Shadows Between Us (Stella and Sebastian) novel Chapter 141

Chapter 141

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“After getting played that hard last time, you really think they’re gonna let Stella walk away tonight?” Allan raised an eyebrow. ‘No chance. If they don’t try to mess her up, that’ll be a miracle. This whole thing screams trap,’ he thought.

As he spoke, Allan leaned against the wall with his usual laid-back air, pulling a few gold-embossed invitations. from his pocket. “Let’s sneak in tonight and freak Stella out.” Just thinking about it had him fired up.

Sebastian rolled his eyes.

“This guy’s seriously got a screw loose, he thought.

“Get Manny over this afternoon to glam Stella up,” Sebastian said flatly.

Allan almost choked on air.

Manny was a legendary makeup artist who only worked with international superstars. For a simple dinner party, wasn’t that overkill? ‘Is Sebastian really treating the Lane family like royalty?’ Allan wondered.

Sebastian shot Allan a cold look. “If she wants to play, let her have her fun.”

Allan rolled his eyes.

‘Man, if Stella ever said she liked diamonds, would you go dig up a whole mine for her?’ Allan thought.

At the Carter residence, Camilla had just brought her precious daughter home.

She was frantically sprinkling salt at the doorway, trying to ward off bad luck. Just thinking about Stella locking Hazel up for five days made Camilla want to tear her apart.

“Mom! You and Vera have to teach her a lesson tonight and make her pay for messing with Lila and me!”

Hazel could barely sit still, already itching to see Stella humiliated. ‘If she’d just let us walk all over her, we never would’ve messed with Nova Group, and none of this would’ve happened,’ she fumed.

‘It’s all Stella’s fault!’ Hazel thought.

“Don’t worry. Tonight, we’re not letting her off the hook,” Camilla said, her voice dripping with malice.

Camilla snarled, “Just wait until we get Stella into David’s bed. Her whole life will be ruined.”

On Sandridge Island, Stella stood in the courtyard, watching little Lucas toddle around with a straw hat on his head and a tiny basket in his hands.

When her phone rang, she glanced at the caller ID: Vera. She picked up, figuring it was about time they made their move. With a cold smirk, Stella drawled, “Vera?” Her tone was lazy, laced with sarcasm.

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“Stella, don’t forget about the Lane family’s party tonight,” Vera said. The moment she heard Stella’s voice, she had a nasty feeling. “There might be trouble, Vera thought, frowning.

“Is Lila home?” Stella asked.

“Ah!” Not far away, Lucas stuck his butt out as he picked bright red cherry tomatoes from the vine.

Snowball slithered over and dropped her big white head into Stella’s lap, looking completely at ease. The moment Stella opened her mouth, fluffy little Eggie started chirping nonstop.

Vera grabbed Hazel, who looked ready to explode, and shook her head, signaling her to calm down.

“Lila’s just being a kid, so let me apologize for her,” Vera said sweetly. “Do you need me to send a driver tonight? Make sure you dress up. I’ll introduce you to some of Haliville’s top VIPs.”

Stella sounded bored. “No need. I’ll drive myself.”

Vera smiled. “Alright. I’ll send the e-invite to your phone.”

It wasn’t until after she hung up that Vera suddenly realized, ‘Wait, she’s driving herself? How does Stella, a girl who got kicked out of school and doesn’t even go home, even have a car?’

Stella tossed her phone aside and idly stroked Snowball’s cool, smooth fur. She leaned against a pillar, looking detached. The breeze lifted her hair, revealing a faint bite mark on her neck.

“How can you be so shameless?” Celia’s furious voice rang out behind her.

Stella blinked, confused. ‘What the hell is going on?’ she thought. ‘Is she seriously picking a fight for no reason?’

Rapid footsteps soon arrived near her, and Stella hadn’t intended to acknowledge her, but the next second, someone grabbed her collar. Instinct kicked in.

She slapped the hand away with a smack.

Snowball lifted her head. Normally gentle around Stella, she arched her back and hissed at Celia, who was clutching her wrist in pain, looking ready to lunge.

Celia glared at Stella. “What’s that on your neck?”

Stella’s eyes were cold and impatient. “None of your damn business.”

“Is it Mr. Gray? How old are you? He pays you to watch Lucas, and you have the nerve to climb into his bed?” Celia stayed put, clearly intimidated by Snowball, and tried to humiliate Stella with words instead.

Stella was speechless.

‘Who’s sneaking into whose bed, exactly?’ Stella thought.

