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Chapter 388
Last Updated:
2024-12-20 23:25:11
VictoryAnne ViceThe next chapter will put us back on the beach with Cordelia! We are so close to the end. Thank you all for taking this journey with me.
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Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 389
[Atlas]We were eating lunch on the deck of the ship when the second boat arrived from the west. "Oh good," my mother smiles as she looks through a pair of binoculars. "Our company is here." My mother hasn't explained much about how she ended up on the deck of an Austrailian aircraft carrier, nor why she's wearing the military of a naval general, nor has she or Cristine Devaroux explained why they knew to be waiting for us where they did. It has all been a big mystery.Suzanna Steele is full of mysteries. I remember being a child and finding it magical when she'd invent something new or solve an impossible problem. As an adult, I find it irritating. "Why won't you just tell me the plan," I demand, trying my best to sound authoritative. "This is about me and my family. I should have some control." "No offense, Atlas, but I left you alone for decades only to have you mess things up. This time, I'm taking things out of your hands. I know that it can be frustrating for someone who is u
Last Updated : 2024-12-21Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 390
[Atlas]"Nephew?"The word is a jolt to my system. Jude, the same man who kidnapped Cordelia for the sake of Angelica, the same man who caused so much pain and chaos in our lives...is family?My mother turns to me, her apologetic smile small and sad. "Remember, son, you promised not to hurt him." "Do you know what that man has done to our family, what he's done to my wife?" I scowl, my chest burning. "He was going to kill my child, not caring if he killed her as well, for selfish reasons. He kidnapped her, twice, almost killing her both times, and now you say he's family." "He's always been family, Atlas," Suzanna sighs, patting me on the shoulder. "And sometimes families have disagreements." Clark takes a step back from our mother and I join him. She might be family, but maybe she isn't the same mother who left us all those years ago. "Almost killing my wife isn't a 'disagreement,'" I snap. "It's a sin." Jude tilts his head. "I know I've done terrible things to you and your famil
Last Updated : 2024-12-22Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 391
[Cordelia]Looking up at the sky, I see clouds gathering in the distance to the west of us."Are you sure today is going to be a good day to go to the beach?" I ask for the third time as I pack winter coats for the kids into the back of the all-terrain vehicle."Absolutely!" he smiles in his overly zealous way. "We'll just bring our gumboots and slickers and we'll be right as rain."He smirks at his own bad joke as he adds buckets and shovels into the back. "Besides, there are some excellent tide pools for little Jasper here." We decide to leave Saphira behind with the Madisons. It's too cold for her fragile body, which has gotten even more frail since we've arrived. Hopefully, the town doctor will return soon. I was assured she'd be coming with some help in the next day or so. Jasper is doing surprisingly well. You'd never know my rosy-cheeked toddler had ever been sick. He's still receiving the treatments we developed from Suzanna's notes, which she modified a bit more before we l
Last Updated : 2024-12-23Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 392
[Cordelia]Pulling with all of my might, the thermos springs free hitting the seat with a thunk. "Cordy," Wally tilts his head. "What are you...?"Thunk. The metal canister hits the side of his head with a thwack as I swing it overhead. "Jesus Christ, woman," he blocks my second blow with his forearm. "What on Earth are you doing?""You aren't taking me back," I pant, taking short, shallow breaths as I pound his arm with the butt of the container. "Tell Magnus he can burn in hell..." I gasp, "When you meet him there!"I lift the thermos again, switching hands as I adjust my grip. "Stop!" Wally shouts, his hand reaching out. "She's just scared. please don't shoot." The cold barrel of a rifle touches my spine and I freeze. "Cordy," Wally sits up a little straighter. "Cordelia, it's okay, nobody is going to hurt you." His hands are gentle and caring as he takes the thermos. "You need to calm down. You're hurting your children." Those words snap me out of my fevered state. Jasper's
Last Updated : 2024-12-24Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 393
[Cordelia]Waiting for the doctor to clear me felt like the longest 5 minutes of my life. I have so many questions for Suzanna, so many things she left unanswered when she went off to fetch whatever it is that she left behind in her vault. Because whatever it is, she said it would be important for all of us. A key missing element to help make everything fine again. As soon as I was cleared to move again, I was wheeled to the end of the base. Wally stayed behind for a moment to speak with a few of the military personnel, and while I've grown to trust him a bit more since the mishap at the gate, something still makes me cautious when he's around. Maybe because he looks so much like Atlas but isn't Atlas--that alone feels like a deception. "It's not like he had any control over his face," I mumble to myself and he comes closer. "I really need to be less harsh with him." Carrying our bags on one arm, Wally comes up and sweeps Jasper up with his other arm. He giggles as his feet leave t
Last Updated : 2024-12-25Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 394
