Shadows Between Us (Stella and Sebastian) novel Chapter 320

Chapter 320

Karson froze mid–motion.

As if he’d just realized something, he smacked his thigh, startling the deputy director.

‘What’s that supposed to mean?‘ the deputy director wondered.

Karson said, “They’ve already been here!” and started walking toward the exhibition hall.

The deputy director was left standing there, totally confused.

K57%–

55 vouchers

The National Museum of Heritage had the highest level of infrared security, directly connected to headquarters. The deputy director thought, ‘They’ve already been here? With so many national treasures? Am I still half–asleep, or did Karson have one too many?‘

The deputy director just smirked, not taking it seriously, and slowly followed the security chief upstairs.

But ten minutes later, the deputy director and the security chief were left gaping in disbelief. Inside the museum, every national artifact was perfectly lined up, while the infrared beams were still up and running.

The deputy director jabbed a finger at the relics, shot a look at the security chief, and said, “So this is what you call ‘no one’s been here“?”

The security chief could only stare in silence.

At the entrance, right where they’d been standing, a red cartoon figure seal lay quietly, striking its signature pose, almost as if it was mocking them, Midnight, Sandridge Island.

Stella propped her head up with one hand, watching Sebastian from the side. Her slender fingers absently toyed with his hair, sometimes brushing through it, sometimes pausing.

Sebastian had only just drifted off to sleep.

He was curled up on his side, nestled close against her.

His brows knit in restless worry, a trace of unease lingering on his face.

Stella gazed at him quietly, her fingers trailing from his hair to his brow, patiently soothing him until his frown slowly relaxed.

But the peaceful moment was shattered by the sudden buzzing of her phone on the nightstand.

Stella paused, glancing at the caller ID.

It was Blake.

Stella’s face went cold as she got out of bed, grabbed her phone, nd answered, “Speak.”

“Stella, help!” Blake was practically screaming for help, like he was grabbing onto his last lifeline. He sounded like he was about to lose it.

Stella frowned. She popped open her laptop with one hand, her fingers flying across the keyboard. In seconds, she pulled up Blake’s live feed.

Stella thought, ‘Is he in an ambulance?

‘And is that Mr. Pierce lying there?‘

1/7

11:10 Mon, Feb 9

Chapter 320

57%

55 vouchers

“Which hospital are you heading to?” Stella’s voice came out of nowhere inside the ambulance, making the medics jump. They looked around, totally baffled, but couldn’t figure out where the voice was coming from.

Stella snapped, “Answer me.”

“Central City Hospital,” the doctor answered.

Stella ordered, “Turn around. Head to Haliville Second Hospital Now.”

The doctor said, “Miss, the patient’s condition is…”

Stella kept typing with one hand, her voice cold and precise. “I know precisely how critical he is. He’s got glioblastoma, it’s malignant, and it’s encasing his middle cerebral artery.

“But there was a chain car accident downtown just minutes ago. Central City Hospital will be flooded. They’ll get there first, and you’ll lose your best chance for emergency care. Haliville Second Hospital is five minutes further, but right now, it’s your optimal choice.”

The doctor said, “But the patient can’t possibly…”

Blake cut in, “Just do what she says! If anything happens, I’ll take full responsibility!” Blake gripped Kendrick’s hand, tears streaming down his face.

He thought, ‘Everything had been perfect tonight. Grandpa was in such high spirits over Ion Wing Drones that he even went for seconds at dinner. They’d made plans to witness Ion Wing Drones‘ future together, but Aunt Penelope messed it all up.‘

“Grandpa! Don’t die! You’re all I have left!” Blake sobbed, clutching Kendrick’s hand tightly.

Stella snapped, “Shut up!”

Like a reflex, Blake instantly shut his mouth, his sobs cut off mid–cry.

The effect was immediate.

Stella was handling two things at once, quickly messaging Emily on her phone with one hand while asking, “Do you have the meds I gave you earlier?”

“I’ve got them! I’ve got them!” Blake pulled out a handful of wax–sealed pills in all sorts of colors. Stella had handed them to him casually before.

