the point of moaning his name while we were intimate? I don’t think so." He lurches to his feet. "It’s your battle now, Ashton. Fight it but for the love of God, keep me out of it. I’ve got my own demons to deal with."
He storms off angrily.
"I didn’t ask you guys here to apportion blames. You should have run your suspicion by me before saying it to his face. You know how he gets."
Ashton scowls at me. "Don’t act like you didn’t have your suspicions too. If anyone of us is behind this, Ashley is the most culpable. You know I’m right." He heaves a deep breath before storming away too.
No matter how I try to deny it, the new post continues to flash in my mind as I observe the growing rift between my brothers because of one woman. I personally don’t think the culprit is a member of my family because he/she must have already known that such an action will only break our bond and tear us further apart. Then who else can it be?
***
My brothers manage to behave themselves as we meet up days later at one of our resorts to sit and deliberate with the victims of our past wrongful actions. While mother supervises the refreshments displayed, father speaks in muted tones on a phone call. Olivia and Madeline sit quietly. Halle and Lily arrive thirty minutes before Tobias’ daughter, Zoe Woodley, joins us with her baby in her arms. As usual, her fiancé, now husband, sticks close to her and their child.
"I guess Liam and Demi won’t be joining us." Father quips minutes after the slated time elapses.
"We’ll have to start." Our lawyer replies. "We can’t waste other people’s time. If they’re not here, it simply means they’re not interested in peace talks."
Ashton simply rolls his eyes, sick of hammering on Demi’s innocence since apparently, no one is listening. With a slight nod, I signal the guard to shut the door to the hall so the meeting can start. Just as he does, a hand pokes through the almost shut door and carefully pushes it open again to everyone’s surprise.
"Apologies for my tardiness." Monaco utters loud enough for us to hear.
With a grim expression, she steps inside, revealing Demi right behind her.
Something heavy settles in my belly as they make their way towards us. What the hell is going on?