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Chapter 140
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2024-10-29 19:42:56
VictoryAnne ViceIf you were Cordelia, how would you feel?
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Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 141
[Cordelia]The world stops. "Hit by a bus," and "tragic accident" were the last things I heard right before all the other sounds around me became white noise.It feels like Deja vu, only I can imagine this is what my parents felt like when they heard that the two of us had gotten into a near-fatal car accident. Did their world stop spinning too when they heard about Angelica and me?Sitting stunned and numb at the foot of the bed, the comforter pulled around me like a cloak, I didn't even notice that Atlas had left until he came back into the room. He must have called down to the concierge to have clothing brought up because as soon as he sees me he hands me a little bundle of comfortable, soft clothing while he pulls off his bathrobe and begins dressing from his own small pile. "It's going to be okay," he murmurs on repeat as we both get ready, "It'll be okay, Cordelia, it'll be okay." I have a hard time believing him. It doesn't matter how many times he repeats those words. Every
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 142
[Cordelia]I am grateful for Atlas' company as he guides me down the long hallways to where we both plan to get tested as potential donors. I hold onto his arm tightly as I explain to him how I've been deathly afraid of needles since our car accident 5 years ago. "I know I got off easy," I acknowledge, "I wasn't the one in a coma, Angelica was. But I had gotten knocked around bad enough to need a couple of days in the hospital.""I remember," Atlas looks like his mind is far away, his eyes unfocused as he stares in front of him. "I was there too. I," he looks at me sadly. "I visited both of you. Even though you had been the one driving, and even though I was so angry at you, I still..." he pauses. "I still felt this need to keep you safe, to protect you.""An annoying trait you still haven't outgrown," I try to joke, to help ease the tension.But it doesn't go the way I had hoped. Both Atlas and I are still too overwhelmed with the tragic nostalgia of shared grief and past trauma to f
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 143
[Cordelia]"She's going to find out one way or the other," My father hisses. "How would you like her to find out? From us or the doctors?" He grumps. "Or even worse, the media?"I take a step backward. I want to hear what they are saying, but I also feel guilty about eavesdropping and nervous about their words. What is it that they are hiding from me now? Is there no end to their secrets? And how does it concern me?"Nobody is going to find out," she insists. "Isn't that why you pay these doctors so well? To hide our family secrets. I'm sure that physician told her everything he felt she needed to hear.""But how can you be so sure," my father insists. "Things this big tend to find a way to float to the surface where everyone can see it. "She will never forgive us for not being honest with her, Stephen," she sighs. "Is that what you want? To lose two daughters this week?"Two? Angelica, is she going to die?"Is Angelica dying?" I can't keep the tears out of my voice as I turn the cor
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 144
[Cordelia]The four of us rush towards Angelica's room. A thousand different scenarios are playing in my head as we all skid around the corner, none of them prepare us for what we find when we make it to her room. Her machines are fine. She's exactly as she was. The person in the bed next to her is the one who is in dire need. The nurses in the room create a barrier between us and the other patient by pulling a long, wide curtain in the space between the two beds, but not fast enough for me to miss seeing the body in the bed convulsing as the patient struggles to breathe around a tube that was keeping them alive.The curtain isn't enough to protect us from the sounds of the doctors and nurses working frantically to stop the patient from seizing, nor does it stop us from hearing them say "critical condition," or "they are going flatline!" "Dear God," Atlas says under his breath pulling me in tighter. We all turn to look at Angelica. We had all thought it was her. At that moment we
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"Now Meghan," my father rubs her back in an attempt to calm her. "Cordelia had nothing to do with this accident."THIS accident. He doesn't need to mention the other accident. We all know that I'm the one to blame for that one. I was the one driving after all. "Of course she is," she sobs, wiping her nose and her eyes with the back of her hands, leaving ugly streaks of black across her face. "If she wasn't so busy stealing her sister's fiance, Angelica would be at home right now planning her engagement party." Her glare is burning hot with anger. "If she wasn't being Atlas' whore, Angelica would have found her fiance exactly where she expected him to be. "I sit there stunned. Is that how they see me? As Atlas' whore? We were married for 5 years--a marriage they arranged for me. I remind them of this, and my mother scoffs, rolling her eyes. "You're pregnant by his brother, engaged to him, and yet Angelica found you two in bed together." Her voice grows louder, drawing the attention
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 146