If Blake hadn’t already given his grandpa one, he wouldn’t have even made it onto the ambulance.

Stella ordered, “Crush the red one and get it into him. Then get to Haliville Second Hospital and wait for me there.”

“Okay!” Blake shot back.

Stella added, “And remember, no one starts the surgery until I get there.”

With that, she hung up.

Inside the ambulance, the doctor was stunned as Blake, who’d been panicking just moments before, suddenly found his resolve. With a steely look on his face, he crushed the wax seal on the red pill and pushed it into Kendrick’s mouth without hesitation.

But then, “The patient’s not breathing!” The nurse’s hand jerked panic flashing across her face.

She looked up and just froze, completely speechless.

The doctor was glued to the monitor, his face deadly serious. The numbers that had been spiking all over the place since

2/7

11:10 Mon, Feb 90 D

Chapter 320

57%

55 vouchers

they got in the ambulance suddenly leveled out, perfectly normal, right after the pill went in, like some miracle.

On one side, the patient had stopped breathing.

On the other side, the monitor showed everything was perfectly ine.

After all these years on the job, this was the first time they’d ever witnessed something this unbelievable firsthand.

“Dispatch just sent an update. They want us to…” The ambulance driver called out from the front, repeating word for word what Stella had just told them.

The doctor could only stare in stunned silence.

The nurse was stunned.

“Stella would never lie to me!” Blake wiped his tear–stained eyes with his hand, his smoky gray shirt hanging loosely on his frame. Suddenly, as if something clicked, he grabbed his phone and called up his gang of Chads.

The call went through in seconds. “Mr. Pierce?”

Blake looked up, voice urgent. “Round up everyone. Head straight to Haliville Second Hospital.”

He thought, ‘Aunt Penelope definitely won’t back down that easily.

And he was right.

Just as the ambulance was about to pull up slamming to a stop right in front of them.

Halivile Second Empia, a Lexus SUV came out of nowhere and cut them off

The ambulance barely managed to swerve in time, missing a head–on crash by inches.

Blake shouted, “Open the door!”

His eyes were red and raw, but his voice came out low and steady

The doctor hesitated, “You…”

Before he could finish, Blake interrupted, “Once

I’m out, shut the door. No matter what happens, don’t open it!”

Then, without another word, Blake sprang out of the ambulance

Outside, Xander stepped out of the Lexus SUV. “Blake.”

Before he could finish, Blake, his face cold as ice, smashed a fist fight into Xander’s face. “Get the hell out of my way!”

Blood splattered from Xander’s nose.

“Blake, have you lost your mind?!” Penelope, who’d been nervously hiding in the car, jumped out the moment she saw the fight and hurried to her son’s side.

Xander gave Blake a dark, hostile look as he wiped the blood from his mouth. “Blake, my mom didn’t do it on purpose. I already called for a top doctor. Let’s calm down.”

“Xander, who’s sitting in that car?” Blake pointed straight at the Lexus, letting out a cold laugh.

Xander didn’t say a word.

“I’m talking to you!” Blake grabbed Xander by the collar, his eyes fierce and threatening.

3/7

11:10 Mon, Feb 9

Chapter 320

༥ ., 57%L

55 vouchers

With a clatter, the doors of the Lexus SUV swung open, and a bunch of muscle from Penelope’s husband’s family piled out. Clearly, if talking didn’t work, they were ready to snatch Kendrick by force.

The last one out was Kendrick’s lawyer, being shoved along by the goons.

He was the same lawyer who’d helped Kendrick revise his will.

It was apparent he’d been dragged here against his will.

“Are you even human?” Blake snapped, his fury boiling over even if he’d expected this.

Penelope snapped, “Shut up!”

She screeched back, trying to defend herself.

She thought, I’d been banking on Conrad’s chips to make a killing, dragged my whole in–law family and my squad of besties into it, swearing we’d all be rolling in cash. But now, look at this mess.

“Ion Wing Drones totally stole the spotlight.

‘The market value skyrocketed. In just one afternoon, Blake, who used to be the joke of the town, turns into the golden boy everyone wanted a piece of, even outshining my precious Xander. I’m fuming. How could I stand being shown up like this?