She narrowed her eyes at Celia, a dangerous glint flashing. Anyone who knew Stella could tell her patience was wearing thin. “Celia, don’t get ahead of yourself.”

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Stella glanced at Celia’s neck, noticing the obvious reddish marks now that she was worked up.

“I looked you up. Eighteen, expelled, rebellious, terrible grades. How could Mr. Gray trust someone like you around Lucas?” Celia sneered, her voice full of contempt. ‘You’re completely useless, she thought.

‘Why does she get to stay on Sandridge Island whenever she wants, while I only come a few weeks a year?’ Celia burned with envy. Every time she asked Sebastian to let her stay longer, he shut her down without hesitation.

‘Why her and not me?’ Celia thought bitterly, the unfairness gnawing at her.

“Everyone at school says you’re always hanging around random guys. Is that where you learned your tricks?” Celia sneered, her voice thick with scorn. “You’re trash.”

Stella laughed suddenly and patted Snowball’s head. “You done running your mouth?” She shot Celia a sideways glance so chill that even the animals nearby froze, sensing the danger.

But Celia still did not know when to quit. As she started to speak again, Stella’s smile did not fade. “Snowball, go hang out with Lucas. Don’t let him see this mess,” she said, cutting Celia off without missing a beat.

Snowball, who was usually a complete menace around Celia, suddenly turned sweet, nodding her big white head with fluffy little Eggie perched on top, then trotted off toward Lucas, who was still busy picking cherry

tomatoes.

‘Man, I, Snowball, really do way too much to keep this family peaceful and drama-free,’ Snowball thought, feeling quietly smug.

Stella kept smiling as she watched Snowball leave, making sure Lucas was led away and could not see what came next. The instant he was out of sight, her smile vanished, and her expression froze over.

Celia’s eyes widened before her mind could even catch up. Stella grabbed a fistful of her long hair and yanked it hard into her palm.

“Ah!” Celia shrieked in pain.

Stella’s voice was ice-cold. “Looks like my last warning did not get through to you.” Her fingers twisted in Celia’s hair, her presence restless and dangerous, her eyes rimmed with a sharp red edge.

Her face blank and cold, she dragged Celia straight into the house by the hair.

‘Celia really has me all wrong,’ Stella thought. ‘When did I ever look like someone who just takes it? If that is what she believes, I am more than happy to give her a reality check.

“Let go of me! Help! Mr. Gray! Allan!” Celia screamed, her scalp burning as if it might tear loose. Once inside, she reached toward the staff, begging for help.

“Ms. Carter…” The servants froze in fear, but Stella’s cold stare stopped them before they could take a single step.

“All of you, back off. If anything happens, I will take responsibility,” Stella said calmly. She was not aggressive at all, yet that calm was so chilling it made everyone’s skin crawl.

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Chapter 141

With a loud thud, Stella kicked open the downstairs bathroom door.

She locked it with a click from the inside.

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“Messy? Man-stealer? Trash?” Stella said coolly as she plugged the drain and turned on the faucet. She watched the sink fill, her expression completely unmoved.

“Let go of me!” Celia screamed, struggling desperately to break free.

Her scalp throbbed with pain as tears streamed down her face, her hands clawing at anything she could reach.

The servants, terrified that something bad was happening, kept pounding on the door. Stella barely spared them a glance, scoffing, “Celia, do you really think I’m that nice?”

The next second, Stella’s expression turned brutally cold as she shoved Celia’s face straight into the water- filled sink.

Panic slammed into Celia from every direction, swallowing her whole.

“Ste… Stella…” Celia gasped as her hands clutched the edge of the sink, and her mouth opened in blind terror with a gurgle, water rushing in and choking her.

She hacked and gasped, clawing desperately for air.

“Stella what?” Stella asked coldly as she yanked Celia’s head up, letting her steal a breath before forcing her straight back down, dragging her from brief relief into hell again.

Again and again, Stella repeated it, merciless and unrelenting.

Upstairs in the study, a servant rushed over and knocked urgently on the door.

“Mr. Gray, something is wrong! Ms. Carter and Ms. York are fighting!” the servant blurted out, completely panicked.

Allan rolled his eyes.

‘No doubt about it. Celia must have started something with Stella again. How does she never learn?’ Allan thought.

Sebastian paused and frowned. “Is she hurt?”

The servant froze, at a loss for words.

‘Which one does he mean?’ she wondered.

To be safe, she mentioned both. “Ms. Carter seems fine, but Ms. York… it sounds like she is really getting it.”

