Shadows Between Us (Stella and Sebastian) novel Chapter 108

Chapter 108

Landen was speechless.

Snowball opened its massive jaws in a friendly way, flicked its tongue, and hissed softly at Landen.

Landen was stunned.

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Nathan glanced at Landen, who didn’t even flinch or blink, and couldn’t help but marvel, “Who knew Grandpa could keep his cool like that?”

Stella looked up, shot Nathan a complicated look, and gestured for Snowball to come over. Meanwhile, Landen was still stuck there with his arm in the air, not budging an inch.

Allan looked surprised. “What’s with Landen?”

Lucas, looking all innocent, gave Landen’s arm a poke.

With a thud, Landen collapsed to the floor, still frozen with his arm in the air

Stella glanced at Nathan, her tone calm. “He just passed out sitting there.”

Nathan and others were all stunned.

“Grandpa!” Nathan cried out, sprang to his feet, and dashed over to Landen.

After the chaos, Nathan, eyes brimming with tears, held his grandpa Landen close.

“Oh dear.” Landen collapsed into Nathan’s arms, feebly reaching out to Stella. “I think this old man’s about to kick the bucket.”

As he spoke, he cast a furtive glance at the Vermilion Coral sitting on the table.

Stella rolled her eyes.

The poor old man mumbled in a pitiful voice, “Now, only-”

Stella interrupted him without missing a beat. “Go get it yourself.”

Landen chirped, “Sure thing!”

Landen hopped up from Nathan’s arms, moving so fast that one would never believe he was pushing eighty.

Nathan was speechless.

Landen grabbed three Vermilion Berries one after another, totally caught up in the moment.

It wasn’t until Nathan started coughing hard beside him that he snapped out of it and realized he’d gone a bit overboard. Each berry took fifty years to grow, and he’d just swiped a stash that took a hundred and fifty years to produce.

“I’m not just taking Dr. Miracle’s stuff for free!” Landen, now back to his old self, set the three Vermilion Berries aside, then rummaged through his big cloth bag and pulled out a small wooden box.

With a snap, Landen popped open the wooden box.

Everyone was stunned.

Lucas’s eyes sparkled as he poked his watch, and Big Ben in the corner immediately let out a surprised Wow!

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Chapter 108

The box was stuffed with gold bars.

“Dr. Miracle, this is for you,” Landen grinned, sliding the box of gold bars right over to Stella.

Stella turned to look at Sebastian, confused.

After a beat, she shoved the Vermilion Coral pot even closer to Landen. “Take a few more, why not?”

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For once, she actually cracked a smile, her usual lazy, devil-may-care vibe replaced by a rare hint of warmth.

Everyone was speechless.

Jake, hanging out in the corner, was floored watching Lucas, cute as ever, pull gold bars out of the box one by one and stack them up like toy blocks into a little pyramid.

He couldn’t resist snapping a pic and posting it in the Yates Family Chat.

Jake: [Did you guys see all that gold?]

Ivan: [We’re not blind.]

Jake: [Ms. Carter scored this.]

Wesley: [The whole pot?]

Jake: [As if!]

Maxim: [Told you, that’s impossible.]

Jake: [Just three tiny red berries for all that gold.]

Ivan, Theo, and Maxim were totally stunned.

With a loud clatter, Lucas, all cute and chubby, knocked over his little gold bar pyramid, looking like he was having the time of his life.

Sebastian’s gaze settled on Lucas, his face frosty and distant, with an icy calm that made him seem almost untouchable.

The sunlight slanted through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting a soft glow over him and melting just a hint of that chilling aura that kept people at arm’s length.

For some reason, Stella suddenly remembered last night, how Sebastian had urgently reached past Lucas to grab the hem of

her shirt.

There was a fragility in that gesture, something so broken and raw it made her heart ache for him.

“Mr. Gray,” Stella reached out and grabbed a gold bar from the table without a second thought, then sauntered over to Sebastian’s wheelchair. With a casual flip of her hand, the gold bar glinted quietly in her palm.

Sebastian looked up, his gaze icy and aloof, saying nothing.

“Stella, what’s that supposed to mean?” Allan lounged with one arm over the chair, clearly loving the show. “That little bit isn’t enough to win over Sebastian.”

Sebastian shot him a cold glance, and Allan instantly threw up both hands in surrender, pulling a goofy face.

“Just some pocket money for you, Mr. Gray,” Stella said, bending down so her eyes met his, her voice lazy and relaxed.

Allan whistled.

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Chapter 108

This was literally the first time anyone had ever handed out allowance to Sebastian.

For a long moment, Sebastian didn’t say a word.

“This is from Landen,” Sebastian finally said, his eyes deep and thoughtful.

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Stella ignored him, pried open his long fingers, slipped the gold bar into his palm, and wrapped his fingers around it. “From now on, I’ll protect you.”

She said it half-jokingly, but there was a serious glint in her eyes.

No one, absolutely no one, was going to lay a finger on her sugar daddy.

Allan was taken aback, his usual joking demeanor fading away.

Sebastian didn’t say a word; his long lashes lowered as he watched Stella’s hand. Her fingers were slender and warm, while his were pale and cold.

