Shadows Between Us (Stella and Sebastian) novel Chapter 140

Chapter 140

Night fell.

Perched high in the tree, Snowball curled into a big, fluffy white ball and suddenly felt a chill.

He lazily cracked one eye open.

The next moment, he locked eyes with a pair of cold, unfathomable eyes.

Snowball froze.

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His body jolted, scales nearly standing on end. ‘When did that damned Sebastian sneak up on me?’ he cursed inwardly.

Man and snake stared at each other in total silence.

To Snowball, Sebastian, sitting in his wheelchair, looked exactly like some terrifying final boss villain, radiating such a freezing presence that it felt like the entire room had turned into an icy tundra.

“Tonight, you’re bunking with Lucas,” Sebastian said, his voice low and sinister.

Snowball actually heard himself swallow with a gulp.

Sebastian, oozing a dark, oppressive aura, asked, “Did you hear me?”

Snowball nodded his big, round head twice, extra obedient.

The electric wheelchair hummed as Sebastian rolled away, and the instant he disappeared through the doorway, Snowball collapsed, going completely limp on the tree branch.

‘What’s the point of being a snake anymore…’ Snowball thought, utterly defeated.

Downstairs, Allan was scrolling through short videos, cracking up at something on his screen.

Stella was speechless.

With Celia gone, everyone was completely relaxed, Lucas lay sprawled at the table, stacking blocks while his little feet swung back and forth, giggling happily from time to time. His fluffy head smelled faintly sweet.

Sebastian suddenly appeared beside Stella, expression blank, fixing her with a cold, silent stare.

Stella was speechless.

Just as she was about to turn her head, Allan blurted out, “Damn, guys, isn’t this that person?” He shot up from the couch, looking exactly like that viral meme of a grandpa staring at his phone on the subway.

Lucas looked up,

confused.

It was a three-and-a-half-minute video, and the part Allan was talking about lasted only a single second. She

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Chapter 140

had just happened to get caught on camera by accident.

After watching it, Sebastian only grunted. “Yeah, that’s her.”

Even if it was just for one second, Stella, however, looked lost in thought.

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Allan felt physically nauseous. “I’ve never seen her act so damn cringy before.” Just imagining a woman in her forties or fifties playing shy and cutesy like that made his stomach… turn.

Stella stayed silent, her fingers sliding smoothly across the screen.

A moment later, she clipped that single second and did some quick editing. The man’s face reflected in the glass was revealed.

Allan stared in shock. “Who the hell is that guy?”

Stella leaned back against the couch, her eyes icy with a hint of reckless amusement. “Brantley,” she said, a thin smile tugging at her lips. “Technically, my father, but we’re not related by blood.”

Allan rolled his eyes.

Allan was completely blindsided.

“Are you… sure?” Allan stammered. ‘Wait, so that woman’s hooking up with Stella’s dad?’ he thought.

Stella arched an eyebrow, which was answer enough. Even with all that explosive drama, her expression remained perfectly calm. She stood up lazily, waved a hand, and headed upstairs.

“Sebastian…” Allan called instinctively.

He glanced over, only to see Sebastian staring at Stella’s retreating figure, his eyes so dark that nothing could be read from them.

Allan rolled his eyes.

‘Man, that stare… Allan thought.

Lucas knocked over his block tower with a loud clatter, then toddled after Stella. He barely made it two steps before stopping.

He looked down, confused.

Somehow, Snowball had slithered down and wrapped himself around Lucas’s waist with the tip of his tail.

Snowball felt somewhat guilty.

He did not even dare glance in Sebastian’s direction.

‘Being a snake is rough, but there’s no way I’m saying a word…’ Snowball thought, utterly defeated.

Lucas and Snowball locked eyes.

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Chapter 140

“Huh?” Lucas blinked, completely puzzled.

:

46D

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There was a knock on the door.

Stella had just changed into her pajamas when she turned and wandered over to the door. When she opened it, Sebastian sat outside in his wheelchair, hugging his pillow and gazing up at her quietly.

In the end, he had sneakily chosen a black pajama top with subtle dark patterns along the collar. After his shower, his hair hung loose and slightly messy, half covering his eyes. For once, he actually looked soft and almost innocent.

Stella stepped aside. “Come in.”

The electric wheelchair hummed softly as Sebastian rolled inside, and the door closed behind him.

The room fell silent.

