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Chapter 353
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2024-10-29 19:42:56
VictoryAnne ViceOh dear, what is Jude going to do now...? If you are enjoying this story, please consider giving it a gem or two in support. More chapters to come!
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Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 354
[Cordelia]No phone. No way to let anyone know I'm in trouble. And no way to escape. "This was a terrible idea," I murmur under my breath so that my handler doesn't hear me. As this is my first day, they assigned me someone to help me make it to all of my classes. I think it is probably because I threw a bit of a fit when I realized they weren't going to let me leave. "But I'm a mother, and you took my phone. My son is at home with his grandparents. I need to let them know when I'll be home." I thought the administrators would have let me go until one of them pointed to something on my chart, nudging the others and nodding. "Sorry, Mrs. Steele. We need you to stay here and be 100% focused on your studies." His voice sounds concerned, but his eyes are blank and cold. There is nothing I can say that will sway him. "When you signed the contract, you agreed to our living situation," he explains, "Your admittance counselor surely went over all of this with you beforehand."When I tried
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 355
[Cordelia]Instinctually, as any mother would, I reach forward to comfort the child. Her eyes light up with hope as my hands touch her fevered brow. She is so delicate, so frail, with hair so white it is almost transparent and eyes the color of dark coals. "How did you get here, Sweetie?" I ask as I gently pat her hair down on either side of her face. She can't be more than 7 or 8. Seeing her like this makes me think of my own children and how vulnerable they are. Atlas thought he was sending us to safety. Instead we are right in the middle of the flames. The monitors attached to the girl show her heart rate is steady, and the IV in her arm is keeping her hydrated. But why is she in pain, what is the source?"She is in the final stages of leukemia," a voice announces through an intercom speaker placed somewhere overhead. "Her parents denied traditional medical care and decided to try alternative methods. That is where you come in.""How?" I shout at the unseen person. "I don't know
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 356
[Cordelia]The cold barrel of a gun presses against my back. They must be bluffing. They can't seriously mean to shoot me. Can they?"Continue to cure the girl, or we will shoot," the man standing behind me demands, his familiar voice no longer giving me hope."Sasha, what are you doing?" I hiss. "How could you...""Shhh," he whispers in my ear. "I'm doing my job. Trust me."Trust him? He's literally holding a gun to my back and he wants me to trust him. "Have you gone mad?"The sound of the safety clicking off is loud, reverberating through the room and I stiffen."Your hands on the patient, Mrs. Steele," the overhead voice urges. "Or my associate will give you something more personal to heal.""And if I refuse?""I'm sorry," is the only warning I get before Sasha fires the gun and I stumble forward, my body expecting the painful impact of the bullet at close range. Whatever he did will leave a bruise, but at least I'm not bleeding. "Close your eyes," he whispers. "I need to make
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 357
As soon as I stepped inside the room. I could see why Sasha begged me to be quiet. I had never seen anything as horrifying. The room was a lab of sorts, not very different from the morgue-like room I had been whisked away to before, except it was narrow and thin, curving slightly as it turned around the bend. In the center of the room were beds lined up about 6 feet apart, and on each bed was a child, woman, or man. Some looked like they were sleeping peacefully, others lay quietly, their faces twisted in pain. A few had giant wounds across their midsection, their flesh peeled back, revealing organs that were being monitored by cameras and other devices in a sort of slow study. The little girl was one of those victims, her face finally calm, but the spot where I had touched her sliced open to view. "This is monstrous," I couldn't help but gasp before clasping my hands over my mouth. "Can they feel this torture? How is this...?""The green fluid keeps them sleeping and also serves as
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 358
Suzanna looks up and waves her hands toward me. "Hurry up, child! We don't have much time. I've already gotten your mom and Jasper on their way."I hesitate for a moment. Can I trust her?"This is not a trick," she sighs deeply. "Come on, we need to go. They won't be looking for one of their vehicles."Seeing the logic of her words, I pile into the back. Sasha heads to the front of the truck, taking a seat next to the unknown driver, likely another one of my mother's friends. "Oh, who is this?" she holds out her hand to take the little girl from me. I refuse to release her, holding her more tightly to my chest. "Come on, Cordelia, I won't hurt her. I need to check her for trackers." Remembering that Sasha had mentioned something similar, I gently set the sleeping bundle down on the bed. If her tiny chest weren't rising and falling, I'd wonder if she was dead. Whatever chemical was pumped into her through that IV is still doing its job, keeping her in an artificially deep sleep. I al
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 359
[Jude]"Mr. Summers, are you sure my family is out here?" Angelica's voice is high and piercing. She sounds nothing like the strong woman I once loved. "This is an alternative route," I promise her, although in truth I just want a bit of time alone with her. I was so close to getting the true Angelica to the surface. I need her to be herself if we are going to get out of this alive. There is no way I'm leaving either her or Sydney behind. Nor do I plan to leave Magnus alive. Angelica is one of the only people who can get close enough to both of them. Yes, playing a guard will give me some access, but I will be suspected if I'm seen in Magnus' private chambers. Angelica on the other hand is part of the family. I'm sure Delilah would be willing to help too, but I don't trust her. She has her own agenda. But Angelica, she'd never betray me. "I thought you'd enjoy a bit of fresh air," I explain as I lead her outside onto the rear pavilion. The beachfront stretches before us for mile
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 360
[Jude]She turns off the lights as soon as I cross the threshold. In a rush of hands, she pulls off my jacket as her lips seek my own.That's Angelica. Finally. "Angeli..."She silences me with a finger on my lips and a shake of her head and I understand without words that she wants me to be silent. Following her wishes, I use my hands for other things as we slip out of our clothing and into one another between the sheets of her bed.Oh God, how I've missed her touch, her smell, her taste--My beautiful angel, Angelica. I could get lost in her. And in this brief moment that's exactly what I do. It has been so long since I've held her in my arms. When I heard she had died, I thought it would never happen again. I know the only reason she is still here is because of Magnus. I don't know what he did to bring me this miracle, but I don't question it. I don't question anything. I just let myself love her. I shouldn't be here. Delilah will turn us into her father if she finds out. But I fo
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
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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
