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Chapter 321
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Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 322
[Cordelia]When the man who betrayed you tells you that someone else is even less trustworthy than he is, you listen, or at least I do. But now that I'm sitting across from her, it is getting harder and harder to deny her charm and good nature. She seems genuinely interested in making things right by Atlas and Clark. I take a few more bites of my late breakfast, watching her interact with her two sons. There is a lightness about them now as if their load has been lifted at least a little bit. But while I am grateful to her for bringing the spark back into Clark's eyes, and the hope back into Atlas' heart, I can't help that my mind is spinning and twirling about the possibility of her being another backstabber waiting to strike. "I've taken a look at Mathilda's condition," she squeezes Clark's hand and I find myself ruffling internally when he doesn't back away. "I think she has a chance to wake, but she'll need more time to heal. I have a serum back at the island that might help, bu
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 323
[Cordelia]I turn around. Tilly is sitting straight up out of bed. Her eyes are open. "Tilly," I gasp. She came back. She might just make it after all.Rushing to her side, I call her name. "Tilly!" But her head does not turn and her eyes are staring blankly ahead. Her heart rate monitor is beeping rapidly, the sound filling the room with anxious trills. "Tilly," I place my hand on hers. I feel a spark of static electricity. Her head slowly turns. She blinks once, twice. A spark of light returns to her eyes. "Somebody help!" I scream unable to tear my eyes from hers as I watch in shock as the realization of her situation clicks into place. She reaches for the tube to her ventilator and her eyes widen in panic.Tilly blinks at me with pleading eyes. I don't know how to help, I need to help. Releasing her hand I run to the door. "HELP!!" I continue to scream. "PLEASE SOMEONE HELP!"Two nurses push me aside as they enter the room. They immediately begin adjusting wires and sensors,
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 324
[Cordelia]"Please Cordelia," she motions towards her when she sees my hesitation. "I won't bite, I promise." Her laughter, meant to sound comforting, feels a bit sinister as I take my first steps towards her. Looking in both directions I check to see if there is anyone around watching. I don't want to make a mistake like last time when I went alone into danger. Atlas would likely scoff at my fear. She's my mother-in-law after all. When I look to my right and see a crew member to the right cleaning some debris off of the deck with mop and pail, my whole body relaxes. I feel a little guilty that something so small could give me such relief, but the last few weeks have been hell. A terrifying unpredictible hell. When I woke up this morning, I knew today was going to be a hard day. Needing comfort and feeling a bit nostalgic, I draped myself in emeralds, including the infamous emerald and silver comb. The comb is especially precious, not only as the first gift that Atlas ever gave to
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 325
[Cordelia] What is she talking about? What ability? "I'm sorry, but you're confusing me. I don't know..." "Your healing!" she shouts, her eyes bright with excitement as she jumps forward to seize my hands, which she traps with her iron grip. "I've spent time with Jasper, I know that his lung improvement has nothing to do with my treatment. And now with what happened to Tilly, I realized that it must have been you. You're the key. You're the catalyst." She can't be serious. This is absolute nonsense. This is no better than when Jude was trying to convince me that Magnus was some kind of a monster. "That sounds too much like magic," I laugh. "Magic isn't real." I think back to the moment that I almost believed in ghosts and shake my head. It was only my foolish husband pretending to be dead and stalking me. I thought I was being haunted until I realized it was all a trick. Nobody is going to trick me like that again. I refuse to be so foolish. Her eyes are wide as she scans my f
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 326
[Cordelia]I expected her hands to slip, or her grip to fail. She is, after all, a woman in her 60's, and although I am petite in stature, I am still a full-grown woman hanging by her ankle. Even a strong man would have a hard time keeping a hold of me.Somehow she not only manages to hold on, but she does so for long enough that a crew member could reach out from the deck below to grab my shoulders and ease me onto their deck. It was a careful operation requiring strong hands. Even so, they could have lost me if Susanna hadn't been able to hold on for as long as she did. In all the commotion someone contacts Atlas who rushes onto the lower deck just as they pull me to safety. "Cordelia, oh my God!" He shouts as he scoops me up into his lap. I sigh deeply, sinking into his warmth. I missed him so much. I can't stand when we're arguing. "What happened?""I fell," I nuzzle him closely. "I thought I was going to die."The door flies open behind us. "Cordelia, are you okay?"Atlas swive
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 327
[Atlas]Cordelia has been acting strangely. The change is stark. And when I ask her to explain, she won't, she freezes up and gives me this wide-eyed stare. When my mother enters the room, it's even worse. She starts to shake. My mother doesn't even need to say anything and Cordelia starts looking for ways to leave. My mother says Cordelia was trying to leave forever the night she rescued Cordelia from falling off the boat. I couldn't believe it at first when she told me about my wife getting up onto the railing and trying to jump, but the crewman confirmed her story and I have no reason to believe my mother would lie.Which means that Cordelia did try to jump. Cordelia has never been suicidal, even at her darkest, but now that I see the way she is around my mother, I wonder if maybe there is something that I missed. Is Cordelia as mentally unstable as my mother suggests? Could it be some unresolved postpartum depression like the doctor saysWhat is going on with you, Cordelia? Why
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 328
[Atlas]Clark's face is drawn and tired, his body hunched. He looks like he's been stuck in this chair for days, and perhaps he has."How's she doing today," I ask as I take a step deeper into the room. His daughters are asleep in a double stroller next to him as the nurses prepare to transport their mother. They make little bubbles in their sleep as they lay in their separate seats, their little fingers touching."As well as can be expected," he sighs like a man who feels the weight of everything on his shoulders. In one quick, tragic moment, he went from a man desperately in love planning his wedding to an almost widower and single father. "They still can't figure out what caused her cardiac arrest. Has Cordy said anything more about what happened before her episode?""No," I shake my head, my disappointment coloring my voice, "She hasn't been willing to talk about what happened." My anger rises as I tell him all about how our relationship has been disintegrating, how we are sleepin
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 329
[Clark]My brother is such a fool. He often is when it comes to Cordelia. I trust in his ability to make this right, but I also worry about the two of them. They've both been through so much pain."We're ready, Mr. Steele." the nurses inform me as they detach her IVs but keep her ventilator in place. She has a few other vital machines keeping her alive, but that is the only one she cannot do without until her lungs remember how to breathe on their own. My poor lost Tilly. When she "woke" yesterday, it did so much damage to her lungs they say she'll have permenant scarring. Even if she does recover, she'll have a hard time breathing for the rest of her life.Cassie and Maddie droop sleepily in their stroller as I say goodbye to their mother. They had been sleeping just a moment before, but my argument with their uncle snapped them awake. But they are such good girls, that they hardly ever cry. As their little eyes look around and take in everything they see, I can't help but marvel at
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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