‘That’s why I went to the manor that night and caused a ruckus.

Who would’ve thought it would actually set my dad off?

‘My dad absolutely can’t die right now. If he does, all the money would go straight to that Carter brat, Stella!‘

Blake snapped, “Bullshit!”

“Enough!” Xander tried to shove Blake’s hand away, but Blake didn’t move an inch. “Blake, I’m taking Grandpa, whether you like it or not.”

As soon as he said that, the goons swarmed the ambulance, pounding on the hood and sides, shouting threats and curses like a pack of wild dogs.

Blake snarled, “Don’t even think about it!”

He thought, ‘If Grandpa falls into their hands, they wouldn’t let him die, but they’d make sure he stayed in a coma forever.

‘If he dies, every cent would end up with Stella.

‘If he is alive but never wakes up, they can do whatever they want to take control of his estate.

Xander’s voice was cold as ice. “Then don’t blame me for what happens next.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, the goons grabbed Blake, hauling him over and smashing a fist into his face.

Blake didn’t even grunt. He just lunged at Xander, wrapped his arms around him, and sank his teeth into Xander’s ear, vicious as a wild animal.

Xander howled in pain, “Ouch!”

A stabbing pain shot through him.

“Let go of Xander! Let go of my son!” Penelope shrieked, clawing at Blake’s face, while the goons kicked him mercilessly.

But Blake didn’t move an inch. Even with blood streaming down his face, he kept his jaw clamped tight on Xander’s ear,

4/7

11:10 Mon, Feb 9 D

Chapter 320

refusing to let go.

Blake grinned widely, blood smeared between his teeth.

With a crash, a steel pipe smashed through the ambulance window, and the doctor and nurse inside screamed.

Just as the goon was about to climb into the ambulance, Blake whirled and sent a flying kick right at him.

ས ཛཱ 57%L

65 vouchers

Blake spat a mouthful of bloody spit onto the ground, and mixed in with it was a chunk of Xander’s ear he’d bitten off.

Penelope’s face twisted in horror. “Xander!”

Xander was clutching his ear, blood gushing between his fingers Don’t hold back. Beat him senseless!”

The anger he’d been suppressing all day finally erupted.

He just couldn’t accept losing.

Especially not to Blake, the one person he’d always thought was Beneath him.

“Beat him to death, I’ll take the blame!” Xander barked.

The goons closed in on Blake, swinging steel pipes and wearing asty grins.

But Blake just laughed, grinning with blood between his teeth. “Come on! Anyone who doesn’t have the guts to face me is a yellow–bellied coward!”

Inside the car, Kendrick was in a state of his eye.

spended animation, and a line of clear tears slowly slid down from the corner of

Outside the ambulance, Blake was outnumbered and quickly knocked to the ground. He didn’t make a sound, just curled up on his side, clutching his head, glaring daggers at Xander and Penelope. He knew his crew would be here any second.

And Stella, his Stella, was coming for him. She’d be here soon.

Just then, the roar of engines shattered the night.

One by one, the high beams in front of the ca

One by one, the high beams in front of the cars flicked on, turning the entrance of Haliville Second Hospital as bright as day.

The glare was blinding.

Xander and the others instinctively threw up their hands to shield their eyes, but before they could react, a figure on a motorcycle blasted onto the scene like a hurricane.

Engines thundered through the night.

Stella tore down the road on her black heavy–duty motorcycle, with her crew of rich kid playboys in their souped–up sports cars hot on her heels.

Emily, slim and shaking with adrenaline, clung to Stella’s waist of the back seat. Her heart was going wild. She’d never felt anything this intense before.

“Stella, Blake’s over there!” Emily pointed straight at Blake, her vice urgent.

Stella flipped up her helmet visor, those deep amber eyes icy to the core. She reminded, “Hold on tight!”

Emily’s heart nearly stopped.

5/7

11:10 Mon, Feb 9

Chapter 320

She thought, ‘Oh my god, she’s so freaking incredible!

‘Stella, marry me!‘

57%

55 vouchera