His eyes flickered, though his face showed nothing. His fingers instinctively tried to hold on to hers, but the urgent ring of Nathan’s phone cut through the moment. Stella turned away, taking her hand with her.

Sebastian turned to Nathan, his face blank but surrounded by dark vibes, his glare ice-cold, enough to send chills down your spine.

“Huh?” Lucas, after knocking over his gold bar pyramid again, gave a little shiver and tilted his head, looking adorably confused.

‘So cold,’ Lucas thought.

“What did you just say? The Lopez family found out that the Vitalis Pill and Compendium of Medicinal Plants have gone missing.

“And now they’re stirring up trouble at Herbal Haven?” Nathan blurted out, instinctively glancing at Landen, who looked just as shocked.

The Lopez family had been the Trent family’s arch-rivals for years.

If Trent Pharmaceuticals controlled 52% of the domestic market, the Lopez family held down another 38%, with the remaining 10% split up among all the smaller players.

For years, the Lopez family had tried every trick to snatch the Trent family’s business, but with the Trent family’s famous Vitalis pill and the ancient Compendium of Medicinal Plants, they just couldn’t get a foothold.

But now, they finally saw their chance.

“And they’re saying Herbal Haven sold fake medicine and hurt people?” Nathan’s voice shot up, his face turning serious. “Grandpa and I are heading over right now. You keep those people calm!”

“Mr. Gray, we’re heading out,” Nathan said, hanging up the phone and making to leave.

But Stella stopped him. “Wait a sec.” She gave Nathan a thoughtful glance. “Did you guys tell anyone else that the medicine and the book are missing?”

Nathan replied, “Why would we go around blabbing about something like that?”

“So basically, only the Trent family and the folks who were at the hospital that day know about this,” Stella said, and Landen and Nathan exchanged a surprised look.

“Linda’s the Lopez family’s secret daughter,” Sebastian said coolly.

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Chapter 108

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That day at the hospital, Richard, Ryan, and Sophia were invited into the lounge, so they might’ve caught wind of something.

“Those guys just don’t know when to quit.” Stella gave a lazy chuckle, then turned to Landen. “Hang on, I’m gonna run upstairs and grab a few things. I’ll go with you.”

‘Let’s see what kind of tricks the Lopez family is up to this time,’ Stella thought to herself.

Before Landen could even process what was happening, Stella was already heading upstairs. A moment later, she came back down with a black shoulder bag slung over her shoulder.

She sauntered down the stairs, looking all laid-back, but her whole vibe screamed.

“Let’s go,” Stella said.

*****

On the road, Nathan kept sneaking glances at Stella in the rearview mirror.

Her flawless face was cool and distant, and ever since they’d left Sandridge Island, there was something different about her, like she’d leveled up or something.

“Drive like that, and your family’s gonna be bawling at your funeral,” Stella drawled, lazily meeting Nathan’s eyes in the

mirror.

Nathan froze.

“Dr. Miracle, you and Mr. Gray-” Landen pressed his two fingers together, looking nosy as ever, his face practically screaming gossip.

Stella turned her head to look at him, her gaze icy and sharp. Landen swore she was channeling Sebastian for a second.

But those deep amber eyes were totally lost as she copied his move, pressing her two fingers together just like he did. “Uh, what’s this supposed to mean?”

She was dead serious; she really had no idea.

Landen just stared at her, lost for words.

“Grandpa!” Nathan called out, warning him to knock it off.

Landen caught Stella’s genuinely puzzled look and suddenly remembered that she’s still a student. He felt a pang of guilt. ‘No way Sebastian would actually make a move on Dr. Miracle, would he?

‘I mean, he wouldn’t, right?’ Landen tried to reassure himself.

Nathan glanced in the rearview mirror again, noticing that a black Land Rover was following them.

It had been on their tail ever since they left Sandridge Island.

If he guessed right, Sebastian must have sent it to protect Stella.

He had the pull to mobilize the Yates family.

Stella was way more important than he’d thought.

‘Should I mention this in the report to Jaffina?’ Nathan wondered, lost in thought.

*****

Chapter 108

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In the heart of the bustling city, Herbal Haven, the Trent family’s famous herbal pharmacy, sat right in this prime spot where every inch of land cost a fortune.

But today, the place was a disaster, herbs littered the floor, and the senior doctor on duty was trussed up and shoved to his

knees.

Flowers were strewn everywhere.

At the entrance, the patients’ families were bawling and raising hell.

The crowd outside was packed so tightly that not even a needle could get through.

“Everybody, look! Herbal Haven is selling bogus meds. My brother’s legs are rotting off! The hospital says they’ve gotta cut them off, and now he’s got sepsis. He might not survive this!” a voice sounded.

The burly guy wailed like a banshee, hauling a cart right up to Herbal Haven’s front door.

On it lay a man with a sickly gray face, his legs a mess of rotting flesh out in the open. The summer heat made the stench unbearable; people nearby were retching.

The crowd whispered and pointed, gossip spreading fast.

Remedy House, run by the Lopez family, was right across the street. On the second floor, Linda stood beside her father, watching the chaos erupt at Herbal Haven. She was practically glowing with pride.