[Cordelia]Our group made our way back into the base, following in the wake of the black bag. Jasper hung onto Atlas for dear life, wrapping his arms around his father's neck as if afraid he'd disappear if they stopped touching for even one moment. I feel the same way. Even though I had agreed with the idea of us separating, it has been a terrible idea. What did we gain by the two of us being apart other than intel we might have received some other way? From this moment on, my family comes first. Always. Somehow Atlas convinces our son to let go and hands him off to his cousin. "Thank you for watching over my family," he nods as Wally takes Jasper's hand. "I'll never be able to repay this debt." Wally tips an invisible hat and gives me one of his signature smiles. "My pleasure, Cousin. You have a beautiful family," We watch him walk back to the beach, listening to our son's cheerful voice when he laughs in wonder watching a crab scuttle sideways along the sand."So we have a new
Last Updated : 2024-12-27Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 395
[Cordelia]"I still don't understand what I have to do with any of this...I..." My voice trails away as a little girl's face, twisted in pain, flutters through my mind.And then another moment, when Tilly sat straight up, her eyes wide and scared, her body unable to function as she was forced from her coma for a brief and terrifying moment.And the moment just earlier today, when she said my name..."I am so sorry, Cordelia." Suzanna's gaze is sad and sympathetic as she watches my realization. "There was more than one reason we needed you to go to the Fisher Institute. It was important for you to learn more about who you are, and what you can do." "This is nonsense," feeling betrayed, I cross my arms and glare at her apologetic half-smile and my fake sister's lopsided grin. At least Atlas looks as stunned as I feel. Turning to his mother he demands she tell him exactly what's going on. "Did you send my wife into danger? You were supposed to be protecting her!""And I was," she corre
Last Updated : 2024-12-27Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 396
[Cordelia]Magnus' eyes look ready to burn a hole in me where I stand as his mouth twists into an angry sneer. "You made a mistake, Cordelia Steele. Remember what I said would happen if you ever crossed me."Taking a step back, I rub my hand which burns with something that feels like a cross between static electricity and cold fire. He laughs, seeing my reaction, taking pleasure in my discomfort. Thankfully his gaze shifts to the other pregnant woman in the room. "Wife, how could you betray our family this way? You do realize when they are done with you, they are coming for our children." She looks down at her belly, and then back up at him. She doesn't say anything, but she does take a step back, her eyes glistening. "How could you do this to me," She demands, holding her belly. "You let me believe I had, that I..." "That the children were his," his eyes shift to the good doctor, Jude, who is focused on the task of laying out and sterilizing a set of sharp tools. "No ordinary man c
Last Updated : 2024-12-28
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Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 407
[Cordelia] Today is our 20th second anniversary. We've lost count of the first one, forgetting it entirely as a moment of sadness. Instead, we honor the day when we took our vows and meant them, 7 years later in Napa. Usually, we leave Los Angeles and take the week for just the two of us. Even after two decades, we haven't lost our hunger for one another and I look forward to our time away where we can just be two people together and in love. But this year, my husband is feeling a bit nostalgic. This is why I'm in the lobby of the Steele Hotel and Resort, recreating a memory I wish I could forget. When he sent me the cryptic text this afternoon, I confess I was more than a little bit confused. Why, of all places, would he want me to meet him there? At least this time I'm not wearing a hoodie with a dress tucked into a pair of loose sweats. And while my face is covered with large sunglasses, it's more to protect my identity and not draw too much attention. I am far too recogniza
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 406
[Clark] "Come on. Dad!" My daughters pull me along by my arms. I've never been able to deny them anything they wanted but tonight they are asking too much. "It's only a blind date!" "Girls," I admonish, "What have I said, I'm not ready to let someone new into my heart. Your mother was more than enough for me." Cassie stares up at me with her starlight eyes, as deep and black as her mother's, and doesn't relent. "You promised you'd let us have anything we want for our birthday. Grandma helped us pick her out. You have to try, Dad. For us!" "Grandma Suzanna or Grandma Jenny?" I grump, "Who do I need to send a thank you note." "Both!" the girls giggle. "You owe us, Dad," Cassie counters. Her red curls bounce as she stomps her foot. "Do you know how weird it is to look on a DATING AP for potential girlfriends for our father? It's so gross. You should be grateful" "Yeah," Maddie chimes in, swinging her hair over her shoulder as she twists her lips just like Tilly used to, her hand
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 405
[Jude]If the universe were fair, I wouldn't have lived to see today. If karma took her toll, I wouldn't be friends with Clark and Atlas Steele, our children growing up side by side. Once the shadow of Magnus was lifted from our shoulders, and Angelica and I were finally able to go about our lives the way we always should have been able to do, It became easier to make good with my life. Angelica and I were married shortly after Mathilda's funeral. It was a small ceremony on the family medical boat, just before the two of us set sail with our daughters, Melanie and Veronica. When the DNA showed that they were indeed my children, and NOT Magnus', that his experiment had never stuck, it was easy to adopt them. In their mind, Angelica is their mother. When they are old enough, we'll tell them the truth about Aunt Sydney, but for now, we are sparing them the burden of her insanity.And we give them love, all the love of a couple who has always wanted children of their own.Angelica, it tu
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 404
