Ariella rolled her eyes. Duncan was always trying to flirt with her to anger Asher. She knew he had no real interest in her; his only aim was to pick a fight with Asher and try to get on his nerves. Duncan Moffat was David Moffat's and Lily Blackwell's son, making him Asher's stepbrother from his mother, Lily Blackwell. These two were always at each other's throats.
Duncan was his mother's favorite, while she held resentment against Asher. On the other side, Asher was the Blackwells' golden child. He had power, and the Blackwells tended to disregard Duncan, seeing him as beneath Asher. Given these dynamics, the two brothers had no chance of liking each other, as the odds of their relationship were stacked against them.
"What do you want, Duncan? I'm really not in the mood for your antics today," Ariella told him. "I'm trying to have a good time with my best friend."
"Yeah, I can see that. How are you, Erica?" Duncan responded.
Erica greeted him, "Hello, Duncan."
"It's a pleasure to see you here, Erica," Duncan said with a charming smile.
Erica smiled back, "Duncan, you're such a flirt." She chastised him playfully.
"You can't blame me for looking so handsome," Duncan teased.
"Still not as handsome as my husband," Ariella added.
Duncan smirked, a bit agitated but trying not to show it. "So, is it true you got kicked out of your own house?" he asked Ariella.
Erica interjected, "Come on, Duncan. That's a low blow. Just let her relax. You know she's carrying your future niece or nephew. Don't get her worked up."
"Yeah, sorry about that," Duncan said, straightening himself. "Sometimes, I forget. It's not always about fighting with Asher. There's more to life than him. So, how are you guys?" he asked as he sat down.
The three of them continued to chat and enjoy their time together, easing into a more relaxed and pleasant conversation. An hour later. Suddenly, a voice boomed from the entryway. "What the fuck are you doing here with my wife?"
They all turned toward the voice and found Asher standing there in all his glory, handsome as ever with a scowl on his face. He looked not mad or angry, but more like disappointed or annoyed.
"Hey, baby," Ariella said, immediately running towards him and hugging him. He hugged her back and held her close as he stared his stepbrother down. "Duncan, what are you doing here? The last time I checked, you don't live here."
"Hello, big bro, nice to see you too. I actually do live here. You know, I have an entire wing to myself, just like every Blackwell does," Duncan answered with a smile.
"Well, you're not a Blackwell. You're a Moffat."
"You like reminding me of that, don't you? My father is a Moffat, and your father is... ding ding ding, not a Blackwell."
"Thank you for reminding me of that, but it still does not explain what you're doing here and why you're with my wife," Asher said.
"Well, I wasn't here just with your wife. I was here with your wife and her best friend. Maybe I'm dating Erica," Duncan said with a grin.
Asher snorted and laughed. "That's very funny."
Ariella took Asher's hand, trying to diffuse the tension. She pulled him toward her and away from the room. "Hey, how are you doing? I heard you went to the hospital. I called your phone, but you weren't picking up. I talked to Henry, and he told me you went to the hospital. How are you feeling? Are you feeling any better?"
"Yeah, I'm feeling a lot better right now. I think the pills are working. Maybe it's this whole Scarlett thing that just happened," Asher replied.
"Okay, you're gonna be fine. I'm so glad your doing better and happy you came over."
"Yeah, I was told that Duncan was here and I knew he was up to no good." Asher said with a scowl.
"Why would you say that? I mean, I know he gets on your nerves, but I think he just does that to get your attention. I don't think he means anything bad or has anything against you."
Asher snorted. "You think you know Duncan better than I do? He is my stepbrother. I know him more than you. You've known him for a few years; I've known him my whole life. His whole point in life is trying to hurt me. Just stay away from him, okay?"
"All right, fine. I'll do that. Would you stop hyping up again? I don't want us to fight when we meet because we rarely get together nowadays, and I want to spend that time with you and not fight with you."
" Okay, that's good. So, how are you? How are you doing? Are you good? I'm sorry I couldn't make it today. I hope you're not mad at me." Asher told her trying to read her reaction. Ariella pouted slightly.
"Hmm, I guess I'm kind of mad at you. What are you going to do to make me forgive you?"
"I can kiss you," Asher said as he leaned in to kiss her. Just then, Mr. Blackwell came down the stairs and found them.
"There. There are my grandchildren. How are you, Asher? I thought because your wife was here, I would get to see you every day," he said as he finished descending the steps.
"Hello, Grandfather," Asher said as he went to greet him. "I'm sorry, work has been hectic, and I haven't been feeling very well."
"Well, okay, but at least I hope everything is okay now."
"Yeah, I went to the hospital today, and I think everything is going to be okay."
"Good, good. So, I am sure you're joining us for dinner. Duncan is also here. I would love to have dinner with my grandchildren," Mr. Blackwell said.
Ariella smiled up at Asher, but he avoided eye contact with both of them as he said, "Yeah, I can't really join you for dinner. I just came here to see my wife and see you and Grandmother, of course, but I already have plans that I can't get out of, but I promise I'll be here tomorrow. The whole day."
Ariella deflated. He was making another promise she knew he wouldn't keep. She couldn't hide her anger as she stormed away from them and walked back to the Sunroom. But Erica and Duncan had already left the room. She sat down, waiting for Asher to come and apologize, to try and make things better, but he didn't come. After a while, the only person who came was Mrs. Blackwell, who told her that Asher had already left and asked her to join them for dinner.
"Come on, Ariella, you know you're husband," she said. "You can't be upset. You know he has important plans and a lot of work. I'm sure he doesn't come home for dinner every day at home. This is work," Mrs. Blackwell pleaded. "He told me that, and I promised him I would talk to you. Please don't be mad. Let's just go and have dinner. Your friend Erica is still here, and Duncan is here too. Please."
Ariella sighed and agreed, following Mrs. Blackwell back to dinner. But throughout the meal, all she could think about was the growing distance between her and Asher.
***
Ariella woke up to calls and messages from her family and Erica. Curious, she decided to read the messages first before calling anyone. To her surprise, there were links and her family was asking if she and Asher were okay. Confused, she clicked on one of the links, only to find an article from a well known gossip magazine with a sensational headline.
"WIFE KICKED OUT OF THE HOUSE. IS ASHER BLACKWELL BACK WITH HER FIANCÉ SCARLETT BENNETT?"
The headlines suggested that Asher Blackwell and Scarlett had a long history, having been childhood best friends who later became romantically involved and engaged. After Scarlett's disappearance and Asher's subsequent marriage to another woman, rumors arose when Scarlett reappeared. The two were spotted together in various locations, looking affectionate. Recent photos showed them having a romantic dinner at a prestigious hotel last night, prompting speculation about their relationship status. People are left questioning: Are they back together? Is Asher divorced and single to continue dating scarlet now? Could they be reigniting their love?
Ariella felt a surge of anger upon seeing the news. It seemed like every media outlet was picking up the story and spreading it to the whole world.