Shadows Between Us (Stella and Sebastian) novel Chapter 149

Chapter 149

Stella just glanced at the wine, her face unreadable, and didn’t take it.

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“What’s the matter, Ms. Carter? Think you’re too good for Giana?” Lauren said, her smile vulgar and flirtatious.

With that red dress and ruby necklace, she was practically buzzing with excitement, shamelessly bold and unapologetically flashy.

Giana’s expression soured at being put on the spot. She fixed her gaze on Stella, trying to use her status to pressure her.

Not far away, Blake sidled up to Sebastian’s wheelchair. Sebastian shot him a frosty look but didn’t shoo him

away.

However, the rest of the dude crew weren’t nearly as composed. They all stood off to the side, staring at the sky or the ground, but none of them dared to meet Sebastian’s eyes.

“Mr. Gray, if you don’t step in soon, Stella’s gonna get bullied,” Blake whispered urgently.

Suddenly, a glass of champagne appeared right by his face, making him jump.

He looked up to see Allan standing there, a half-smile on his lips. “Stella can handle herself. Instead of worrying about her, why not make a bet on which of those people is gonna get burned tonight?”

Blake was frozen. The people nearby were totally floored. ‘When did that spoiled Pierce kid start buddying up with Mr. Gray? Is this world glitched or what?!’

Meanwhile, a bunch of the top dogs in Haliville’s business world were itching to get close to Sebastian, but none of them dared to make a move.

“Hey, Mr. Gray, what are you staring at?” Blake asked, taking the champagne Allan handed him, looking genuinely confused. He’d noticed Sebastian scanning the crowd with that cold stare of his.

Allan raised an eyebrow, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. He shot Blake a teasing look. “What do you think he’s looking at?”

‘Just checking if there’s anyone in this glitzy crowd who’s actually on Stella’s level,’ Allan thought, amused.

Sebastian just gave him a silent stare, and Allan immediately cleared his throat and sobered up.

*****

At the same time, Stella reached out and took the champagne, her slender fingers swirling the glass, letting the pale amber liquid dance inside. “Getting a drink from me? That’s your lucky break.”

Her gaze swept over the group before finally settling on Lauren. A mysterious smile tugged at her lips as she raised her hand and signaled to a waiter.

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The waiter hurried over with a tray. “Care for a drink together?” Stella asked, her tone smooth and inviting.

With effortless grace, she picked up the champagne glasses one by one and offered them around. Her fingers lightly ran around the rim of the glass.

Vera was just about to refuse, but then she saw Lauren, looking a bit out of it, taking the glass and downing it in one go. The rest followed her lead, all eyes on Stella, worried she might back out.

Stella smiled and drained her glass in one smooth motion. Then she turned the glass upside down, letting everyone see that not a single drop was left.

She made it clear that she’d finished every last drop.

Vera let out a quiet sigh of relief and exchanged a look with Giana. ‘We did it,’ she thought.

Stella watched the two of them exchange smug glances, then lazily snapped her fingers. Lauren, who’d been looking totally out of it just a second ago, suddenly jolted and snapped back to reality.

She stared at the empty glass in her hand, totally dumbfounded. ‘Did I just drink that?’ Lauren thought, her mind a total blank.

Lauren had no memory of it at all. The last thing she remembered was locking eyes with Stella.

While Lauren was still lost in confusion, a man’s furious roar exploded from the second floor, shaking the whole place and sending a shockwave through the crowd.

Everyone craned their necks, trying to figure out what the hell just happened.

Giana shot a sharp look at the old servant next to her, who scurried off upstairs without a word.

“Ms. Carter, seems like fate brought us together tonight. If you don’t mind, would you come upstairs with me? Let me give you a little something,” Giana said, her smile all sugar and sunshine, like the chaos never happened.

Stella lifted her gaze to meet Giana’s. In the silence, there was a hint of untamed mischief in her eyes. “Yeah, why not?” she replied.

‘I gave you guys a shot already, Stella mused, her tone cool and unbothered.

Sebastian watched the two head upstairs, his long fingers making a subtle gesture. Instantly, his people melted into the shadows, moving without a sound. In his palm, Eggie was curled up, a fluffy, round little puffball.

Eggie practically melted under Sebastian’s icy fingers, loving every second of the attention.

“Go find her,” Sebastian murmured, his face shrouded in darkness, all cold indifference. He released Eggie, watching as the little guy flapped his wings and took off into the night.

Meanwhile, Vera shot a look at Camilla. “You’re not having second thoughts, are you?”

Camilla had been fidgeting, looking like she wanted to say something but couldn’t. “Once you cross the line, there’s no going back,” Vera added.

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Before Camilla could get a word out, a guy dressed like a bodyguard came over. “Giana wants you upstairs.”

Vera frowned. ‘Did something else go wrong?’ she wondered. She didn’t bother asking and just went with him.

Upstairs, Vera knocked on the door. “Giana?” There was no response. Frowning, she pushed the door open just a crack, only to find the room completely dark.

