Shadows Between Us (Stella and Sebastian) novel Chapter 147

Chapter 147

No one spoke. Leslie gaped, stunned.

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He thought, ‘That useless loser from the Pierce family actually got close to Caleb?

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‘And he managed to snatch up that hot property in the South District that everyone’s been scrambling for, year after year? Seriously, what kind of dumb luck does Blake have?’

“Blake, right?” Frank, who hadn’t even bothered to glance at Blake earlier, was now beaming. “I’ve heard your grandpa mention you all the time. Seeing you now, you really are quite the impressive guy.”

The people around him quickly chimed in, echoing Frank’s words.

Blake was frozen. ‘Just a moment ago, they were giving me the cold shoulder,’ Blake thought to himself.

“Just now, this guy was ready to kick me out!” Blake scoffed, his tone full of mockery. With Stella backing him up, he finally had some backbone.

Stella had told him to remember how fake these people were. He wasn’t about to forget a single one.

Frank shot a look at the butler. The butler’s legs started shaking, and all that arrogance earlier vanished.

He was dying inside. ‘It was Frank who told me to kick Blake out. Who could’ve predicted this mess?’ he thought.

“I deserve whatever I get! I was blind to your greatness,” the butler wailed, slapping himself hard across the face without hesitation.

The sound echoed through the room. He wasn’t holding back. “Blake, just treat me like dirt and let me go. Please, have mercy.”

Blake was just about to say something when a chill ran down his spine. He snapped his mouth shut in a hurry.

For a moment, the only sound in the party hall was the sharp slaps echoing through the room.

Stella calmly took a sip of her champagne, watching as Frank’s face grew darker and darker. Only then did she tap her fingers on the table.

Blake strode up to the butler, whose face was now swollen like a pig’s head. It was honestly hilarious. He shoved the gold-embossed invitation right in the butler’s face. “Take a good look. It was the Lane family who invited me here.”

Blake looked down at him, full of superiority.

In that moment, Blake felt something awaken in his blood, something that had been asleep for ages.

It was the dignity he’d lost long ago.

Blake looked up, his gaze landing squarely on Xander. For the first time, he saw jealousy and bitterness

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simmering in his cousin’s eyes. “So, the Lane family’s reputation matters, but the Pierce family’s doesn’t?”

Xander froze. He just couldn’t reconcile the proud, defiant man standing before him with the old Blake, the useless dude who only knew how to party and mess around.

‘Blake’s changed, Xander thought, stunned.

“Weren’t you all watching just now? Who was the one who started it?” Blake let out a cold laugh, his gaze zeroing in on those few who’d twisted the story and tried to cover up the truth.

Right at that moment, Vera and her crew showed up.

Hazel instantly spotted Blake, who was totally owning the room. Her heart was thumping out of her chest. Her imagination was running wild.

“Look, it’s Stella,” Lila hissed, yanking Hazel’s arm, her teeth clenched. She was practically seething with hatred for her cousin.

‘It’s all her fault I got locked up for five days,’ Lila cursed inwardly. ‘Tonight, I’m going to make her pay for

this.’

Hazel shot a look that way. Her heart instantly burned with envy.

Stella was drop-dead gorgeous tonight, like a fairy come to life. The pure white pearls she wore made her cold, otherworldly beauty even more striking.

She looked untouched by the real world, beautiful in a way that left a mark on your soul.

“Her dress is gorgeous,” Hazel said in a soft voice, instantly getting Lila riled up about that obviously pricey gown. “Isn’t that a DenimKraft exclusive?”

Lila’s temper snapped. “Does she even deserve to wear something like that?” she spat, then threw in a nasty jab, “Bet she had to sell herself for it.”

The more she stewed, the more pissed off she got. Lila grabbed a glass of champagne off a passing tray, shoved Hazel’s hand away, totally ignoring her fake concern, and stormed straight toward Stella.

“Stella!” Lila called out, a malicious grin curling on her lips as her heels clicked across the floor. She was just about to fling the champagne right at Stella, when suddenly Lila came to an abrupt halt.

Cold sweat trickled down her forehead in fat drops. She was frozen stiff, not daring to move a single inch, only her eyes darted around, trembling with fear.

The dudes were speechless. They’d just watched Stella coolly finish her champagne, slam the empty glass down on the table, and then, without missing a beat, hold the jagged edge right to Lila’s throat, all in one cold, fluid motion.

