Read Online BETWEEN CLOUDS AND STARS: A Sexy Standalone Romance by Sharlyn G. Branson - Free Book Online Page B

Estelle. Only the color of her eyes was slightly different and her smile wasn’t quite as charming.
    Who the hell was that woman?
    “That’s my sister Janet,” Mrs. West explained. “She and her family died in a car crash in Australia more than twenty years ago. Their car hit another car head on and burst into flames…” Kimberley West paused to take a breath and stem the torrent of tears that was threatening to erupt from her eyes. After a brief silence, she continued her story. “She and her husband, Scott, together with their daughter, Estelle, who was only six months old, were on holiday—”
    “Estelle?” I interrupted her, feeling completely confused. Could the identical names be all down to coincidence? How was it possible for her not to find out that her sister’s baby had survived?
    I looked down at my girl, who was struggling to contain her tears. She rooted through her handbag and took out a small gold baby bracelet engraved with the name “Estelle” in a beautiful font.
    “All I have left from my real parents is this bracelet,” she explained and handed it to Kimberley. “I was told they’d died in a car crash. But I never found out what they were called, where they were from, or whether I had any relatives. I tried to figure it out by myself, but it was too difficult. The people who raised me refused to help me or give me any information.” She bit her lips to stop them from trembling.
    “I gave you this bracelet as a gift at your christening,” Kimberley explained, running her fingers along the fine chain. “I don’t understand why Dr. Klide told us you’d died.” She looked up at her husband, who shook his head in disapproval.
    “They must’ve lied to us so they could adopt her without our knowledge.”
    What the fuck? What was this entire mess? Until today, these people were strangers. And now what? It turns out they were her relatives? A thought popped into my head—to be completely sure, we needed to get a doctor to run some medical tests.
    “Was the name of the doctor who told you everyone had died Mason Klide?” Estelle asked.
    Mr. West scratched his head as he pondered the question. “I think so, but I’m not entirely sure. So many years have passed since then. But I’m certain his surname was Klide.”
    Does this mean that the people who’d adopted her had engineered the entire thing? But how was it possible that nobody had grown suspicious of them and discovered the truth? There were so many questions I couldn’t answer.
    “My resemblance to Janet is stunning.” Estelle was no less confused than me.
    “Her husband, Scott, really insisted on their having a daughter who looked exactly like my sister. To be honest, I have no idea what they did to achieve that. I know medicine is very advanced now. They can change the sex of the embryo and God knows what else.” Mrs. West stopped for a moment to mentally travel back in time. “God, I’m so happy you’re alive, Estelle.”
    “Will anyone spare some attention for me too?” Jeremy called out, making all of us turn our heads to him. He was very pale, with his right arm in a cast and his entire chest bandaged, probably due to the burns. He was extremely lucky that the flames hadn’t reached his face.
    Estelle rushed to his bed and bent down to kiss him on the cheeks. I clenched my fists as a surge of jealousy engulfed me. I couldn’t stand seeing her kiss another man, but I had no right to forbid her from doing it. Especially given that the two of them were probably cousins.
    “I lost my leg.” Jeremy’s words made Estelle burst into tears again.
    “I’m so sorry,” she murmured and put her delicate hands on his arm.
    “Don’t cry, because you’ll make me cry as well, and I don’t want to embarrass myself in front of Mr. Frey.” He glanced at me nervously, letting me know that my presence was making him uncomfortable.
    “I’ll give you some space. Estelle, I’ll wait for you in the car,” I informed her