Shadows Between Us (Stella and Sebastian) novel Chapter 152

Chapter 152

Finally, under Lucas’s watchful eye, Stella finished the beef stew.

“Huh?” Lucas peeked.

Stella sighed and showed him the empty bowl.

Satisfied, Lucas nodded.

He pushed the treasures closer.

Those were his reward for her.

Stella looked up at Sebastian. “Is this how you’ve always coaxed him since he was little?”

Sebastian’s eyes shifted guiltily.

The doll-like Lucas looked left, then right, confused.

‘Stella doesn’t like plates and bowls?’ he wondered.

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Lucas thought hard, then jumped down, ran to Stella, grabbed her hands, and pressed them to his chubby cheeks, kneading.

Stella was a bit charmed.

Suddenly, Big Ben popped out of a corner and announced. “Alert! Sharp objects detected! Kids, adults, old friends, and silly snakes, stay away!”

Everyone, including Snowball, was speechless.

Snowball, sulking on the tree, wrapped his tail around a branch, swung upside down, and chomped Big Ben’s round head into his mouth.

“Oh no, swallowed again!” Big Ben said.

‘Serves you right for talking too much!’ everyone thought.

Sebastian seemed to remember something. He glanced at Stella. “I cut your ties with the Carter family.”

She looked at him, slightly surprised. “How did those two agree?”

She meant Brantley and Camilla.

“Allan handled it,” Sebastian said.

Allan was stunned, not knowing what to say.

Allan smiled at Stella through gritted teeth. “Maybe… they just came to their senses?”

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Chapter 152

‘Senses from where? From being beaten?’ she wondered.

A hissing sound, like air leaking from a tire, sounded near them.

“Huh?” Lucas tilted his head, puzzled.

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“What’s that sound?” Afraid that Stella would press further, Allan quickly changed the subject, looking around but finding no source.

Sebastian calmly pointed behind him.

They all turned to look and froze.

Big Ben deflated in seconds. Sensing their gaze, it looked up slowly, holding broken glass. “Oh… no… I’m… leaking…”

Lucas’s eyes went wide with shock!

“Don’t… panic…” Big Ben said slowly.

‘Just shut up!’ Stella thought.

Fifteen minutes passed.

“Allan…” Sebastian said

Allan, sweating as he pumped air into Big Ben, panted, “Wait!”

“Um…” Stella said.

Allan wiped his sweat. “Later!”

Stella and Sebastian exchanged a look, pretending nothing happened.

A while later, Big Ben blinked at the cute pink band-aid on his arm where he’d been punctured.

It poked the band-aid and chuckled.

Stella remained silent.

Allan slumped on the floor. “What are you smiling at? I’m exhausted!”

As the main pumper, Allan’d used every ounce of strength.

At that moment, Sebastian, sitting in his wheelchair, looked down at the air pump on the floor, his expression inscrutable. “Allan.”

“What?” Allan grumbled, sprawled ungracefully.

Sebastian pointed to a switch behind Big Ben. “See this?”

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Chapter 152

Allan was baffled.

A bad feeling… he thought. ‘A very bad one!’

“Poke it. It auto-inflates,” Stella said.

Allan wanted to curse.

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‘Today, I’m taking you both down with me!’ he raged inwardly. ‘Don’t any of you dare stop me!’

Big Ben chuckled.

Suddenly, Ivan walked in, grave. “Mr. Gray, Vincent is here to see you.”

A black snake, thick as a finger, slithered from Ivan’s wrist to his ear, flicking its tongue.

Ivan rarely saw the sun. His skin was ghostly pale, his voice eerie, like from a tomb. He wouldn’t have appeared if John and Jake weren’t off the island.

Allan’s expression changed. He looked at Sebastian.

“Let him on the island,” Sebastian said thoughtfully.

Soon, Vincent walked in, eyes red, jaw clenched. Before anyone reacted, the tall, brawny man bowed before Stella.

Everyone was stunned, including Stella.

Only Sebastian turned icy. “Who’s hurt?”

“Barrett!” Vincent said hoarsely, then looked at Stella. “I beg you, Ms. Carter. Go to Jaffina; operate on Barrett. Save his hands and feet!”

