Taking Tiffany by MK Harkins Read Free Book Online Page A

might explode right there on the spot. I don’t think I’ve seen anyone as angry without punching someone or something.”
    “What she did later, though, was worse than throwing a punch. But she knew that too. She was always smart. It’s such a shame, because she’s wasting what could be a brilliant mind.”
    Colin shook his head and grimaced. “She was clever all right. Braydon’s a smart guy and she fooled him with her phony documents. So, you didn’t tell me—where did she go?”
     “This is a secret, so don’t say anything.”
    He put his hand on his chest with an innocent expression. “I keep all your secrets.”
    “Okay. My mom told me, but she threatened a swift death if I told anyone.” I paused for dramatic effect. “Angela was given a choice. Either she enter the Peace Corps or volunteer at an orphanage in Romania for a year. If she refused, they told her she’d be cut off and disinherited.”
    “Wow. Were they serious? Do you think they would have carried through with their threat?”
    “According to my mom, they were dead serious. Angela humiliated their family, and I feel partly to blame for that. Did you know that Braydon and I went to all the gossip rags and made sure they knew the whole story?”
    He nodded, so I continued, “The Bartholomew’s always liked to be in the limelight, showcasing themselves and all their good deeds, so the articles about their precious daughter had to have hit them hard.  But I’m sure Angela was embarrassed as well. She was like her parents, always concerned about appearances.”
    “I’m glad you exposed her. She deserved it. For once in her life, she had consequences for her behavior.” He fidgeted and asked, “Did Angela know that it was you and Braydon who exposed her?”
    “Yes, and I’m sure she’s probably plotting her revenge as we speak.”

Chapter Eight
    Angela
     
    SIX MONTHS EARLIER
     
    GODFORSAKEN.
    I’D NEVER really known the true meaning of the word until today.
    My mom said it once when I was ten. We’d been traveling through Greece and our car broke down in a little village by the sea.
    Once we stepped out of the car, the only thing I could see was the beauty of it. Flower pots, bursting with color, hung from every corner lamppost. Small homes stood in rows of washed pastel colors of yellow, pink, and green, with white trim outlining windows and dormers. And the view, oh the view. Everywhere, crystal blue water, as far as the eye could see. At the time, I wanted to live there, in that beautiful small village. I thought life would be simpler, I could be happy.
    But my mother was inconvenienced by our defective car, so she hadn’t noticed. She spent two hours on the phone, threatening the rental company, while I sat on a carved bench and took in the salty smells, the banter between store owners, the warmth of the sun, and the beauty around me.  She had no time for such things. She’d rather spend her time angry with incompetents, as she liked to call them.
     To my mother, that beautiful, small village was Godforsaken .
    She hadn’t seen Rau Sadelui, Romania. Or more specifically, the orphanage, Orphan’s Rescue Home. The name was ironic, because it was a place I needed to be rescued from.
    It took a total of forty-seven hours to travel to Bucharest. I’d started from SeaTac International Airport, landing in London for a twenty-hour layover at Heathrow. Because I’d visited London several times before, I didn’t bother to leave my hotel. Instead, I scheduled all my favorite activities within the walls of 45 Park Lane, a hotel worth every one of their five stars. Throwing my father’s name around, I made sure to receive the red carpet treatment. At least he was good for something. First up was a manicure and pedicure. Following that, a facial and massage. Not wanting a moment unoccupied, I ordered room service and watched television until sleep caught me. I didn’t want to think about what came next. How could they do this to