Shadows Between Us (Stella and Sebastian) novel Chapter 32

Chapter 32

“He doesn’t just skip WhatsApp. He doesn’t even have Twitter, a he never shops online. Seriously, how boring can a guy get?” Allan seized the chance to tease Sebastian, totally missing de slight relaxation in Stella’s expression when she heard Sebastian didn’t use Twitter.

“Even Lucas has WhatsApp,” Allan added. Right on cue, Lucas hugged his tiny phone and nodded adorably.

Then Lucas gazed up at Stella with big, pleading eyes, his whole face saying, “Stella, I want to add you on WhatsApp”

Stella couldn’t resist Lucas’s silent plea. She tried to wiggle her hand free from Sebastian’s grip. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to add Lucas, but Sebastian just wouldn’t let go.

Lucas immediately put his hands on his hips and pulled out his cheeks at Sebastian, looking just like an angry little pufferfish.

Sebastian said nothing, but a wave of intimidating pressure filled the space. Still, Lucas was totally immune. After years of facing off with Sebastian, he wasn’t bothered by that kind of pressure at all.

Allan nearly choked on his laughter. ‘What goes around comes around, and Lucas is Sebastian’s payback, he thought. ‘Lucas has always been fearless, always ready to argue his case. That’s impressive.

“First come, first served,” Sebastian said, his tone icy.

Lucas looked momentarily confused.

[But you don’t even have it,] Lucas protested with his tablet.

“I can sign up right now,” Sebastian replied, not budging at all. He kept Stella’s hand and phone held in his cold grip, his voice frosty as ever.

As he spoke, he glanced at Allan, whose smile slowly froze on his face.

After a while, Sebastian finally released Stella’s hand when he saw his new WhatsApp ID on the screen.

“It’s just a friend request. Is this really such a big deal?’ Stella thought, watching both of them locked in a fierce rivalry. In the end, she decided to stay silent.

“Men,” Allan scoffed, crossing his arms as if to distance himself from the childish rivalry.

Yet, in the next moment, he had somehow sidled back next to Stella, presenting his garish custom purple phone with the “add friend” screen open.

Stella shot him a look that plainly said, “Like you’re any better.”

“You’re riding this tonight?” Sebastian’s gaze was deep as he observed the superbike.

“Sebastian, ‘this’? Show some respect. This is Lightning LS-218, the beast of the road, the king of speed,” Allan retorted.

Allan was a true enthusiast when it came to superbikes and racing. He was always down for a race, whether it was an official event or some wild street showdown. The sound of an engine was enough to send his adrenaline soaring.

“I’ve got a question for you, seriously,” Stella said, turning to Allan with a laid-back, almost lazy glance. It was the first time she’d actually bothered to check out what he really looked like since he showed up.

“Shoot.” Allan’s eyes lit up right away.

“Are you always this chatty?” Stella asked, genuine curiosity in her tone, devoid of any sarcasm.

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Chapter oz

Allan’s shoulders slumped, and he crouched down, looking totally defeated, ‘Ugh, I’ll curse you cold-hearted types, he muttered to himself.

Lucas, who had been happily clutching his phone, froze when he learned that Stella was going out.

He dashed over to Stella, looking up with his big, pleading eyes on the verge of tears. He wanted to go, too.

“No.” Stella said, glancing down and shutting him down without second thought.

Lucas froze in shock. In a daze, Lucas wandered over to Allan and crouched beside him, looking as defeated as he was.

Allan and Lucas kept casting wounded glances at Stella, their collective gloom almost palpable.

Stella instinctively turned to Sebastian, and his eyes, as deep as ever, were already fixed on her.

Stella was lost for words for a moment.

From the decorative tree, Snowball slithered down, his tiny red eyes locked on her.

With two grown men, a kid, and a python all staring at her, Stella felt she had reached the pinnacle of speechlessness.

“I’m heading out tonight to settle a score,” Stella said, her voice casual but with a clear edge, as if she was warning everyone not to mess with her. ‘Seriously, do they think it’s a group outing or what?’ she thought.

[Stella, promise you’ll come back.] Lucas held up his tablet from his crouched position. His biggest fear was that she might

not return.

“I promise,” Stella said, bending down. Her long hair slipped gently over her cheeks, and the sunlight made her look like she was glowing. She was so pretty. Lucas couldn’t help but freeze for a second.

“Relax. If Stella doesn’t come back, we’ll just bail her out at the police station,” Allan said. But the moment he finished, Sebastian, Lucas, and even Snowball all turned and stared at him like he’d just said the dumbest thing ever.

Allan was left speechless.

Little did Allan know his words would totally come true that very night.

Night had just fallen when Hazel called right on schedule, telling Stella to meet her at the Greenleaf Club.

Outside the club, Hazel paced nervously, dressed to look sweet and innocent. She was waiting for Stella. Inside, in a private room, Arrogant Wind and his crew were already gathered.

Hazel had already guessed Arrogant Wind was loaded from the way he threw cash around, but she never expected him to actually be Blake, the eldest heir to the Pierce family, one of the city’s three powerhouse families alongside the Gray and Chase families.

Blake was famous for being fabulously rich and totally wild. If there was ever a day without some scandal about him stirring up trouble, people would swear the sky was falling. He spent money freely and commanded a loyal pack of followers.

Hazel took the moment to touch up her makeup. Compared to the Pierce fortune, the Carter family’s wealth was insignificant. If not for certain connections, she wouldn’t even be at Edenbury Academy. She could never spend like her classmates.

Just thinking about Blake made Hazel’s mind wander. ‘Once Stella shows up with her usual garish, messy makeup, I’ll look even more pure and perfect by comparison. She wants to go up against me? What a joke,’ Hazel sneered inwardly.

Just as Hazel was lost in her daydreams, a deafening engine roar shattered the quiet. A figure on a formidable black

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Chapter 32

superbike pulled up, capturing the attention of everyone at the entrance.

65 vouchers

A doorman moved to shoo away what he assumed was a cheap bike, but a colleague quickly grabbed his arm. “Are you crazy? That thing costs a fortune, more than some of the cars here. We definitely don’t want any trouble with that,” he whispered.

Hazel blinked in disbelief as the impressive bike slid to a stop right in front of her. The rider whipped off her helmet, and a cascade of silky hair tumbled free.

To Hazel’s shock, the rider was actually a girl, and she was so young and drop-dead gorgeous that Hazel literally forgot to breathe for a moment.

“Stella?” Hazel gasped, her voice cracking. She stared at the flawlessly fresh, makeup-free face before her. She could hardly believe her eyes. ‘Is this really the same Stella who used to be such an eyesore?’ she thought.

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