“Want some water?” Stella finally asked. She casually poured herself a glass and glanced back. Sebastian was already by the bed. He shook his head and placed his pillow right next to hers.

Stella held the glass in one hand, her amber eyes resting on him as she quietly took in every small movement. A subtle tacit understanding lingered in the air.

With a click, she set the empty glass back down on the table.

Stella walked to the bed and turned off the main lights, leaving only the warm, dim glow of the bedside lamp.

She pulled back the covers and slid under them.

Sebastian immediately moved closer.

Her senses were instantly overwhelmed by the intense, almost unhealthy masculine scent clinging to him. His presence was powerful enough to feel suffocating. Stella sighed softly, opened her eyes, and turned toward the warmth beside her.

Sebastian was already watching her.

His strikingly handsome face was half-hidden in shadow, his gaze locked on hers.

His eyes were dark and unreadable.

The bluish shadows beneath them gave him a fragile, almost sickly allure that was hard to put into words.

“Close your eyes,” Stella said lazily. She reached out and gently brushed her fingers over his perfect brows. His side profile looked like something carved straight from a sculptor’s dream.

Sebastian obeyed without a word, closing his eyes. A beat later, he whispered, “Hold me.”

Stella froze for a split second.

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Chapter 140

:

Then, as if nothing had happened, she returned to her usual calm.

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She slowly wrapped her pale arms around him, letting him press close and bury his face in the hollow of her neck. He clung to her like she was the only thing keeping him together.

At 6’4″, Sebastian made Stella look almost fragile in his arms.

“Have you ever let anyone else hold you like this?” Stella asked quietly, her tone unreadable. Her hand rested on the back of his neck, gently stroking it. “Like Celia?”

Sebastian’s eyes snapped open. Just hearing that name filled him with disgust. Because it was Stella asking, that disgust twisted into a sharp, unfair ache.

The next second, she heard a “hiss”.

Stella felt his teeth sink lightly into her neck, more punishment than pain.

“Celia is Holly’s sister,” Sebastian rasped, his voice thick. The veins in his neck stood out as he fought to hold himself together. He nuzzled into her neck, his chest vibrating with each word.

His arm slid around her waist and pulled her closer, refusing to let go.

“Holly is my sister-in-law,” he muttered.

Stella was speechless.

He sounded wounded, like a puppy that had been wrongly scolded. Even when upset, the worst he could manage was a gentle bite-his

of sulking.

‘Honestly, it is…’ Stella thought.

way

‘He’s just too adorable for his own good!’

A mischievous spark flickered through her. She hummed lazily, her fingers still tracing the back of his neck. Only when Sebastian’s body went rigid and he let out a low, restrained groan did she finally stop.

Yeah, he was definitely getting worked up.

Only then did Stella speak, her tone calm and indifferent. “It’s late. Go to sleep.”

Sebastian rolled his eyes.

‘She’s doing this on purpose, he grumbled inwardly. ‘No way this isn’t intentional. She’s totally messing with

me.’

“And…” Stella drawled, eyes still closed, sounding as lazy as ever. “Scoot over. Something’s poking me.”

Sebastian fell silent.

It was the next morning when Stella woke up feeling like she was being suffocated by a tangle of vines.

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Chapter 140

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When she opened her eyes, she realized Sebastian had her completely tangled in his long arms and legs, holding her from behind like a child refusing to let go of his favorite toy.

Thankfully, Sebastian was always cool to the touch, so she was not sweating.

Stella stayed still, trying to pry his arm off her waist, but the moment she slipped free even a little, he tightened his hold.

Stella was speechless.

‘Seriously, he’s like glue,’ she thought.

The bedroom door creaked ajar.

Lucas peeked in, looking like a sleepy cherub straight out of a picture book. His eyes were barely open, his face soft and squishy from sleep.

He wore cartoon shark pajamas and clutched the plush tail as he tiptoed in, soft, pale, and marshmallow-like. When he saw Uncle Sebastian hugging Stella tightly, jealousy puffed him up instantly. He plopped onto the floor, propped his cheeks in his hands, and pouted.

‘Meanie!’ Lucas puffed out his cheeks even more, sulking to himself.

The second he noticed Stella was awake, his eyes lit up.

“Hey!” he chirped.

‘So bad!’ he huffed, pointing at Sebastian.

‘Uncle Sebastian, you’re the worst!’

Just as he was about to tattle, Stella pressed a finger to her lips.

