Shadows Between Us (Stella and Sebastian) novel Chapter 120

Chapter 120

1.)

55 vouchers

Inside the private room, the waiter had cleaned up so well that nothing could even tell Xander and his crew had ever been here.

Blake sat across from them, like a kid in kindergarten, ramrod straight, hands in his lap, not daring to move an inch.

With a chirp, Eggie poked her head out of Sebastian’s pocket, flapped her tiny wings, and plopped right onto Lucas’s head. She snuggled in, perfectly content.

Lucas, just spaced out.

“Do you know why Xander suddenly backed out?” Stella asked, her voice calm but somehow making Blake’s scalp tingle.

He shook his head, clearly at a loss, asking, “Why?”

Allan just snorted at that.

Stella lowered her gaze, shadows falling beneath her eyes. She said, “Because he knows I’ve got leverage on the Greenleaf Club’s double surveillance system. He can’t, and he wouldn’t dare, mess with me.”

“But what does that have to do with Xander?” Blake said, but stopped mid-sentence. When he realized what Stella was really saying, his face went pale as a sheet, and he shot up from his seat.

Sebastian gave him a cold stare and asked, “Get it now?”

Blake stared in shock, asking, “Wait, are you saying Xander was the one behind the Greenleaf Club incident?”

“Do you understand now why Mr. Pierce left his inheritance to me and put Ion Wing Drones in your hands?” Stella asked. Her eyes were cold, and there was still a hint of that wild, untamed look in her gaze.

“Why would he do this to me?” Blake asked. He was still reeling, his voice shaking. “We grew up together. He was the one I trusted most. He knew I wasn’t cut out for running a company. I was never a threat to him.”

“Blake, you’re the Pierce family’s eldest grandson,” Stella said calmly, her eyes locked on his. “Just the fact that you’re alive is already a problem for him.”

She said it so casually, but it was the most terrifying truth of all.

Blake just stood there, stunned into silence.

He slumped in his seat like all the air had gone out of him, eyes unfocused. He asked, “So, Ion Wing Drones, for me, it’s just?”

Stella poured Lucas a glass of water, not even bothering to look up. She replied, “Your grandpa was saving your life.”

Blake fell silent again.

16:35 Sat, Jan 24 d

Chapter 120

55 vouchers

“So, are you still going to say no to Ion Wing Drones?” Stella asked, her voice slow and clear, making sure he caught every word. She knew exactly what he was after, inviting her out to dinner, and now, the ball was in his

court.

If he didn’t want it, she wasn’t going to push. But when it came to drones, Stella was getting in on this, one way or another.

After a long, heavy silence, Blake finally managed to speak, his voice tight with nerves. He asked, “What do you want me to do, Stella?”

“What do you mean?” Stella asked, letting out a small laugh, cocking her head to the side. “Surviving, well, that’s all on you.”

Blake just stood there, fell silent.

He kept replaying that scene when Stella stepped out of the shadows, expressionless, grabbing a wine bottle and smashing it over Xander’s head. She was fearlessly bold, and it made his blood race.

Blake wanted to live with that same wild freedom.

“Stella, Mr. Gray. Please, teach me,” Blake burst out, fired up and desperate. He bent over in a dramatic bow, but in his excitement, his forehead crashed straight into the table with a resounding thud.

All of them were left speechless.

Blake was so embarrassed.

Clutching his now-red forehead, Blake felt like the biggest idiot alive. He slumped over the table, wishing he could just crawl into a hole and disappear.

“Alright, let’s set some ground rules,” Stella said, catching Blake’s attention instantly. He shot his head up, eyes shining with excitement.

He didn’t even wait for her to finish before nodding like crazy. He said, “Just say the word, Stella. Whatever you want, I’m in.”

Watching those bright, eager puppy eyes, Sebastian’s expression turned ice-cold in a flash. He spun his cup between long fingers, face dark and stormy, radiating a chilling pressure without saying a word.

“Let me ask you. What’s the most worthless thing in the world?” Stella said, her tone steady.

Blake blinked, completely stumped. He thought, ‘The most worthless thing? What does she even mean?

‘If she’d asked about the most valuable thing, I could’ve answered. But the most worthless? I was totally at a loss.’

“His dignity?” Allan said, waving his hand with a lazy smirk, half-joking as he pointed at Blake. Blake started to protest, but just buried his head in defeat, too embarrassed to say a word.

“The most worthless things in this world were pretend kindness, half-hearted apologies, fake regret, and crocodile tears,” Stella said, her voice totally flat. The words hit Blake so hard he just froze, staring at her in

16:35 Sat, Jan 24

Chapter 120

shock.

“Stella,” Blake said.

:

55 vouchers

“Kindness needs an edge, or you’ll just end up as someone else’s doormat,” Stella said calmly. “People will step on you, mock you, humiliate you, just like what happened tonight.”

