Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele

Chapter 11 [Cordelia]

"I'm surprised to see you here." Sydney's reflection takes up most of the mirror. Her face is twisted into a small, mysterious smile.

She is holding a full glass of champagne in her finely manicured hands as she circles me. Everything about her glows-her hair, her gown, the points on her stiletto shoes.

"Do you like my outfit?" she takes a sip of her champagne before adding "Atlas bought it for me. I didn't need him to, of course, but he does like to spoil me."

"Um hmm," I murmur, "Excuse me, I..."

She puts her empty hand down on the counter, blocking me in. "He's very generous," she takes a moment to gently caress the jade necklace that graces her neck like the kisses of a lover, "but I'm sure you already know that."

The way she hits that last word, like an accusation, tells me that she knows it isn't true.

Seeing the hurt in my eyes, she digs deeper. "You should have seen him this week. I was so proud of him. We have been working late nights all year. He looked so powerful with me on his arm as he signed that merger joining my family business to his." She makes it sound like a marriage, not a business deal.

"I won't get too technical, I'm sure you wouldn't understand," she brushes me off, "I mean, I am a businesswoman, and you... What was it that you do again for work?"

"I'm a I try to speak, but she interrupts me.

"That's right," She mocks, "You are a housewife. You didn't even finish school." She glances at me in the mirror, capturing my eyes with her gaze. "A man like Atlas Steele is so out of your league. He's going to forget about you soon enough if he hasn't done so already." Sydney then tilts herself forward, smirking as her drink spills down the open front of my dress.

My beautiful, borrowed, designer dress.

Acting without thinking, I turn around and hit her face with so much force that she stumbles backward on her stilt-like heels, crashing into the stall door and landing with a hard thwack.

"Shut. Up." My fists are clenched as I glare at her fallen form, my hand still stinging from slapping her. You have no idea what I've had to endure," As I exit the bathroom, I look over my shoulder one last time. In the future, I'd appreciate it if you kept your nose out of my business."

Stepping outside, I look everywhere for Tilly. I want to go home and put this nightmare of a night behind me. It's cold, my feet hurt and a chill breeze is sticking the dress to the front of my body.

My phone rings. Pulling it out of the jacket pocket I flip it open. "Hello?"

"Good news!" my lawyer chirps in a bright voice that feels jarring while I live in my misery. "Your divorce papers are ready to sign."

Looking over, I see Atlas marching towards me, his gaze hard, his face red. Sydney is a few feet behind him, crying on somebody's shoulder.

"Perfect," I respond. "Just in time. I'll have to call you back."

I snap the phone shut and put it away just as Atlas comes to stop next to me, his red with disgust and Indignation

"You need to keep your hands off of Sydney," he warns. Not caring if anyone is watching, his voice grows louder and louder as he continues. "She says you punched her into a stall for saying hi to you and,

"And you just believed her?" I snap. "Of course you did. If perfect Sydney said I did something it must be true."

"I didn't say that," he snaps back. "I was just...."Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

"You were so convinced I am the villain in this scenario that you couldn't be bothered to even as IF I hurt her or WHY I might have slapped her to begin with!" I throw my hands up in the air as I take a step towards him. "God forbid you ever give me the benefit of the doubt! "Do you see this," I pull my wet dress from my body so that he can see the damage she did to the fine silk. "You're new girlfriend thought my dress needed a little improvement, considering I'm just a stupid, boring, housewife. So she fixed it for me, with her drink!" Atlas takes a step forward, his hands outstretched. "Cordelia, I'm..."

I take a step back. "You know what, never mind," I growl, my chest heaving. "I'm done with you, I'm done with everything! If I'm such a terrible person," I gasp, "Why don't you just sign the goddamn divorce papers!"

"Not a problem, sweetheart," he sneers, "And while we're at it," he elaborates, "Since this arrangement is abhorrent to you, we should cut all ties. I'm canceling my arrangement with your family. That way your never have to see me again." "What did you say?" I demand my fists clenched. "Are you really so low as to....

"Greyson Mills is through." he interrupts, his voice harsh, cutting, and without mercy. "It's a floating corpse that Steele Industries has been dragging along for far too long. The only reason your family business has survived this long is because of Steele Industries. We should "Atlas, I..." My heart is sinking. Part of me wants to tell him I'm sorry, that I want to give this a chance to make this work. But I can't, damn it. I'm tired of being treated like my feelings do not matter.

"Atlas, darling!" Sydney calls from the doorway to the warehouse. She is wearing his coat, shivering in the dark. "Daddy wants to meet us for dinner."

As his whole body turns towards her, the pain of rejection turns my heart to ice.

1 can't back down. He has made me feel small and weak for far too long.

"You know what, fine!" I shout at his turned back. "I might be dead weight, but you've been a cold fish our

whole marriage. I'm done with this and I'm done with you."

Tomorrow," I declare unflinchingly. "Meet me at my lawyers at 9 am."

I don't wait to hear his response. My head held high, I turn my back on Atlas Steele.

VictoryAnne Vice Author

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