[Cordelia]15 hours later I place my feet back in LA for the first time in 6 months. We have been gone for so long that I had forgotten how loud it is, or how oppressively hot it can be in summer. Clark met us at the runway alone, the girls with their grandparents. "I hope you don't mind, but I wanted to drive you home. We could have sent a driver but," he explains, "I wanted to be the one to welcome you home." He does his best to smile, but as his melancholy grin drifts to how I hold on to my husband's hand, I can see how much this is costing him. "I'm glad it was you," I reach forward to give him a hug. "Thank you." Atlas, who has been receiving a slew of messages from Theo as soon as we landed, asks to be dropped off at the new Steele Industries building. "Looks like they need me," he apologizes, kissing my hand. "I'll make it up to you tonight," he whispers in my ear and I shiver in anticipation. "I'm going to hold you to that," I whisper discretely in his ear, trying to be mi
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 403
[Cordelia]The rest of that day went by in a blur. I insisted we rush back to the compound even though everyone had received the news that Tilly was gone. I couldn't believe it. My mind couldn't process the possibility of a world without Mathilda Madison. She wasn't just my best friend, she was my sister. So I couldn't let her go. Clark was distraught. He and Tilly took a while to find one another, and when they did finally make the right connection, they fell for one another hard. It was beautiful watching my two best friends fall in love--they were perfect for one another. But not all stories end with a happily ever after. That was a hard lesson for me to learn as well. I wanted nothing more than to watch Tilly raise her daughters. When we made it back an hour later, her body had already been collected. I had wanted to see her, to give it a chance to see if I could have brought her back: just one touch, one spark. I was convinced that I could have been the one to save her. The
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 402
[Sydney]Why can't they just let me die? It would be so easy, I'm already cut and bleeding. Why bother with the IVs and the monitors? It doesn't matter anymore. Did it ever matter?My entire existence has been a fraud. If my hands were free I'd count the ways on my fingertips all the ways I've been lied to and used.A madman altered my DNA and injected me into the wrong mother. I was raised believing I was special only to discover I was the offspring of my enemy. The man of my dreams was married to the daughter my mother was supposed to have, and I was just a cheap copy of the woman he once loved, my genetic twin, Angelica. Was this life ever really mine to begin with? Even now they aren't honoring my desire to die. "She needs more blood," the doctor announces over my head, her clear voice cutting through the din of the operating room chatter. "Her blood pressure has dropped to dangerous levels. We can't use the anesthesia. She'll need to be awake for the procedure."Procedure?"I d
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 401
[Clark]The dissection of Magnus' brain was one of the most intensely fascinating and uniquely horrifying things I have ever experienced. Using my computer to guide the charge, we attached wires to his brain, fed through a divide that my mother had retrieved from her vault. "This will disrupt his signal. It will keep him from making a full memory transfer. Hopefully whomever he's jumped into will have a fighting chance." Everything my mother has said since I volunteered for this task has sounded like something from a science fiction movie. The duplicates we had seen in Delilah's footage of her father's secret lab were all designed to hold Magnus's memories in an artificial extension of his life. Not all of them looked like his current body, as often it was useful for him to become someone entirely different for spying purposes. "Is this how he always seemed to know everything?" I ask aloud. We had wondered how he managed to get around all of our codes, to find ways to learn about wh
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 400
[Cordelia]"Wally?" Holding my hand above his head, I pause, hesitating. Just a moment before I was about to take this man's life without even the smallest shred of remorse. It was necessary to protect my family. My children and my husband. "Cordelia," He blinks, his eyes roving my face and the surroundings like a caged animal. Licking his dry, salty lips, his body is otherwise completely still. "I don't have much time. He's fighting me...I..."Wally's muscles spasm, shaking Atlas as well as he holds him in place. Closing his eyes, his body stills, as if the effort of keeping still is so great that he cannot do anything else at the same time. He whispers something that I can't quite make out, so I lean in, trying to capture his words.As my hair brushes his cheek, he repeats himself. "You need to end this, Cordelia. Don't let him escape to harm another. His other mind is gone, Suzanna saw to it, but he can still jump to someone else.""Wally, what are you saying," I shake my head. "No
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 399
[Cordelia]Atlas and I raced down the hall to the exit, soldiers moving out of our way as we passed, nobody bothering to stop us as my husband's icy glare and dominant aura kept them pinned in place. Magnus is dead and I have never been more terrified in my life. The door to the outside pushes open and we are instantly blinded by the overhead sunshine that covers the beach with an oddly bright gray that stings the eyes. It is warmer than it had been earlier, the wind having died down, trapping the moisture of impending rain, held in place by the gathering storm. "Jasper," I call out gently, scanning the beach. "Wally?""Atlas do you see Jasper?" I grab my husband's arm. His pulse is rapid beneath my fingertips as we move forward as one and find the abandoned picnic blanket and Jasper's little galoshes next to a much larger pair. "Wally!" I scream out towards the waves and find him standing in the water, at the far edge of the beach. There is no sign of my son. None. It's as if the
