Shadows Between Us (Stella and Sebastian) novel Chapter 117

Chapter 117

Everything in the chat was deleted, not a single trace left!

Vincent was speechless.

气

65 voucher

Allan leaned in, curious. “Stella, what kind of deal did you make?” Even Lucas peeked over, too, all wide-eyed and clueless.

Stella just gave a lazy shrug, clearly not interested in answering. “Just pick one and go.”

Everyone headed out of the flower garden.

“I’ll take Lucas back first,” Stella said, seeing that Sebastian still had something to talk over with the others. She picked up Lucas from Sebastian’s lap. The little guy reached out for her and walked toward the villa.

Vincent watched Stella leave, feeling conflicted.

All along, Stella had stayed cool as a cucumber, while he was the one freaking out. Looking back, Vincent couldn’t help but feel a little embarrassed.

“At 1 a.m., have your people come to the island and take the prisoners from the dungeon,” Sebastian’s icy, emotionless voice cut through the air, snapping Vincent out of his thoughts.

“Yes, Mr. Gray,” Vincent replied automatically, saluting with his dominant hand. But as he did, the flowerpot slipped from his grasp and was about to hit the ground.

Vincent broke out in a cold sweat. “Shit!”

Suddenly, a pale, slender hand shot out and caught the flowerpot just in time.

Vincent and his men were all shocked.

They didn’t even see how Sebastian moved.

“Hold it,” Sebastian said, his eyes dark and intense. With that look, Vincent felt a chill crawl down his spine.

Sebastian continued, “Do I need to spell out what you can and can’t talk about once you’re off the island?”

Vincent held his breath, shaking his head frantically.

**

Stella had just finished her shower and stepped out of the bathroom when she saw Snowball, limp as a noodle, resting its big head on Lucas’s lap, looking like he’d lost all will to live.

Lucas pointed at Snowball, his chubby little face full of worry.

Lucas seemed to be asking, “Did it hurt its back?”

16:34 Sat, Jan 24 …

Chapter 117

After a couple of seconds, Stella answered coolly, “Snakes don’t have backs, you know.”

พร

49

E55 vouchera

Lucas stared down at the droopy Snowball, resting his chin on his little hand, cheeks all puffed up, deep in thought.

Stella let out a sigh, patted Lucas on the shoulder, bent down, and said lazily, “Dinner’s ready.”

Suddenly, Snowball, who’d just been moping around, shot up like it’d been hit by a jolt of electricity. Lucas only caught a blur of white, and before he knew it, the snake that had been flopped in his lap had vanished without a trace.

Lucas turned in shock, staring blankly at the door, now cracked open.

Stella stood up calmly, walked over to the table, and flipped open her ultra-thin laptop. Just as she was about to check it, a knock came at the door.

She looked up to see Allan leaning against the doorframe, one hand in his pocket, looking all devil-may-care and mischievous.

When he saw her glance over, he gave her a casual wave.

Stella walked over, still drying her hair with one hand, and pulled the door open. “What’s up?”

“Just a friendly reminder. No matter what you hear tonight, don’t go outside,” Allan said, raising an eyebrow, a playful smirk on his handsome face.

Stella glanced at him and gave a noncommittal “okay.”

“You need something else?” Stella asked, arching a lazy eyebrow when Allan just stood there.

“Stella, there’s something I’m really curious about. Mind helping me break it down?” Allan said, his usual smirk fading, replaced by a thoughtful look.

Stella replied, “Go ahead.”

“Six months ago, a top botanist from the Jaffina Botanical Research Institute went public, claiming he’d found and extracted a mysterious ingredient from an orchid that only grows way up at 3,800 yards.

“If it is put in skincare, it’s supposed to give the user the perfect age-defying effect. Since then, the Everhart family’s luxury skincare brand, Everyoung, has been trying to lock down an exclusive patent deal with that expert.”

Stella just shrugged, totally chill, and looked up at him. “So?”

“It was pretty much a sure thing, but just a few minutes ago, the whole deal crashed and burned.” Allan chuckled, locking eyes with Stella. “So, Stella, any thoughts?”

Stella paused for a few seconds. “Looks like the Everhart family’s luck just ran out.”

She said it as calmly as ever, like it was nothing out of the ordinary.

16:34 Sat, Jan 24 …

Chapter 117

55 vouchers

After a moment, Allan leaned against the door and burst out laughing, not just a chuckle, but a full, hearty laugh, covering his eyes with his big hand.

Stella thought, ‘It’s starting to get rude.’

In the corner, John was standing there.

No one knew how long Sebastian had been sitting there in his electric wheelchair, quietly listening.

Eggie chirped. Its fluffy little head poked out from Sebastian’s chest pocket.

