Shadows Between Us (Stella and Sebastian) novel Chapter 186

Chapter 186

Annette just stared at them, at a loss for words.

36)

55 vouchers

Annette looked at Sebastian, her face full of complicated emotions. She opened her mouth a few times, but couldn’t bring herself to speak.

Finally, she took a deep breath. “Sebastian, I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

With that, she went upstairs.

Sebastian and Stella stayed silent.

Lucas tilted his head, looking adorably confused.

The next morning, when Stella walked downstairs in Edenbury Academy’s uniform, John and Jake were craning their necks around the dining room doorway, sneaking a peek. The moment they saw her, their eyes lit up.

She walked over to the island counter with her slender, straight legs, poured herself a glass of water, and was just about to take a sip.

Then she turned her head and caught John and Jake staring at her, their faces full of anticipation.

Stella was speechless.

Jake asked, “Ms. Carter, not making soup today?”

John kept a straight face, but was watching her closely.

Stella didn’t know what to say.

“They sure weren’t like this before, Stella thought.

She took her time sipping her water, and then said lazily, “I’m heading to school.”

Their eyes instantly dimmed, like a flame being snuffed out.

John hesitated, and then asked, “Ms. Carter, could you write down the recipe? We’ll make it ourselves.”

Stella gave him a meaningful look. “Sure,”

Jake quickly handed her a pen and paper. Stella lazily lifted her hand and scribbled down the recipe in a relaxed, flowing manner.

She set the pen down on the paper and slid it across the island counter to them.

The two immediately leaned in to read it.

Then they fell silent.

15:34 Tue, Feb 3

Chapter 186

36

55 vouchers

“Good morning, Stella!” Allan, dressed in a Klein blue shirt, struck a cool pose. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the two guys huddled together. “What are you guys looking at?”

He leaned in for a closer look. “What the heck are these?”

Stella smiled. “They’re what goes into the soup.”

They all looked up, eyes practically popping out of their heads.

Every single name on that list was the rarest of the rare in the world of herbs, stuff they couldn’t get their hands on even if they threw all their money at it.

And that day, they’d watched Stella just toss them into the pot by the handful, cool as a cucumber.

‘Why didn’t we have more that day?’ they thought.

They were so frustrated that they could’ve just pounded their chests in regret.

Lucas came running in from outside, zeroing in on Stella and hugging her leg.

He raised his hand and pointed at his hair.

Perched atop Lucas’s fluffy curls, the little peregrine falcon was sound asleep, snoring away.

It even tucked its tiny wings over its belly, making itself extra cozy.

Lucas poked it.

The peregrine falcon let out a soft, sleepy gurgle.

Eggie kicked its little legs in protest.

Stella didn’t know what to say.

She glanced behind Lucas. “Where’s Sebastian?”

Lucas tilted his head, blinking cutely at Stella.

Then Lucas decided to act out both parts himself.

He moved to the left, imitating Sebastian in his wheelchair with a blank, serious face. Then he switched to the right, letting out a dramatic sigh just like Annette.

He was such a little drama star.

The others didn’t know what to say.

‘Man, Lucas is just too good at this!’ they all thought.

Upstairs in the study, Annette was in her black tailored dress, watching Sebastian in his wheelchair, his face totally unreadable.

15:34 Tue, Feb 3

Chapter 186

:

She let out what felt like her hundredth sigh. “Sebastian…”

Sebastian was speechless.

36

55 vouchers

Nearby, perched on a tree, Snowball was chilling with a little shark hat on its big white head, lazily drumming its tail to some imaginary beat.

‘Just being my cute self again today!’ Snowball thought, feeling extra adorable.

The next second, Annette asked, “Don’t tell me you tried to force her…”

Sebastian said, “I like her.”

They both spoke at the same time.

Sebastian’s eyes flashed with complex emotion as he frowned. “Force her?”

Annette stayed silent.

‘Oops, I let my real thoughts slip!’ Annette thought, feeling a bit guilty.

She glanced around, looking a little sheepish. “I mean, you hardly ever talk, you’ve got a bad temper, your legs

aren’t working, and you’re as stubborn as a mule. So what does that girl even see in you?”

