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Chapter 178
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2024-10-29 19:42:56
VictoryAnne ViceWhat does she want?
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Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 179
[Cordelia]I feel oddly protective of the Steele boys as I step out of the car and stand between them and the woman I always thought of as my sister. Maybe it is because they are so vulnerable right now. Maybe it is because I care for them both and want to keep them safe. "Angelica." I stand between her and them. "Why are you here?""To talk to you," she looks at me specifically. "About Sydney and what we should do."Laughter that is both hard and cruel springs from my lips in a fountain. Angelica flinches at the sound and I watch as her whole demeanor changes from one of confidence to one of unsureity.Normally I'd feel guilty about creating such a strong reaction in anyone, especially in someone I once believed loved me. But I've had a long hard day of disappointment and heartbreak. I have nothing left to give. Because if I'm not laughing I'll start crying. And I cannot afford to be weak right now. "Can we please just go inside," she insists, looking at Atlas and Clark to back her
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 180
Kneeling to her level so that we can meet eye to eye, I let the sound of her words fall to silence around us before I ask, "What about Atlas could be so dangerous that you feel fit to ruin my life?"She pales but stays resolute. "Atlas Steele is at the center of something bigger than either one of us. It's all related to his parents. Has he told you about them yet?She says that with a bit of snap in her voice as if expecting me to know nothing. "Atlas told me everything about Suzanna and Jaxson," I smile gently and marvel as confusion crosses her face. She didn't even know their names. "His Mom and Dad."The confusion is replaced by a touch of embarrassment which is masked by a bit of haughtiness. "And how they died?""You mean how they were killed but everyone assumed it was an accident?" I laugh. "If you were hoping to surprise me with that, I'm sorry, but that isn't enough to scare me away from remarrying Atlas. He has told me everything about his family, about their past. I've e
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 181
[Cordelia]"Clark, what are you doing out of bed?""I just heard everything you said," he confesses. "Does Atlas know?"Tucking a strand of hair behind my ear I wait for him to elaborate. "I'm not sure what you are talking about." "That you love him," as he takes a step forward and his eyes, red and puffy from crying, search my face as he asks. "Does he know you already see yourself as his wife again? That you want to marry him?"Holding up my hand, I show him the engagement ring. "I said yes to him. I wouldn't have done so if I didn't mean it." I sigh. "Is this because of the argument at the hospital? Even though I'm mad at him and said I needed space doesn't mean that I don't want to marry him."Is that what Atlas thinks? That I don't love him at all anymore? That I asked for space because I didn't want him anymore?Doesn't he realize that the reason it hurts me so much when he doesn't stand up for me is because I love and want him so much? "Maybe you should remind him," Clark look
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 182
[Cordelia]I was tempted to snuggle up in bed with Atlas, wait until he wakes up, and tell him exactly how I feel. But when I checked in on him and saw that he was passed out, half-dressed, and reeking of booze and sick, any temptation I had to get closer lept out the window. So instead I left him a note. "I'll be at the studio. Come find me when you're feeling better," signing it, I placed it on his nightstand. "Cordelia," Atlas groans in his sleep as he rolls over.I almost answer, but when I hear a gentle snore, I realize he is talking in his sleep. "Don't leave," he continues to mutter. "I love you. Please stay."My heart stops. He sounds so sad in his sleep. I take a few steps closer. And a few more. "Atlas." I kiss his clammy forehead. "Why did you do this to yourself? You silly, silly man." I turn to walk back to the door, but he grabs my arm. "Please, stay," he begs. "Just...let's talk." I try to explain that he needs his rest, that he is still a bit drunk, and that now
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 183
[Cordelia]"Atlas, I can see why you're nervous, but he genuinely seems to be coming from a good place. Maybe he investigated me and found out the truth, but we have no idea why. Maybe he used to work for the fertility clinic and felt guilty. Maybe he is working for one of the families and came across my information. He could be doing all of this from a positive place."Atlas considers this for a moment but then shakes his head. "I'd still feel better about things if you brought me with you next time you think about retrieving whatever is in that safety deposit box. We don't know what his motives are. It could all be part of some elaborate trap."I would say he is being paranoid, but I can understand his fear after what happened with Jude. Jude also seemed to be my friend. Am I too trusting?"Can I see the list of names," he asks cautiously. "Maybe I can have someone look into it."After I agree to show it to him tomorrow, his body relaxes and he leans into me. "You know," his breath i
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 184
