Shadows Between Us (Stella and Sebastian) novel Chapter 143

Chapter 143

Three million dollars, packed into six suitcases, was hauled into the pool room.

“Boss-” The bodyguard pushed the door open, but the words died in his throat.

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The tough girl lifted her cue, her eyes icy, and sent the ball straight into the pocket with a thud. Nearby, Joey and his crew knelt in a neat row, hands raised high while clutching steel pipes.

Then they chanted in unison, “Civility, harmony, equality, justice…”

“Is that all you’ve got?” Stella did not even glance at them, her expression blank as she calmly chalked the tip

of her cue.

Joey and his crew exchanged stiff, awkward looks, completely at a loss.

After a brief silence, they shouted again, twice as loud as before.

Joey and his crew chanted, “Rule of law, patriotism, dedication, integrity…”

The black-clad bodyguard dragging the cash-filled suitcases could only stand there, utterly speechless.

Blake tightened his grip on his pool cue and said nothing.

The Chads just stared, not daring to make a sound.

At that moment, the silence said everything. Everyone’s thoughts were practically screaming.

“B-Boss, the money’s here,” the bodyguard stammered, looking completely overwhelmed. Joey snapped his head up, his eyes instantly filling with tears, like he had just seen his long-lost family. He was a second away from sobbing, crying, “What took you so long?”

Joey pleaded miserably, his voice trembling. “The money’s here. Can I go now?”

‘Just let me go back to wasting my life as a useless rich kid, please!’ Joey begged inwardly.

‘Please!’

Blake froze again.

No one would have believed it, but in that moment, Blake felt a strange sense of solidarity with Joey. It was like they were trapped in the same disaster.

Not even sparing him a glance, Stella lined up another shot with a thud. The atmosphere in the pool room was beyond bizarre. After sinking the ball, she kicked the suitcases full of cash straight toward Blake and his crew. “Your money.”

Blake froze again.

The Chads just stared, not daring to make a sound.

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‘Wait, this is our money?’ Blake and the Chads all freaked out inwardly.

Stella shot them a lazy look. “Compensation for the mental stress you put me through.”

Everyone stood there, dumbstruck.

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Joey, slumped against his bodyguard, could not help cursing inwardly. ‘Seriously, no one’s mental damage today is worse than mine!

‘But yeah, I totally did this to myself,’

“Stella…” Blake choked out, clutching the suitcase, his eyes burning.

Before he could say another word, Stella tossed her cue onto the table, grabbed her motorcycle keys, and strode out the door. “Later.”

Watching her leave, Joey straightened up and flipped her off. Just then, Stella stopped at the doorway and turned around.

“Oh, by the way…” Stella said, letting her voice trail off.

Their

eyes met.

Stella paused, her expression completely blank.

Joey gulped.

His mind raced. Then, with a crooked grin, he started twirling his middle finger, showing off with exaggerated flair.

‘Don’t even think about falling for me. It’s a lost cause unless you can outdo my middle finger skills!’ Joey joked inwardly, desperately trying to stay upbeat.

Stella was speechless.

Everyone else stood frozen in painfully awkward silence.

Stella looked past Joey and locked eyes with Blake. “See you tonight.”

With that, she turned and headed downstairs without looking back.

Moments later, the roar of an engine echoed from below.

Joey was completely floored, unable to speak.

‘Shit.’ Joey swore quietly.

Stella rode her bike straight back to Sandridge Island. As she pulled in, she met eyes with Lucas, the soft, fair little boy holding an overflowing basket of bright red cherry tomatoes.

Stella removed her helmet with one hand and gave him a small wave. “Hey.”

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“Hi!” Lucas chirped in his baby voice, lifting the basket over his head. His eyes sparkled as he stared at Stella, her long, silky hair spilling down her shoulders.

‘He’s way too cute.’ Stella thought, her heart instantly melting.

She hopped off the bike, scooped Lucas up, and planted a loud kiss on his squishy cheek.

Lucas rolled his eyes.

‘Stella kissed me!’ Lucas screamed inwardly, completely overwhelmed with happiness.

Upstairs, Celia watched the entire scene, her eyes burning with jealousy and resentment. She slammed her freshly packed suitcase onto the floor, fuming.

‘I’m his aunt! Why does he lose his mind every time I try to touch him, but Stella gets to hug and kiss him like it’s nothing?’ Celia seethed.

Celia was nearly driven insane by jealousy.

She opened the door and headed downstairs, only to wander into the guest room she used to occupy. The entire floor had been turned into Stella’s storage space. Celia was stunned.

‘How much stuff does she need to take up an entire floor?’ She thought, completely baffled.

‘Doesn’t Mr. Gray think this is ridiculous?’ she muttered inwardly.

Celia just pushed the door open.

She froze, her eyes flying wide.

Thousands of outfits, shoes, handbags, and accessories were meticulously arranged by color, displayed with military-level precision. Just standing in the doorway made her heart pound.