[Cordelia]Atlas is looking up at me with so much fear, so much longing. My mouth goes dry as he takes my hand and gently kisses it.From within his car, he pulls out a small box. "This morning, before your mother called, I had texted Clark to bring me this."He opens a small green velvet box. Inside is a delicate ring of gorgeous gold filigree in an art-nouveau style. In the center is a smallish green emerald and two smaller diamonds."It was my grandmother's." He explains. "And before her, my great-grandmother's." He holds it up to me. "I know it isn't much, but in that era, it was in style to have a smaller gemstone. The ring is 100 years old and..."He's so nervous that he is rambling, waiting to be released from his one-knee torture of kneeling in the traditional position.The only thing is, he hasn't asked me "the question" and I don't want to answer in case I am wrong.What if he just wanted to apologize and be fancy while doing it? I don't want to presume."I wanted to have a
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 147
[Atlas]Some days I wonder if my life would be easier if I never learned to fall in love.Watching Cordelia slowly fall, clutching our child protectively, her face twisted in pain, is more frightening than facing my own demise. I would gladly die a thousand deaths to keep that look of suffering from her face."It's nothing, Atlas. I'll be fine."I am too scared to speak. All I can do is hold her close and pray that she is right and this isn't what I fear it to be. My grandparents had eight children. Only one survived past infancy. My parents had four mid-term miscarriages before me. It was their first successful pregnancy. Clark and I are so many years apart because it took them another seven years to conceive again, and he was premature. Thank God for modern medicine or my little brother would have joined our siblings in the afterlife. My family is cursed. "It's just a cramp," Cordelia insists as I run into the Emergency Room, my entire universe contained within my arms. "I get cra
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 148
[Cordelia]Labor. The word hits me like a brick in the chest. "No," I argue. "I can't be in labor, It's too soon."Atlas squeezes my hand as he gently pats my back as the nurse explains that while a child can survive outside the womb at 24 weeks with a lot of intervention, the odds are not favorable. "I will consult with the obstetrician, who will also want to examine you," he looks over his computer at me while he types a few more notes. "But if I were you I'd be prepared to stay the night, maybe longer, for observation."The nurse leaves and my new obstetrician, Dr. Bennet enters. "Call me Susanna, please," she insists, her perfect chestnut curls bouncing as she does her examination."So good news or bad news," she asks with a chipper grin. I'd be annoyed if she wasn't so genuine and cute.I can't decide what I want to hear first, so she chooses for me. "Well, the good news is, you are very healthy and your baby looks healthy."Okay, that doesn't sound bad at all. "And the bad ne
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[Atlas]Delilah Fisher steps around the corner in a long, silver gown, her makeup flawless, and her smile large and welcoming.She looks so much like Angelica did when I first met her that my heart stutters. I love Cordelia with my entire being, and yet a part of me still reacts to the memory of the shining girl who captured my attention almost a decade ago. But this isn't Angelica. Delilah, while beautiful and poised, lacks the immaculate grace that Angelica exuded. Each of the sisters has a unique nature that shines through, despite having almost identical faces."Atlas Steele," her heels click in the silent room as she steps into the light. "Why is it so hard for you to believe your brother? Haven't you seen enough wonders in this world yet to understand that anything can be possible?""There's no such thing as mind control," I repeat. "Believing in psychic powers is for fools.""And you pride yourself on not being one," she smirks, amused. "But a true wise man would keep his mind
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[Jude]Sydney. Now that she has me under her control, I'll never be free of her. When I came to save her, I was convinced she was pregnant with my child. She had sent a distress signal to me using our private channels letting me know of her pregnancy and it was enough to get me to betray the Steele family and derail their plans to find their cure. Using what I knew about Atlas' missing mother was just a distraction.My goal had always been to claim my son.But then I discovered that beyond all logic Angelica is still alive.I should have realized this was possible and known that Magnus wouldn't give up such a valuable tool so easily. Angelica had been Magnus' toy for years before she was sent into my world. I knew he had modified her, and turned her into the perfect weapon, but I had no idea how deep those modifications went until I saw her face staring at me on that magazine cover.She shouldn't have survived that explosion. And yet here she is, unscathed, awaiting a new uterus in
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[Atlas]I twist my arm away from the guard in black. His face is blank as he reaches forward again. "Don't." My voice carries forward, and although it isn't loud, it holds a note of command that makes the armed guard pause."Sir," he blinks retracting his hand. "You are trespassing. I was ordered to take you into holding." My face remains still as my voice rings out again, "You will not touch us. You have no right." The guard swallows, taking a step back, my words hitting him with the force of a slap. "We will leave," I inform him. "You will report our apologies to your boss." He nods, accepting my command. "Atlas," Clark calls my attention to our situation. Blinking I snap awake, and pull my gaze from the guard. As soon as I blink, the guard stumbles backward shaking his head in confusion, as if my words and stare alone were enough to entrap him in some kind of trance. Around the edges of my vision, I see more guards headed in our direction. If we are going to make it out of h
