Shadows Between Us (Stella and Sebastian) novel Chapter 178

Chapter 178

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“So Lauren was at the Gray family house all night, right? She didn’t step out even once, did she?” Stella pressed.

Giana froze for a couple of seconds, the first to realize what was going on. She sucked in a sharp breath, staring at Stella in shock. She stammered, “You…”

Stella smiled, but her eyes were cold as ice.

Linda snapped, “What are you even talking about?” She looked totally lost. She had no clue what Stella was really implying. She just knew that Stella’s twisted smile sent shivers down her spine.

Stella said, “Making such a big scene with the divorce today no doubt dented the Gray family’s reputation. And now, with the partnership with Conrad at such a crucial moment, one scandal after another keeps blowing up. Is that really the image you want?”

She shot a glance at Lauren, who was cuffed and looked utterly humiliated, her eyes glinting with sarcastic pity.

Her voice was icy as she added, “I heard the Gray family is hoping to use this deal with Conrad to cozy up to the military. But if they run a background check, even the smallest blemish could ruin everything.”

Sophia’s eyes flew wide, her heart skipped a beat.

The Gray family’s lawyer scowled, then turned away to call Carlos.

“You… you…” Sophia stammered, her face ghostly pale.

“So, how could that hooker possibly be Lauren?” Stella said, nonchalant as ever, just putting it all out there.

Camilla instinctively stepped back, putting some space between herself and Stella. Her eyes were wide with shock and fear, as if she were seeing her own daughter for the very first time,

Camilla thought, ‘Is Stella really going to make Lauren watch as her own family throws her away? This is cutting deeper than any knife.

Sophia’s eyes brimmed with tears as she snarled, “You’re so heartless!”

Stella’s lips curled into a smirk. She said, “Thanks for the compliment.”

“I am not a hooker,” Lauren screamed, thrashing desperately as the handcuff’s clattered loudly. Her once- beautiful, confident face was now haggard and defeated; gone was the arrogant woman from the Lane family party.

She glared at Stella with a look of utter desperation and hatred. She shouted, “Let me go!”

Camilla’s scalp tingled as she instinctively glanced at Stella.

Stella completely ignored Lauren’s screams; not a flicker of emotion crossed her delicate face.

15:31 Tue, Feb 3

Chapter 178

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Her ruthlessness ran bone-deep.

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Giana was sick with regret. If she hadn’t let Vera egg her on and mess with Stella, all this chaos wouldn’t be raining down on the Lane family, and it would be her own fault.

The Gray family’s lawyer walked back in.

His face stayed utterly blank.

Sophia slumped into Linda’s arms. With just one glance, she understood everything: Carlos had chosen the Gray Group’s reputation over his own daughter, abandoning Lauren without a second thought.

“Mrs. Sophia Gray, I hope you understand,” the lawyer said quietly.

Gray Group couldn’t afford even the slightest scandal right now.

The Gray Group’s lawyer said, “Officer, I think you’ve got the wrong person. I just called to confirm: Ms. Lauren Gray is still at home and hasn’t stepped out tonight. This woman is probably just someone with the same name.”

The officer was at a loss for words.

Having heard everything, Lauren broke down in tears, struggling desperately against the handcuffs. She shouted, “Mom, it’s me, Lauren. Mom, look at me. I’m Lauren Gray. Please, Mom, help me!”

Sophia buried her face in Linda’s arms, sobbing in ragged gasps, but gave no response at all.

Her seductive eyes now glared at Stella with venom.

Stella showed not a hint of fear. With Lauren’s desperate screams as her soundtrack, she strolled over to Sophia, hands casually clasped behind her back.

Sophia held her breath.

Stella’s image grew bigger and bigger in her eyes, filling her vision with dread.

Stella’s eyes flashed with a chilling darkness as she bent down, locking eyes with Sophia. She murmured, “But at least they’re still alive. Isn’t that right?”

Her laugh was light and mocking, like a little witch playing games with everyone,

Sophia’s pupils shrank in terror.

Her heart nearly stopped.

Off to the side, Sebastian’s eyes, hidden behind those thick glasses, were stormy with emotion. While everyone else stared at Stella in fear, he felt like his heart was about to burst out of his chest.

“Is she your daughter, Mrs. Chapman?” Stella asked.

Sophia’s eyes filled with tears. She stayed silent.

15:31 Tue, Feb 3

Chapter 178

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Stella’s smile disappeared, her voice suddenly cold as ice and sharp as a knife. She demanded, “Say something!”

“N-no, she’s not!” Sophia blurted out, shaking all over. She added, “Lauren’s at home. She never left!”

Lauren looked at Sophia, eyes wide with disbelief. In that moment, the bond between mother and daughter shattered completely; there was no way to fix it now.

Stella turned her head toward Giana and asked, “Is that your daughter-in-law?”

Her tone was drawling, almost bored.

Giana let out a cold laugh. If the Lane and Gray families weren’t stuck together right now, she wouldn’t even give someone as young as Lauren the time of day. She replied, “Never met her.”

Stella turned to face Lauren directly.

“Welcome to the hell where everyone abandons you,” Stella said, her voice icy, dripping with sarcasm.

To be wiped out from existence, betrayed and cast aside by everyone, that was what true hell really was.

In that moment, it was like Lauren’s soul had been sucked out of her body. She went limp, her eyes empty as she stared at Sophia, who couldn’t even look back at her.

Stella said, “David just got the wrong person. The Lane family should pay some compensation and apologize. We’re willing to sign a settlement agreement. It was all just a misunderstanding, and it won’t mess up the partnership between the Lane and Gray families.”

Giana couldn’t believe Stella had even thought that far ahead.

Honestly, David got hauled to the station, but he still got to rough up those two scumbags tonight. He didn’t lose a thing.

“Whatever, you name the price,” Giana said.

Giana secretly breathed a sigh of relief. All she wanted now was to wrap this up and drag her son out of this mess ASAP.

“I’m not agreeing to any settlement. I didn’t pick up a hooker! I swear I didn’t!” Brantley yelled, snapping out of his daze. As a public official, if this got reported to his job, he’d be totally screwed.

“My dear father,” Stella said, her voice laced with biting sarcasm, before turning cold. She shot him a sympathetic look and said, “Seems like there’s something they forgot to mention to you.”

Brantley froze.

Stella continued, “The one who got into trouble at the Lane family party wasn’t me. It was the woman you’ve been with tonight!”

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