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Chapter 220
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Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 221
[Cordelia]Everything stopped. No, it can't be him. It must be a coincidence that my admirer sends me the very stone that Atlas always preferred to give me."Are you sure that Henri isn't your admirer," My mother nudges me gently. "Because that looks like an engagement ring." I hope it isn't him. I don't want to have to turn down his proposal...again."How would he know to get me emeralds," I ask. Looking lost. There was only one man who ever got me emeralds, and he is buried in the Los Angeles Cemetary. I told her about Atlas' belief that I should always wear emeralds because of my green eyes and red hair, that it was a special memory for us, and my mom goes very still. "Whoever this admirer is, he knows a lot about your relationship with your husband," she blanches. "Maybe we should involve the police.""I don't know," I move the earrings side to side, watching the light moving through the stones. It is a large emerald, as big as my thumb, surrounded by blue and white diamonds. It
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 222
[Cordelia]Even though I've had weeks to plan and pack, I'm still not ready to go home to California. "Wait a minute!" I call as I throw the last of our items into a carry-on bag. "We can send for whatever you forget," Henri is pacing outside by the taxi. "Is your mom meeting us there?""No!" I shout down, "Do you think you can go pick her up while I finish packing." He doesn't look happy at the suggestion. If anything he looks pissed that I am forcing him to compromise on his itinerary that had us arriving at the airport 2 hours early. He is a stickler for maintaining a schedule, a trait of his I do not appreciate as I tend to be more of a "seat of the pants" type of person. Left in peace, I finally have enough room to think about everything I need. Once I feel satisfied that I haven't forgotten anything, I do one final sweep just to make sure. The emerald ring, the last present I received from the admirer, sits on my dresser shining in the light. Grabbing the box, I shove it in
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 223
[Cordelia]"I'm sorry, what did you say?""Oh," she shakes her head. "Of course, he didn't tell you. Henri has always been a bit of a chicken." "Maman?" I look over at Crissy, who looks just as confused as I am. "Oh, she didn't know," Sydney gives me a wink in the rearview mirror. "I'm sure by now you've seen how meddlesome she can be. Has she started picking out china yet for your wedding?"I refuse to respond. I know she is simply trying to get under my skin. "Who Henri has dated in the past doesn't concern me. You misunderstand his intentions. He and I are only friends."She snorts. "Henri doesn't need, friends, Cordelia. He needs a wife with a trust fund."Why would a multi-billion dollar businessman need a trust fund wife? "I'm sure you're mistaken. He is a very successful businessman on his own and...""Is that what he told you? Good grief, Cordelia, are you always so trusting?"I won't let her put doubt in my mind. I don't know what her motive is, but she never does anything f
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 224
[Cordelia]Watching the sun dip below the horizon, I let the warm energy fill me as I find bliss in just being here with my little one. While I won't regret the time I've gotten to spend with my mother, I made a mistake moving north. I was fleeing my memories of the love Atlas and I shared when I should have been embracing those memories.Taking a seat in the glider, nurse Jasper and watch contentedly as he falls into a milk-induced slumber. Setting him in his crib, I go next door to my room to enjoy a few quiet moments alone before my little one eventually wakes and needs me again.Overwhelmed by exhaustion and intense emotions, I pull off my clothing, throw on one of Atlas' old shirts, and let my body sink into the mattress. Listening to the quiet sounds of the waves as they crash on the beach in the distance, I let the pure darkness of this place bring me true peace as I drift into oblivion.Disoriented, my body jolts awake with the sound o
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 225
[Cordelia]Whatever it was that my mother gave me last night, it was strong enough that even after three cups of coffee I am still not fully awake. Moving through life as if dragging my body through a fog of molasses, my body fights me every step of the way as I struggle to get dressed.Opening my carry-on bag, I remember the emeralds I packed last minute. Pulling them out, I find something nice to wear that will look good with green.Maybe if I wear the emeralds, it will appease whoever it is who feels they need to interfere with my heart by reminding me of the one I still love. It is one thing to send me presents. It is quite another to go out of your way to make me think I am going insane.Because that is what is happening. Either I am being haunted and ghosts are real, or I am imagining things. I'm not sure which reality scares me more.Pulling the antique comb from its box for the first time in over 5 months, I arrange it prominent
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 226
[Cordelia]"That's because he's going to have a special monument," she tosses those words over her shoulder casually as if stating something annoyingly obvious as she waves us through security.Recognizing me, the guard tips his hat as we pass. "Welcome home, Mrs. Steele.""Thank you, Stelly," I wave, grateful I remember his name. Looking over he notices Jasper in my mother's arms and his face softens. "Is that...?""Yes," I nod, my smile growing. "This is little Mr. Steele, Jasper."While the guard shakes the baby's little hand, Sydney stands waiting at the elevator, stomping her feet and looking at her watch as if each minute were costing her something valuable.But there isn't anything more important than Jasper learning his legacy. Atlas loved this company, as did his grandfather. It is a family business, even if it is a big one. As soon as we enter, the elevator Sydney presses the button for the executive floor. I press the button right below for the design department. "I want t
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 227
{Cordelia]"Excuse me," Crissy stands and follows Sydney. I am hoping it is to have a heart-to-heart.My mother has been suffering since Sydney decided to cut off all ties with her. I am sure Sydney must be hurting too. Finding out your whole life has been a lie, and then seeing your mother embrace someone you were taught to hate--well I can relate to that feeling myself."How are you doing," Clark asks and I get him caught up in the ins and outs of daily life, keeping the stranger things to myself, or at least trying to. As I speak, he keeps looking down at my hand. "Another gift," he points at the emerald. "He seems to like giving you expensive trinkets lately." My fists clench. "Yes, he has." I glare up at him. "I have a feeling we both know who is doing this so I am going to say this once and hope it gets through his thick skull." Clark's face goes very still as he sits there, waiting. "Tell him he needs to stop. Either he is with me or he is not, but I am tired of being haunted
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 228
[Cordelia]On the other side of the door is the type of joyful space you'd expect in any pediatrician's office. Warm sunlight streams through high windows illuminating a saltwater fish tank that takes up a corner of the room. There is a rack of magazines and a small bookcase with parenting books. A group of children with a very tired-looking mother with 3 kids under 5 years old watch the colorful fish swim. That could have been me, in a different life where Atlas had married me out of love and not necessity. I give her a sympathetic smile as we are escorted into Dr. Smithe's office. It is a very large and comfortable examination room, with soft cushioned couches for us to sit on and a more proper examination table in the distance. A few moments later, Dr. Smithe enters the room and her sunny disposition brightens the room as she approaches us."You must be Cordelia," she holds out her hand for me to shake. "And this must be little Jasper."I open the carrier so that she can get a be
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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
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
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