Allan just snorted.

He clapped a hand over his mouth, but there was no stopping the laugh that slipped out.

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Hearing that, Sebastian simply turned his gaze back to the paperwork on his desk. “Just make sure Stella is not disturbed.”

The servant stood there, speechless.

Now she was certain. Sebastian only cared whether Stella was hurt, not Celia.

Downstairs, Celia slumped to the floor, soaked through, her long hair disheveled. Stella popped the drain open with one hand, letting the water rush out of the sink.

Celia collapsed into coughing fits, her face ghostly pale as tears streamed down her cheeks. She looked like a pitiful, trampled flower, though inside she was cursing Stella with everything she had.

“Celia, what did you get up to last night?” Stella crouched in front of Celia and asked casually, her smile sharp with sarcasm as she wiped her fingers with a tissue.

Celia’s eyes widened, her pupils shrinking in terror.

“You stayed out all night and only dragged yourself back this morning. So what did you get up to?” Stella asked lazily, clearly uninterested. If it wasn’t her business, she’d not have any intention of thinking about it at all.

But Stella just didn’t get it. ‘How do people find the nerve to judge others when they cannot even clean up their own mess? If you are that desperate, maybe I should help you cut the line to the afterlife,’ Stella snarked inwardly.

Celia kept her mouth shut, her lips pressed tight, hatred blazing in her eyes. The innocent act she had put on earlier was long gone.

Stella did not care anyway.

There were plenty of people who hated her. Celia was just another name on the list.

Stella let out a quiet, cold laugh. “Not talking? Fine. I will answer for you.”

There was a harsh tearing sound,

Stella yanked open Celia’s collar, exposing pale skin marked with red and purple bruises that told the whole story.

“Ah!” Celia clutched her collar, feeling as if her dignity had been torn apart and ground into the floor.

Stella’s face was icy. “Conrad did that to you?”

Celia could not say a word.

Shame crashed over her, her eyes bloodshot with fury as she glared furiously at Stella, who hadn’t even let her keep a shred of decency.

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‘If Stella had not shown off at Edenbury Academy, I wouldn’t have kept screwing up one thing after another. It is all her fault,’ Celia seethed.

Stella stood and slipped back into her usual lazy indifference. She straightened her clothes unhurriedly, then flicked the used tissue straight at Celia’s face.

“Before you go playing moral police, make sure your own hands are clean,” Stella sneered.

With that, she did not spare Celia another glance. She stepped right over her, opened the door, and walked out, leaving Celia slumped on the floor, staring after her with bitter hatred.

Stella went upstairs, changed into a fresh outfit, grabbed her keys, and headed out. On the way down, she ran into Allan.

Allan looked surprised. “Stella, you heading out?”

“Mm,” Stella replied lazily, waving him off. She paused, glanced back, and added casually, “Let Sebastian know. I roughed up Celia.”

Allan rolled his eyes.

He was about to say Sebastian already knew, but Stella did not look back and walked straight out.

Moments later, the roar of an engine echoed through the house as Stella took off on her Lightning LS-218.

Allan was watching after her.

‘Damn. Stella has quite a temper today,’ he thought.

Upstairs in the study, Celia had changed into a fresh white dress. Her eyes were swollen and red, making her look like she had been wronged by the entire world.

She played the innocent victim well, but Sebastian, seated across from her in his wheelchair, was colder than ice. When the engine roared below, his gaze hardened even further.

“Celia, pack your things. You’re leaving the island tomorrow,” Sebastian said, idly spinning prayer beads, voice sharp and merciless.

There was no room for discussion.

Celia was stunned. “Why?”

Ever since her sister died, she had come to the island every year around this time. Her sister and brother-in- law were buried there, and Sebastian had always allowed her to visit.

For years, she had been the only one given that privilege.

‘Is this because of Stella?’ Celia could not accept it. She was the one who got hurt, so why was Sebastian taking Stella’s side? ‘Fine. I will not fight back next time. I will just take it, alright? Is that enough?’

Fueled by anger, Celia marched straight toward Sebastian.

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“Celia, if Stella hit you, she had a damn good reason,” Sebastian said coldly. “She is not the type to lash out without cause,” Sebastian said, his cold, sickly face radiating an intimidating aura.

Celia’s eyes widened. “So you are saying I deserved it?”

Without even blinking, Sebastian just said, “Yes.”

Celia stood there, completely stunned.

She honestly could not believe what-she had just heard.

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