Shadows Between Us (Stella and Sebastian) novel Chapter 136

Chapter 136

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The sad blues were playing.

Stella was left speechless.

She glanced at Levi with a deadpan face.

She thought, ‘The old man had been sulking in the corner ever since they got in, looking like a wilted plant with a gloomy storm cloud hovering over his head, thunder and lightning crackling for extra drama.

‘His whole body practically screamed one thing: he is shutting down.’

Their eyes met.

The blues played in the background, adding to the tragic vibe.

Levi’s eyes shimmered with unshed tears as he gazed at her, looking as miserable as humanly possible.

Stella didn’t bat an eye and just said flatly, “Turn off the music.”

The music cut off abruptly.

Levi turned off the background music and couldn’t help but grumble, “Cold-blooded.”

Stella didn’t even bother to look at him.

Sebastian was leaning against Stella’s shoulder, eyes closed, his lashes ridiculously long for a guy. He looked a little under the weather, and his flawless face now had that fragile, sickly beauty you only see in dramas.

Still, he clung to that plain plant.

Out of nowhere, Sebastian sat up, turning to Stella. His lips were pale. When he was silent, he was all icy and unapproachable. But as soon as he spoke, the vibe changed around him.

“It hurts,” Sebastian muttered, clutching his stomach, his dark eyes locked on her, almost pleading.

Levi was left speechless.

‘What the hell are you expecting?’ Levi thought.

Levi snorted and said, “Hey, ever heard this saying?”

Stella lazily glanced up at him. “Which one?”

Levi snorted. “You can’t pamper a man. Baby him once, and he’ll be useless!”

Sebastian gave Levi a cold, dead-eyed look from across the car, a faint red at the corners of his eyes. His stare

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was so icy and emotionless, it felt like it could turn Levi’s blood to ice.

Levi was speechless.

Levi thought, ‘Look at that, threatening an old man!

‘No respect for your elders at all!’

Stella shot Levi a lazy, defiant eyebrow. “Because I feel like it.”

Stella thought, ‘He’s the one footing the bill. I’ll spoil him however I want.

‘If I want to pamper him, I will.’

Sebastian’s lashes fluttered, looking totally docile, as if he’d do whatever she said.

Levi was left speechless.

Levi thought, ‘Did he just flash me a provocative smile?

‘Damn, this guy’s got two faces?’

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Sebastian grabbed Stella’s hand and pressed it to his stomach, his black shirt separating her touch from his skin.

Her pale hand against his black shirt made for a pretty dramatic contrast.

Stella was left speechless.

Stella met Sebastian’s gaze.

Stella said, “Where exactly are you putting my hand?”

Sebastian replied, “Stomach.”

Stella was left speechless.

If her palm hadn’t landed on something so firm and tight, she might’ve bought it. ‘Isn’t this just his abs?’ she thought.

Levi snorted. “Stomach, my ass!”

Stella raised an elegant brow and shifted her hand to where his actual stomach was. Sebastian peeked up at her, sighed dramatically, and even sounded a bit disappointed.

Stella and Levi were left speechless.

John, who’d seen it all before, silently slid up the privacy divider from the driver’s seat.

He was doing his best to make himself invisible.

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Chapter 136

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Sebastian leaned back against Stella’s shoulder, her warm palm soothing his stomach. He closed his eyes, feeling drowsy again.

Levi suddenly let out a sigh. “Hey, I don’t think I ever properly introduced myself.

“My name is Levi, and I’m the director of the Kinetic University Tech Research Institute in Jaffina.” He glanced at Stella, a hint of regret in his eyes. He really wished he could take her to Jaffina.

He paused for a moment and added, “But after today, I probably won’t be anymore.”

Just thinking about the online procurement event made the storm cloud over Levi’s head crackle with lightning again.

Stella was left speechless.

Her hand froze mid-move.

She looked up and gave the old man a good, long look as he kept sighing.

Suddenly, it clicked. No wonder his voice sounded so familiar when she answered the call last night.

“Oh,” Stella replied, her voice flat and calm. “That won’t happen.”

Levi blinked and wondered, ‘Won’t what?’

But before he could ask, Stella had already lazily looked away, clearly not planning to say another word to him.

‘Poor old guy,’ Levi thought.

Before long, they arrived at the hotel.

The place was owned by Nova Group, and the stylized Nova logo at the entrance was impossible to miss.

In the hotel lobby, Levi came face-to-face with Conrad and his team as they returned.

“Levi, the online procurement event is about to start,” Conrad said, glancing at his watch with a fake look of concern. “Hope nothing goes wrong.” He gave a sly, almost triumphant smile, looking like he was sure Levi was finished this time.

Everyone except Celia, who looked completely clueless, was snickering behind him.

Wherever there were people, there was a power struggle, and the research institute was no different. Factional infighting had been around forever. If Levi showed any weakness, Conrad’s faction would be quick to take

over.

