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Chapter 144
Last Updated:
2024-06-28 04:29:17
VictoryAnne ViceSorry for the delay on updating. Today I will give an extra big update to make up for missing two days! Then I'll be back to my regular daily updating schedule!
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Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 145
"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
Last Updated : 2024-06-28Stealing 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
Last Updated : 2024-06-28Stealing 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
Last Updated : 2024-06-30Stealing 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
Last Updated : 2024-07-01Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 149
He kisses my neck again. And again. "Atlas," I moan, my sensitive skin eager for even the smallest touch. "We're in a parking lot."“Hmm…” he mumbles against my neck, ignoring my protests. “I have to follow the doctor’s orders” he insists. I can feel the outline of his smirk against my shoulder as he continues his gentle assault. "So relax and let me love you.""Shouldn't we be getting home?” my voice hitches as his hand finds my breast, my nipple growing hard in response to his caress. "Eventually,” he agrees as he pushes down the strap of my shirt to give himself easier access to my tender flesh. “And when we get there we are not leaving my bedroom.”“We can’t stay there for the next 8 weeks,” I laugh as his scruffy stubble tickles my cheek. “Um, is that a challenge?” he locks the wheelchair and helps me stand. Pressing me against the side of the car his hand reaches up my shirt. “I like a good challenge.""Atlas, this is not what the doctor meant," I laugh as I push at him playf
Last Updated : 2024-07-02Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 150
When I open my eyes, I find myself blinking as sunlight streaks through the open door. "Oh good," he smiles. "You're awake. I..." he looks down at his hands, suddenly nervous. "I have something I want to show you.""How long was I asleep?" I ask meekly as I rub my eyes, Atlas leading me down a gravel road. "Where are we? This isn't the estate."The Steele Family estate is nestled in the heights above Beverly Hills. We are nowhere near that now. "I told you I was taking you home," he grins up at me through his lashes, his fingers interlaced with mine. Lately, the Atlas Steele I've seen has been more shy than confident. Could it be that his confidence hides an inner fear of rejection? "I wanted to wait until I received your answer...but I also can't wait to show you this place. I...I hope you like it.""What is this about, Atlas," I query as the driveway bends around and empties into a beautiful garden of roses and jasmine and other flowers in bright colors, the whole space glowing wi
Last Updated : 2024-07-02Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 151
"Yes?" Atlas repeats, puzzled. "Yes, you probably should have told me about this before you brought me here," I smirk, "But also, yes to your question from before," I smile as I wait for him to realize what I am saying. "Yes?" he asks again, only now he knows what I am talking about. "Do you? I mean I...?"Stepping onto my tip toes I close the gap between us and kiss him gently. "Yes, Atlas, I want to marry you again. And I love this home," I hold onto his shoulders as his arms wrap around my waist. "It's perfect."He pulls me into him and kisses me. It isn't the hesitant kiss of first love or the hot and bothered kisses we were sharing in the car. This is a kiss of gentle deepness of shared growth and hope for tomorrow. As we kiss I see our children growing up around us, playing in the forest, bringing friends over for sleepovers. I see Atlas spending less time in the office and more time here, making pancakes and pursuing new hobbies and passions, supporting me side by side as we
Last Updated : 2024-07-02Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 152
[Cordelia]Giggling like school children Altas pulls me upstairs to the second floor of the house. The first door to the right is a smaller bedroom. It is decorated in shades of green and blue with an assembled crib and changing table. In the corner near the sunlit window is a large, cushioned glider with a matching stool. "This was my bedroom," he smiles as he places a hand on the wall. "Now it will be his.""When did you have this done?" I look around, marveling at all the small, intricate details, like a mini fridge to store breast milk and milk warmer for feedings when I'm away. There are even clothes and all the little necessities he will need as he grows. "Tilly and Clark were up here this morning," he confesses, "I...I knew that I wanted to ask you today. I had planned a whole romantic morning for us. This week was supposed to be our week away from everything." He wraps his arms around me, snuggling in from behind. "We couldn't have predicted that Angelica would have been in
