Shadows Between Us (Stella and Sebastian) novel Chapter 21

Chapter 21

55 Vouchers

After a while, Stella rested her chin in her hand, her expression thoughtful. “No,” she said finally. “Not really.”

She suddenly glanced up at one of the villa windows, her eyes narrowing slightly as if she had felt someone watching her.

Lucas wrote something on his board and held it up. It read, [Uncle Sebastian is grumpy, but he’s nice.]

Beside the words, he’d drawn a grumpy little cartoon character that looked just like Sebastian.

Lucas even acted it out, clawing the air with a soft growl.

The sight made Stella laugh.

His earnest defense of Sebastian was so sweet that for a moment, Stella wanted to hug him and never let go.

“Lucas,” she asked softly, “why don’t you speak?”

He clearly understood her and could write well enough. She saw no physical reason he couldn’t talk. That left only one likely explanation.

[Don’t want to,] he wrote, adding a sad little face.

At that, his small face paled, and his shoulders slumped.

Sensing his mood, Snowball lifted its large head onto the table and coiled itself into a loose bow, nudging Lucas gently. Its practiced gesture tugged at Stella’s heart.

Snowball was a sweetheart, but the giant bow it had tied itself into was a true disaster.

Lucas, hugging Snowball, soon dissolved into happy giggles.

Watching them, Stella allowed herself a small smile. She slid the last two components into her laptop and pressed the power

button.

The sleek, custom–built machine came to life instantly, its screen brightening in just a few seconds.

Her slender fingers moved over the keyboard, and moments later, the official forum for Nova Legends filled the screen.

The video was already there, of course. The comment thread beneath it was exploding.

[Classic simp behavior. Zero reward.]

[Starfall, check your DMs. I’ve got a deal for you.]

[Official reminder! Arrogant Wind & Hazelight’s wedding is tonight, S PM, Destiny Isle.]

[This is a new low.]

Stella scrolled through the reactions with detached amusement. A faint, proud smile touched her lips, the kind that belonged to someone who lived by her own rules and looked stunning doing it.

She created a new account. The cursor blinked in the empty username field. Without hesitation, she typed in the name RealStarfall.

[Destiny Isle, 8 PM tonight. Come watch a certain couple get what’s coming to them.] At the end, she left her in–game name “RealStarfall” for all to see.

Chapter 21

After typing the last word, she hit enter.

The game’s online forum erupted instantly.

[No way! It’s actually her. The real Starfall is back and she’s not messing around.]

[How dare you show up again, Starfall? Our Lunar Guild isn’t just for show.]

[Our Lunar Guild… Seriously? This is so dramatic! I’m dying over here.]

55 vouchers

Having gotten the reaction she wanted, Stella didn’t bother reading further. Closing the forum page, she glanced at her game download, still only 39% done.

Almost on autopilot, she opened a new browser window.

A familiar black–and–white banking interface appeared on her screen. It was the website for Dorestan Bank.

It was the world’s most discreet private bank, renowned for its impenetrable security.

The bank had earned its reputation years earlier, after a team of top hackers spent an entire week trying to breach its system. The attempt failed, and every hacker involved was traced, arrested, and jailed.

The Dorestan Bank and Dorestan Exchange were both private entities, headquartered in Dorestan and employing hundreds of thousands worldwide.

It was commonly believed that the figures behind them wielded control over close to sixty percent of the world’s wealth.

Stella stared coldly at the login screen, her fingers tapping the keys with unconscious precision.

The password was accepted, and the page loaded immediately.

Stella fell into a brief, stunned silence as the information on the screen came into view.

She was looking at a private account registered under the codename “Shark.” The balance displayed a figure so large that it took her a moment to comprehend. The sum of money in it was staggering, well into the trillions.

The sudden, sharp beep of her custom security alarm cut through the silence, Her eyebrows lifted in recognition, and a fierce, competitive heat that had been lying dormant inside her suddenly sparked to life.

Her fingers became a blur across the keyboard, the screen erupting into a dizzying waterfall of code.

A stark, black chat window materialized on her screen with a simple question written in a foreign language. [Who are you?]

A wild grin touched Stella’s lips as she typed a two–word reply in a matching foreign language. [Your Daddy.] The simple reply made the other end fall silent.

A single name finally appeared in return. [You’re Shark.]

It was the second time she’d seen that name today. A slow, defiant smile spread across her face as her hands stilled.

The messages switched to Clusian, flooding in nonstop.

[So you are alive. Why haven’t you contacted us?]

[Why is your IP in Clusia?]

[Talk to me, damn it!]

** Stella rested her chin in her palm feeling the other person’s anger even through the screen. Her striking features remained

12:12 Tue, Jan 13 G GR

Chapter 21

cool and clear as she let out a soft, amused laugh.

82

55 vouchers

The words meant nothing to her, but the furious tone was unmistakable. She decided to answer anyway. [Five seconds,] she typed back, as a kind of warning.

[What? Oh, shit. A virus!] came the instant, panicked reply.

The countdown ended, and the connection was terminated.

A satisfied, slightly wicked smile curved Stella’s lips. With the quiet pleasure of a successful hunt in her eyes, she gave a final little wave to her screen and dismissed the whole episode.

With the game now launching, Stella leaned back in her chair and stretched, waiting for it to load.

Her eyes drifted toward the garden, where Snowball was draped over a low tree branch, basking in the late sun. She caught it mid–yawn, its jaws stretched wide.

Snowball seemed almost embarrassed to be caught.

It shifted slightly, uncoiling just enough to show Lucas curled asleep against its side.

Lucas’s thumb was tucked in his mouth, and he gave a soft, sleepy suck now and then.

He snuggled his soft little face against Snowball’s large head, the picture of innocent sweetness.

Patches of sunlight fell through the canopy of leaves. Stella raised a hand against the gentle glare, savoring a moment of simple peace she hadn’t experienced in a long time.

After dinner, as night fell, Allan insisted on taking Lucas out for a walk with Snowball.

“Mr. Gray, could I use your study?” Stella asked. There was a low, restless energy in her voice, a clear sign she was preparing for the night’s virtual confrontation.

Sebastian’s expression remained impassive as he replied, “Follow me.”

They stepped into the private elevator, one after the other.

Holding her laptop, Stella soon realized the elevator was not stopping at the floor for the study.

It continued upward, straight to the loft at the very top of the villa.

When the elevator doors slid open, the smart lights turned on automatically, revealing a dedicated esports lounge.

The room was decorated in a sleek, high–end black–and–white scheme that spoke of its owner’s refined but modern taste.

Several top–of–the–line gaming PCs were arranged around the room, each paired with sleek, custom–made black mechanical keyboards.

“Take your pick,” Sebastian offered.

For a moment, Stella just stared. The combined value of the setups in front of her was astronomical.

She moved to the nearest station and pressed the power button. The system awoke in a heartbeat.

A slow, roguish smile spread across her face, and her eyes glinted with untamed delight.

Chapter 22