Unbound (The Braille Club #2) Read Online Free PDF

flawless beauty the image they strived for. Meredith assumed the clever makeup artists supplied the warmth she lacked. But this time Clarisse hit the jackpot; it’s what changed everything in the long run. Clarisse’s career took over, and she was rarely at home. Meredith worked hard with Niven and eventually won her over, becoming Niven’s only emotional constant over the next few years.
    She stayed on much longer than she intended. She knew how much Niven needed her, but her own life had changed. She had met and married the man of her dreams and it was no longer possible to live in, but somehow with other help, they managed. When she unexpectedly fell pregnant, she knew she must look for a replacement. She made an excellent choice in Maria, who was also prepared to live in.
     
    ***
     
    Niven
     
    Niven and Maria soon forged a strong bond, and they both continued to see Meredith secretly. This small semblance of normality became a buffer for Niven. She was a bright student but in her heart she knew modelling was her quickest ticket away from her parents. She would have liked to attend University, but knew that would make her dependant on them, for longer. Niven worked hard, she secured a modelling agency, and by 17 she was making real money and independence beckoned. She knew of her adoption; her mother had no qualms telling her on an almost daily basis. Clarisse was considered a celebrity amongst her circle of friends. She had achieved the ultimate prize, a beautiful child with none of the drawbacks of pregnancy and birth.
    They thought her so brave taking on this unknown quantity but she had triumphed. Personally Clarisse had never wanted a child—she only wanted to fit in. Niven had been her ultimate accessory. Normally on the outside, Clarisse was invited in because of her daughter. How ironic Niven would feel exactly the same.
    By the age of 18, Niven was the hottest property in the industry and everyone wanted a piece of her. In charge of her own finances, at last she had options. She’d often caught her adoptive father staring at her, they weren’t close and he made her feel uncomfortable. Scrutiny would be her cross to bear. She stared at her reflection and wondered what they saw that she didn’t. She had jokingly asked a photographer what he saw when he looked at her. He gazed at her intently, making her blush before lifting his camera and looking through the lens.
    “I see long thick glossy hair that falls in soft waves from a widow’s peak,” he began. “The colour is rich dark chocolate. I see an oval face with perfect symmetry.”
    “Oh, stop,” said Niven, squirming with embarrassment, but he ignored her.
    “I see flawless skin the colour of honey. Eyes like dark pools of ink, their navy hue almost black. The sharp angles of your cheekbones are the perfect contrast to the soft curve of your lips. When photographed you are simply…exceptional,” he finished.
    Niven stared at him in disbelief, her mouth hanging open.
    “Everything I said is true, Niven. You need to believe in yourself,” he said softly.
    The look on his face made her nervous—she didn’t like it. She didn’t like the way he had moved closer. When he brushed her hair back from her shoulders, she shuddered. He bent his head and in the next moment she shoved him back, running from the room, heart beating wildly. He’d just shrugged and laughed. There were plenty more models he could chase but Niven sensed she’d had a lucky escape.
    She’d known then, without a shadow of a doubt, her face and body were her ticket to freedom. She couldn’t wait to leave her adoptive parents’ home. Two weeks before her twenty-first birthday she moved out. She took only her clothes, but it was while rummaging through her things that she came across an old Bible. She opened it and gasped as she read the inscription, not understanding the language but recognising the word:
     
    Mama
     
    Consumed, she had not rested until she had it