He’d seen Stella operate on Paul. He knew she could do it.

“Explain clearly,” Stella said, looking down, her tone neutral.

Vincent began to explain.

Every two years, Red Shadow held a two-week joint land exercise with Monterra near Jaftina Suburbs. This year, something was off from the start. The Monterra team’s physical abilities improved at a terrifying, abnormal rate.

Their trainers repeatedly provoked under the guise of training.

That morning, Barrett’s Fifth Unit clashed with Monterra trainers. Provoked by their words, the hot-headed Barrett issued a life-or-death challenge.

He was beaten relentlessly.

By the time Dennis arrived with the Red Shadow First Unit, Barrett was battered beyond recognition, limbs

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Chapter 152

broken.

The military doctor said recovery was impossible.

“What did you say?” Allan frowned.

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Vincent, Barrett, Dennis, Eliel, and Fabian represented Red Shadow’s peak individual combat prowess.

They were human weapons.

‘Two years ago, Monterra lost miserably. How could this happen in just two years?’ Allan wondered.

“How terrifying?” Stella asked. If these tough men used “terrifying,” she was curious.

Vincent took a deep breath. “Bending steel bars bare-handed, shattering skulls with one punch…” He added seriously, “I’m not joking.

He took out his phone, found a video, and played it.

After he watched the video, Sebastian’s eyes turned icy. Allan shook his head. “This is absolutely not normal.”

It surpassed human limits.

Stella was calm. “I’ll operate. First, help me find someone.” Even after the video, she was unfazed.

“Who?” Vincent perked up.

Stella gave a faint, enigmatic smile.

Half an hour later, at Haliville Airport, a military car screeched to a halt. Vincent dragged a slender figure out. “Let go! Help!” Emily was having a breakdown.

Men stormed into Chase Villa and took her without explanation.

Emily screamed the whole way. No one listened.

Now she was being taken to Haliville Airport.

‘Are kidnappers this bold now? Taking hostages on planes?’ she thought.

Emily was dumbfounded until she was brought to a waiting area.

Seeing Stella sitting nearby, beautiful as a manga character, she was stunned.

As she approached, Stella, chin in hand, lazily waved. “Hi”

Emily stiffly turned, looked at Sebastian in his wheelchair, expressionless and icy, and the soft Lucas on his lap, with a shark backpack and hat, copying Stella’s wave.

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Chapter 152

Emily took a deep breath. “Did you have me kidnapped?”

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“Watch your words,” Allan said, walking past Emily with a cup of fragrant coffee. “Stella just had someone invite you over.”

‘Wait, am I seeing things? Why is an ugly plant wiggling its leaves, sniffing the coffee?’ Emily wondered.

She looked aside.

This section of the waiting area was cordoned off and guarded by special personnel. If Emily wasn’t mistaken, those men stood ramrod straight, with guns at their waists.

They didn’t look like bodyguards, but more like they’d just walked out of a military base.

“Mr. Gray.” Since John and Jake hadn’t returned, Ivan, who was forced to come along, spoke up eerily, his little black snake with him. “It’s too bright here. I want to go wait over there.”

Ivan lifted a finger and pointed.

It was a dark corner.

Everyone just stared, speechless.

“Go,” Sebastian said coldly.

Relieved, Ivan melted into the darkness.

‘Help!’ Emily shouted in her mind.

“So, what’s this for?” Emily rephrased.

“To Jaffina,” Stella said, still propping her chin.

Emily thought she misheard. She pointed at Allan, dazed. “That…”

“What?” Allan looked up.

“This might sound crazy, but is that ugly plant stealing sips of your coffee?” Emily said.

She found it unbelievable herself.

Everyone looked where she was pointing.

The plain plant’s leaf tip touched the coffee cup, acting all sneaky, trying not to get noticed.

Like it felt offended by Emily’s words, it wilted, turning yellow.

Emily met Sebastian’s icy gaze and shivered.

“Even plants have pride. Apologize to it,” he said.

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“Sorry,” Emily said.

Allan, the victim, stared at his empty cup. He was speechless.

