Forbidden Blossom

Book 1 in the Skyline Mansion series

By Nola Li Barr

A decades-old scandal. A mysterious inheritance. Can a young woman survive a family desperate to keep their past buried?

2010. Anne Huang never cared to call anywhere home. But her carefree lifestyle of blogging and travel is interrupted when a stranger with ties to her family bequeaths her a fortune. And with no knowledge of her history, she soon finds herself thrown in with a nest of billionaire vipers determined to lock away their skeletons.

1946. Seventeen-year-old Rose Chen’s quiet life is shattered when she’s dragged from Taiwan and forced to immigrate to the U.S. And her nightmare continues when she arrives in San Francisco, only to be shipped off by her parents to serve in a wealthy American’s household. But her dutiful-daughter status soon comes under threat when her risky friendship with her white employer’s son transforms into something taboo.

Confronted by jealous rivals, Anne battles distrust and hidden agendas as she tries to understand more about her birthright and learns the value of love. And as Rose wrestles with her complicated feelings in a private journal, she unwittingly leaves a stunning legacy to a granddaughter she’ll never know…

Can their lives come full circle to close one door and open another?

Forbidden Blossom is the heartfelt first book in the Skyline Mansion family saga. If you like soul-searching heroines, paths to self-discovery, and stories of perseverance and inner strength, then you’ll adore this generation-spanning tale.

Read below for a sneak peak into Forbidden Blossom:

The pungent aroma of sea lions was overwhelming. Victoria’s hand was clasped to her nose, exaggerating her unhappiness.

“It’s not that bad,” I insisted.

“You’re only saying that because you know I’m right.”

“Oh, really?”

“For two thousand miles I wouldn’t let you stop at any tourist traps so when I finally gave in you made me come to this foul smelling place to see sea lions in their natural habitat. Sea lions, Anne! We just rode an elevator down a cliff!”

“Wasn’t that cool?” I said, beaming. “And you were perfectly safe.”

“I’ll be glad when we get back on level ground. Please hurry up and collect the info you need for your blog so we can leave.”

Our road trip from San Antonio, Texas, to Astoria, Oregon, had been a blur of highways because Victoria had insisted on reaching Redwoods National Park as quickly as possible. That meant we rarely stopped for any tourist traps which were my favorite places on road trips.

“I’ve got enough pictures now. We can head back up.”

“Thank goodness,” Victoria said with a big sigh.

I flew to San Antonio to meet up with Victoria last week. We were headed to Astoria where my mom lived to surprise her for her birthday. Ever since I’d given up my corporate job two years ago in order to travel I hadn’t seen a lot of my mom. I started out driving around the US, exploring my home country. In order to keep Mom and Victoria updated, I taught myself HTML and created my own website. My blog started catching the eyes of some sponsors who allowed me to extend my travels to the rest of the world. I gave up my rental in New York City and threw myself into moving from place to place.

“Did you pick up a postcard for your mom when we were in the store earlier?” Victoria asked, relaxing a bit as the elevator ascended.

“I did. They had some fun illustrated ones that I know she’ll like.”

“I wonder if she’s going to run out of wall space with all the postcards you’ve sent her.”

“You know my mom. She’ll cover every possible inch.”

“Well, I think you delivering the postcards in person this weekend for her birthday is a fantastic idea.”

“I hope so . . . It’s been way too long, and she doesn’t know I’m coming.”

“She’s going to be so excited. Wait, did you make sure she’s home?”

“Of course, she’s home,” I said, raising an eyebrow at Victoria. “She hasn’t traveled for years. Plus, I just talked to her a few days ago and she didn’t mention she was going anywhere.”

“But you two used to go on epic trips every year all over the world. What if she decided to spontaneously run off?”

“Mom would never do that without telling me. We don’t keep secrets.”

My mom inspired my travel kick. Every year we would plan a big trip, just the two of us, to some far-off destination. She painted professionally and would close the shop for two weeks so we could go on our adventures. Nowadays, Mom said her body was getting old, and she didn’t move so easily, but I still hoped to bring her to Taiwan, her mom’s home country. She said her mama would tell her stories about the delicious food, the open markets, and the mountains where she grew up. I wanted to see them all, but it seemed like sacred ground. It was a place I needed my mom with me. We would go on a pilgrimage. If only I could convince her.

“I’ll just need to remind her that Taiwan is where her mom, my Ah Po, came from. She always said she wanted to learn more about her heritage.”

Victoria guffawed. “Good luck with that. I don’t think mentioning your grandmother is the best tactic. You know your mom doesn’t like to talk about her. Remember that time I was over for dinner and she said she didn’t even like thinking about her?”