Blake’s pupils dilated in shock.

He’d always been Chad, living for pleasure and never having anyone talk to him like this. He stared at Stella, stunned. She was so much younger, yet her eyes carried wisdom and clarity that saw straight through the world’s cruelty.

She just opened the door to a whole new world for him.

“So?” Blake asked. He was shaking all over, goosebumps rising from pure adrenaline. That blurry idea in his head was finally catching fire, burning brighter by the second.

“If someone acts crazy, you go even crazier. If they’re ruthless, you’ll be even more ruthless. If they want your life, you make them pay with theirs. You get it?” Stella said.

Stella just hit the service button for food, totally unfazed.

She was done talking.

“Stella,” Blake murmured, his nose tingling, eyes misting up. He tried to scoot closer to her for comfort.

But before he could reach them, Lucas’s adorable face turned stone-cold, his tiny hand gripping a dinner knife like a mini mob boss. Behind him, Sebastian stood ghostly pale, his chill no less sharp, both fixing Blake with a death stare.

Blake just stood there, fell silent.

Like he had been hit with a jolt of electricity, Blake snapped upright from a 45-degree lean to a perfect 90, stiff as a soldier at attention. To cover up his embarrassment, he awkwardly started doing calisthenics.

Blake began to beat time for himself awkwardly.

Everyone else just stared at him, dumbfounded.

That was definitely overkill.

*****

After dinner, at the restaurant entrance, just as Blake was about to drive off, the window of the black Maybach slid down, and Stella’s face appeared.

“There’s a party at the Lane family estate this Saturday. Sort out your own invitation,” Stella said. She didn’t wait for Blake to reply, just rolled the window back up, and the car eased away.

Lucas suddenly let out a burp. Lucas, with his full belly, instinctively covered his mouth. His big, dark eyes

16:35 Sat, Jan 24 …

Chapter 120

X 56 vouchers

darted around shyly, looking absolutely adorable. In the end, he just buried his little face in Stella’s arms and let out a soft sound.

Sebastian’s private phone started ringing, but he ignored it completely.

“Mr. Gray, your phone’s ringing,” Stella said offhandedly. But when she turned to look, she was met with Sebastian’s eyes, cold and deep, like a winter ocean.

Sebastian just grunted, didn’t even glance at the caller ID before cutting the call.

He moved with a hint of impatience.

“That party on Saturday?’ Stella thought, her thoughts lingering.

“Stella, your Edenbury Academy uniform is being delivered tonight,” Allan said offhandedly. Edenbury Academy uniforms were all hand-tailored, each with its own unique serial number. “How’d you know my size?” Stella just asked offhandedly, not really expecting an answer. Allan hesitated, glanced at Sebastian in the rearview mirror, then just shrugged and kept quiet. Lucas looked up, tilting his head, totally puzzled.

He thought, ‘Uniform?

‘Stella’s gonna wear a uniform?

He tugged at her sleeve, eyes shining like stars.

‘I wanna see. I wanna see.

‘She must be so beautiful.’

Half an hour later, Allan drove back to Sandridge Island. As soon as they walked into the villa, they noticed a slim figure standing in the living room, who turned around when she heard them come in.

The first thing Stella saw was her gentle, pretty face, long hair draped over her shoulders, wearing a pale pink floral dress that hugged her waist. She looked smart and graceful, with a 24-inch white suitcase by her side.

Before they arrived, she’d clearly been chatting with Jake.

“Mr. Gray,” she said with a soft smile, her eyes a little wistful. Then she turned to Stella, giving her a once-over. “And who’s this?”

Stella smiled helplessly.

The vibe in the room suddenly got a little weird.

“Celia, you’re here,” Allan said, glancing at Sebastian before stepping up to greet her. Lucas grabbed Stella’s finger and pressed closer to her, chirping.

16:35 Sat, Jan 24 ..

Chapter 120

445

#55 vouchots

“Allan,” Celia replied with a smile, then looked over at Stella. “Is she a relative of the Gray family?”

“I’m,” Stella said.

But Sebastian cut her off, grabbing her wrist with a grip colder than ice. His voice was flat, almost inhuman. He said, “Stella.”

The room fell into an awkward silence.

Allan scratched his nose, keeping his mouth shut.

Stella turned to look at Sebastian. Ever since this girl showed up, something about him had changed; his hold on her wrist was way too tight, like he was losing control.

“Hi, I’m Celia,” Celia said with a friendly smile at Stella, then glanced away. “I’ll take my luggage upstairs; am I still in my old room?” She grabbed the handle of her white suitcase and started heading for the elevator.

“Ms. York,” Jake called out quickly, looking a bit embarrassed. “All the guest rooms have been opened up and turned into Ms. Carter’s storage area now, including the one you used to stay in.”

Celia blinked in surprise, then just smiled and said, “Alright, just put me wherever works.”