She swallowed hard and stepped inside despite herself.

Her fingers brushed the clothes, each one sealed in a clear dust cover. She recognized DenimKraft and other luxury brands. These were exclusive pieces that had never even hit the market.

Celia felt like her heart was on fire.

Her gaze was glued to the racks, equal parts obsessed and furious. “There is no way Stella could afford this. So Mr. Gray bought all of it for her?’ Her jealousy spiraled.

‘Even Lucas likes her!’ Celia thought.

‘Even that disgusting snake is into her!

‘John and Jake treat her like royalty tool’ Celia muttered, feeling even more annoyed.

‘And even Mr. Gray… Celia thought, totally speechless.

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She could come and go on Sandridge Island whenever she pleased, like she owned the place. No one ever stopped her.

‘Why does Stella get everything?’ Celia thought bitterly with envy.

Her jealousy and resentment burned so fiercely that her eyes nearly turned red. Years ago, her sister used to say the Gray brothers were loyal to love.

Once they chose someone, it was for life. They would move heaven and earth for her. Celia still could not understand why.

‘Does Stella even deserve any of this?’ she fumed, her heart twisting with envy.

Celia staggered out of the walk-in closet in a daze and nearly collided with Lucas, who looked like a porcelain doll.

‘What am I even doing?’ she thought, shaken.

Lucas, heading upstairs alone, cocked his head, clearly confused about why Celia was coming out of Stella’s

closet.

“Lucas…” Celia froze, caught off guard. Her heart raced, but then she remembered he could not speak and relaxed slightly. “Let me give you a hug, okay?”

She awkwardly leaned in, trying to coax him closer.

Lucas stayed silent, but his discomfort was obvious. He stepped back, pulling away from her hand. That small rejection snapped the last of Celia’s restraint.

“I’m your aunt! Why won’t you let me hug you?” she demanded, her voice tight with frustration.

Her frustration boiled over as she raised her voice.

Lucas flinched, his eyes wide, frozen in place.

“Come on, Lucas, listen to me. I’m your aunt, and we’re family. You should want to be close to me!” Celia took

a deep breath and forced a smile, but had no idea how weird and fake it looked to Lucas.

Lucas kept retreating, step by step.

Celia kept pressing forward, completely unaware that Lucas had backed all the way to the top of the stairs, just one step away from falling.

“Come here!” Celia called, her arms stretched wide as she tried to force a hug.

“No!” Lucas cried out, his small body tipping backward like a kite with its string cut.

A single terrified tear slipped from the corner of his eye, suspended in midair.

Celia’s heart nearly stopped as she lunged for him. “Lucas!” Her fingers closed on nothing but air. A wave of pure terror crashed over her as she slowly sank to her knees at the top of the stairs, bracing herself for

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disaster.

Suddenly, someone charged up the stairs like lightning.

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Lucas felt himself scooped up, wrapped in that familiar, comforting scent, but the momentum sent Stella’s right shoulder slamming hard into the white banister.

Her shoulder popped out of its socket with a crack!

But that was not even the worst part. Lucas had fallen at such an awkward angle that, even though Stella rushed

up in time to catch him, she could not stop herself from being dragged down with him.

In other words, Stella was about to tumble down the stairs with Lucas in her arms. There was no way out of it. They were going down together.

Yet even in that split second, Stella did not flinch. She shielded Lucas with her uninjured arm, her face perfectly calm. Knowing she could not avoid getting hurt, she closed her eyes and ran through her options.

She calculated the best way to hit the ground so she would take the least possible damage.

But in the very next second, a pair of powerful arms swept in at the last possible moment and caught them both in a firm bridal hold, stopping the fall just before impact. The strength was unmistakably male.

Stella heard the familiar click of prayer beads.

She opened her eyes and met Sebastian’s gaze, cold and razor-sharp, dangerous enough to cut.

He stood there backlit by the light, his flawless features carved in shadow, his presence radiating an icy chill. He appeared calm, but the way his arms tightened around Stella and Lucas said everything.

Danger rolled off him in waves.

Sebastian lifted his eyes to Celia at the top of the stairs. His gaze was cold and hollow, as if she were already dead.

Allan stood beside him, gold-rimmed glasses in place, every inch the perfect gentleman. The menace lurking in his eyes betrayed him.

Celia clutched the railing with one hand, her eyes blown wide with shock, like she was staring straight into a nightmare.

‘Mr. Gray… His legs were supposed to be crippled. He was supposed to be stuck in a wheelchair. So how is he standing right now?’ her thoughts spiraled wildly.

She was completely stunned. This could not be real.

‘Has Sebastian really been pretending all these years?’ Celia’s thoughts collapsed into chaos.

‘Why? What was the point?’ Her heart pounded violently in her chest.

So consumed by shock was she that Celia failed to notice John had already cleared everyone out. The villa

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had fallen completely silent, with only them left.

