Shadows Between Us (Stella and Sebastian) novel Chapter 209

Chapter 209

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Ten minutes later, Blake stunningly signed two contracts for Ion Wing Drones; one was from Jaxon, and the other was from the government.

Blake froze again.

Jaxon said, “Here’s to a great partnership.”

He offered his hand for a polite shake.

Blake blurted, “Absolutely. Absolutely. Absolutely.”

He seized Jaxon’s hand and shook it with all his might.

Blake was so hyped that he nearly shook Jaxon’s arm off.

Jaxon was speechless.

Jaxon’s grin slowly stiffened.

From behind Blake, Stella gave a subtle cough.

Blake instantly let go of Jaxon’s hand, sporting a dazed, silly grin as he happily shuffled back behind his Stella.

He giggled.

‘I’m just a lovable fool. Another day of winning by doing absolutely nothing. Man, I’m proud of myself, he thought.

Once everyone was seated again, Stella smiled and locked eyes with Hudson. She said, “Thirdly, this one’s personal.”

When they heard it was a personal matter, the big shots’ expressions shifted, each reacting in their own way.

‘Is she about to ask for something crazy?’ they all wondered.

Hudson said, “Go ahead.”

Stella’s eyes turned serious. She said, “I want the highest clearance to investigate Eric’s case.”

Hudson, always the picture of integrity, was stunned for a second; he hadn’t expected Stella to bring up Eric’s

name.

Hudson hesitated, saying, “About this…”

Stella casually raised her hand, her amber eyes showing no emotion. She said, “Honestly, if I wanted to know, I could find out myself, even if I had to bypass you entirely.”

The big shots across the table frowned, about to speak, but Stella cut them off, getting impatient. She said,

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Chapter 209

“But our Mr. Gray is a man who plays by the rules.”

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At the mention of Sebastian, Stella’s eyes softened a little.

“If he wants me to follow the rules, then I’m willing to play by your rules, too,” she said.

For Stella, this was just going through the motions.

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After a while, Hudson said, his tone turned heavy, “Eric’s case, it’s a mess with too many strings attached.”

Stella shot back, “Is that why you forced him to swallow it for five years?”

Hudson tried to say something, but ended up silent.

Stella gave the military brass a cold, sweeping look, saying, “Just a reminder for everyone here.”

She gave the tabletop a deliberate tap.

Her face stayed utterly blank.

Stella said, “The power in this partnership is in my hands.”

Right then, an intense, invisible pressure radiated from her, making Blake, who’d never been in a meeting like this before, feel his heart race.

People like this could only be seen on the news.

‘How is Stella so gutsy?’ Blake thought, his heart pounding in awe.

After a long moment, Hudson finally said, “I agree.”

The moment he said that, Stella’s sharp, commanding aura instantly melted away, replaced by a lazy, almost nonchalant vibe.

Hudson gave Stella a long, searching look. The last time at the training ground, he’d pegged her as just a kid, but now he saw how wrong he’d been.

From the moment she walked in, she was in full negotiation mode.

And from that moment on, they’d been playing catch-up ever since.

A few minutes later, a guard knocked on the door and brought in a security-sealed confidentiality agreement.

Once both sides double-checked everything, they each signed their names on the agreement.

Blake craned his neck, trying to get a better look.

Stella signed her name, cool as ever, completely unfazed.

Her pen pressed down with such force that one could almost feel the confidence in every stroke.

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Chapter 209

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‘Damn, that’s some gorgeous handwriting, Blake thought, awestruck.

The deal was sealed.

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“Ms. Carter, looking forward to working together,” Hudson said as he stood up, walked over to Stella, and reached out his hand.

Stella took his hand without missing a beat.

Hudson, used to rough handshakes with his fellow soldiers, forgot to hold back his strength. But Stella didn’t even flinch; she met his grip with her own hidden power, making it look effortless.

Stella smiled lightly. She said, “Pleasure working with you.”

Everyone filed out of the conference room.

As soon as they stepped outside, Broderick leaned in and said, “Hey, Stella, I’m gonna go say hi to a friend.”

Stella followed Broderick’s gaze over to Jaxon, who was standing not far away, and just replied with a casual

Mm.

Once she finished speaking, Stella turned to Blake.

Blake, all six feet plus of him, hugged her black shoulder bag like a security blanket, head down, standing there like a kid getting scolded.

Stella’s gaze was razor-sharp as she locked eyes with Blake. She said, “Not a word about what happened today leaves this room. Otherwise, you’ll end up in front of a military court.”

Blake’s eyes went wide.

‘Military court? For real?’ Blake thought.

Blake blurted out, “I swear I won’t say a word.”

“Hey, kiddo,” Levi called out, huffing and puffing as he jogged over to Stella.

Levi said while panting, “About last time, I still haven’t really thanked you properly.”

Stella fell silent.

‘You being alive and kicking is all the thanks I need, she thought.

“Ms. Carter,” Murray said as he marched over, all stiff and formal.

Stella fell silent.

‘Can you guys just let me breathe for a second?’ she thought.

Murray asked, “Can I have a word with you? It’s about Sebastian.”

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Chapter 209

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Stella’s eyes grew somber.

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Off to the side, Murray paused, craving a smoke. He glanced at Stella, then changed his mind and put the cigarette away. He said, “Back when the location leak happened, Conrad was a suspect at one point.”

Stella lifted her gaze, icy and silent.

Her fingers traced Blackie coiled around her wrist.

Earlier, Blackie didn’t budge at all, as if it could sense the righteous aura flooding the room.

Murray said, “But you’ve seen it yourself, with his reputation as the nation’s top chip researcher, trying to get him in for questioning is nearly impossible.”

Stella replied coolly, “What if he lost that title?”

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