Sebastian used his cold, slender finger to hook Eggie out, and the little guy landed with a soft plop in his palm.

“Shh,” Sebastian silenced it, his face completely blank.

Eggie fell in silence as if it understood his words.

“John,” Sebastian called out.

“Yes, Mr. Gray,” John replied.

“Take me back to my room,” Sebastian said.

*****

“Had enough laughing?” Stella said coolly. Normally, she just thought Allan talked too much, but today she thought he was noisy.

Allan nodded. “Yeah, I’m done.” The grin was still stuck on his face, though. “Oh, right.” Suddenly, his expression turned serious. “You know Sebastian has sleep issues, right?”

Stella kept towel-drying her hair, giving him a look that said, “Go on.”

“Ever notice he only manages to sleep when you’re around?” Allan asked, his gaze flicking over Stella’s face. He didn’t miss the way her hand froze for a second mid-drying.

Stella didn’t reply to him.

Allan’s eyes darkened. “Could you keep an eye on Sebastian’s sleep these days?”

“Why?” Stella asked, catching the way Allan phrased it.

‘What’s with these days?’ Stella wondered. ‘Just what time frame is he talking about?’

Allan shot a look at Lucas and then dropped his voice. “Because pretty soon, it’s going to be Sebastian’s…”

Stella froze at what he said.

**

16:34 Sat, Jan 24 d.

Chapter 117

II 55 vouchers

The bedroom was dim, the black curtains half-drawn, casting a gloomy shadow over the room.

Sebastian sat by the window, swallowed up by the gloom. His face was pale and sickly, completely expressionless. Eggie fluttered over, following the scent, perched on the tree in Snowball’s usual spot, then cocked its head and dozed off.

The AC was still cranked all the way down.

Sebastian opened the drawer and grabbed his meds. He seemed wrapped in frost, his fingers so cold, chilling him to the core, just like the icy coffin from the funeral parlor in his memories.

It felt like a bottomless black hole, ready to suck him into another dimension and consume him completely.

A faint, blood-hungry red glimmered at the edge of his eyes.

Right then, someone started knocking at the door.

“Get lost.” Sebastian’s voice was cold enough to freeze the blood.

But the knocking outside just didn’t let up.

He steered his wheelchair over to the bedroom door and threw it

open.

Big Ben stood at the door, looking all wounded. “Telling me to get lost is

super rude!”

Sebastian was speechless.

Big Ben tilted its head, its marshmallow-soft white body quivering. After a moment of serious thought, it said in a cutesy voice, “You have to apologize to me, please.”

Lucas squeezed his chubby little head out from behind Big Ben’s leg, giving Sebastian big puppy eyes.

“Say sorry!” Lucas seemed to urge. He was hugging a scruffy little plant in his arms.

Sebastian’s eyes were deep and unreadable. “I’m sorry.”

Big Ben beamed with happiness. “I forgive you.” It shuffled past Sebastian, trying to squeeze into the bedroom sideways, but its chubby belly inevitably got stuck in the doorway.

They were all rendered speechless.

Lucas tilted his head, looking all confused and adorable.

Big Ben said, “Let me come up with a plan!”

After a moment, Big Ben said, “Guess I need to let out some air.”

With a quick hiss, Big Ben let out air for a couple of seconds, its round belly shrank a tiny bit, and with that little gap, it managed to wiggle into Sebastian’s room.

Big Ben clenched its little fists. “Yes! I’m the best!”

16:34 Sat, Jan 24 d

Chapter 117

Lucas copied him, clenching his tiny fists too and making happy noises.

Sebastian propped his head up with one hand, his pale face expressionless as he looked at the big one and the little one. He felt a headache coming on. “Who told you to come here?”

Big Ben walked over to the curtains, stared at the tightly closed drapes in deep thought, then raised his hand and said, “Abracadabra.”

The smart curtains automatically parted.

The once-shadowy room was suddenly flooded with warm sunlight.

Sebastian groaned, “Big Ben!”

Big Ben turned around, gave himself a quick puff, and said, “Stella sent us.”

Sebastian was speechless.

Lucas handed over the scruffy little plant he’d been hugging. It was pretty heavy, and his little hands trembled like crazy.

“Stella just upgraded my system again!” Big Ben announced, its chubby hands stacked on its belly. “Now I can pick up 27 different human emotions!”

Sebastian reached out and took the plant. Lucas instantly felt relieved.

The room was freezing, and Lucas sneezed, a tiny snot bubble forming at his nose.

Big Ben instantly set the AC to a comfy 78°F. “Friendly tip: if you keep the AC too cold, you’ll end up with stiff legs! Ouch, that really hurts!”

