Shadows Between Us (Stella and Sebastian) novel Chapter 12

Chapter 12

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“Look into it,” Sebastian said, the order cut short by a harsh cough. The cloying flower scent was getting to

him as well.

The taste of blood bloomed in his mouth as pain, sharp and sudden, split through his skull. It made the cold darkness in his eyes turn truly dangerous, but he held it back by force of will alone.

“Tell me he’s going to be all right.” Sebastian’s voice was low, his gaze fixed on Stella with a piercing, almost unnerving focus.

Stella didn’t answer.

The Frost Bell here was likely just bad luck. Its seeds were a slow poison, the real danger. Taken over years, they wasted a person away from the inside until their body just gave out.

Sebastian had his own urgent troubles to worry about, far beyond Lucas’s situation.

“I promise you, he’ll be fine,” Stella said.

She added silently in her mind, ‘And so will you.‘

Stella’s beautiful eyes grew cold. She wouldn’t let anyone harm Sebastian, not while she was here.

“Mr. Gray, Bianca took poison. She didn’t make it.” John reported grimly as he returned.

Bianca had been the island’s cook for years.

In his palm, John held out a small glass vial filled with dark brown powder.

Stella opened the vial and inhaled lightly. It was undoubtedly Frost Bell seeds, ground into a fine powder.

“Tell John what you need. He’ll take care of it,” Sebastian said, his voice low and strained.

Those familiar with him knew this cold silence was more threatening than any rage.

Stella was the first to notice Sebastian faltering. His eyes seemed sharp, but their focus was slipping. His will was strong, but his body was pushed to its limit.

The next second, blood welled at the corner of Sebastian’s lips.

“Mr. Gray!” came their alarmed cry.

*****

Storm clouds gathered outside the master bedroom as Sebastian’s condition deteriorated sharply. The attack had left him weak, but the villa was prepared.

It had a full medical suite with equipment rivaling a hospital’s.

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Chapter 12

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Stella sat at his bedside, her beautiful face a mask of icy calm.

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Lucas hadn’t absorbed much poison. Medicine and a few days of rest would heal him. Sebastian was different. Toxins had been poisoning his organs for years.

He had always pushed through the pain with sheer willpower. Today, the Frost Bell’s scent shattered that control. The deep, bone–deep agony now came rushing back, fiercer than before.

Unconsciousness was a small mercy. It was his body’s way of shutting down the pain.

“Are you sure about this, Ms. Carter?” John asked nervously, eyeing the row of acupuncture needles beside

her.

“Quiet,” Stella said.

Stella reached for the buttons of Sebastian’s shirt, her expression unreadable. Before her fingers could reach his collar, his hand shot out and locked around her wrist.

She winced at the sudden, crushing grip.

Seeing how strong Sebastian’s reflexes remained even in his unconscious state, Stella sighed softly.

“Sebastian, it’s me,” Stella whispered close to his ear, one last try to get through to him.

If he didn’t let go, she’d have no choice but to use the needle.

Just as she found the needle, the tension seemed to drain from Sebastian’s body. His tight grip on her wrist loosened and fell away.

John watched, completely taken aback.

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He knew firsthand how dangerous his boss’s reflexes could be; Sebastian had once broken his wrist while

unconscious.

Stella’s usual casual ease was gone, replaced by a serious, focused calm.

Her hands moved quickly as she unbuttoned his shirt, exposing a well–defined chest. A delicate line of tattoos followed the curve of his hip and disappeared below his waistband.

He had a good physique, but it was marred by a scattering of old scars.

Stella averted her eyes. “Tell Jake to brew the medicine exactly as I listed. It must be ready to administer the instant my needle reaches his heart.”

She chose the finest needle as she spoke.

It was no thicker than a single hair. John watched, thinking a gentle breeze might be enough to blow it away.

Yet Stella held it steady between her fingers. The delicate silver needle remained perfectly still in the quiet air, its point shimmering faintly.

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The sight made John frown, stirring a memory from his training days. He recalled a story about a legendary master of acupuncture known as Paul Penn.

Paul was said to be the greatest of his craft. His most famous feat was using sheer focus to drive a needle as fine as a silk thread straight through solid steel.

Stella took a quiet breath to center herself. With her eyes closed, she placed her fingertips over Sebastian’s

heart.

His heartbeat beneath her touch was faint and unsteady.

She knew the moment had come. Her eyes opened, clear and resolved. In one fluid motion, she inserted the needle.

Then, a phone rang out, sharp and sudden, breaking the deep silence that held the room.

John felt unsettled, uncertain whether to pick up the phone.

The constant ringing was getting on her nerves. “Just answer it,” Stella said impatiently.

John picked up. After he listened for a few seconds, his expression shifted.

It was one of Victor’s men calling.

“Mr. Quinn’s grandson collapsed an hour ago. High fever, convulsions. He’s in the hospital now, but…” John began.

The hospital had gone into full emergency mode, running test after test, but every result came back clear. They couldn’t find anything wrong with the boy.

With the boy getting worse by the minute, Victor suddenly remembered Stella’s warning from yesterday. He sent his men straight away to bring her to the hospital.

Stella felt the weariness of another crisis piling onto the last.

“Tell him to wait,” Stella replied, not looking up from her work.

John’s face, usually a mask of calm, now showed clear unease. Normally, he wouldn’t hesitate to send someone away, but he couldn’t risk offending Victor’s men.

Stella knew from John’s hesitation that the caller was important. Without a word, she took the phone, said, “Meet me at the dock in thirty minutes,” and hung up.

“The medicine’s ready,” Jake said as he entered, holding a bowl of dark, bitter liquid. The pungent, medicinal smell was strong enough to make anyone recoil.

“Try to get him to take a few sips first,” Stella directed.

Jake looked nearly tearful as soon as she finished speaking. “Ms. Carter, please don’t put me in that position. Look at my neck. Mr. Gray could snap it with one hand.”

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Chapter 12

Stella then turned to John, who merely shook his head in response.

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With a quiet sigh. Stella decided she might as well do it herself. Lifting the bowl, she scooped a spoonful of the medicine and carefully brought it to Sebastian’s lips.

Just as she expected, his lips remained tightly closed in unconscious resistance, and the medicine dribbled uselessly down his chin.

“John. Jake whispered, shuffling closer to John. “In those romance dramas, wouldn’t Ms. Carter have to feed him with her own mouth at a time like this?”

“Be quiet, John replied sharply. No sooner had he spoken than Stella selected another slender silver needle.

With a precise insertion and a gentle pinch of her fingers, she skillfully pried Sebastian’s lips apart.

Her bluntness left them both speechless, sharing a look of stunned understanding.