That night, when Richard and the others came back from the hospital, they were so spooked they kept rambling nonsense until midnight.

Linda only caught bits and pieces, but she picked up the key point. The Trent family had lost their trump cards: the Vitalis Pill and the Compendium of Medicinal Plants!

‘Isn’t this the perfect chance to crush the Trent family and let the Lopez family rule the herbal medicine game?’ Linda thought, barely able to contain her excitement.

Without hesitating, Linda dialed her father’s number.

“Dad, just you wait, by the end of today, the Trent family will be toast!” she declared, absolutely sure of herself.

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As the Lopez family’s secret daughter, Linda had always been sidelined and treated like an outsider, at least until she married Richard and finally had the Gray family backing her up.

Still, deep down, she was desperate for her father’s approval and to truly belong in the Lopez family.

Right as she was talking, Nathan’s car screeched to a stop in the middle of the street. He hopped out and swung open the back door.

Stella was the last one out, rocking a baseball cap and mask, looking even skinnier than usual.

The instant her feet hit the pavement, Stella snapped her head up/eyes glinting with icy sharpness.

She shot a look straight at the second floor of Remedy House, one eyebrow cocked, her whole aura screaming wild and rebellious.

“Ms. Carter, what are you looking at?” Nathan asked, puzzled.

Stella lazily looked away. “Nothing.”

Just some worthless trash, not even worth a second glance, Stella thought to herself,

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Chapter 108

“Who gave you the right to tie people up? Call the cops!” Landen shouted, his voice trembling with fury.

Nathan’s heart dropped. Afraid his grandpa would get hurt, he dashed over, forgetting all about Stella.

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“Get the hell away from me, you old geezer!” the burly man snarled, swinging a fist to knock Landen off his arm.

“Grandpa!” Nathan cried out, panicked.

The next second, before Nathan could even finish yelling, Stella, unfazed as ever, just strolled right past him.

With a casual move, she grabbed Landen by the shoulder, spun him around, and nudged him out of the danger zone like it was nothing.

Landen, who was all set to take a hit, just stood there, dumbfounded.

‘Wait, how’d she get here so fast?’ Landen thought, still in shock.

“Ah!” The burly guy’s voice rang out again, but this time it was pure agony; his rock-solid punch was now caught in the grip of a masked girl, her face mostly hidden, her vibe cold and totally unbothered.

She barely seemed to exert any force, but the burly guy’s massive frame kept dropping lower and lower, his wrist making a nasty cracking sound. With a heavy thud, he was forced to collapse before her.

Landen, Nathan, and the crowd were totally stunned.

Stella, her face hidden behind a mask, didn’t bat an eye. She swept her gaze around the room, then, with a lazy motion, pulled a stool over; the legs scraped loudly across the floor, coming to a stop right in front of the burly guy.

She sat down lazily, crossed one leg over the other, and said, “Why are you just standing there? Untie him already.”

Stella glanced at Nathan, snapping him out of his daze. Then, Nathan rushed to free the old doctor. The burly guy tried to get up and block him, but before he could even move, Stella’s white sneaker pinned his hand to the floor.

“Go on, and keep crying,” Stella said with a lazy flick of her fingers at the mourners.

Their dramatic wailing came to an abrupt halt the moment the burly guy collapsed. “Cry,” she added coolly, pressing her shoe down even harder on his hand.

“Ah!” The burly guy’s miserable scream echoed through the whole place.

Everyone watching was just speechless.

Everyone was stunned by how hardcore she was.

Landen swallowed hard and shot a nervous glance at Nathan.

“What’s wrong? Weren’t you all bawling your eyes out just a minute ago?” Stella said coolly, her eyes glinting with that wild, untamed vibe under her baseball cap.

If Landen and Nathan hadn’t seen it for themselves, they never would’ve believed this girl, as she’d just broken out of her shell, was the same one from Sandridge Island.

No one dared to make a peep. After all, the last guy who mouthed off was already pinned under her shoe.

The ringtone blared from Stella’s phone.

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She didn’t even bother checking the caller ID, just picked up with one hand, sounding totally casual, “Talk.”

There was a couple of seconds of silence. “Ms. Carter, this is Caleb Martin, the mayor. Hope I’m not interrupting.”

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Chapter 108

Stella just said, “Oh.”

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“Thing is, the higher-ups want to know if you need us to send someone over for your protection.” Caleb’s tone was all

business.

With the Lab 709 situation blowing up, they couldn’t afford even the tiniest mistake until everything was sorted out.

“No,” Stella was about to finish her sentence when a harsh voice suddenly interrupted.

“Regulatory Bureau! Someone reported you for selling fake meds,” someone said.

A few inspectors in official uniforms muscled their way through the crowd, but to everyone watching, they looked way more like they were here to stir up trouble than do any real inspection.

They were giving off some serious thug vibes.

Stella glanced over each face in front of her, and the smile hidden under her mask was full of meaning, almost daring them to try something.

Stella spoke into the phone, her tone icy and sarcastic. “You hear that? Someone’s out here impersonating government officials and trying to scam people at the Trent family’s Herbal Haven.”

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