Next chapter we need to head back to reality. I mean, despite how much Atlas might want to keep her in bed for the next 8 weeks, they really do have other things to worry about...
[Angelica]I have never felt as bad as I do right now.Not even during the months of rehabilitation as I healed from the first car accident. Not during the painful plastic surgery I had to undergo to restore my beauty or any of the procedures that Jude performed on me with the hopes of giving us a child someday.There isn't a single part of me that doesn't hurt.The last thing I remember is the sound of a horn and the feeling of flying after the bus slammed into me. I can't remember how I ended up in the street in front of the bus to begin with. Did I trip? Was I pushed?I should be dead either way. One doesn't usually walk away from being hit by a bus."I guess I didn't walk away," I try to say, but start to choke around a respirator shoved down my throat, helping my lungs breathe. Panicking I start to flap around, trying to pull the damned thing from my throat.What the absolute hell? How many machines am I h
[Cordelia]Atlas looks flawless. He often does. But unlike before, when I found his perfect exterior intimidating, Now that we have become so much closer, I know that his cold exterior is his armor, a mask he wears to keep his true self safe and hidden from the rest of the world. The fashion industry is cruel and cutthroat, as can the rest of the LA elite. I don't blame his parents for chosing to raise their boys far away from the madness of LA society. I am grateful that he thought ahead to stop at the Steele family manor before heading into town. He even had someone bring up some of my clothing, for which I am grateful. None of the clothes I had left behind when I moved out fit me, not only in size but in personality. The Cordelia Steele who walked out on Atlas that night is no longer the Cordelia Steele I am today. Her clothing would feel like borrowing someone else's castoffs."Wear the emeralds," Atlas insists as he stands behind me in the mirror. "They will give you strength.
[Sydney]I hate flying coach. "We need to make a good impression," her father explained. "If you want people to believe you are a better person, you need to show them that you feel remorse for your actions. Remorseful people don't ride first class."My mother put a gentle hand on his shoulder trying to temper his anger. He's been upset with me since the interview went public. He threatened to cut me out of the will and take away my trust fund he was so angry. "Atlas' attorneys are threatening to take away everything we owe, Sydney, and all because you couldn't keep your big mouth shut!":I don't see what I did wrong. I didn't lie. Cordelia's family is full of crooks. I just brought her Greyson corruption to light."And what is this nonsense about Cordelia copying you? You've never designed a single thing in your life," My father's face was red as shoved my garments into a leather suitcase. "Now you need to go to LA and prove you are not a liar when indeed that is exactly what you are.
[Cordelia]The sound of the flashing cameras and a thousand questions directed at us all at once was overwhelming. Squeezing Atlas' hand, I let him guide me to a seat on the edge of a raised platform situated in the middle of the Steele Industries lobby.Clark and Tilly are also here, each of them wearing their best smiles and finest suits. I'm glad to have them by my side as part of our family team. "Before there are any questions," Theo raises her voice, speaking calmly and clearly into the microphones. "The Steele family would like me to read a statement." With her authoritative nature and clear, calm voice Atlas thought she'd make the perfect spokesperson. I agree wholeheartedly. She's professional in all that she does, and after her help with my line, I think of her as a friend, not just a co-worker. I know Theo has my back and will help show our company, and my work, in its best light. "Dear members of the press and viewers around the world," she begins, looking directly into
[Cordelia]As Atlas tried to address the audience, Theo placed a tablet in my hands so I could read the article on a full-sized screen. The headline read "BABY KILLER?!? Steele Sister Revenge"Scrolling down, I see a strangely distorted version of the events around my sister's accident. It was like my parent's worst words and accusations broadcast for the world to see, with full-color photos to boot. "Did Cordelia Steele attempt to kill her sister and her babies to steal her husband? Where was Angelica Greyson and what does she think now that she is back with Atlas Steele?"These questions were blasted on blogs, filling the comments. Along with much more hurtful, accusatory comments. There are even a few pictures from my Cordelia Louise website splattered in red with the words "baby killer" writ large. "Someone should push HER in front of a bus," one comment said. "I bet she was the one to push her sister.""How DARE she show up with Atlas Steele in public," another comment read. "W
How do you tell the truth without telling too much?There are things about that night that neither Angelica nor myself want everyone to know about. Secret things. Sister things. [Flashback--the day before the wedding]Angelica didn't want to marry Atlas. She was forced to do so by our parents. Or I should say, "heavily encouraged." They made it conditional for her to receive her trust fund so that she seal the deal with Atlas Steele. "When you marry into that family," they promised, "We will save Greyson Mills and your inheritance.When Angelica voiced her concerns and second thoughts, they scoffed. "You liked him enough to say yes to his proposal, you can like him enough to walk down the aisle. You just need to stay married to him long enough to bear him a son. Then you can divorce him. You just need to make it through the 5 years required by the prenup to continue the merger arrangement." She was a contract bride. Atlas thought he was in love. Angelica pretended pretty well. But i
Looking out at the sea of reporters, photographers, videographers, bloggers, and content creators, I felt like I was in the center of a cage hanging above a pool of angry sharks.Angry sharks that each wanted a pound of flesh.I freeze. I've done small publicity events for Greyson Mills, and I've stood by Atlas' side at big events, but I have never had so many hostile eyes focused on me.Eyes that are convinced that I have committed evil against another person. They all think I killed my sister's baby and that her accident wasn't an accident at all, but attempted murder to steal Atlas' love for myself. I take a deep breath. Whoever came up with this story is a sick, twisted individual. Thank god my parents never thought of that or I'd have been in prison instead of marched down the aisle.I take another deep breath. "Like I said," I surprise myself with my steady voice although my hands, tightly gripping the podium, are shaking. "Atlas has always been the man of my dreams. Look at h
[Cordelia] I'm in the hospital. Again. "You know, Cordelia, we need to stop meeting like this," Dr. Bennet chuckles as she checks my vitals. Since I woke up in this bed she's had someone come and check my levels every hour. "You're staying overnight this time." She grumbles telling me that I need someone to force me to relax because when left to my own devices I schedule news conferences and reality TV shows. By now everyone in LA knows that I collapsed at the press release earlier today. What had started as positive publicity ended up becoming an inquisition. I'm sure the internet is abuzz with gossip. I wouldn't know, since I’ve been banned from looking at any social media. Frowning, I listen while Atlas just outside my door. He's been on the phone all day. Occasionally I'll hear him say something like "You need to get to the bottom of this right away!" or "Find out who leaked this information to the media and press charges." But none of those earlier conversations bother