Last Updated : 2024-07-03
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[Cordelia] Today is our 20th second anniversary. We've lost count of the first one, forgetting it entirely as a moment of sadness. Instead, we honor the day when we took our vows and meant them, 7 years later in Napa. Usually, we leave Los Angeles and take the week for just the two of us. Even after two decades, we haven't lost our hunger for one another and I look forward to our time away where we can just be two people together and in love. But this year, my husband is feeling a bit nostalgic. This is why I'm in the lobby of the Steele Hotel and Resort, recreating a memory I wish I could forget. When he sent me the cryptic text this afternoon, I confess I was more than a little bit confused. Why, of all places, would he want me to meet him there? At least this time I'm not wearing a hoodie with a dress tucked into a pair of loose sweats. And while my face is covered with large sunglasses, it's more to protect my identity and not draw too much attention. I am far too recogniza
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[Clark] "Come on. Dad!" My daughters pull me along by my arms. I've never been able to deny them anything they wanted but tonight they are asking too much. "It's only a blind date!" "Girls," I admonish, "What have I said, I'm not ready to let someone new into my heart. Your mother was more than enough for me." Cassie stares up at me with her starlight eyes, as deep and black as her mother's, and doesn't relent. "You promised you'd let us have anything we want for our birthday. Grandma helped us pick her out. You have to try, Dad. For us!" "Grandma Suzanna or Grandma Jenny?" I grump, "Who do I need to send a thank you note." "Both!" the girls giggle. "You owe us, Dad," Cassie counters. Her red curls bounce as she stomps her foot. "Do you know how weird it is to look on a DATING AP for potential girlfriends for our father? It's so gross. You should be grateful" "Yeah," Maddie chimes in, swinging her hair over her shoulder as she twists her lips just like Tilly used to, her hand
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[Jude]If the universe were fair, I wouldn't have lived to see today. If karma took her toll, I wouldn't be friends with Clark and Atlas Steele, our children growing up side by side. Once the shadow of Magnus was lifted from our shoulders, and Angelica and I were finally able to go about our lives the way we always should have been able to do, It became easier to make good with my life. Angelica and I were married shortly after Mathilda's funeral. It was a small ceremony on the family medical boat, just before the two of us set sail with our daughters, Melanie and Veronica. When the DNA showed that they were indeed my children, and NOT Magnus', that his experiment had never stuck, it was easy to adopt them. In their mind, Angelica is their mother. When they are old enough, we'll tell them the truth about Aunt Sydney, but for now, we are sparing them the burden of her insanity.And we give them love, all the love of a couple who has always wanted children of their own.Angelica, it tu
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[Cordelia]15 hours later I place my feet back in LA for the first time in 6 months. We have been gone for so long that I had forgotten how loud it is, or how oppressively hot it can be in summer. Clark met us at the runway alone, the girls with their grandparents. "I hope you don't mind, but I wanted to drive you home. We could have sent a driver but," he explains, "I wanted to be the one to welcome you home." He does his best to smile, but as his melancholy grin drifts to how I hold on to my husband's hand, I can see how much this is costing him. "I'm glad it was you," I reach forward to give him a hug. "Thank you." Atlas, who has been receiving a slew of messages from Theo as soon as we landed, asks to be dropped off at the new Steele Industries building. "Looks like they need me," he apologizes, kissing my hand. "I'll make it up to you tonight," he whispers in my ear and I shiver in anticipation. "I'm going to hold you to that," I whisper discretely in his ear, trying to be mi
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 403
