A Billionaire for Breakfast by Mila McClung Read Free Book Online

with the
idea that she could go anywhere and do anything she wanted.
    Still, she was determined to help
Angel dig out the truth. Once Patrick and her mom were off on their honeymoon
she’d have plenty of time to search his den where he kept his files and laptop.
Not that she knew what she’d be looking for.
    “What am I doing?” she asked herself.
“I can’t let her marry him. What if he is a killer?”
    Then she started figuring out a new
plan – how to spoil her mother’s wedding – and maybe make Margaret Milan hate
her own daughter forever!

 
    CHAPTER FOUR
     
    “I can’t imagine why you’re doing
this, Tess!” her mother cried. “Patrick has explained everything about Gayle
Stewart. I believe him. Why don’t you?”
    “Because it’s all very mysterious,
Mom.”
    “No, it isn’t. She probably jumped to
her death on purpose. Patrick didn’t love her. She couldn’t handle it. It’s sad,
but true.”
    “Boy, talk about doing a 180! For
years you didn’t trust any man, now the one who made you that way tells you
something and you believe him instantly, without question!”
    “And why do you believe whoever told
you these lies, Tess? Who was it?”
    “I’m not at liberty to say.”
    “You mean you won’t say. All I know
is that for the second time in my life I have a chance at real happiness. I
will not let it pass me by this time!”
    With that she marched out of Tess’
bedroom and slammed the door to her own. Tess held off crying, would not allow
herself to weaken. She only had twenty four hours to find out the truth. After
that, her mom would be married to Patrick Mercer. But she was no Miss Marple or
Jessica Fletcher. How was she supposed to figure out who the killer was?
    Her mind drifted back to Angel
constantly. He had loved Gayle Stewart. Could the suspicions he had be trusted
when he was so close to the victim? Maybe she wasn’t a victim. Maybe it was as
her mom had said – Gayle threw herself into the empty pool because Patrick
wouldn’t marry her. But why did he marry five times and not be resigned to a
sixth? Tess had seen photos of Gayle on internet news sites. She was sinfully
beautiful, very tall with long chestnut hair and smiling brown eyes and the
fullest lips - the kind of woman no normal man could resist. Why did Patrick
shun her?
    Tess was trying to come up with a
plan when it hit her that the perfect time to expose everything would be the
wedding day. All the players would be there; everyone who knew Gayle, even Jack
Leonardi. Tess had made sure he was on the invite list. She’d sent word to
Angel, through Diamond, to come as well. It would be a huge, all-day bash with
the ceremony taking place at sunset. Surely somehow she could find out the
answer there.
    By lunchtime most of the guests had
arrived. Tess, looking radiant in a shimmering blue dress, played at being the
perfect hostess, shaking hands until she thought her own would fall off. She
chatted with the ladies, flirted with the men, pretending to be happy and light
on such a festive occasion, when deep inside she was sick with worry and
desperate to see Angel again.
    The head butler, Charvet, was
announcing the name of every guest as they entered as if they were in some old
movie about royalty. When he said the name Anthony Garrett, the hairs on the
back of Tess’ neck tingled. She whirled around and saw Angel standing there in
his tux, looking beautifully sexy. All female eyes followed him in the bright
sun of the tropical afternoon – he walked straight to Tess and kissed her full
on the mouth.
    When he released her she gasped for
air. “Why did you do that? I thought you were keeping a low profile.”
    “I couldn’t help myself. You look
good enough to eat. Take me up to your room.”
    “No, I need you to help me. We’ve got
to expose Patrick before the wedding!”
    “And how do we do that?”
    “I don’t know. You’re the
investigator, think of something.”
    “Baby, all I can think of is how