She was about to turn and ask the bodyguard when someone shoved her hard from behind, making her stumble forward and tumble into the darkness.

The door slammed shut behind her. Vera sat there on the floor, terrified and lost, glancing around the pitch- black room.

A match flared to life right in front of her, casting a glow over a face, chillingly aloof, yet so striking it hurt to look at.

Vera’s heart skipped a beat. “That’s Stella,’ Vera thought, her mind spinning. The flame died.

Stella struck another match, and in that weak flicker of light, Vera finally saw Giana sprawled in the corner, not sure if she was dead or alive. Vera’s pupils shrank in terror.

The match went out again. “Surprised, Vera?” Stella spoke up, her tone icy in the darkness.

The electric curtains whirred open by themselves. Moonlight poured in, lighting up the whole room. Stella sat on the bed, her eyes icy enough to freeze your soul.

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

Stella stretched lazily, walked over to the candlestick, struck another match, and lit the candle. “By my plan, you were supposed to be the one lying there, Vera.”

She shot a cold, ruthless smile at the bed.

“S-Stella, please don’t misunderstand. Vera… The Lane family is one of the richest around. If you marry in, Giana would never treat you badly,” Vera stammered, her scalp prickling with fear as she scrambled to explain.

“How about you let your daughter enjoy this ‘fortune’ instead?” Stella replied, her voice icy and mocking.

Stella lazily flicked the match against the candlewick, her tone slow and indifferent.

“Stella!” Vera shrieked, panic twisting her voice. “Don’t you dare lay a finger on Lila. If you do, I swear you’ll regret it for the rest of your life.”

Stella let out a cold, quiet laugh.

Vera heard that faint laugh, and it somehow made everything even scarier. She watched as Stella grabbed the white candle, quickly walked over in her heels, then crouched down, using the candlelight to illuminate both their faces.

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“You won’t let me go?” Stella said coolly. “Even if I did nothing, you still wouldn’t have let me go, right, Vera?”

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

“Your daughter is your darling angel, but other people’s daughters are just worthless, huh?” Stella tilted her hand, letting the hot, clear wax drip right onto Vera’s skin.

Vera’s face contorted in pain, and she jerked back without thinking.

Stella smiled. “Careful now. Move again, and you might be the next one lying over there.”

Vera froze, not daring to move a muscle.

“Stella, I was wrong. Please, just give me a break this once. It was your dad, Brantley. It was all his idea. Go after him, not me,” Vera sobbed, her voice cracking. But Stella just kept smiling, like she didn’t even hear her.

Stella reached out and gently stroked Vera’s cheek. “Why are you crying like that, Vera?”

Vera was forced to tilt her head up, not even daring to flinch. She was scared stiff of setting Stella off.

The window was half open, white curtains fluttering in the breeze.

A falcon swooped in and perched on Stella’s shoulder, its sharp eyes fixed on Vera, daring her to move, as if it was ready to rip into her the second she tried anything.

In the next moment, Stella grabbed Vera’s chin with a ruthless grip, forcing her to meet Stella’s icy stare head-

Downstairs, a scream from upstairs shook the whole house, making everyone freeze.

“What happened?” someone blurted out.

“What’s going on?” another voice asked, panic in their tone.

“Was that a woman screaming?” someone else gasped, eyes wide.

The guests were whispering nervously, shooting panicked glances at each other.

“My daughter. That’s my daughter’s voice. Something must’ve happened to Stella!” Camilla shouted, deliberately loud enough for everyone to hear, her tone almost theatrical.

She didn’t even hesitate, just bolted for the stairs as she spoke.

The old servant next to Camilla, sticking to the plan, marched in with a whole squad to bust someone in the

act.

“What are you all standing around for? Get after them!” Frank barked at the servants.

Blake’s eyes went wide. “Holy shit, is that Stella?”

In a flash, the whole crowd stampeded upstairs, with all the gossip-hungry guests scrambling after them to

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Upstairs, Giana was jolted awake by the scream, still dazed. On instinct, she stumbled into the hallway and saw a crowd gathered at the door.

Her heart leapt into her throat as she threw the door open with a loud bang.

Instantly, the unmistakable moans and gasps of a couple in the heat of the moment filled the air.

Moonlight spilled in, revealing clothes strewn all over the floor.

“David?” Giana called out, her voice rising in panic. But before she could react, Camilla barreled past, shoving Giana aside and bursting into the room. “Stella!”

The crowd at the doorway exploded with screams, everyone freaking out.

‘Seriously, this Lane family party is just non-stop chaos tonight,’ people thought, totally stunned by one wild scene after another.

Allan wheeled Sebastian up to the second floor, grinning as they joined the crowd. “Who do you think’s lying in there?” he teased.

Sebastian absently rolled his prayer beads between his fingers, a faint, icy smile curling at his lips.

“Stella!” Blake shouted, racing up the stairs. The scene hit him like a bucket of ice water. Cold sweat broke out, and his mind short-circuited.

