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Chapter 280
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Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 281
[Cordelia]The plan requires Magnus to come to us. Either in person or on the phone. We need to find out the location of the facility. We are almost 100% certain that our message system has been compromised. We aren't sure if it is on Jude's end, our end, or both, but considering we each have a Greyson sister it could be either one. Neither Sydney nor Delilah can be trusted. Thankfully, we didn't have long to wait. Once my interview went viral, Magnus began reaching out. First I received a text. "Mrs. Steele. That was very bold of you. You called me out by name. There will be consequences." When I showed Atlas, he had to be the voice of reason. "He's bluffing," he tried to convince me. "He can't hurt Jasper because he needs him. But he's also at risk with our reward. He needs to make a deal with us soon and he knows it."I want to believe them, I do, but each subsequent message is more and more verbally suggestive.And then he begins showing pictures of Jasper. He is starting to l
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 282
[Cordelia]Clark places a hand on my shoulder. As he squeezes gently, I turn my head just enough to see his face, warm around the edges, softened by the glow of the overhead lights. "There's more," the smiling warmth of his voice relaxes me and I know whatever it is he needs to share will be something that will add to my joy. "Jude wants to meet us in one hour. And you won't believe where..."He shows us and I laugh. "The old apartment? Didn't that get destroyed?""Not all of it," Clark explains as he then tells us about an underground passage into the basement. "His lab, the one you fell into, had another exit. That's how he was able to get people in and out without anyone noticing."I didn't mention that by "people" he means "bodies." None of us needed that reminder, especially considering he is currently the only person between us and our baby."One hour!" I pull the rest of the way from Atlas. "That's...Oh. My. God." my heart stops. "We could maybe see him? Do you think he'll hav
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 283
[Delilah]My father thinks he can control me."Delilah," he called the day after I arrived in LA. "I am sending your instructions by courier." A package arrived with an itinerary. I immediately threw it out. Another itinerary was emailed to me. Then texted. "Make sure you make it to the interview on time," the message read. I made it to the interview with minutes to spare, my hair in a sloppy bun and my shoes thoroughly scruffed. I refused to buy the car my father imposed on me, trading it in and using the money to buy a very nice bike. Bicycles are not meant to be ridden in pumps. Not that it mattered. My father already ensured that I'd get the job. A job where I look so much like my predecessor that the interviewer thought it was a joke."Sydney? Where have you been? You do realize you are interviewing for your old job? Right?"I made sure she understood immediately that I was not Sydney Bryant. "We're related," I grinned as an explanation. "Well you come with the highest recomm
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 284
[Cordelia]The boys didn't give me much choice but to sit here and wait for them as they raced off to be the heroes of the moment. Atlas kissed me goodbye and Clark gave a friendly little wave as they headed down through the secret passageway out into the garage into an unmarked van with tinted windows, each of them wearing a disguise. They looked ridiculous. But maybe that's just jealousy speaking."We need you to man the fort," Atlas explained when they told me what my task would be. Frowning, I accepted that I'd be left behind to continue the subterfuge. If I'm careful, nobody is to know that they aren't here.I will be their alibi. When Magnus comes looking, all his people will see is us exactly where we should be. Stand and wait. Be a good girl. Stay safe. But I'm tired of standing by waiting for things to happen to me. I want to be the one making things happen. This game is stupid. I want my child back. Picking up my phone I text Magnus back. "Do you want the cure?" I quer
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 285
[Cordelia]I close my phone. Even after taking several deep breaths, I can't get my heart to stop racing. Calling doesn't work. I can't get through to either of the boys, and I realize they are most likely watching the scene with their phones turned to silent. I send them both a text warning them about Magnus and then begin doing the same for every person I know.I do get through to the police eventually, but the best they could do is say that they'll "redirect my message" to the "appropriate detective" and that they'll do their best to get there in time.None of this is good enough. They are walking into a very elaborate trap, one that Magnus must have been planning since the beginning. I try calling Atlas again. "Argh! Damn it, Atlas, pick up the phone!"Should I rush out there? Yes, that would be better than letting them die. What if that's what Magnus wants? What if this is just a way to draw me out?"Don't be ridiculous, Cordelia," I shake my head as I grab my phone and head to
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 286
[Atlas]When Cordelia called on Theo's phone, I came back in a rush, expecting to find her there. Instead, I found an empty office and my design lead, Theo, waiting for me. "What do you mean my wife is not here?" "I mean," Theo said very slowly in the irritatingly calm way she has about her that borders on sarcasm, "that she is not here. Absconded. Left. Oh, and she took my car," she hands me a white piece of paper. "Make sure she brings that back in one place or you're buying me a new one. Better yet," she smirks, "Just give me your car and we'll call it even."Carefully I read over the note. Bakersfield. She thinks Jasper is in Bakersfield. "Throw out your phone, it's been bugged," the note warns. "And don't take your car or they'll know." "Ted down in accounting owes me a favor," Clark announces when I show him the note. "And nobody would bother tracking it. You really can't miss it."I soon know why as we make our way to the vehicle. I really should pay my employees more if th
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 287
[Cordelia]There isn't much to see or do in Bakersfield. This isn't a town I'd go out of my way to see. Lined on either side with factory farms and large fields, the growing town has a constant smell of dying animals and manure.It's the perfect place to hide something or someone you don't want anyone else to notice. The address took me to a shopping center across the street from a large office complex. The air is dry and dusty, the wind doing nothing to cool the late afternoon heat. The smoggy haze in the distance makes the blue sky look a dingy brownish gray, darkened by the pollution from nearby LA. But soon I'll have Jasper in my arms and it will be worth it. All of this struggle will finally be worth all the pain. Atlas should be here any moment. Theo borrowed someone else's phone to text me on her phone that Atlas and Clark were on their way in a beat-up car from the 1980s.That's what I was expecting to see pull up into the parking lot. Not a semi-truck with a chicken on the
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 288
[Jude]I've been prepared for this day for weeks now. It was waiting to see how far Magnus would take things before she was pushed hard enough to seek the truth. Cordy is a smart woman. I knew she would eventually figure out how to draw Magnus out and force him to show his hand. I only wish it had been a little sooner. Even with treatment, Jasper isn't doing well. "Hey there, little guy," I gently lift him from his crib. He's sleeping, but these days he's almost always sleeping, his lungs are too weak to allow him to do much more. "I'm going to take you to your mommy now."Scooping him up, I place a set of infant-sized sound-canceling headphones on his tiny ears and swaddle him carefully into the baby carrier on my back. He's getting too big for this carrier. Even with his weak lungs, he's been gaining weight. In my right pocket, I place several vials of his current medication. In my left pocket, a detonator for a device I put together from lab equipment. It will create a spark in
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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
