Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele
Heart 52

Chapter 52 [Cordella]

"Are you okay, Cordy," his face and voice are warm and concerned, but his eyes are cold, and calculating. looking at every element of my face.

Forcing my face into a smile I lie. "Everything is fine."

As happy as I am to see Angelica, I cannot trust her. She lied to me with too much ease and sincerity. She was convincing enough that I was starting to belleve her, and if I hadn't had a flash of memory, I may still be convinced. She didn't betray a single mistake as she gaslit me and tried to convince me that my reality

was not true.

But maybe she doesn't know everything she said is a lie. If I have been walking around for who knows how long with some type of amnesia, maybe the same is true for her. She might believe what she is saying.

Jude comes up to me, ready to give me a big kiss as he pulls me into an unexpected embrace. Iturn my head at the last minute, his mouth replaceing my cheek instead of my mouth. "What's wrong, Sweetheart," he looks confused. "Aren't you happy to see me?"

"...I am...of course I am," I try to keep my smile bright as I respond. "I'm just so tired. Everything is so confusing. I know we are engaged but I do not remember you.

He looks over at Angelica who nods.

"So you don't remember me?" his face falls.

"I remember you," I try to keep smiling but it is getting harder to keep false joy on my face. "I just don't remember loving you. I mean I guess I kinda remember some of our dates, like..." I grasp at straws. "Like you teaching me how to swim!" "Is that so," his smile brightens. "Yes, I did teach you how to swim."

"It's a shame that I almost drowned. Clark had to save me and..."

"Clark who?" Angelica looks at me, and then at Jude, her eyes moving between us. "The lifeguard?"

"Um...I don't know." Panicked, I started to shake. "Um, maybe his name was Mark? I just remember someone helped."

Jude and Angelica look at one another and then turn back to me, smiling extra wide, like one does when trying to approach a frightened child.

"It's okay, Cordelia. Don't try so hard to remember," Angelica's voice is smooth and calm as she takes a step forward. "Your mind is still foggy from waking up after such a long time. I'm sure you have just confused your details a bit."

Jude's expression slowly warms. He reaches forward to squeeze my shoulder. "Don't worry, Sweetheart. I won't rush you. I know you'll remember me soon. Our love is too strong to let something like this get between us."

Chapter 52

+25 BONUS

I let them gulde me Inside the lab, although I am more than a little uncertain. They keep trying to tell me about how wonderful my life is here, with Jude, and how we plan to raise our children here. According to them both, my memory problems require constant care, but with Jude's help maybe someday I'd be fully recovered enough to return home.

"I'd like that," I smile. It isn't a lie, so it is easy to say with conviction. I want to be home. I want to be with Atlas. I just need to figure out how to get off of this island and safely back to him.

They guide me through a bland corridor into an even more bland room with old vinyl-covered chairs cracked with age placed next to cheap end-tables decorated with newspapers and magazines 10 years out of date. What had once been a reception desk is covered in a thick layer of dust, and I sneeze as we

pass.

Angelica signals that she will wait out in the lobby for us to return after Jude finishes my exam.

"Exam," I yelp. "What exam."

"We just need to see how the baby is progressing," Jude explains as he pulls my arm into his "You were asleep for a long time. We need to make sure the baby's developing as it should be." "Okay," I agreed hesitantly. "If you are certain it is necessary."

"I wouldn't ask if it weren't," he chastises me. "Seriously, Cordelia. I know you cannot remember everything but please try to have faith in me and my care of our child."

I become silent, not quite sure what I should say. The more he talks to me about himself, the more I remember about my real life, as if seeing his face was all I needed to spark my memories. Thankfully, he is so engrossed in showing me around that he hasn't noticed that I no longer believe anything he is saying.

"This place used to be a care facility for people with nervous conditions. When the company went bankrupt, it sat empty on this island until I came alongt He sounds proud as he reaches down to twist the door knob to a separate office and grins. "I know this place isn't much, but I am certain that someday we will make this place a cutting-edge facility, one that others will come to from all around the world."

"That sounds like a wonderful dream," I reply as he holds the door open for me.

His grin grows wider as he motions towards an examination chair. Taking a seat, I notice that everything in this room is cleaner, newer, and well-maintained. While he doesn't care about the condition of the rest of the building, he keeps this room in perfect condition. As I sit down, Jude opens a cupboard and pulls out a very large syringe.

"What's that for?" I sit up a bit straighter, my hands going over my belly instinctually.

"Just some routine tests," his grin widens. "We need to do a full genetic profile on you and the baby, make sure there aren't any surprises waiting for us when the baby is born."

"And that needle...? I can't take my eyes off the giant syringe. The needle is about as large as my forearm.

"Oh, this is so that we can take a sample from the baby itself. We can tell alot from the embryonic fluid and..."

"No!" I stand suddenly, and my world starts to spin. "You can't! I won't..." Everything grows dark as two hands catch me, keeping me from hitting the floor.

Chapter 52

"Cordella," his voice is hypnotic as he whispers in my e

"Yes," I yawn. "So tired.

"Tomorrow when you wake up, none of this will be real

"Yes," I agree, my body growing heavy. "None of this is Chapter 53