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Chapter 82
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2024-10-29 19:42:56
VictoryAnne ViceWhat would you do if you were Cordelia?
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[Cordelia]I don’t want to think about Angelica, but my mind cannot help but wander to the scene from just a moment ago. She was both loving and terrifying in equal measure and I can’t be sure which face to believe–the one who cares or the one who hurts.As Clark drove me home that afternoon, I found I couldn't stop thinking of our last interaction. She was equal parts caring and frightening. With the emotions of the day, including Atlas wanting to start our relationship despite Angelica's needs, I am torn about how to proceed.Do I let myself love Atlas, even though it could break my sister's mind? Or does none of it matter because her mind is already broken beyond what anyone could fix?Angelica and I have never had the easiest of relationships, but it has never been so openly competitive or antagonistic. We aren't very close in age, so we were never interested in the same things at the same time. Angelica is 6 years older than I am. By the time I was old enough to understand how t
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[Cordelia]My hands are shaking. I have never felt this nervous, not even on my wedding day. So many more rides on this moment in time, on every decision I make in the next few hours.Today is my first day as lead designer at Steele Industries.I need to do well. If I can't turn things around now, I never will and Cordelia Louise Designs will become another sad dream left to die.I won't let that happen. I can't. Taking a deep breath, I feel a little flutter of a kick and smile at my belly, thinking of my son swimming around in there growing stronger and bigger every minute."We've got this," I murmur to my little passenger, "We can do this!"Taking one last final breath, I open the door to the building and step inside.While I was away, the guards changed. And a new, friendlier face greets me this morning. She hands me my new clearance badge and gives me a little wave as I pass through. "Congratulations on your new position!""Thank you," I wave back confidently as I head to the eleva
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“I SAID STOP!” The room grows silent. Pin drop silent. Setting the stuff down gently, I turn to the small group gathered around me. “Hi,” I give them a friendly open smile. I am professional after all. "My name is Cordelia. Some of you may have heard I'll be starting today. I just wanted to thank you all for your warm welcome." Keeping my smile firmly in step over the mess I just made of patterns and paperwork. "If Theo could meet me in my office, that would be greatly appreciated. In the meantime," I look down at the papers strewn on the floor, "I'd appreciate it if someone could make sure that all of these materials make it to their expected departments." With my head held high, I walk to the office that Atlas had led me to during the last visit. As soon as I shut the door behind me with a gentle click, I leaned against it for a minute or two, taking long, deep breaths. I can't believe I just did that. I'm usually not so bold. But it felt good. So good. There is a gentl
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[Atlas]Today is Cordelia's first day as an employee here at Steele Industries. When I showered and dressed today I took extra care with my appearance. I put on my best gray suit but decided to forgo the tie. I want her to be comfortable around me, to see me as approachable and touchable.I want to be flawless for her. I imagine how she must look today, her first day in a new job, and realize that I've never seen her in a professional mode. She was my wife, so I didn't expect her to work. She needed to be pretty for social functions but little else. She did her best to fill the role of socialite, but it never seemed natural for her.When I saw her at the fashion expo, how she shined under the pressure of building and promoting a line of her creation, she glowed brighter than a diamond. She was in her element. She was meant to be a designer. By forcing her into the role of billionaire bride, I had taken away an essential part of who she was meant to be. It is 9:03 AM. By now, Cordeli
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[Cordelia]"Knock Knock," two familiar faces pop their faces into my office, their bodies hidden by the wall. I squeal at the sight of my two best friends in the world right now as they enter my new office and we collapse into a group hug."Nice, a corner office," Tilly remarks, looking around and playing with a random paperweight that must have belonged to the last lead designer. "This view is way nicer than mine." She whistles as she walks to the windows and peers out. "I won't lie to you, Cordy. I'm a little bit jealous.""But you own your own building," I point out. "I'm only renting this office and the employees working for me. This is temporary.""It doesn't have to be," Clark points out, saying what I've been thinking all morning. "You could just ask Atlas if you can stay. He wouldn't even charge you for the facilities. You're family.""Not anymore," I disagree. "Having this baby doesn't change my situation. I'm still Atlas' ex-wife.""None of that matters," Clark insists. "You'
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[Cordelia]Tilly and Clark provided an excellent distraction as I got over the hard feelings of my first day at work Watching their sweet interactions at the ice cream parlor as I indulged in more frozen dessert than is probably healthy, their playful banter warmed my heart and eased my mind.After a restful evening, I arrived at work the next day feeling refreshed and optimistic.Today, I am determined to make a good impression on all of them. Kill them with kindness. I will make them like me, goddamn it, even if I have to force them to. Thinking about how it felt to get a nice treat from my friends, I thought it might be nice to show my staff similar consideration. Taking Tilly's advice and showing them all I can be a good friend. Maybe if they can see I'm a kind boss, and maybe learn a bit about why I'm there, they might warm their hearts to me a little bit. So as I drove into work this morning I stopped by a famous donut shop and grabbed two dozen donuts and a large carafe of p
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[Atlas]Angelica arrived a the office shortly after 8. I was surprised to see her here. I thought I had made it clear to her that the office wasn't a place she should just casually visit based on whims. "This is a place of business," I reminded her. She had cried for an hour after I told her that, but in the end, I thought we had come to an understanding. What I didn't realize was how different her understanding was from mine.I thought I had made it very clear that the office was off-limits except for those on official business.She thought it was off-limits unless she wanted to come be a part of the business. "Angelica, what are you doing here?" I demand when she waltzes into my office, grinning largely like a satisfied cat. "I thought we had discussed this.""We did," she nods enthusiastically. "You said not to come here unless I have official business, and I do!" she claps her hands, her eyes bright with delight as she explains that she just personally delivered brand new espres
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[Cordelia]I didn't go straight back to the office. I couldn't. I needed time to think. So I rode the elevator to the bottom, stepped off, and took a walk around town. It doesn't seem to matter what I do, Angelica wins. Maybe I should just stop fighting. I have more important things to worry about right now than a romance between myself and the man who was supposed to be my brother-in-law.It is time that I build a life separate from Atlas Steele. Maybe we will come together when it is all over. Or maybe we will both have moved on. Either way, I need to create some distance between us. Not just for Angelica's recovery but for my own sake as well. My heart cannot take all this back and forth of emotions. If I let myself feel too much, it will continue to break my heart. I think of calling Tilly, or even Clark, but I already know what they are going to say and I don't want their opinions to cloud my decision. I need to remain strong, and if I am always looking to Atlas for validatio
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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
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[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
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[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