‘Whoa, that was intense, one of the dudes thought, adrenaline pumping.

“Lila!” Hazel cried out, hiking up her skirt and darting straight to Blake. She clung to his arm, shooting him her most desperate look. “Blake, help me, please.”

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Blake blinked, looking at her like she was a total stranger. “Uh, who are you?”

Hazel blinked back, face flushing with embarrassment. “It’s me, Hazelight.”

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Blake was frozen. He couldn’t bring himself to ask, ‘What happened to her face? How did she end up looking like this?’

Her makeup was a total mess, like she’d just been dunked in water. Her eyeliner was smeared everywhere.

Blake hesitated, then said, “Uh, maybe you should check yourself in the mirror first?”

He swore he was just being honest, not trying to be mean, but Hazel was stunned.

“Stella!” Camilla barreled over like a madwoman, finally laying eyes on her beloved daughter. Vera just wanted to crawl under a rock from embarrassment. Everyone was whispering, and Giana looked downright mortified.

But before Camilla could even reach her, a sharp pain shot through her knee. Next thing they knew, she dropped to her knees with a heavy thud, hitting the ground so hard her bra pads nearly flew out.

Hazel was so mortified that she wished the ground would swallow her up.

All Vera could do was freeze, utterly speechless and humiliated.

Lila stared in disbelief.

‘God, could this get any more humiliating?’ All three of them wanted to disappear right there and then.

Stella glanced over at Jake, who was lurking in the shadows, and he shot her a smile that looked way too innocent for someone who’d just caused all that chaos.

“Lila, looks like those five days in jail didn’t teach you anything,” Stella drawled, her eyes glinting with a light that made it crystal clear.

She wouldn’t hesitate to jam that jagged champagne glass right into Lila’s throat if she had to.

Lila stared, face burning, not daring to make a sound. She didn’t dare make a sound.

Lila felt like the jagged glass was already cutting into her skin. Her hand, still stuck in mid-air as if she was about to throw the champagne, was trembling so badly she could barely keep hold of the glass.

Ciana gave Vera a sharp, unhappy look. Vera rushed over, quickly helping her embarrassed sister-in-law up before shooting Stella a glare. “Stella, don’t push it.”

Stella met Vera’s eyes, and even at her age, her stare had a kind of force that made Vera squirm.

“Out of respect for you, Aunt Vera,” Stella said with a low laugh, moving the jagged champagne glass away from Lila’s throat.

“Go to hell!” Lila, still reeling from her near-death experience, flung the champagne at Stella. But Stella, cool as ever, in one smooth, lazy move, pulled Camilla in front of her as a shield, so effortlessly she didn’t even blink.

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Lila’s champagne splashed all over Camilla’s face, not a single drop landing on Stella.

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Camilla was left speechless. If it weren’t for the setting, she would’ve gone full drama queen and started yelling at everyone, making a total scene.

Not far away, Giana’s face went dark. She leaned in and whispered to the stern-faced housekeeper, who quickly walked over and said coldly, “You, come upstairs and change your clothes.”

Camilla was about to say something, but the housekeeper, stone-faced, just reached out and covered her mouth with his hand.

Vera broke out in a cold sweat. ‘Giana was really not in the mood now,’ Vera thought, her heart pounding.

“Stella, go upstairs with your mom and change your clothes,” Vera blurted out, but when she met Stella’s not- quite-smiling eyes, she involuntarily shuddered.

Vera always felt there was something uncanny about her niece, as if Stella was always one step ahead, knowing things she had no business knowing.

Vera tried to steady herself, thinking she must be imagining things. ‘No way Stella could actually know,’ she reassured herself.

“Sure,” Stella replied, her tone casual and indifferent. Vera was just relieved Stella agreed, not daring to push her luck.

Stella sauntered over to Camilla, her hand dropping onto her shoulder, light as a feather, but the pressure was anything but gentle. “Let’s go.”

Camilla’s face went white as a sheet. Her shoulder felt like the bones were about to crack. She was in so much pain, and she couldn’t even get a word out.

*****

Upstairs, the housekeeper closed the door from the outside.

The moment the door shut, Camilla pounced at Stella, looking like she was ready to tear Stella’s face apart.

But before she could even get close, Stella, cold as ice, just raised her foot and kicked her right in the stomach. With a heavy thud, Camilla went down face-first onto the floor again. She yelped in pain.

