Shadows Between Us (Stella and Sebastian) novel Chapter 274

Chapter 274

More than ten hours later, the plane landed at Western Farronia.

As the group stepped off the plane, they were instantly engulfed by a blast of scorching heat.

Farronia was famous for its blistering heat.

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Stella had ditched her black shirt for an oversized hoodie, and her high-top boots looked sleek and ready for action. As she stepped off the plane, she grabbed a same-color baseball cap and tossed it on, sauntering next to Sebastian, looking totally relaxed.

Sebastian kept it simple with his outfit, currently on the phone. His arms were solid as steel, crisscrossed with old scars. At 6’4″, he absolutely dwarfed Stella, making her look tiny by his side.

His eyes scanned the area, and just one look from him was enough to make people shiver.

Emily couldn’t help but shake her head.

She nudged Stella with her elbow, and when Stella lazily glanced over, Emily sighed, “Stella, the best is yet to come for you!”

Stella tugged the hood of her hoodie over her baseball cap and didn’t even bother to reply.

The embassy staff didn’t show up as agreed.

Due to the unrest, the airport was almost empty. Just a handful of people scattered around, plus a frail old man sitting off to the side, hacking with a muffled cough.

“I’m heading to the restroom,” Stella said, hands shoved in her pockets as she sauntered off, totally unhurried.

Two minutes later, she stood at the sink and casually turned on the faucet, totally unhurried. The water gushed out.

“Don’t move!” A gun was suddenly pressed against the back of Stella’s head.

But instead of the terrified scream the thug expected, Stella didn’t even flinch. She just turned off the faucet, looked up, and locked eyes with him in the mirror.

Under her baseball cap, her deep amber eyes were as cold and still as an icy pool.

“Hands up!” he barked.

Stella slowly raised both hands, going along with him, her face still wearing that same lazy, unconcerned look.

Sometime later, Allan wanted to talk to Sebastian, but as his gaze swept to the corner, his expression changed in an instant.

Sebastian looked up.

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“Ms. Carter!” Charles, Nathan, and Emerson all whipped out their guns, aiming ahead. In front of them, a masked thug in a black hood was holding Stella at gunpoint, her hands raised in surrender.

Seeing this, Emily, still hugging the plain plant, looked a little awkward. She said, “Well, you might want to let her go.

She said it in Clusian first, then realized the guy probably didn’t get it, so she repeated herself in the local language.

The thug thought, ‘Is this chick for real, telling me how to do my job?’

The thug snapped, “Shut up!”

Emily sighed and thought, ‘That’s as real and sincere as my advice gets. Suit yourself.’

Allan spoke up, his tone playful but with a hint of sympathy in his eyes. “Hey, buddy, there’s a saying in Clusia: ‘Listen to advice, and you’ll never go hungry. Get it?”

Emerson frowned and thought, ‘What’s up with these guys? Ms. Carter’s being held hostage, and they’re acting like it’s no big deal? What’s with them?’

Emerson called out, “Mr. Gray?”

Sebastian rubbed his forehead and said, “Stella?” His voice carried a mix of helplessness and fondness.

Stella said slowly, “Huh?” She flashed a lazy smile and added, “This is actually pretty amusing.”

‘Amusing? Seriously?’ everyone thought, utterly confused. ‘What’s supposed to be amusing here?’

Stella tilted her head, thinking back. “Sebastian, I think I have had a gun to my head way too many times lately.”

The next second, a cold glint flashed in Stella’s eyes, and her smile disappeared. With zero emotion, she suddenly wrenched the thug’s gun hand until it snapped.

As he screamed in pain, Stella didn’t even flinch. She just snatched the gun right out of his grip.

With two sharp clicks, Stella, gun in hand, joined Sebastian as they both aimed straight at the only guy sitting there, the old man with the cough.

Everything changed in a heartbeat.

Almost at the same moment, a dozen other “tourists” suddenly pulled out their guns, all aiming at them.

Emily clutched the plain plant, blinked, and thought, ‘Can we all just calm down for a sec?’

“Welcome, my friends,” the old man greeted them with a relaxed grin. “But tell me, how did you spot me?” He thought his disguise was foolproof.

Stella replied, “Your boots.” She lowered her gun, gesturing at his feet.

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The old man glanced down and then burst out laughing. “Ha, looks like I missed a spot. Totally forgot I was still rocking my combat boots.” Still chuckling, he waved a hand and said, “Bring them in.”

A dozen embassy and airport staff were dragged in, all tied up.

Stella couldn’t help but give the bearded guy with the submachine gun, who took the hostages here, a second look. She didn’t see thugs with eyes that huge and practically sparkling every day.

Out of nowhere, that annoyingly catchy song sounded, “Your eyes, just like stars…”

Everyone turned to look in the direction of the voice.

Sebastian said, “Shut up.”

Allan replied, “Alright.”

‘Sorry about that,’ he thought. ‘I just couldn’t help myself when I saw those huge eyes!’

But out of nowhere, the bearded guy totally flipped out, swinging his submachine gun at Allan. “Are you hitting on me?”

His Clusian was super broken and awkward. It was like he’d learnt his Clusian from a peddler.

Allan’s gaze swept over the guy’s bulging muscles, wild and intimidating in those skin-tight short-sleeve shirts. Every time the bearded dude waved his gun, those muscles trembled like they were about to burst.

Allan’s silence was so loud that it was almost deafening. His lips quivered as he stammered, “Hey, big breast.”

The bearded dude exploded, “What did you call me?”

Allan went silent.

Emily burst out laughing. ‘Serves you right for talking too much!’ she thought.

Sebastian fixed the old man with a cold stare, his eyes unreadable. “Where are the doctors?”