She let out another sigh and asked sincerely, “Is it because you’re older?”

Sebastian was speechless.

Annette asked, “Is it because you’ll kick the bucket early?”

Sebastian stayed silent.

Annette asked, “Or is she just sticking around for your inheritance?”

Sebastian stayed silent.

There was a brief silence.

He tried to defend himself.

Sebastian said, “I’m not that bad-looking…” He hesitated, and then added, “…I guess.”

The two of them both fell silent.

Sebastian really tried his best.

Sebastian lowered his head, trying to hide the disappointment in his eyes. Sitting in his wheelchair, he looked like a drenched little wolf. “I won’t force her.”

As if sensing his mood, Snowball lazily slithered down from the tree and rested his big head on Sebastian’s

hand.

15:34 Tue, Feb 3

Chapter 186

It thought, ‘Pet me! Pet me!

‘Come on, pet me! You’ll feel way better after!’

គ

36

E55 vouchers

“I won’t,” Sebastian said, looking up at Annette with a kind of seriousness he’d never shown before.

Annette blinked in surprise.

After a moment, she pulled her beige shawl tighter around her shoulders and asked, “What if she doesn’t like you?”

Sebastian stayed silent.

Panic flashed across Sebastian’s face, and before he could even process that, Annette hit him with another question. “What if she falls for someone else? Someone healthier, younger, and… someone who truly understands her?”

Sebastian’s hand, resting on the armrest of his wheelchair, suddenly clenched into a fist.

“I… I have money! I really do!” he blurted out, almost desperately.

His eyes, usually so deep and intense, now looked fragile and a little red, a kind of shattered vulnerability that made his good looks seem even more tragic.

‘Anything Stella wants, I can buy it for her,’ he told himself, clinging to that thought.

Annette sighed. “Sebastian, money isn’t everything.”

Sebastian fell silent again.

Annette rested her hand on his head, looking at him with grandmotherly affection. “What you really need is a heart that’s truly genuine, one she can really feel.”

Sebastian looked up.

“It’s about respect and acceptance,” she said gently.

There was a knock at the study door.

The door swung open.

A little head peeked in.

Then a bare, perfect face appeared-no makeup, just pure beauty.

“Huh!” Lucas said.

Stella said, “Breakfast time!”

As she said it, her gaze fell on Sebastian. She paused, frowning.

15:34 Tue, Feb 3

Chapter 186

Annette stayed silent.

She didn’t know what to say.

36

55 vouchers

Behind Stella, Sebastian, who’d been hoping for something more, just sat there, totally deflated.

Suddenly, Lucas waddled over to Annette, rummaging through his pocket. A little pink thing slipped out and rolled across the floor, coming to a stop right at Annette’s feet.

Lucas froze, his mouth hanging open in cartoonish shock.

Annette glanced down. “What’s this…?”

Her eyes went wide in shock.

There, on the floor, was a gigantic pink diamond ring.

The pink diamond was even bigger than a pigeon egg, throwing off flashes of light in the morning sun.

“This is for you,” Stella said coolly, like it was no big deal.

Behind her, Sebastian leaned over to sneak a peek, but Stella lazily nudged him back into place.

Sebastian was speechless.

Annette blinked in shock. “Wait, this is for me?”

Stella nodded. “Yeah, it’s for you.”

Lucas glanced left and right, then dashed over, scooped up the pink diamond ring, and hoisted it up for his great-grandma with all his might.

His little arms were shaking like crazy.

“Is this the Pink Star, the one that went for 150 million at Sotheby’s?” Annette gasped, turning the ring over in her hand. Every angle, the clarity, the sparkle, the color-totally perfect.

Stella shook her head, not even blinking. “Nope.”

Annette stayed silent.

She looked up at Stella.

Stella’s

eyes darted away, looking a little guilty.

Two seconds later, Stella said, “Yeah, it is.”

Sebastian leaned over, trying to sneak a peek again, but Stella casually shoved him back into place without missing a beat.

Then, out of nowhere, Snowball’s big white head slowly rose up.