Shadows Between Us (Stella and Sebastian) novel Chapter 13

Chapter 13

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Stella forced the dark, foul–tasting medicine down Sebastian’s throat with quick, practiced motions.

Jake almost stepped forward to stop her, but something in her firm manner held him back.

“That’s it,” Stella said, rolling her shoulders as she let out a tired sigh.

As Stella moved to stand, Sebastian’s hand clamped tightly around her wrist, anchoring her to the spot.

If she hadn’t known he was unconscious, she’d think he was doing it on purpose.

She tried to pull her hand away, but his grip only tightened.

“Ms. Carter,” John said, his eyes on his buzzing phone. The Quinn family’s men were still waiting at the dock, and the constant calls were a clear sign of their growing desperation.

“Any idea how to make him let go?” Stella asked, raising a brow. But only silence answered her.

The moment she looked their way, John and Jake shifted their gaze elsewhere, feigning distraction.

A wave of frustrated resignation washed over her. It was clear neither man would be of any help.

Stella was on the verge of sticking Sebastian with another needle when she stopped herself. It would be unwise to antagonize a man who was funding her work.

John stared at his buzzing phone, his expression growing tense.

The Quinn family was getting desperate. If pushed, they would invade the island. And if they discovered Sebastian was still unconscious, there would be no stopping them.

“Sebastian,” Stella said, keeping her voice low and even. “Lucas will be awake by tomorrow.”

Certain this was the one thing that would reach him, she waited for his grip to loosen. But it didn’t. A second stretched into three, and his hand remained firmly locked around her wrist.

“Ms. Carter,” Jake whispered, a note of amusement in his voice. “Wrong answer.”

She ignored him, dismissing his remark as pointless chatter.

The money Sebastian offered had briefly appealed to Stella’s better nature, but that feeling was fading fast. Just as she prepared the needle, a new idea made her hesitate.

“I’ll be back tonight,” Stella said, trying the words out on the unconscious Sebastian.

She hadn’t expected it to work, but then Sebastian’s hand slowly relaxed its hold on her wrist.

Her casual mask slipped for a moment, her expression turning thoughtful. ‘He really is unpredictable,‘ she thought to herself.

12:09 Tue, Jan 13

Chapter 13

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The normally bustling dock was quiet and eerily still, under a security detail that felt more like a siege. Black armored SUVs were parked in a tight line, engines off.

Henry, the man leading the team, stood motionless, his eyes fixed on his watch. The tension around him was so thick that it seemed to swallow all other sound.

There were only two minutes left on his deadline. If Stella didn’t appear, he was prepared to lead his men onto the island by force, and the situation would quickly turn violent.

Just as he was poised to order the island breach, a black Bentley approached down the long drive.

The window lowered to reveal Stella’s flawless, makeup–free complexion.

Her long hair, worn loose down her back, framed sharp, elegant features that held a cool, detached beauty.

When their eyes met, Stella’s gaze was unwaveringly cool and carried a hint of impatience.

Henry paused for a beat, momentarily struck silent by her direct look.

Despite having met her yesterday, he still couldn’t picture her as a skilled healer. She was, however, their only remaining option.

“Ms. Carter, this way please,” Henry said, swallowing his reservations as he gestured toward the open car door.

Inside the car, Henry sat in stiff silence, his frown and rigid posture broadcasting his clear disapproval.

His silent judgment reached its height when he watched her calmly unpack a takeout container and begin to

eat.

“Ms. Carter, we’re not here for a picnic,” Henry said, his politeness tight.

It bothered him to see her eating so calmly with the boy’s life at stake.

Stella met his gaze. “So it was you at the café.”

That surprised him. He’d made sure to stay out of sight at the café, but she had apparently noticed him

anyway.

She offered no further explanation and just went back to her food.

As he watched her, the only word he could think of was unhurried.

Her slender fingers handled the fork with a slow, methodical calm as she ate.

Her unhurried pace made it very clear she wasn’t in the mood for conversation.

He checked his watch. Even with top–level clearance from his superiors, they were still at the mercy of rush hour traffic.

12:09 Tue, Jan 13

Chapter 13

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Full from her meal, Stella pulled the hood of her black sweatshirt up, hiding her face. Only then did she offer a lazy afterthought. “He’ll pull through.”

“What was that?” Henry frowned.

“Just stop the treatment. Have someone get three slices of valerian root ready for the boy,” she replied casually. “I’ll handle it when I’m there.”

Stella yawned, her voice soft with fatigue. She offered no further response to his questions, and soon, the steady sound of her breathing made it clear she was asleep.

Henry pressed his lips together, swallowing his frustration as he made the call.

Meanwhile at the hospital, the city’s top medical experts had gathered, urgently trying to diagnose Victor’s grandson, Logan.

Despite their efforts, they had no answers. Logan’s condition was deteriorating rapidly, and his heart rate was plummeting.

“Valerian root. Get three slices of valerian root,” the guard next to Victor announced suddenly, his voice cutting through the doctors‘ frantic debate.

All eyes went to him.

“Henry…” the guard began.

Victor looked up, and the young guard quickly amended his report. “Mr. Carroll’s orders. Place three slices of valerian root in the boy’s mouth and halt all emergency care. On Ms. Carter’s authority.”

Victor was quiet for a long moment. Then, with a brief wave of his hand, he sent a guard to see it done.

The ICU was a scene of focused urgency as the team worked over Lucas.

Then the guard entered. His bearing alone quieted the room.

“We are in the middle of a procedure. You must leave,” Emily snapped, her proud face etched with clear irritation. She was one of the country’s top surgeons, called in specifically for this case.

She had wanted to shine here, but failing to diagnose Logan was a blow to her reputation.

Failure was foreign to her, and this was her second major setback in a short time, the first being the Annette

case.

The guard paid her no mind. He went straight to the bedside, opened Logan’s mouth, and inserted three slices of valerian root.

The blaring alarms from the machines fell silent.

On the monitors, the flickering numbers began to steady, leaving everyone in the room in a state of shock.

“Stop all emergency treatment, effective now,” the guard announced, his tone firm as his eyes swept the room.