The old man grinned smugly. “They’re in a very safe place.” As he spoke, he glanced over the group, searching for something. The old man tilted his head, still smiling. “And where’s Shark?”

Nobody said a word.

Suddenly, one of the thugs dragged a tied-up embassy staffer out of the group, shoved a submachine gun to his head, and forced his hands way up.

“Say where Shark is, or I’ll splatter his brains all over the ground!” Then he smashed the gun butt down hard on the guy’s head.

Blood instantly started trickling down.

Charles frowned, instinctively glancing at Stella, but with her hood up, he couldn’t see her face at all. His annoyance was piling up.

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Stella’s laid-back vibe disappeared in a flash. Her eyes went icy as she lifted her head from under the baseball cap, arched a brow, and teased, “Your guy’s a little cruel.”

She looked straight at the old man, her words hanging in the air, impossible to read.

The old man just gave a vague smile, neither agreeing nor denying.

Stella looked over and asked, “What’s his name?”

The old man answered, “Uriah.”

Stella gave a thoughtful nod, murmured, “Wait a sec,” then brushed right past him, heading straight for Uriah.

She moved with bold, confident strides.

As she got close, she picked up speed and sent a flying kick straight into Uriah’s chest.

The thugs watched in disbelief as Uriah, all muscle and bulk, went flying through the air in a perfect arc, while Stella, the one who sent him flying, just casually rolled her neck from side to side, looking totally unfazed.

Her neck cracked audibly with each movement.

Stella gave the old man a cold, sideways smirk. “So weak.”

The old man’s smile froze, and he sat up straighter.

Everyone holding a gun couldn’t help but flinch.

They stared in shock as Stella, with just one hand, lifted the embassy staffer Uriah had just bashed in the head like he weighed nothing. The whole move was so smooth, and she didn’t even bat an eye.

It was downright terrifying.

Uriah crashed to the ground with a heavy thud, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

The airport was dead silent.

The bandages wrapped around Stella’s hands were holding her back. She was about to rip them off when she suddenly felt a chill on her back.

Pretending not to notice, she shifted her hand away and rolled up her sleeve, showing off her slim, fair forearm.

The moment Uriah tried to get up, Stella smashed her fist into his face again.

The bearded dude thought he was hallucinating. ‘How the hell did Uriah’s face end up with a freaking dent in it?’ he thought.

“Who were you trying to blow away?” Stella radiated pure defiance. Even as she went full savage, her aura stayed rock steady.

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She crouched down, taking her sweet time. Stella grabbed Uriah’s collar with one hand, gave it a lazy shake, and drawled, “Answer me.”

‘He’s rude,’ Stella thought.

With a vicious slam, she drove his face into the ground. The sound alone was enough to make anyone cringe.

Emily clicked her tongue. The plain plant in her arms started rustling and trembling nonstop. It was totally freaked out.

“Mr. Gray.” Charles glanced at Sebastian, looking like he wanted to say something but thought better of it.

But instead of being shocked by the “crime scene,” Sebastian just chuckled, even smiling at Stella.

The only thing Charles could think about was ‘WTF?’

The old man’s face finally changed. “Enough!”

Stella looked up and locked eyes with the bearded guy, who instantly threw his hands up like he was surrendering for his life, batting those ridiculously huge, sparkly eyes at her.

‘Honestly, dude, you really don’t have to do that,’ Stella thought.

Stella stood up and, as she walked past the bearded guy, she wiped the blood from her hand onto his shirt, her face completely expressionless.

The bearded dude didn’t even dare to move a little.

Stella went right over and sat herself down across from the old man, legs crossed with pure boss swagger, zero

hesitation.

She draped her hand over the chair and said, “Looks like you’re carrying some heavy stuff on you.”

It wasn’t until now that the old man finally narrowed his eyes, really sizing her up for the first time. He said, “Indeed.”

He reached up and yanked his jacket zipper open with a sharp hiss, revealing a whole belt of explosives strapped around his torso. The second those bombs showed, everyone but Sebastian instantly froze, faces going stone cold.

Allan blurted out, “Damn.”

Emily clutched the plain plant for dear life.

The old man met Sebastian’s gaze. “If I don’t make it out, not a single doctor will walk out alive!” He raised the detonator in his hand, making sure everyone saw it.

One slip of his finger, and it’s game over for everyone here.

Sebastian just holstered his gun. The others did the same.

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The old man looked pretty satisfied with the tension he’d created. “So, where’s Shark?”

Everyone’s gaze snapped to Stella.

She was the only one here who knew the truth about Shark.

Stella lifted her chin, looking at the old man with a casual, almost careless air. “That’s me.”

The old man frowned, puzzled. “What?” He clearly didn’t catch her meaning right away.

Stella shot him an impatient look, raising her eyebrow. “I’m Shark. That’s right.”

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She pulled down the hood of her black hoodie, her face completely blank as she took off her baseball cap, finally revealing her sharp, flawless features.

Except for Sebastian, everyone’s pupils contracted sharply as they snapped their heads toward Stella. Their hearts were pounding like crazy. They couldn’t believe what they were hearing.

Sebastian stayed perfectly calm, his face not even twitching. He just reached out and brushed his hand through her velvet-soft hair.

Allan was the most shocked of all. “S-Stella? You-you’re Shark?”

‘No

way, Stella is Shark?’ Allan thought, ‘The legendary doctor who can literally bring people back from the dead? That’s actually Stella? The boss of the Scorpio Syndicate? That’s her? For real? Stella is the one and only Shark?’

Allan, who never flinched even if the world was falling apart, suddenly felt dizzy for the first time in his life.

The old man asked, “Why should I believe you?”

Stella just flicked a black-and-gold badge onto the ground.