Jake replied.

They stepped into the elevator together.

Right before the elevator doors closed, Celia gave a little wave to Sebastian, who was sitting in his wheelchair.

After a long, heavy silence, “Mr. Gray?” she asked, lifting her hand. She had thought it might be a while before Sebastian let go of her hand, but he freed her hand quickly.

Stella raised an eyebrow, watching him closely.

He looked even paler than before, his eyes totally blank, like he was lost somewhere far away. Stella couldn’t help but remember that night he’d been coughing up blood.

“Are you?” Stella asked. She started to reach out, worried, but Sebastian blocked her hand almost instantly, shutting her out.

Mr. Gray had reasons.

Stella smiled helplessly.

Allan, who had been scratching his nose, now covered his face with his hand. John came over from the other side, carrying several sets of Edenbury Academy uniforms. He asked, “Ms. Carter, your uniforms have arrived. Would you like to try them on?”

Before John could finish, Stella walked over with a blank expression, took the uniforms from him, and headed. straight for the spiral staircase without even glancing back, not even bothering to wait for the elevator.

Allan did not say a word.

16:35 Sat, Jan 24

Chapter 120

John was shocked.

Yikes, the vibes in here were seriously tense.

55 vouchers

Lucas jolted from his daze, his world shattering as he realized Stella had gone upstairs alone. He shot Sebastian a fierce glare, snatched Eggie from his pocket, and hurried up the stairs after her, determined not to be left behind.

The downstairs went quiet again.

After a long, heavy silence, Allan walked back over to Sebastian. He said, “Stella’s wrist is red where you grabbed her.”

All the things he wanted to say just ended up as that one sentence.

Sebastian looked up, his face even paler and more shadowed than before, the corners of his with sickly red. His lips moved twice, but in the end, he just stayed silent.

eyes

still tinged

In her bedroom, Stella slammed the door shut, the bang echoing down the hallway.

Leaning against the door with a frosty expression, she pulled out her phone and, with zero hesitation, blocked Sebastian on WhatsApp. Once she was done, she turned around, and there, staring up at her with those tiny, red, beady eyes, was Snowball.

Stella and Snowball were both speechless.

Snowball had been sulking in a chubby coil on the floor, but when Stella’s deep amber eyes locked onto her, she froze, not daring to budge.

Snowball just gulped down her loneliness.

There was a frantic little knock at the door, low to the ground and out of breath. Stella didn’t even have to look. Of course, it was Lucas.

Stella pulled the door open just a crack; only then did she notice the red ring around her wrist.

Stella’s anger spiked even higher.

Seriously, she didn’t know where all this rage was even coming from.

As the door opened, Lucas, a cartoon shark backpack on his chest, held Eggie overhead like a trophy. Eggie chirped, while Lucas’s soft face scrunched up, heartbreakingly cute and tearful.

He even stuffed his backpack with his absolute favorite shark pajamas, just so he’d have them close.

Stella stepped aside to let him in, and when Lucas saw she wasn’t mad at him because of Sebastian, his tears vanished in a flash; he broke into a huge grin and dove right into the room without a second thought.

With a click, the door shut behind them.

16:35 Sat, Jan 24 d.

Chapter 120

:

Outside, a pale pink floral dress slipped through the shadows.

Night fell, black as ink.

พร 49

55 vouchers

Sebastian emerged from the bathroom, his black bathrobe hanging loose, exposing the broad, sculpted planes of his chest. In the walk-in closet, he stared at his reflection, expressionless, as he untied the robe.

Scars crisscrossed his body, weaving a map of pain across his skin.

They tore apart what could have been a perfect work of art.

The cold shower had left his face so pale that he looked almost ghostly, skin nearly blending into the icy white of the room. He grabbed a fresh shirt, threw it on, and steered his wheelchair back to the bed.

The tree outside was empty, nothing on its branches.

Same with the room, totally empty.

Sebastian glanced at the tightly shut balcony doors, then looked away.

The plain plant was swaying softly in the moonlight, its gentle scent drifting through the air. But the moment it sensed someone nearby, it stopped moving, perfectly still.

Sebastian fell silent.

The plain plant kept still.

Sebastian kept staring at it.

The plain plant still remained its place.

Sebastian said, “So ugly.”

The plain plant became furious. It turned yellow and wilted in a flash and died dramatically.

Sebastian was speechless.

He said, “It’s not that bad.”

The plain plant was still just as wilted and yellow, not even a twitch.

Sebastian said, “Just a little ugly, that’s all.”

The plain plant got angrier.

Sebastian was speechless.

Staring at the wilted, yellow plant, Sebastian couldn’t help but remember the way Stella had looked at it and said, “You’re beautiful.” His lips twitched, almost forming a smile,

After a long moment, “I’m sorry,” Sebastian murmured to the empty room, the words barely audible even to

16:35 Sat, Jan 24