Levi said, “You-”

Suddenly, an icy, unapologetic female voice interrupted, “Patek Philippe Celestial…”

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Everyone turned to look.

Stella walked in, casually rocking a black gown, her dark, piercing gaze making everyone’s heart skip a beat.

Celia didn’t even have time to wonder why Stella had changed outfits because in the very next second, she spotted Sebastian.

“Mr. Gray?” Celia gasped, stunned.

What nobody else noticed was that the hotel staff all froze for a split second when they heard “Mr. Gray”. As if someone had pressed pause on reality. Then, just as quickly, they went right back to what they were doing.

The receptionist immediately called the higher-ups.

‘Crap, this is bad!’ the receptionist thought.

John wheeled Sebastian in, the plain plant sitting on the black blanket draped over his legs.

“A watch worth over 1 million on Dr. Kramer’s wrist. No wonder it’s so eye-catching,” Stella said, tapping her own wrist. Her skin was so pale it almost sparkled, making Conrad swallow nervously.

Sebastian sat in his black wheelchair, expressionless, idly rolling his black prayer beads between his fingers. His gaze landed on Conrad, cold as ice, not a hint of humanity in his eyes.

Levi was the first to blurt out, “What? That watch is over 1 million?” The number floored him.

The elevator chimed and slid open.

The hotel execs rushed out, still catching their breath from the call. They didn’t even have time to pull themselves together before they locked eyes with a cold, warning stare that froze them on the spot.

The hotel executives didn’t dare to say a word.

Seriously, they didn’t dare move.

Sebastian gave a subtle signal with his hand, and John instantly picked up on it, heading straight for the hotel

execs.

“Stella, right? I really admire you,” Conrad said, totally ignoring Levi, his eyes practically glued to Stella. He thought, ‘She is drop-dead gorgeous, and those eyes are like little hooks, reeling people in and making their hearts itch.

But Stella just gave a careless chuckle. “Is your admiration supposed to be worth something, Dr. Kramer?”

Conrad was left speechless.

Stella’s straight-up disregard made Conrad’s face cloud over, but before he could fire back, Stella wiped all emotion from her face, her eyes going cold and bottomless. “So, Dr. Kramer, what about your dignity?”

Celia’s heart gave a sudden jolt.

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Even Levi felt a chill creep up the back of his neck when he heard Stella say that.

The elevator doors slid open.

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Conrad’s assistant came rushing out, looking totally frazzled, dragging seven or eight suitcases behind, which were all their team’s stuff.

“Dr. Kramer, we just got kicked out of the hotel!” the assistant rushed over, fuming.

Conrad couldn’t believe his ears. “What did you just say?”

But the hotel staff didn’t even look their way. They just dumped all seven or eight suitcases right outside, not caring at all.

Conrad’s whole team stood there in stunned silence.

The

guests in the lobby couldn’t help staring, their eyes fixed on Conrad’s group as they murmured and gossiped among themselves.

Conrad thought, ‘It is utter disgrace!’

All these years, Conrad had always been admired and respected wherever he went. He had never suffered such public humiliation.

“I’m Conrad! Get your manager out here! I want to see your manager!” Conrad shouted. He was losing his mind, all that usual dignity gone, and he was barking like a mad dog, totally out of control.

The hotel execs strode over with their staff, all wearing those perfect professional smiles. “Mr. Kramer.”

“Explain! I want an explanation!” Conrad snarled, practically grinding his teeth. ‘How could they trash my reputation like this in front of everyone? If this gets back to Jaffina, what will people think of me?’ He raged inside.

The hotel execs kept up their polite smiles, but their eyes slid right past Conrad and locked onto Stella.

Conrad’s team followed the hotel execs’ eyes, and all turned to stare at Stella.

Celia demanded angrily, “Was it you? Did you pull strings with Allan?”

Stella was left speechless.

She thought, ‘Honestly, whether they bring it or not, Conrad getting kicked out has absolutely nothing to do with me.

“Ms. Carter speaks for our boss,” the hotel exec announced, and before Stella could say a word, he and his entire staff bowed at a full ninety degrees, showing her absolute respect.

Stella was left speechless.

The whole place went dead silent.

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“And I regret to inform you, Mr. Kramer,” the hotel exec said and kept that polite smile, “from now on, you and your entire team are blacklisted in every hotel in Haliville.

“Once you step out, not a single place will let you through their doors.”

Conrad and his team members were left speechless.

“That includes you, too, Mr. Kramer,” the hotel exec didn’t miss a beat, flashing that professional smile.

Just twisting the knife, making sure Conrad was about to blow a gasket.

Conrad’s face turned ashen, his usual refined look twisted with rage. He glared at the hotel execs, voice dripping with menace. “You’ll regret this!”