“Why didn’t she come herself?” Sebastian muttered, glancing at the doorway, his face clouded over.

Big Ben cocked his head, pausing for a couple of seconds. It thought back to the look Stella gave it when she upgraded its system, but it still couldn’t read her mood at all.

“Oh, right,” Big Ben piped up, as if something just popped into its head. It scooted over to Sebastian, reached out its chubby hand for the medicine bottle Sebastian was holding, and snatched it right out of Sebastian’s hand.

Sebastian watched as Big Ben grabbed the bottle and chucked it straight into the trash. “Stella said if the meds aren’t doing anything, you can stop taking them now!” Big Ben declared.

Lucas puffed out his cheeks and nodded cagerly.

Sebastian shook his head.

“And this!” Big Ben perked up, bent down, and wrapped Sebastian up in a big, squishy hug.

Sebastian was completely smothered in Big Ben’s jiggly, round belly, and honestly, he’d never felt speechless

in his life.

16:34 Sat, Jan 24 d

Chapter 117

Big Ben said, “Stella said I should give you this hug!”

Sebastian said, “Let go.”

Big Ben replied, “Okay!”

65 vouchers

Big Ben let go without a second thought and stood off to the side. “That was your very own healing hug. Sebastian.” Then it made a heart shape with its hands.

Sebastian asked, “What did you just call me?” He thought he must have misheard.

Big Ben replied, “Sebastian!” It kept making heart shapes with its hands.

Sebastian’s eyes grew darker, a storm brewing in them.

Big Ben, not a care in the world, just kept making heart shapes with its hands, totally unfazed.

A minute later, Big Ben was still throwing up heart signs at the closed door, and Lucas, who’d just gotten booted out with it, stood there looking adorably clueless.

Inside the room, Sebastian looked down at the scruffy little plant in his lap. There was a sticky note slapped on the pot, the handwriting bold and wild. No doubt, it was from Stella.

[Keep by bedside.] That was all it said on the front.

Sebastian poked at the leaves. “Ugly.”

Like it took offense, the scruffy little plant shriveled up, turning yellow and crispy to protest.

Sebastian thought, ‘Seriously?’

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted something else scribbled on the back of the note. He flipped it over and saw another wild, bold message: [Don’t call it ugly.]

Sebastian thought, “Too late.

Meanwhile, John had just dropped off the stuff Kendrick sent over. Stella tore open the seal, dumped all the parts onto the table, and flipped through the files.

Snowball, full and content, was coiled up on the tree, looking blissed out, like a big, lazy white noodle.

Suddenly, the sound of a wheelchair came from the doorway.

Stella, back to the door, gave a faint little smile.

But it vanished in an instant.

Then someone knocked on the door.

“Come in,” she said,

16:34 Sat, Jan 24 …

Chapter 117

42

55 vouchers

Sebastian rolled in, that shriveled, yellow plant sitting on the black blanket over his legs. Stella glanced over, and for once, she actually caught a flash of guilt on his face.

“It just gave up and died,” Sebastian said coldly.

Stella smiled helplessly.

She slung one arm over the back of her chair, eyeing the sad little yellow plant. “You’re beautiful.”

With a soft rustle, the plant that had looked totally hopeless suddenly sprang back to life. Its wilted, yellow leaves turned bright green and full of energy, like it had been reborn in seconds.

Sebastian was shocked. Maybe it was just his imagination, but for a split second, he could swear he saw a word written all over that plant, “finally!”

“What are you doing?” Sebastian asked, glancing away from the plant and spotting the scattered parts on the table. “Drones?” With a frosty expression, he reached out, only to notice the Ion Wing Drones logo in the lower left corner.

Stella replied offhandedly, “Just wanted to see where their drones fall short.”

“It’s the core tech and the chips,” Sebastian said, his voice low. “The shells are pretty much perfect, but they’ve only survived these years by outsourcing and exporting.”

Keeping the core technology and signature chips locked down domestically, while outsourcing the manufacturing to cheap overseas labor, was a classic trick used by developed countries.

In Clusia, when it came to polls about companies with bleak prospects, Ion Wing Drones ranked number one for three years running.

All of this just proved how hard it was to stage a real comeback.

At the Herbal Medicine Heritage Center in Tongalia, a voice came through the screen, “Half a month from now, see you at the International Herbal Medicine Conference.”

It made several old men in Tongalia’s distinctive traditional garb so furious that they nearly jumped out of their seats.

“This is outrageous! Unbelievable!”

“Let’s teach her a lesson!”

Everyone started shouting at once, the place instantly turning into a noisy mess.

“Bad news!” Suddenly, someone came running in from outside, footsteps pounding in the hallway.

16:34 Sat,