Stella stood over her, cold and unbothered, her gaze frosty and merciless.

“You bitch!” Camilla spat, her voice shrill with rage.

Stella’s heels clicked against the floor, cold and sharp, as she stopped right in front of Camilla. She crouched down, grabbed Camilla by the hair, and jerked her head up, making her look at her.

Their eyes locked. Stella’s whole vibe was pure darkness and menace as she gave Camilla a chilling, wicked grin, so scary it nearly stopped Camilla’s heart.

“Do you have any idea why I came upstairs with you?” Stella sneered, her slender fingers buried deep in

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Camilla’s hair, not even pretending to care about their so-called mother-daughter bond.

Camilla thrashed, shouting, “Let go of me.”

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Stella leaned in, a sly smirk curling on her lips, and whispered right in Camilla’s ear, “Did you know? For the past six months, Brantley’s taken out seven huge accidental injury insurance policies on you. The total payout is-”

As Camilla’s struggling slowed, Stella fluttered her lashes and finished, “eighteen million dollars.”

Camilla’s pupils shrank, her whole body going rigid in shock. Stella sat in silence for a while, lost in thought. Stiffly, she turned her head to meet Stella’s eyes.

“You’re making this up!” Camilla retorted, refusing to believe Stella. She was just eighteen. “I don’t believe you.”

Stella gave a cold little laugh. “Whatever. I’m not the one with a target on my back.” The pearls dangling from her ears caught the light, and to Camilla, they looked just like the countdown to her own funeral.

“Got your phone on you? Go ahead, check it yourself online.

Stella released her grip. Camilla was speechless.

She snatched up her phone, frantically searching through her accounts. As the list of insurance policies under her name appeared, her eyes went wide with shock, and her breathing grew rapid and shallow.

“Eighteen million, and every single policy lists…” Camilla’s lips quivered as she stared at Stella, terror creeping into her voice. “The beneficiary is my husband, Brantley.”

Stella just smiled faintly, saying nothing.

Camilla sat on the floor, even with the air conditioning on full blast, she was drenched in cold sweat. “Don’t be ridiculous. You’re just a kid. What could you possibly know? My husband would never hurt me!”

“Who can guarantee a man will never change? Just like my dear father. He dropped 300 thousand dollars on a necklace for some other woman, and you didn’t even know.”

Stella sat gracefully on the edge of the bed, her head bowed, but her words cut deep, stabbing right into Camilla’s heart.

Camilla shook her head, her voice trembling. “You’re lying. You’re just making things up.”

Stella just shook her head with a faint, mocking smile, then flung the photos Jake had handed her on the way upstairs right in Camilla’s face, one by one.

Camilla was left speechless.

In the photos, Brantley was front and center, holding up a necklace, his eyes full of that sly, flirty vibe only an experienced guy could pull off. The woman had her back to the camera, her face totally hidden.

But from the selfie angle, you could clearly see her foot sneaking under the table, hooking around Brantley’s

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it, she was already backed into a corner, no way out.

“Vera’s scheming against you,” Camilla said after a long, heavy pause, her voice cold and dark.

Stella didn’t flinch at all, her voice calm and collected. “I know.”

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“You know?” Camilla sneered, obviously not believing her. If she really knew, she wouldn’t dare to show up. But she just turned her hand over, revealing a tiny glass vial nestled in her palm.

She said, “Vera told me to make you take this when you weren’t paying attention.”

“Frank cut a big deal with the Morris family, and whether it goes through or not, it all hinges on tonight,” Camilla added.

‘Vera gets all the perks, and I’m left holding all the risk. Now she’s even helping her dear brother plot against me. Fine. The Carter family, every last one of them, is cold-blooded,’ Camilla fumed inwardly.

Camilla fixed Stella with a feverish, almost crazed stare, her voice trembling with urgency. “Help me.”

After a brief pause, the door was knocked on. “Ma’am, are you done changing?” The housekeeper called out from the hallway.

“Change your clothes,” Stella said, tossing the outfit the housekeeper brought right at Camilla. She didn’t even blink, her head slightly bowed, a faint, mocking smile on her lips. “Clean yourself up a bit.”

She raised her hand and picked up the little glass vial. Holding it up to the light, Stella watched the liquid inside move, a cold, mocking smile on her face.

曲

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