Lucas nodded obediently.

After thinking for a second, he tilted his head and reached out both arms, clearly asking for a hug.

‘This is going to be tough,’ Stella thought.

Seeing him on the verge of tears, Stella lifted the blanket and motioned for him to climb up. Lucas climbed onto the bed, his little butt sticking up, and burrowed into her arms, all soft and snuggly.

After letting out a soft, sleepy baby yawn, he snuggled up even closer, sucking his thumb, and drifted right back to sleep.

Stella was speechless.

“They’re both just as clingy,’ she thought, a little helpless.

Ever since that incident years ago, Sebastian had not slept this well, with no single nightmare, no twisted thoughts but just peace.

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Chapter 140

Sebastian opened his eyes.

If that little foot hadn’t smacked me in the face, this would be perfect, he muttered.

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He glanced at Lucas, now wedged between him and Stella. Without a word, he gently moved his foot away. When his gaze fell on Stella’s sleeping face, his heart skipped. ‘How can she look so peaceful…

The white curtains fluttered in the breeze. Sunlight spilled through the gaps, bathing her in soft, creamy light. Her delicate face looked even more angelic, like she was glowing with a dreamlike warmth.

For a moment, Sebastian could not tell dream from reality.

“Stella…” His voice came out rough, his eyes deep as the sea. Then they suddenly lit up with something warm. He lifted his large hand and gently settled it into her hair, his fingers threading through her silky strands.

He wished she could stay here with him, on this island, for the rest of their lives.

He wanted to wake up every single morning and see her right there, the very first thing his eyes landed on.

It was just her.

Realizing this, Sebastian’s eyes darkened even further. ‘So what I really want… isn’t to be her guardian, or her “dad.” What I want is…’

Lucas’s little foot smacked Sebastian in the face again with a thud. Sebastian felt impatient.

‘I’m her man!’ Sebastian declared to himself, possessive and certain.

Allan was holding a pink leash decorated with small yarn flowers, having just taken Snowball out for a walk. As Celia came back in, her legs nearly giving out beneath her, Allan shot her a mischievous, loaded grin.

Snowball, who had been about to collapse from exhaustion a second earlier, spotted Celia and instantly zipped up the tree without sparing her a glance.

‘Gross!’ Snowball thought, completely disgusted.

“A-Allan,” Celia mumbled, looking guilty as she glanced away and fidgeted with her collar. Then, as if she had just remembered something, she blurted out, “Allan, risking Conrad’s wrath just for Stella? That’s really not

smart!”

Allan smiled, but there was no warmth in his eyes. “Oh? Not smart, huh?

“You kicked Dr. Conrad out of the hotel, then used Nova Group’s influence to make sure no hotel in Haliville would take him in?

“I busted my ass trying to help you and Mr. Gray get on Conrad’s good side! With that chip in his hands, getting Mr. Gray back in charge of Gray Group would be a piece of cake!”

As she ranted, several bright pink hickeys peeked out from her collar, completely ruining her serious tone.

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partnering with Conrad’s team, and Gray Group is pouring money into pushing out Conrad’s smart robots.”

Sebastian’s face looked cold enough to freeze the room, as if it would never thaw. His long fingers rolled the black prayer beads one by one, with no trace of warmth in his expression.

“They can’t even get the chips working, and they still want to sell smart robots?” Allan snorted. ‘Honestly, Big Ben could outperform their entire lineup with one finger,’ he thought.

After saying that, Allan shot another glance at Stella’s bedroom door.

‘Wait, did Sebastian actually stay in Stella’s room last night?’ Allan’s thoughts went haywire.

His gossip radar went into overdrive.

‘No wonder Sebastian kept giving Stella that smoldering look when she went upstairs yesterday,’ he thought.

‘It all makes sense now.

“Oh, right, almost forgot,” Allan said, snapping his fingers. “Those three girls showed up.”

Sebastian’s fingers stilled, his tone as cold as ever. “Which three girls?” Sebastian’s fingers stilled, his tone cold as ever. “Which three girls?”

‘Honestly, he only ever keeps Stella in mind. Everyone else doesn’t even register, Allan thought.

“Hazel, Lila, and Wendy,” Allan said. “Those three tried to pull something and got locked up for five days. They were released today.”

He paused for a moment and then continued. “And tonight, at the Lane family’s party, Stella’s sister and her cousin are both definitely on the guest list.”

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