[Cordelia]After a wonderful, reaffirming weekend of bliss, Atlas and I return to the business of clearing my reputation and making a name for myself in the fast-paced world of fashion. Today is the day of the photoshoot. Our contestants for the competition have been selected, five young hopefuls from LA and beyond along with Sydney and myself. Last night, Atlas and I returned home, bringing some belongings from his house and my studio, deciding that we will not live separately anymore, but start our life together moving forward. "We should have a party here," he suggests, "after the first day of shooting. It could be a housewarming party. It would be an excellent way to show our family in a soft light. Maybe if they see that the Steele family is just like any other, they may grow softer in their opinion of us." I love how he says, "us" and not "you," even though the problem with this publicity is mostly mine. Steele Industries is large enough to survive a little bad press. Cordeli
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 185
The man is dragged out of the studio by security, but the damage is already done. "We'll edit that part out," Clark's drones lower from their previous hover. "Nobody will see that footage.""But my dress," I looked down at the black paint all over the beautiful green silk and a tear fell from my eyes. I hate how these damn pregnancy hormones make me emotionally weak. Tilly comes up from the front row of the audience. As she passes Clark I see a moment of connection as she moves past him, a small smile on her lips. There is no ring on her finger anymore, but the light in Clark's eyes when he looks at her tells me that things must be on the mend. "I have just the thing with this," Tilly pulls me backstage into a dressing room where she has me strip off my dress. Behind a wardrobe, she pulls out a 5-gallon bucket and a gallon jug of white vinegar. I watch in astonishment as she makes the stains disappear. "Did you prepare for this," I eye her suspiciously. "How did you know I'd need a
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 186
I don't hear the rest of what Atlas says, my mind reeling from what I just heard a moment before.How could she?! And why didn't she tell me? Why didn't she warn me? Tilly and I just spent the last 45 minutes cleaning my dress, and she said nothing about this. I look over at Tilly. "I'm sorry," she mouths silently as she takes her place by Sydney's side. Sydney smiles sweetly up at Tilly before turning to me and sneering. Oh, what I wouldn't give to smash her face into something right now. "Cordelia," Someone says my name and I snap my head to attention, coming out of my fog of anger and disappointment at Tilly's betrayal to listen."I'm sorry," I blink up at Atlas. "Can you repeat what you just said?""Cordelia," Atlas takes a deep breath. "We are still looking for the right designer to guide you," he apologizes, his eyes sad, "but we are narrowing it down to a few great options.""I see," I look down at my hands. He didn't tell me either. The two people I love more than anyone cho
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[Clark]We left the luau under close guard. Jude, in his new official capacity as Fisher family bodyguard, helped us leave discreetly without drawing attention."We will contact you when it's time," Jude nodded to us both. "The wedding is tomorrow. Be prepared. We may need to make a quick escape.""We're going to need your ship until we leave the port, but I've already arranged a mid-sea transport," Delilah informed us. "Don't worry," she smiles, "We'll all be out of your hair soon."After dropping Atlas off, I headed back to my hotel. All of my dragonflies were currently in a dormant status, waiting to activate once they've reached their destination. Needing rest before the big day, I attempted to sleep, but my mind was plagued with nightmares.I've never liked taking sedatives, I don't like the foggy feeling they give me. I prefer to be alert and in control of my thoughts, which is part of why these dreams are affecting me so deeply--I feel like I'm losing my mind. "What if I am? W
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 371
[Cordelia]The man drew closer and I realized my mistake immediately."You're not Atlas," my accusing finger hovers below his chin. He is maybe two inches taller than Atlas, and I'm not used to looking up at such a familiar face. "Close, but not quite."The gentleman laughs. "Right there, Lil Miss," his voice has a strong, rugged-sounding accent. "Or should I say," he takes my passport and squints at the picture, "Ms Ortega. A pleasure to meet you, I'm Wally." "Wally?" I blink up at the stranger with an overeager smile. The longer I look at him the less he looks like my Atlas. While he does have the same chiseled features and a similar muscular build, everything from how he holds himself to how he speaks is so very different. This man is hot on the surface in the ways that Atlas is cold and aloof. My husband shares his smiles sparingly and they are almost never so wide and toothy. But when Atlas smiles at you, really smiles, you know it is genuine. I'm not sure I can trust a thing t
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 held
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
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 368
[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
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 364
[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