“I know!” I rubbed my face to reset my brain. “Ah Po has been gone for so long, I’m almost thirty, and I want to learn about my heritage. I need Mom there with me. I’ll make it work somehow.”

* * *

We arrived in Astoria, Oregon four hours later.

“Mom! I’m home,” I said while I opened the front door to reveal a hallway covered in pictures from when I was an infant all the way to the present. I could smell marinated meat wafting from the kitchen, and it pulled me in like a long-lost friend. “I hope it’s okay, but I invited Victoria to come too.”

There was a blur of a woman and the next thing I knew I was in Mom’s arms getting a big ‘ol bear hug. She smelled like clean laundry—probably ocean breeze. It was really nice to be back.

“You’re home! This is the best surprise! Have you forgotten all about that boy on your trips?” Mom asked with expectant eyes. I could see her trying to read me.

“Mom, it’s not that easy. Brian and I were together for four years. You don’t just forget someone like that. But yes, I’ve had lots of fun, and I don’t think about him most of the time.”

“Well, that’s a start,” she said as she let me go and reached for Victoria. “Victoria, oh, it’s so good to see you again. The last time you came was probably when you were all graduating high school.”

“That sounds about right, but I couldn’t say no to some home cooking when I’m invited,” Victoria teased, giving Mom an equally big hug.

Victoria and I had known each other since high school. She had moved to Astoria our freshman year, and we bonded over our mutual no-friends status. We ended up spending the rest of high school together joined at the hip and took all the same classes. The only difference was Victoria had long auburn hair that shined when she let it all down. She wore tight-fitting clothes and knew how to hold up her end of a conversation. Her makeup was flawless, and her nails were always finished to perfection. She was super sophisticated compared to me.

By the time we had graduated from high school Victoria had dated three guys with more waiting. I was American Born Taiwanese (otherwise known as ABT) and had the standard black hair, which I always kept up in a ponytail. My eyelids folded in so no amount of mascara would ever make my eyes look big or my eyelashes long. Lipstick barely made my thin lips stand out. The sight of a boy made me freeze up, but I was really good at school. Tutoring two boys was about as close to a date as I ever got.

Then, Brian showed up at college. Brian was also ABT, standard buzz cut, cute dimples, and Mom liked him because he could speak Mandarin. Not that her English wasn’t perfect as she was born and raised here too, but she thought it important that someone who looked Taiwanese should still know how to speak the language.

Four blissful years followed. I studied engineering, had a boyfriend, had my best friend, and was living the life at college away from Mom. We all managed to graduate, and then I found out he never saw us in a serious relationship. Our relationship was apparently just a fling for him and other girls were attracting his attention. A four-year fling. He moved on to a big sales role in San Francisco and last I heard had another girlfriend already. Victoria found a job in San Antonio and I moved to New York. We couldn’t have scattered further apart unless we left the country, but Victoria and I made a commitment to meet up every six months in a different city. I called it quits after two years on-the-job testing of new machinery, making PowerPoint slides, presenting my findings, and then repeating. The travel bug was more enticing than the minute dimensions of a cubicle. What I didn’t know was that six months earlier someone decided my life was due for a change.

* * *

SIX MONTHS EARLIER IN PORTLAND

“Sir, Sir, wake up, wake up!  You were having a nightmare again.”

I slowly opened my eyes and looked around me. My pillow was damp from the tears in my eyes, and I was in the same four-poster bed I had slept in for the last sixty plus years. These days, it was where I spent the majority of my time. The curtains were open, and the sun was shining in. Andy had opened the window just a bit to let some snowy fresh air come in.  It rarely snowed here, but when it did, I was at my happiest.

The dream was still vivid in my head. Her looking back one last time trying not to cry. My father’s hand holding onto my shoulders as I shook with fury while trying to hold back tears. Trying with all my might to be brave for her. The scene kept replaying in my mind, and I knew what I had to do.

“Andy, please get Sebastian on the phone.”

“Yes, sir. Should I ask him to come over?”

“Yes, that would be a good idea, and is the trunk in good shape?”

“Yes, sir. I had it dusted, and the lock has been re-oiled.”

“Thank you, Andy. I don’t know what I would do without you.”

Sally and I never had kids which was just as well. I only hoped it wasn’t too late to make amends.

Nola Li Barr writes family sagas with a touch of mystery and romance. Skyline Mansion is her first series. When she’s not writing she can be found reading, making photo books, and navigating the path of motherhood. Connect with Nola at nolalibarr.com or on social media.

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