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Chapter 170
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2024-10-29 19:42:56
VictoryAnne ViceWhat do you think she's going to find inside?
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Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 171
[Cordelia]The phone in my pocket shakes. Setting the envelope down, I pull it out to see it is my mother. "What on earth does she want?" I scowl. Pressing a button, I send it to voicemail. She's just going to have to wait. I don't want to hear from her right now. The phone vibrates again. This time it is Angelica. She rarely calls me. Maybe I should see what they want.My thumb hovers above the answer button. I don't want to talk to her either. She has caused me enough pain with her fake amnesia. What the hell was that all about anyway? I mean, I guess I did the same thing to her on the island, but I was trying to survive while she and her psycho boyfriend tried to steal my uterus. Come to think about it, why did she pretend not to remember the last five years? It doesn't add up. I'm missing something important.There is an incessant knocking on the front door of the studio. Anyone who should be here has a key. Who would be pounding so forcibly? Placing the envelope back on my dre
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 172
[Atlas]Clark is an even bigger mess than I am at the moment, which feels impossible because I feel like my heart has been crumpled and tossed. Cordelia could barely look at me, and then she told me we should seek out therapy and that she needed some space.Space. She needs a lot of that lately. I am worried that she is drifting away from me.But I can't think about that right now. I need to focus on my baby brother. He needs my support.Something happened, something devastating. I haven't seen him cry this hard since I told him our parents were dead. And he was only three. Sure he's had his moments, but this is different.Clark is in a dark space. My perpetually happy-go-lucky in touch with his feeling brother is unable to get his feelings under control.Tilly seemed off as well. I left them alone to talk because I could tell they were building up to either a big argument or some amazing sex or possibly both. It reminded me so strongly of Cordelia and me that I needed to get some air.
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 173
[Cordelia]My family lives about 10 minutes away from the Steele family manor, not quite the same neighborhood, but nearby. If we had been ordinary children growing up in ordinary houses that weren't spaced as far apart, Atlas and I may have grown up together.Well, kinda. He was a teenager when I was in kindergarten.I haven't been back to my parent's house in a while. I moved out when I was 17 to go to design school, and then moved out again when I was 19 and I married Atlas. Whenever I met with my parents these last 6 years, it has usually been at public functions or our monthly family business brunch. So when I pulled up to the gate, I was not surprised that the security officer controlling it didn't have a clue who I was. I'm sure that the position has turned over a couple of times since I last lived here. When I told him who I was, he didn't believe me at first. Even though I laughed it off as I showed him my ID after he accused me of being a news reporter in disguise, it reall
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 174
[Cordelia] I pull my hand from my dad's as I feel my world take a new shape in my mind. All those times I felt out of place like I didn't fit. It's because my dad isn't my real dad. "Mom," I look at her and she finally meets her gaze. "Mom, did you have an affair?" "Was it with my dad?" Sydney jumps up and down? "OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD! We're all half sisters!" She starts to hyperventilate. As her words become jumbled, her tongue tripping over the sounds as she talks too fast. "No," my mom shakes her head as she looks at me and Angelica. "I have never cheated on your father. Not once." "But my dad is hot!" Sydney argues. "With those green eyes, that auburn hair, and his dreamy smile. Of course, you'd want to sleep with him. Half of Canada wants to sleep with him. He's married, and he still gets voted Toronto's most eligible bachelor." "That's not something to brag about," Angelica frowns from her wheelchair. "Your father sounds like a whore." Blinking, I look over at
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 175
[Cordelia]"What does this have to do with you?" My father scrunches his face at her words, a bit disgusted with her sour tone. "Sydney, can't you see? This is all about you."The garden falls silent except for the sound of birdsong in the trees above us. None of us say anything, waiting as the words fall around us and settle in our minds. Three missing embryos. The incorrect one was implanted in my mother, leading to my birth.Three embryos. Technically conceived at the same time as Angelica, part of the same batch and frozen for the future.Sydney looks just like Angelica. Errily so, almost as if she were her twin. So many things begin to make sense as I consider the last few months. Especially the events on the island. Angelica had said something about "not caring about a stupid test," and that "I was her sister" when she was trying to save me from whatever Jude had planned. She knew. She's known this whole time that I couldn't be her blood relation. And yet she didn't say anythi
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 176
[Cordelia]When I returned to the studio, the cookies, and Tilly, were gone. A note was waiting for me on the refrigerator. "Gone to my mom's for the weekend. I'll be back for the photoshoot on Monday. I love you."I wonder if she left a similar note for Clark. I don't know what happened between them, but I know that he loves her. Their relationship is so new. I hope they can find a way to come back together."And what about you," I say to myself in the empty space. "Can you forgive Atlas?"The truth is, I need someone to hold me right now. I'm not sure I have the strength to see what is inside that envelope. My parents are not my parents. My sister is not my sister.Sydney is back, and she isn't satisfied with taking my husband anymore, she wants my entire life. She is trying to destroy my business and claims my ideas are hers. She even has the love of my parents who are convinced she is their long-lost daughter.I was just the substitute. Maybe I've always been the substitute. Subs
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 177
[Clark]I am glad that I have Clark here with me because once we are done eating, I realize I've had about four beers too many. I lost count somewhere between me discussing how I fell in love with my fiancee on accident, and how delicious her legs look in a thong. I probably shouldn't have told him that second part, but I couldn't help it. I was thinking about Malibu.Everything was fine before Malibu. I was in a delightful state of forgetful denial, where I could pretend that I didn't know the taste of her lips or the way her eyes flutter every time she finds her pleasure. Atlas didn't seem to mind, but that might have more to do with how he switched to scotch about three drinks in. We both know that we need to work hard to win our way back into Tilly and Cordy's hearts, but we have no clue where to start. "I know!" I suggest. "We can say the contest is now in Australia and ship Sydney off in a crate," I laugh. "Then, if anyone asks where Sydney has gone, we can say she's in Austra
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 178
[Cordelia]Atlas and Clark can barely remain standing as they lean on one another completely drunk in the middle of the day. They smell about as good as they look, which is not good at all considering that with their clothing rumpled and their faces red with drink, they look like two out-of-work businessmen who have just scrapped themselves out of a gutter."I see you two have been enjoying yourselves," I prickle, disgusted at their display. "Are you two insane? Are you trying to cause more problems with the press?"The brothers look at one another but are so drunk they have fallen into a silly mood. As their noses almost touch, they start snorting, falling over one another as they chuckle. "We only had a little bit to drink," Atlas lies as he folds over and belches. Based on the wet quality of the sounds coming from his mouth, I take a step back. These are new shoes, I'd hate for them to be covered in vomit. "That was a mistake," he grumbles, still bent over. "Why are you two here?
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Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 370
[Cordelia]Once we were airborne and free of Canadian airspace, the tension level of the passengers on the plane immediately relaxed, as if we had passed some kind of test.Even Suzanna breathed a sigh of relief when we landed in New York City. But then she does something I wasn't expecting. She dismisses most of our guards. They nod, taking her word as a commandment, leaving us with only three security members in one of the largest airports in the United States. "This next leg of our trip will be on a commercial airline," she explained as we gathered our belongings. "We will call too much attention to us with that many guards. I'm calling in some of my own for when we arrive." She replies when I question her judgment. "Magnus likely put a tracker on this plane. We need to trick him, and there's no better place than New York City. But if we continue to move in a large pack, we're bound to attract attention." "Reste près," my mother Cristine held out a hand for me to hold as she hel
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 369
[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
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 367
[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
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 366
[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
