Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele

[Cordelia]

*Just show me," This is all so exhausting, trying to guess what it is they aren't telling me. "What are all of you hiding."

Atlas opens his phone.

Splashed on every media outlet is an official interview with Sydney Bryant, recently released from prison and returned to her native Canada. The first thing she did, as soon as she was safe on Canadian soil, was tear apart the Greyson family, and with them, Atlas Steele.

In a one-hour face-to-face interview, she disclosed every "sin" of the two companies, including my parent's involvement with the illegal dumping of chemicals and using my name to cover it up. "She was definitely involved," Sydney confesses in her expose. "I was the one who found it and brought it to Atlas' attention,

When asked about her drug and attempted murder charges she laughed them off calling them a "huge misunderstanding," and going further by saying that Atlas' lawyer helped her reduce the charges because Mr. Steele knew she had been "wrongfully accused." "None of this is true," I look to Atlas. He looks away. "Please tell me that after everything you didn't send your lawyer to help her out?"

"It was a business deal, Atlas doesn't bother to deny it. "In exchange for re-opening talks between our two companies, I needed to help Sydney out of prison," he bows his head, placing his hands on his face. "I had no idea she was going to do this. I promise Cordelia, I wouldn't have helped had I known."

"It gets worse," Clark warns me. "Much worse."

"Cordelia Greyson," she spits my last name as if it leaves a bitter taste in her mouth, "Not only helped her family hide their environmental sins, she used that money to start her new line, which she didn't even design! Sydney huffs, disgruntled. "She copied the line I had been designing and I have all the original sketches to prove it."

She holds up one of my sketches.

"How did she even get that?" I shout at his phone as I watch, "That sketch burned in the fire!"

"And she was still in jail when the fire happened," Clark confirmed. "That was my first thought, that maybe this was all a big setup from then, but no, she has an alibi."

"Why do I have a feeling this isn't the worst of it?" I want to hide my head under a pillow. It is already so bad I'm not sure how we are ever going to live this down.

"Because you're smart," Clark answers. "Here's the part that is missing."This is from NôvelDrama.Org.

He pulls up a file on his phone. It contains page after page of headlines.

They read everything from "Atlas' Dirty Little Secret" to "Which Steele's the Daddy" to "Atlas' Child-Bride Homewrecker" and finally, "Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele: How Cordelia Greyson stole her sister's fiance while pregnant by his brother." "Oh God," I gasp, setting his phone down after I started flipping through the attached photos. Pictures of

#23 BONDS

Clark and Tilly on the beach making out under the stars Pictures of Atlas kissing me in the bridal salon and of the two of us alone in his house.

I hadn't realized the window was open while we made love.

"Somebody has been surveilling our whole family," Clark explains. "I'm not sure who it is, but whoever is doing it, they are either using some deep fake tech, or they are using a rig similar to what I do for photoshoots, only they are using theirs for blackmall "Blackmail?" I am so confused. "But the worst of things is already out there."

"Not quite," Clark continues. "These photos were sent to Atlas and me this morning as a warning. None of these have been published yet, but they will be if we don't meet their demands."

I look again. The last photo is of Atlas and me in the doorway doing more than just making out. Whoever is behind this, they got everything. Every special moment. Beautiful snapshots of happiness are now forever tainted by the deceitfulness of another. Now every time I think of those moments, I'm going to be sick to my stomach with grief and worry.

Sensing my discomfort, Atlas wraps an arm around me and pulls me into his chest. I feel much better as he comforts me. Just his fresh salt and soap smell calms my nerves. I wrap my arms around him and close my eyes.

"And do you think Sydney is behind ALL of this?" I query, mumbling around his shirt, trying to wrap my head around everything that is going on. "It seems like a lot, even for her."

"I agree," Atlas pulls me in a bit tighter, kissing the top of my head. "There is no way that Sydney is acting alone. It has too many elements." He takes a deep breath and then exhales slowly adding, "Not that it matters. Whoever is behind it is giving Sydney a significant advantage.

"Well whoever it is," I pull myself off of Atlas' chest so I can get a good look at everyone, "if they are blackmailing us, that means we have something they want. As much as I hate to say this,"I look at the two brothers, "How much do they want?"

"That's the weird thing," Atlas grumbles, "They haven't asked for any money." He takes a deep breath. "To make the photos go away, they want me to bring Sydney back to Steele Industries."