Drained, Emily sat next to Stella. “What are we doing in Jaffina?”

“Going to have surgery,” Stella said slowly.

Emily was speechless.

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Nearby, a sneaky figure caught attention, a man with a jacket over his head. The guards noticed quickly.

Suddenly, Stella smiled and gestured to Vincent.

Vincent signaled. The man was brought over.

“Ow, damn!” he shouted.

The jacket fell to the floor, revealing the man’s dreadlocks. It was unmistakably Joey, the same man who swore earlier today that he’d rather die than stay in Haliville a moment longer and insisted on returning to Jaffina immediately.

“We meet again,” Stella said.

Meeting Stella’s gaze, Joey raised his hands immediately.

Everyone, including his own bodyguards, was speechless.

“Joey, have you lost your mind?” Allan frowned.

‘What do you know?’ Joey thought.

“You were good at those hand waves. Do it again,” Stella drawled.

‘Dammit!’ Joey cursed.

Cursing inwardly, he waved his hands enthusiastically.

Everyone stared, stunned.

His bodyguards covered their faces, stepping back in unison.

Several minutes passed.

Joey cried. “Boss, please let me go!” His hands were going numb.

Stella still rested her chin on her hand, looking lazy and patient on the surface.

Suddenly, a staff member approached with a smile. “Excuse me, Mr. Allan Reed? Sorry, you can’t board. You’re blacklisted on the Jaffina route.

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Chapter 152

“We can’t issue your ticket.”

Allan raised an eyebrow.

Joey raised a hand meekly. “I know this.” He glanced at Stella.

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He added, “After Hendrix died, you were kicked out of Jaffina. The Reed family said you’d never return.”

Stella gave Allan a thoughtful look.

“Who told you to buy tickets?” Sebastian asked Vincent.

‘How else would we go?’ Vincent wondered.

After some silence, the airport manager rushed over in a suit, wiping sweat. “Mr. Gray!”

He smiled obsequiously, pushing the staff aside.

“Your private jet is ready, flight path approved. Leave now or wait?” he asked.

Vincent realized, ‘We weren’t waiting for a flight, but for the private jet clearance?

‘If I refund the tickets now, will there be a fee? That hurts…’

Joey was even more shocked.

“Wait,” Stella said coldly. “Remove Allan from the blacklist.”

“Uh…” The manager glanced at Allan, looking troubled.

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Chapter 153

They repeated the activities several times until the snake slumped onto Ivan’s shoulder.

Ivan and the snake retreated into darkness.

‘The sun is too bright for us,’ he thought.

“Ms. Carter, this is Barrett’s condition.” Vincent showed scans on his phone.

Emily peered in, gasping. “How so severe?” She looked at Stella. “Surgery might be pointless?”

Emily hesitated but said it.

To her, it seemed totally incurable.

Vincent grew anxious. “Ms. Carter…”

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Stella gazed at the screen. “There’s hope,” she said calmly, with a touch of arrogance, steadying Vincent.

Meanwhile, the little peregrine falcon peeped out sleepily from Allan’s chest, but Sebastian frowned darkly. “Monterra’s labs never stopped gene experiments. I don’t believe their sudden strength is unrelated to these experiments.”

Sebastian radiated bloodlust.

Sensing something, Stella looked over. “Sebastian.” She handed him her drink. “I don’t want it.”

‘Isn’t Mr. Gray a germaphobe?’ Emily thought.

Yet Sebastian took it smoothly, without hesitation. The peregrine falcon rolled aside.

Eggie was speechless.

Emily smiled. ‘Okay, fine!’ she thought.

“Are these the Monterra participants?” Stella had a sleek laptop. She turned it to make it face Vincent.

Vincent stared at the Monterra team’s photos and data, falling silent.

These were all highly classified and were never made public.

“Ms. Carter…” he hesitated. “Where did you-”

“Don’t ask,” Stella said blankly.

Vincent kept silent.

“You won’t want to know the answer,” Stella said.

Vincent thought, ‘And you’re this calm?’

Emily was baffled. ‘Exercise in Monterra? Where are we going?

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