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Chapter 268
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Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 269
[Cordelia]I stop and take a few deep breaths, letting Atlas catch up with me. He doesn't say anything. Pulling me into his arms he holds me tightly to his chest. I scared him. "I'm not leaving without you, Atlas, I'm just...so done with all of this," I sigh, letting my body sink into his. "Delilah and I aren't so different. I don't want to be someone else who is using."Atlas kisses the top of my head supportively. "We don't know here, we don't know anything about her," I add. "Maybe she's another victim, or maybe Magnus loves her." I look up at Atlas. "Do you think maybe Magnus might be motivated by love?"Atlas scrunches his eyebrows. "The son." "Yes. I know he has been coming after you for the cure for a long time, but something changed a handful of years ago. Something made him want to accelerate things. What if...""What if he stole our son to save his own," Atlas finishes for me. I nod. "Maybe he stole those embryos with a more selfish purpose, and he kept two for whatever
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 270
[Cordelia]We've been in Canada now for two weeks. My mother is giddy with excitement over our official wedding party tonight. A full gala event and fundraiser will be televised, and the details printed in fashion magazines. "The Fashion Power Couple" my mother predicts the headlines will read. "Or maybe," she muses "Devaroux and Steele--A fashion powerhouse." She is already preparing our staff to get started on our next line for LA Fashion Week this fall. "We want to make a splash. You will have more to prove and more eyes will be on you than ever." I tried to convince her that there have always been eyes on me but she is determined to stick to the idea that some eyes are more valuable than others. "Trust me, Delia, you will want to make your very best impression, and with that handsome husband at your side, it would be impossible to fail."I don't have the heart to tell her that Atlas and I won't be showing a line together at Fashion Week. Atlas and I get ready together, taking o
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 271
[Delilah]The entertainment news station has Atlas and Cordelia's break-up playing in an almost continuous loop. They were prepared for this. They were even hoping for it. "Go ahead and use my name," I offered. "My father already assumes and it will help with the plan." And yet, even so, I flinch every time she says "Delilah" with so much venom. That bitter, vengeful harpy of a woman is not the Cordelia Steele I've come to know over the last couple of weeks. Patiently I wait for my phone to ring. I expect he'll call any moment now. If someone had told me two weeks ago that everything would change that night, I'd When I got on my bicycle two weeks ago, heading out for a last-minute delivery to a wedding, I never thought it would be a pivotal moment in my life. But it was. Nothing was the same. ______________________________________________[Two weeks ago]After spending the evening speaking with Stephen Greyson I learned about Angelica and Sydney. Looking at their photos felt surr
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 272
[Cordelia]The press was all over our breakup minutes after I stormed out of that ballroom. This was all according to plan. Our relationship is about to become messy, public, and unavoidable. Magnus won't need to have me followed because the press will do it for him. And we will have an opportunity to set the script. Not him. We won't let him control our lives any longer. Delilah gave us the idea to use her as part of the excuse. Her father sent her to our wedding, let him think that Atlas is still so obsessed with Angelica that he'd sleep with another one of her doppelgangers on the day of our wedding. The hope is that if Magnus believes his daughter has a chance of stealing Atlas' heart, maybe he'll give us back our son. Maybe I can convince him that he doesn't need Jasper any longer if he thinks he has another way to get what he needs. Or maybe, he'll be so distracted by what he thinks we are doing that he won't notice what we're really up to. I know I should be happy that Atl
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 273
[Cordelia]Steadying my frayed nerves with a deep breath, I realize I can't remember the last time I spoke with him. Oh yes, now I remember. It was when he was threatening my life."Cordelia, are you there?""Jude," I hiss. "Why are you calling?"There is a long pause. "You know why. "He must be somewhere that he can't speak freely. Then why did he call me? Why not wait? "Is he okay?" My little guy is so small and precious. "Is he...?"Would he call just to tell me he's dead? That my precious little joy is gone from the world, lost and far away, without his mother to calm him. "He's doing well now that I've adjusted his treatment. He still has a long way to go until recovery but..."Jude gives me precise medical details of my son's current condition. With his skills, he was able to bring him back from near critical. He's become quite familiar with the disease since working on Magnus' son, Devin. "Listen, I don't have a lot of time before she wakes up," he murmurs rapidly. "Listen.
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 274
[Atlas]A month has passed since Cordelia and I went our separate ways to save our family and bring everyone home. A month of hell. Everything irritates me. The sound of Delilah's voice as she brings me my morning coffee and the latest fashion news. Clark as he shows me yet again that Cordelia has sent him a message, HIM and not me. And the photos. Jude, the man who kidnapped Cordelia and trapped her on an island with my first love, Angelica, is asking me to trust him with my child. Somehow he got my cell phone number and has been sending me photos discretely. Photos of my son being cared for by two enemies--Sydney and Henri. I'm not sure if he is trying to comfort me or torture me, but considering our history, likely both. "I wonder if Cordy is also receiving photos," Clark wonders at one point. "She's been getting messages and we haven't been." "Does it matter," I muse, "I still don't trust him." Fall Fashion Week is just a month away. Steele Industries plans to make a big sh
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 275
[Jude]She isn't Angelica. No amount of wishing her to be Angelica will make her into the woman that I once loved. That I still love--I don't think it is possible for me to ever stop loving her. I knew what she was about when she started flirting, but I was lonely enough to not care. Now I just wish she'd go away, that I could forget we even started this mess. This isn't right, this fooling around. Especially now that I know she is playing around with my affections just to keep me under Magnus' control. I wish I hadn't seen that text on her phone. I could have gone on believing we had something real if I hadn't"It's 5:30," I nudge her foot and she groans, rolling over, her beautifully round breasts cresting the comforter. "It's time for you to get back to your job. Jasper will be hungry and Henri will be worried." "Do I have to," Sydney pouts, her eyes still closed as pulls the blankets roughly over her naked form, flashing her other assets in the process. Closing my eyes, I turn aw
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 276
[Cordelia]My husband took long enough to read and decipher my message. I guess I could have made it easier for him, but I didn't want to risk Magnus finding out the truth. I arrived last night. Officially I'm staying in a hotel in Downtown LA while I prepare for my presentation at LA Fashion Week. My mother and I have created a satellite version of Devaroux Designs here in LA located just across from Steele Industries.My plan to pretend at a hostile takeover of Steele Industries as a way to get control of Atlas' holdings and find the location of the cure to give to Magnus is on target. With Clark's help, I have "purchased" stock from several board members, including himself and Atlas, to have the controlling share--38%. This is more than I need to shut Atlas out of his own company. As the disgruntled current wife who refuses to give Atlas a divorce, I am using all of my might as Mrs. Atlas Steele to take him down piece by piece--first socially, then financially, and finally I will
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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
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 361
[Jude]Opening the door, I push back the clinician waiting for Angelica to rise. The poor man looks lost, most likely expecting Angel to greet him and not a gruff guard in black."Excuse me," he calls out as I walk down the hall. I don't owe him any excuses or explanations. I'm her bodyguard. I can be seen coming and going from her room. Besides, I don't have time for niceties. I'm already late reporting to work. The guards all bunk together in a large room on the basement level. There are beds and a shared shower as well as a kitchen so that we don't disturb the rest of the house as we take care of our daily necessities. There weren't any free bunks when I arrived, so I sleep on a camping bed on the floor. As I march down there, the leader of the group raises his eyebrow. He can tell by the unused state of my sleeping area that I haven't been back to rest."Late night?" he questions me as I walk down the stairs, "Whoever she was, she better be worth it." He smirks. "Mr. Fisher will