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[Atlas]Damn it, Cordelia!"Pick up, pick up, pick up," the phone rings but nobody replies. "This number is unavailable as dialed, please try again," the message on the other end informs me as my blood pressure rises and my hands shake.A moment ago I had been talking to my wife. And then the line was dead. I sent her to Canada to keep her and our children safe, and she chose to bring herself to Magnus' attention. Sending a quick message to the guards in charge of watching over my family, I stare at my screen waiting for word of their status. "Atlas, is there anything I can do to help?"Blinking away from the screen I look up at my brother as our rented van parks a few blocks away from the luau. Our driver informs us of our arrival and waits for further instructions."I'm sorry, Clark," I close my eyes, rubbing my temples. "You were saying something?""Is everything okay?" He tries again and I groan. "No." I groan honestly. "Or at least, I hope everything is fine. Lately, it seems
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 365
[Clark]The message "Tilly SOS" flicked across the screen three times before winking out, leaving my screen blank. I open my email that I keep under an alias on a secure server. There is a single message alerting me to new information available on my server. I've used this system when working with people who needed to keep their identities safe and their messages secret. The last time I needed it was working with Jude while he was still under Magnus' watch.Even though it has been months since I used it, my fingers remember the passcodes. Soon, I'll be on the server. Two emails are waiting for me, both are from Tilly's parents. In the first message, they inform me that they have landed and are settling in their new place. It is a secure facility, surrounded by several acres of land, disconnected from the distant towns and cities. The Madisons, sparing no expense, went to extra lengths to include copious additional security.They are, after all, securing their legacy. Tilly is their o
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[Cordelia]There is a loud explosion just to the right of the airplane. "What was that," I lower the phone, turning it off as I gaze out the window to see what had caused the noise. "Nothing, Ma'am," the co-pilot says over his shoulder, "Just a little turbulence.""Turbulence?" I shout back as another boom resounds just outside the passenger's cabin as a curtain goes up between the pilots and the rest of the plane, blocking our view. "But we aren't even in the air yet!""Calm yourself, Mrs. Steele," Jake, the security guard, takes his phone from my numb hand. "Sit next to your children and trust your staff to get you out of here safely. We've got this, Mrs. Steele."He almost seemed offended in my lack of faith as he types into his phone what I'm guessing is a message to Atlas to calm his nerves and let him know we are alive. "But nobody is telling me what's happening," I grumble as I buckle in next to Jasper and the little girl I've decided to call Saphira until I learn her real na
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 363
[Atlas]"What do you mean gone," I barked into the phone, my hand clenching it tight enough to hear it crunch. These new smartphones seem to get flimsier with each model. I've broken 3 in the last 6 months from anger or nerves. I love my wife, but I'm pretty sure she's going to stress me into an early grave. "Your mother created a distraction, Sir," my lead guard, Jake, apologizes over the phone, not making excuses as much as stating facts. "Mrs. Suzanna Steele arrived late last night along with a young man she called Sasha. The next morning, while your mother and Ms. Devaroux kept me distracted searching for a false threat, your wife and this young man escaped."Cordelia has always been sneaky when she needs to be, and until this point, he had been very good at keeping her from falling into mischief. I wasn't expecting my mother to be part of the problem. At least now I know where she ran off to. Her room had been empty when I returned to the boat yesterday. "Are you sure it is m
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 362
[Clark]There are things that I need to keep secret from my brother, not because I do not trust him with my secrets, but because I do not want to burden him with them.Which is why I needed to get away. Without Tilly, there is no reason for me to stay on the boat."I'll meet you later, when it's time to go to the luau," I promise Atlas as I give him a hug and take my leave. I know that I could just stay at our family hotel, but I need to be somewhere else, somewhere that nobody recognizes me. And also, I want to ensure that what I am about to do is as untraceable as possible. "Mr. Janus," the man at the front desk smiles when I hand him a wad of cash in exchange for a key card. "Enjoy you stay. Please call down if you need anything."Adjusting my sunglasses, lower the bill of my baseball cap, grab my small bag, and make my way through the other guests milling around in the hotel lobby. Located along the beach it has a spectacular view of the the ocean.And the location of tonight's
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 361
[Jude]Opening the door, I push back the clinician waiting for Angelica to rise. The poor man looks lost, most likely expecting Angel to greet him and not a gruff guard in black."Excuse me," he calls out as I walk down the hall. I don't owe him any excuses or explanations. I'm her bodyguard. I can be seen coming and going from her room. Besides, I don't have time for niceties. I'm already late reporting to work. The guards all bunk together in a large room on the basement level. There are beds and a shared shower as well as a kitchen so that we don't disturb the rest of the house as we take care of our daily necessities. There weren't any free bunks when I arrived, so I sleep on a camping bed on the floor. As I march down there, the leader of the group raises his eyebrow. He can tell by the unused state of my sleeping area that I haven't been back to rest."Late night?" he questions me as I walk down the stairs, "Whoever she was, she better be worth it." He smirks. "Mr. Fisher will
