REIGN (A REVERSE HAREM)

71. Arabella

I walk down the basement stairs with a plate of food, Bai flinches when she sees me. This is the first time i've actually seen her since knowing everything that's going on.

I can't say i'm surprised.

She had it out for me i just didn't know how far she was willing to go.

"Hello." I set the plate in front of her. I've not actually been down here, the guys usually come down here when they talk about work and stuff.

Her eyes follow me, but she doesn't say a word. "You have to talk or the guys will literally kill you and i like Ashley too much for that." Which, so rude, Roman gave me two options to get the complete truth out of her and maybe spare her her life, or she died.

And Ashley loves her, and i love Ashley. So i have to try and spare her life.

She takes a breath, "I tried to kill you and you would spare my life?" She said picks up a piece of the chicken with shaky hands

"No. I would kill you in a heartbeat but Ashley would hate me for that." I sit on the stairs. "Why?"

"My son deserves better than a whore like you." She looks up at me, her eyes angry.

I smile, a fake, thin lipped, smile. Ouch.

"Whore?"

"You fuck three men, Arabella. Forgive me if i want something better for my son."

I lean back, "I don't see why Asher's, or my, relationship with the guys, is any of your business. Yeah, he's your son. But if i'm correct, you tried to disown him because he bought home a white girl once?"

Her jaw clenches. "So he told you?"

I smile back.

Asher did.

He told me how his mom would beat the shit out of him if he dare brought home another girl that was white. Because she wanted a Chinese girl for Asher to marry.

Asher has scars, not as bad as Romans, but his trauma is still there from how horrible his mother was to him. How she would kill every girl he bought home that didn't meet her requirements. Asher, the poor thing, was scared of love.

He said, "Until i met you, i would just piss around with girls. You changed that. You have that affect. Beautiful, you are. You're a beautiful soul. You were the first person that didn't make me feel like falling in love was wrong. And i love you for that."

I remembered crying in his arms because i swear that was the nicest things ever.

"You were the first person that didn't make me feel like falling in love was wrong." I recite Asher's words, seeing Bai's jaw clench with disapproval, "That's what Ash said to me."

"He's lying-"

"I can assure you he isn't, Mrs. Reid. Would you really stoop that low into killing the one girl that makes Asher feel like himself? Just for your own happiness?" I scoff, "Pathetic, truly."

"Asher isn't himself around you, Arabella. He's weak." She seethes.

I lean back, typical.

"Yeah, so is Roman and Luca. Jealous Nicolas isn't like that for you?" I shoot her a sarcastic smile, her lips purse and i drop the smile, "I'm trying to be the bigger person here and allow you to get away with a couple of scratches. You carry on growling at me like a dog and i'll shoot you myself." I stand up. "Either you tell me the real reason why or i'll get my gun."

"Asher needs to marry a triad girl for me to still be affiliated with the Triad." She spits out, quickly. "If he doesn't, the alliance is broken."

"The alliance isn't my problem." I shrug.