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“No!” Lucas cried, tears pooling in his eyes and spilling like tiny pearls. He was not crying for himself, but for Stella. He pointed frantically at her shoulder, sweat beading on his forehead in panic.

“Are you hurt?” Sebastian asked, his voice low and husky.

Stella raised an eyebrow and carefully checked Lucas with her uninjured hand. Once she confirmed he was unharmed, frost crept into her expression. “Lucas is fine,” she said flatly.

She let out a quiet breath of relief.

Sebastian’s tone tightened. “I’m asking about you.”

“Put me down first,” Stella said. Her face had gone pale, and a thin sheen of sweat covered her forehead. Sebastian’s gaze darkened. After a long pause, he finally set her down on her feet.

Stella looked up at Celia at the top of the stairs. A storm brewed in her amber eyes, so heavy and dark it seemed to weigh down the air itself.

Without a word, she started up the stairs.

“I… I didn’t mean to…” Celia muttered, her voice shaking as she tried to excuse herself.

Stella seemed wrapped in darkness. She grabbed her dislocated right arm with her left hand and, with a sharp crack, forced it back into place. Her face never twitched, not even her eyebrows.

Allan, watching from downstairs, hissed through his teeth. “Yikes…”

‘Just watching that makes my skin crawl,’ Allan thought, grimacing.

Celia wanted to run, but her legs had turned to jelly, refusing to budge. Suddenly, a dark shadow fell over her. Stella was standing right in front of her, silent and overwhelming, looking down at her with eyes that promised nothing but trouble.

“Stand up,” Stella said, her voice flat and cold.

Celia sobbed, “I really didn’t mean to…” Before she could finish, Stella lost patience and yanked her up by the collar. Celia felt weightless as her back slammed against the edge of the stairs,

Her eyes flew wide as Stella suddenly shoved her hard with both hands.

Celia was sent flying, completely airborne.

Just like Lucas had been moments earlier.

Celia went crashing down the long white staircase, screaming without pause. Unlike Lucas, she was not so lucky. No one even tried to help her.

She barely managed to shield her head as everything dissolved into pain and panic.

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She tumbled straight to Sebastian’s feet, her hand shooting out to grab the toe of his shoe. “Mr. Gray, I…”

A suffocating terror seized Celia, stealing the air from her lungs.

Celia still did not understand why Sebastian had kept up the act for five long years, but one thing was obvious now. He did not care if she learned the truth because she was not walking out of here alive.

With regal indifference, Sebastian calmly pulled his shoe free from her grasp.

Those shoes would never be worn by him again.

Sebastian spoke coldly, his tone devoid of mercy. “Allan.”

Allan’s smile was ice-cold as he lifted Lucas into his arms, pressed the boy’s face against his chest, and covered his ears.

Sebastian crouched in front of Celia. His face was deathly pale yet wickedly handsome, every inch of him radiating murderous intent, with no effort made to hide it.

The cold fingers Celia had dreamed about so many times closed around her throat. It was real this time.

Celia let out a strangled gasp.

His grip felt like an icy serpent, tightening inch by inch around her neck, squeezing the air from her lungs. Celia thrashed wildly, desperate to escape the monster looming over her.

She saw clearly that Sebastian’s eyes held nothing but murder, with no mercy and no hesitation.

Blood from her forehead splattered across Sebastian’s pale hand, veins standing out as if ready to burst. The pressure was so intense that Celia swore she could see the gates of hell opening just for her until Stella appeared.

“Sebastian.” No one had noticed when Stella came downstairs, but now she was right beside him, her palm pressing firmly against the back of his hand. Her voice was cool and authoritative. “Let her go.”

Sebastian looked up, and his mere presence made the entire villa feel suffocating. Rage burned at the edges of his

eyes, so intense it looked like they might bleed, his stare a storm of cold menace.

“She hurt you and Lucas,” he said, his voice pure ice. There was not a trace of humanity left in it.

Stella met his gaze without retreating an inch, even as darkness and cruelty churned in his eyes. She let out a quiet breath, then wrapped her arms around Sebastian while he remained crouched, patting his back gently

to calm him.

“I know. Easy. Let her go for me, okay?” she coaxed, her voice soft but firm. “We still need her for the Conrad angle.” Stella’s expression remained ice-cold, and the look she gave Celia was every bit as chilling as

Sebastian’s.

Sebastian stared at Stella. Under her steady, calming touch, he finally loosened his grip and reluctantly released his hand from around Celia’s throat.

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Celia collapsed onto the floor in a limp heap.

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She coughed violently and dragged in ragged breaths, her face flushed deep red, her thoughts scattered and spinning.

Allan spoke up, his tone grave. “Stella, she saw things she wasn’t supposed to see.”

That icy aura still clung to Sebastian as his gaze slid past Stella and settled on Celia, cold and merciless, like the Grim Reaper choosing his next target. “Go get Nathan.”

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