He was about to shove the guests aside, but he froze when he saw the clothes scattered all over the floor.

Blake finally had a rare moment of clarity. “Uh…” But nobody bothered to respond.

Camilla looked like she’d just been hit by a truck, her hands trembling as she reached for the thin blanket.

Giana pretended to hold her back, but inside, she was desperate for Camilla to just rip it off already, so the scandal would be set in stone.

With a dramatic swoosh, the blanket was yanked off.

“Did someone just call for me?” Stella’s laid-back voice rang out from the back of the crowd.

Everyone spun around. Stella was standing there, totally unfazed, not even a single hair out of place. There was a smirk in her deep amber eyes as she looked into the room, and a nasty, fishy smell wafted out.

She raised her hand to her nose, looking a little grossed out.

“Stella?” Camilla acted all shocked, standing up from the bed.

She stepped aside, making sure everyone at the door could see exactly who was lying in that bed.

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“Stella!” Blake nearly burst into tears the moment he saw her.

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Giana was totally floored. She stared at Stella, completely dumbfounded. ‘If Stella’s right there, then who the heck is lying in bed with my son?’ Giana thought, her mind spinning.

Stunned and confused, Giana felt a chill run down her spine as she turned to look at the bed.

Everyone’s eyes snapped to the bed at once. Everyone was speechless.

Even with the blanket pulled off, those two were still tangled up together, making noises that had everyone dying of secondhand embarrassment.

With a sharp snap, the lights came on. Someone blurted out in shock, “It’s Lauren!”

There was Lauren, a woman in her forties or fifties, tangled up with David, who was barely in his twenties. The chemistry between them was so intense that it was almost painful to watch.

Especially since even with the lights on, they were still glued together, totally unwilling to let go.

The socialites who’d rushed in all quickly turned away, covering their eyes and blushing furiously.

Giana was so shocked and furious that she nearly fainted on the spot, but someone caught her just in time. She looked up to see Stella standing there, that half-smile on her face, mocking, infuriating. “It was you.”

“I have no idea what you’re rambling about, Giana,” Stella replied, cool as ever. But to Giana, that calm attitude just made her hate Stella even more. “But you know, Giana…”

Stella casually rested a hand on Giana’s shoulder. “You gave David way too much. After tonight, is his little troublemaker down there? He’s never gonna use it again in this life.”

Hearing that, Giana’s eyes rolled back, and she dropped like a stone, totally knocked out.

“Giana!” the old servant cried, rushing over.

Vera showed up without a sound, clutching Lila so tight her whole body shook. The burns from the candle wax had left angry red welts on her hand, making it look almost grotesque.

When her eyes met Stella’s cold stare, Vera flashed back to that moment when Stella had grabbed her chin and laid out her choices.

“I’m giving you two clear options,” Stella had said. “First, you can go next door and save Lauren right now, but that’ll put you on Giana’s bad side, and the Morris family will get dragged into the fallout.

“Second, for the Gray family’s reputation, this whole mess will get swept under the rug, but you can use it to threaten Lauren and get the Morris family connected with Conrad.”

“So, which road are you gonna take?” Stella’s voice was cold as ice.

Vera shivered uncontrollably, hugging Lila even tighter, absolutely terrified.

Stella looked away, stone-faced as she yanked the flowers out of the vase. Then, without a hint of hesitation,

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she strode over to the bed and doused Lauren with the vase of water, soaking her from head to toe.

“Ah…” Lauren shrieked in shock.

Lauren snapped out of her daze, eyes flying open. The moment she realized what was happening, her mind went blank, and she started freaking out, screaming uncontrollably.

“Shut up!” Stella snapped, not holding back as she slapped Lauren hard across the face.

Lauren was left speechless. Her scream cut off instantly.

“Did you just slap me?” Lauren stared at Stella, eyes wide with shock and outrage.

Stella pointed straight at Lauren’s chest. Lauren froze, then glanced down. Her face went blank before she shrieked again, frantically crossing her arms to cover herself.

“Ms. Gray, you and David couldn’t help yourselves, no shame in that,” Stella said, her gaze icy and mocking as she looked down at Lauren. “But you couldn’t even pick the right place for it. Seriously, what’s the difference between you and a mutt?”

“Stella! You did this to me. You set me up!” Lauren shrieked, her voice trembling with fury.

Lauren, clutching the bedsheet around herself, tried to lunge at Stella, but Stella just sidestepped with a mocking smirk. “After tonight, your name’s gonna be all over Haliville. The infamous daughter of Mr. Gray. Unless…”

“Unless what?” Lauren demanded, eyes blazing with desperation.

She couldn’t even figure out how it happened. Her mind was a blur, and she just remembered feeling woozy and a bodyguard showing up.

‘Shit! How did I end up like this? That Lane guy’s got something nasty, Lauren panicked, her thoughts spiraling.

“Beg him to bury this mess,” Stella said coldly, her smile full of scorn.

Stella just smirked, and as Lauren followed where she was pointing, her eyes went wide, because standing right there was Sebastian.

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