The hotel exec kept that infuriating smile, not bothering to reply.

John melted back into place behind Sebastian, barely making a sound.

Suddenly, he stopped dead in his tracks.

He looked up, locking eyes with Stella, whose gaze was thoughtful and unreadable.

John was shocked.

He didn’t move his muscles.

Huge beads of cold sweat rolled down his back.

Only when Stella finally looked away did John let out a silent sigh of relief.

Levi, who’d witnessed the whole scene, was left completely dumbfounded. Before he could even say a word, the hotel execs strode over, in full view of Conrad, and said, “Levi, we’ve upgraded your standard room to the presidential suite, free of charge.

“Please accept your key card.”

The exec offered it with both hands, all

respect.

Levi was speechless.

“We’re leaving!” Conrad snapped, his fury twisting into a bitter and mocking laugh. He thought, ‘Let’s see if Haliville’s hotels really dare to shut me out!

“The humiliation I suffered today? I’ll pay it back a hundred, a thousand times over!’

The whole farce finally ended with Conrad and his crew storming out.

Levi, still dazed, clutched his room key and stumbled into the elevator. John was just about to wheel Sebastian in, but Stella lazily put out her hand to stop him. “We’ll take the next one.”

John was shocked.

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After exchanging a glance with Sebastian, John silently closed the elevator doors and went upstairs with Levi.

The next elevator arrived in no time.

Stella wheeled Sebastian inside, and barely a few seconds after they started moving, she reached out and hit the emergency stop button. With a loud clunk, the elevator ground to a halt right in the middle.

Sebastian looked up from his wheelchair, locking eyes with Stella in silence.

He braced himself, expecting her to start asking questions.

The emergency call light lit up, and a voice came through, “Guest, is there something wrong-” Before they could finish, Stella just coolly shut it off.

Sebastian’s eyes followed her.

Suddenly, Stella leaned in, planting her hands on either side of his wheelchair, boxing him in right in front of her.

Sebastian was left speechless.

Their eyes locked.

Stella said, “The Gray family’s sure-win project just got axed, and now they’re desperate to recover. They’ll be even more eager to cling to Conrad.

“Now that he has been kicked out of the hotel with nowhere to go, do you think the Gray family will take him under their wing?”

Sebastian’s breath hitched, his eyes lingering on her strikingly pale, flawless face. “They will.”

They were so close, their breaths mingling in the air between them.

Stella’s long lashes lowered, that dark, unhinged allure flickering back into her eyes.

She tilted her head, her pale lips brushing Sebastian’s ear as she whispered, “So, do you want to take back Gray Group, or do you want to destroy it for good?”

Sebastian’s Adam’s apple bobbed.

Stella’s slender fingers grazed the back of his neck, her touch light and teasing. Her eyes locked onto his face in the elevator’s shiny metal wall, drinking in that pale, dangerously gorgeous look that could drive anyone

crazy.

She was waiting for his answer.

Sebastian started to say, “I thought you’d ask me about earlier-”

But Stella’s fingers slid over his neck again, just enough to make him shiver.

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She let out a soft laugh. “Answer me.”

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“Stella…” Sebastian murmured, something electric building fast between them, the air growing thick with

tension.

“Answer me,” Stella said, drawing out each word, but when it came to Sebastian, she always had endless patience.

After a long pause, Sebastian’s face stayed blank. “Destroy it.”

“Got it,” Stella said, chuckling softly. Just then, the sound of maintenance workers talking drifted in from outside the elevator. Their private moment was about to end.

But Stella didn’t bother to move.

The sharp aftershave he wore got under her skin, making her heart flutter. It was a distinctive and oddly appealing scent, which reminded her of Sebastian. He might seem cold and untouchable, but he always played by his own rules.

She thought, ‘Kind of cute, actually.’

“They’re about to come in,” Sebastian said coolly. If anyone listened closely, they would hear the tension in Sebastian’s voice.

Stella just replied with a lazy “I see.”

She heard the sound of someone prying open the elevator doors.

The next second, Sebastian’s whole body went rigid, his long fingers gripping the wheelchair handles so tightly that his knuckles turned white. Even his pupils contracted in an instant.

Just like he had done to her in Victor’s courtyard before, Stella leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on the back of his neck.

“Just returning the favor,” she whispered.

The elevator doors slid open.

The maintenance worker, the floor manager, and John, who’d just gotten the news, watched as the elevator doors slowly slid open. Inside, Stella stood next to Sebastian in her black dress, as if nothing had happened at

all.

John was speechless.

But his gut told him something was definitely off.

“Not coming in?” Stella shot John a casual glance, her tone nonchalant.

John was left speechless.

He stepped into the elevator, turning his back to them. Then, like a lightbulb flicking on, he suddenly realized

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what was weird.

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The black blanket that usually covered Sebastian’s legs below the knees now covered somewhere else.

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