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Chapter 68
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2024-10-29 19:42:56
VictoryAnne ViceI hope you all enjoyed these frequent updates today. I am on a three-day weekend and I am trying to get you all as much of the story as I can. For those of you wondering if I will be continuing this story to a logical conclusion...of course, I am! They will have their HEA! I promise. But before we get there there will be trials, there will be trouble, and there will be mystery and adventure. Don't worry, I won't grow bored and set it aside for a different book. I have several books going at once, but that doesn't mean I will neglect this one (I usually have 3-4 books going simultaneously). This book will continue to be updated daily through June! Thank you all for your support! If you are enjoying this story so far, consider giving it a gem or two in appreciation.
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[Cordelia]The sun had completely set before we had made our way back to the studio flat I share with Tilly. Or rather, had shared. There is nothing left to share now.“Gone,” I choke as I struggle not to cry. “Gone, all gone.” Atlas doesn’t interfere as I search through the remains of the rubble by the radiant glow of the streetlamp from across the street. It might be after 8pm, but it is never truly dark in LA, more of a perpetual twilight. The neon signs from a nearby billboard casts the ashes and soot covered beams in an eerie, ghostly green. It doesn’t seem quite real. Just a few hours ago everything was normal, the way it had been for months. Even when I had disappeared, taken to that blasted island, everything remained where I had last placed it. I was only gone for an afternoon. It was still so perfect when I left. Blinking through tears, I see a shiny bit of metal gleaming in the ashy dark. It is so small I could have easily missed it, had my head not been turned in just t
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 70
[Cordelia]Tomorrow was not better.As I looked up at an unfamiliar ceiling, the realization that I no longer had any of my work from the past few months made my eyes water and my heart clench. How am I going to keep from falling into debt if I have to pay back all of my buyers when I fail to deliver on their orders?When I looked over my accounts that morning I realized it was even worse than what I had previously understood. I knew that I was doomed because I lost all of my patterns and samples but my loss was much deeper than that. I had vendors I still needed to pay for fabric that is now a pile of ashes.Vendors that I cannot pay because I needed that fabric to make the orders to pay them.Now I will need to repurchase it, even though I don’t have the funds, which means I will need to take out credit, and as a business owner with no financial history, this might prove impossible.It's such a mess my head hurts trying to figure it all out.“You need to call Atlas and just take tha
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 71
[Cordelia]When Clark arrives later that afternoon, he comes with a beautiful orchid as a “housewarming present” and a teddy bear for the baby and me as an “apology” for being so upset the day before. I give him a big hug and wonder if what Atlas was suggesting could be true. Did Clark keep Atlas away from me? It doesn’t seem to be in his nature to be jealous. “I’m sorry too,” I apologize as I release him. “I should have been more honest with you about it from the beginning.”He accepts my apology with one of his signature smiles, although it doesn’t go all the way up to his eyes like it usually does. He is thinking about something else, something that is adding a bit of a shadow over everything. Today.Tilly takes the plant from Clark, and as their fingertips touch briefly, I see a flush of color rush to her cheeks. I know my friend well enough to know what that means. Tilly DOES have a crush on Clark,My first thought is that it is a shame we are fake engaged because they would ma
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 72
[Cordelia]Clark didn't stop by to visit the next morning. Nor did he come by the morning after that. It seems that he was so upset by the way things happened between us that he needed more time and space than a single evening to work things out. While I'm fine giving him space, I'm also worried about him. I've tried texting, but he hasn't returned any of my messages. This isn't like Clark. He's usually so attentive and responsive. I sent a message to Atlas, asking him to look in on his little brother. He wrote me back later that evening letting me know that Clark had gone on a little trip to "clear his head." I guess my words hurt him more deeply than I intended. Wanting to make sure he still feels loved and appreciated, I left a card taped to his door. I included the ultrasound he had forgotten and a note of apology letting him know that I still want him in this baby's life and my life as well.I might not be in love with him, but I will always love him. Tilly has more than fill
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[Cordelia]I called 15 banks and emailed at least a dozen more. By the end of the morning, I was exhausted.At the end of three days, I had heard back from only one of them, an older bank with a solid reputation. In their message, they said the loan was as good as mine, all I needed to do was come down and sign for it.I called back and set up an appointment to meet the very next day. They suggested I bring along any necessary documentation and proof of intention for this loan, to save me the trouble later.This is why I am standing outside the loan manager's office wearing my only suit with an elastic waistband holding my portfolio and rocking back and forth on my heels. "Mrs. Steele," the pretty blonde receptionist waves me into the main office. "Mr. Jones will be ready to meet with you in a few minutes."I thank her as she leads me into a small but elegant office. Taking a seat in a small leather armchair across from his desk, I nod as the receptionist asks if I'd like something to
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[Atlas]When Cordelia called to tell me she was coming over, I panicked. I wasn’t expecting to hear her voice. I didn’t think to tell her not to come. I also didn't have the chance to tell her that her mother is here throwing her sister a bridal shower.A bridal shower she had not been invited to. Intentionally. Angelica and her friends are taking up most of the living room, magazines spread out all over the floor, as they work together to plan the perfect wedding. Meghan Greyson, Angelica and Cordelia’s mother is in my kitchen helping April make scones for their impromptu wedding party. Things have been getting weirder between Angelica and me the longer we live together. Most of the things she does are fairly harmless, like throwing last-minute parties or surprising me with cupcakes for a birthday that happened three months ago. Other times her behavior is more erratic.For example, Angelica has snuck into my bedroom several times now, and when I ask her about it the next day she c
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[Cordelia]By the time I reached the Steele family home, I was exhausted in both body and soul. Knowing that I need my ex-husband’s help to get a loan infuriates me, but I can also see why a bank might not want to give me a loan. As a woman with no job experience other than being the wife of Atlas Steele, it doesn’t matter to them how much time I’ve spent working on this new enterprise. They just see numbers and statistics, probability and chance. Cordelia Louise Designs is too much of a gamble. I know Atlas will have no problem co-signing the loan. Not because he loves me as the bank officer implied–he’s never told me that he loves me, not once during our whole 5 years of marriage, and I’d be a fool to expect more than like, or maybe a bit of lust at this stage of our new relationship. We were just starting to make progress as a couple before I was taken away to that blasted island. If I hadn’t been kidnapped, maybe Atlas and I would have started a real relationship, one where I co
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[Cordelia] "Clark," I turn around into his embrace, gaining strength from his arms wrapped around me. "I missed you." He holds me like this until I stop crying and then helps me back up to my apartment. Tilly is gone for the day. She's been gone a lot lately. She's been promoting a new line in Malibu and it has taken up a lot of her time recently. "What happened, Cordy?" his newly tanned face is drawn with worry. Wherever he spent the last week must have been sunny. Fall is starting to settle around us here, the hot days finally giving way to chilly afternoons but he looks like he's fresh from the beach. "I failed," I fight to not start crying again. "The fire, my business, I can't even get a loan." I sob. After I spend the next 15 minutes explaining my situation, he wipes my face, puts a hand on each shoulder, and says, "Let's go. I'll drive." "Where?" I ask as he pulls me up by the hand. "The bank of course," he tucks my hand into his arm, pulling me towards the door, givi
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[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
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[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
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[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
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[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
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[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
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[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
