Lahat ng Kabanata ng Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele: Kabanata 341 - Kabanata 350

[Cordelia]Pausing, I hold my breath and listen. Jake looks puzzled, as he does the same, mirroring my behavior. Nothing, the hall is silent. "Miss," the receptionist calls after me. "I didn't get your name?"Smiling brightly, I shook my head. "Never mind, I think I'm going to look elsewhere. Merci beaucoup!""Merci, Madam." She waved after me, her smile wide and frozen, pulling her face tight like a doll's. Once we're outside and a few blocks away, I take a deep breath, my hands shaking. That was bold. Stupid. If Atlas knew..."Please," I look over at my bodyguard. "Do not tell my husband."Raising an eyebrow in disbelief he shakes his head. "I have to report everything, Mrs. Steele." Sighing I realize he's right. Besides, I promised Atlas that we would have no more secrets between us. After Magnus forced me to lie for months about Jasper, I know that if I lie about this now, it could be very harmful to our marriage. And I don't want that. Not after regaining his trust. "Tell m

[Cordelia]"Before you ask again," she removes her scarf revealing her scarred face. "Yes, I am the real Suzanna Steele."She lets that statement stand-alone, giving me a chance to accept and process my words."But...""Oh, the comb," she grinned. "Yes, I recognized it but the thing is...I wasn't sure if I could trust you. Magnus has a way of digging his claws into people, loyal people, and forcing them to behave against their better judgment. I needed to make sure you weren't under his sway. To be honest, part of me was not convinced at the time you fell over the edge of the boat.""Fell," I snap. "You pushed."The corners of her eyes crinkled, as she closed her eyes remorsefully. "It wasn't my intention. I was trying to startle you, not kill you. I needed to test you, but I'd never take a mother from her children," she looks down at the table sadly, "Nor a wife from her husband."Her words sound sincere, but were her intentions that pure?"Maybe if I tell you a bit more about who I a

[Cordelia]"You do understand that you are the only one of us who can do this," Suzanna's eyes sparkle with excitement as if this is all just a big caper for her and not the life and death of her entire family. "You are the right age, and as a Devaroux, they will want you even more. They say their school is open to anyone who applies as long as you add yourself to the list. They don't tell you they screen that list for certain families.""How would they know if I were a member of one of those families? People get last names for all sorts of reasons." I think of my own situation. I was once Cordelia Greyson, even though I don't have a drop of Greyson blood. "They also do a DNA test," Suzanna continues. She tells us about their lengthy admittance procedure and how once your name is approved from the list, they bring you in for their "prescreening process." "You carry more than one primary line in your DNA. They'll want to see what you can do.""Wouldn't enrolling me in the school set

[Atlas]Clark and I decided to grab drinks at a local pub after seeing Cordelia off to Vancouver. He asked me why I was on the phone and when I told him he laughed. "You sent special ops to watch your wife," he snorts. "Jesus, Atlas! You're sending her to another country. You think maybe you're being a little overprotective?""Have you met my wife?" I raise an eyebrow. "Even if she doesn't always seek trouble, trouble often seeks her."She should be safe there, but just in case, I have arranged for a full security detail to watch over her. She tends to get herself into unnecessary trouble. I love my wife more than air and sunlight, but that woman is insufferable. After a few drinks, we both head back to the boat. Clark is miserable. He sent his girls away, and now seems unmoored, wandering without an anchor. "We should continue searching for the cure," he insists, wanting to leave this island as quickly as we can. "We need it for the kids. We don't need to get mixed up with whatever

[Jude]Delilah took me back to her hotel, disguised as one of her security detail. When I suggested I just continue in this role, rather than pretend to be her date at the wedding, she eventually agreed that it made more sense. "Dad would be suspicious if I suddenly showed up with you at the wedding, especially since you're supposed to be dead." She points out as she twists her lips in concentration. "We'll need to find some way to disguise you. When she returned, she had a small team of hairdressers and stylists. By the time they were all done with me, I looked like a completely different person. They shaved my hair, lightened my eyebrows, and re-contoured my face. A few small prosthetics and glue-on facial hair later, I don't think my mother would recognize me. "Last touch," she pulls out some colored contacts and I put them in, replacing my usual golden hazel eyes with bright blue. "If anyone asks, your name is Jason," she instructs as she hands me a copy of her itinerary. "Just