[Cordelia]The rest of that day went by in a blur. I insisted we rush back to the compound even though everyone had received the news that Tilly was gone. I couldn't believe it. My mind couldn't process the possibility of a world without Mathilda Madison. She wasn't just my best friend, she was my sister. So I couldn't let her go. Clark was distraught. He and Tilly took a while to find one another, and when they did finally make the right connection, they fell for one another hard. It was beautiful watching my two best friends fall in love--they were perfect for one another. But not all stories end with a happily ever after. That was a hard lesson for me to learn as well. I wanted nothing more than to watch Tilly raise her daughters. When we made it back an hour later, her body had already been collected. I had wanted to see her, to give it a chance to see if I could have brought her back: just one touch, one spark. I was convinced that I could have been the one to save her. The
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 402
[Sydney]Why can't they just let me die? It would be so easy, I'm already cut and bleeding. Why bother with the IVs and the monitors? It doesn't matter anymore. Did it ever matter?My entire existence has been a fraud. If my hands were free I'd count the ways on my fingertips all the ways I've been lied to and used.A madman altered my DNA and injected me into the wrong mother. I was raised believing I was special only to discover I was the offspring of my enemy. The man of my dreams was married to the daughter my mother was supposed to have, and I was just a cheap copy of the woman he once loved, my genetic twin, Angelica. Was this life ever really mine to begin with? Even now they aren't honoring my desire to die. "She needs more blood," the doctor announces over my head, her clear voice cutting through the din of the operating room chatter. "Her blood pressure has dropped to dangerous levels. We can't use the anesthesia. She'll need to be awake for the procedure."Procedure?"I d
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 401
[Clark]The dissection of Magnus' brain was one of the most intensely fascinating and uniquely horrifying things I have ever experienced. Using my computer to guide the charge, we attached wires to his brain, fed through a divide that my mother had retrieved from her vault. "This will disrupt his signal. It will keep him from making a full memory transfer. Hopefully whomever he's jumped into will have a fighting chance." Everything my mother has said since I volunteered for this task has sounded like something from a science fiction movie. The duplicates we had seen in Delilah's footage of her father's secret lab were all designed to hold Magnus's memories in an artificial extension of his life. Not all of them looked like his current body, as often it was useful for him to become someone entirely different for spying purposes. "Is this how he always seemed to know everything?" I ask aloud. We had wondered how he managed to get around all of our codes, to find ways to learn about wh
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 400
[Cordelia]"Wally?" Holding my hand above his head, I pause, hesitating. Just a moment before I was about to take this man's life without even the smallest shred of remorse. It was necessary to protect my family. My children and my husband. "Cordelia," He blinks, his eyes roving my face and the surroundings like a caged animal. Licking his dry, salty lips, his body is otherwise completely still. "I don't have much time. He's fighting me...I..."Wally's muscles spasm, shaking Atlas as well as he holds him in place. Closing his eyes, his body stills, as if the effort of keeping still is so great that he cannot do anything else at the same time. He whispers something that I can't quite make out, so I lean in, trying to capture his words.As my hair brushes his cheek, he repeats himself. "You need to end this, Cordelia. Don't let him escape to harm another. His other mind is gone, Suzanna saw to it, but he can still jump to someone else.""Wally, what are you saying," I shake my head. "No
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 399
[Cordelia]Atlas and I raced down the hall to the exit, soldiers moving out of our way as we passed, nobody bothering to stop us as my husband's icy glare and dominant aura kept them pinned in place. Magnus is dead and I have never been more terrified in my life. The door to the outside pushes open and we are instantly blinded by the overhead sunshine that covers the beach with an oddly bright gray that stings the eyes. It is warmer than it had been earlier, the wind having died down, trapping the moisture of impending rain, held in place by the gathering storm. "Jasper," I call out gently, scanning the beach. "Wally?""Atlas do you see Jasper?" I grab my husband's arm. His pulse is rapid beneath my fingertips as we move forward as one and find the abandoned picnic blanket and Jasper's little galoshes next to a much larger pair. "Wally!" I scream out towards the waves and find him standing in the water, at the far edge of the beach. There is no sign of my son. None. It's as if the
