Shadows Between Us (Stella and Sebastian) novel Chapter 407

Chapter 407

Everyone was totally speechless.

Orlando leaned in, exclaiming, “Wow! That’s cool!”

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He couldn’t hide his awe for the mysterious powers. “Can all Clusians really summon the wind and rain?”

He dropped the ultimate question.

The Clusian team just stared in silence. ‘What kind of epic misunderstanding is this?’ they thought. ‘No way! Seriously, that’s not a thing!’

Stella glanced nonchalantly at Orlando, her deep amber eyes holding an enigmatic glint that others found almost devilish. Everyone leaned in, curious to hear how she’d answer.

There was a brief pause.

Stella said, “No.”

Orlando let out a surprised “Ah!”

Stella coolly took out her phone, pulled up the weather app, and showed it to him. “We just check the weather forecast ahead of time.”

On the screen, it read: [Tongalia: Red Lightning Alert! Maximum Level. Issued 30 minutes ago.]

Everyone fell into silence. ‘Do you really think we’d buy that?’ they all thought.

Night fell, and it was inside the presidential suite.

Charles reported respectfully on the video call, “Ms. Carter, Monterra’s Ministry of Commerce just called.

“They’re willing to lift the sales ban and drop the demand for our formula, but only if Trent Pharmaceuticals relaunches its overseas market within three days.”

In just one day, Trent Pharmaceuticals pulled off a total turnaround, dodging disaster, making the Herbal Medicine Guild in Tongalia the butt of everyone’s jokes, and taking care of Carmelo, the backstabbing traitor,

all at once.

It was a trick called three birds with one stone.

The whole operation was so flawlessly executed and tightly connected that even Charles had to admit it. He couldn’t have pulled it off himself.

“A request?” Stella said lazily, her tone laced with mockery. “Seriously, who’s the one doing the begging now?”

Charles couldn’t help but laugh out loud, a rare sight for him.

It was like all the pressure and gloom from being cornered before just melting away.

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Chapter 407

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“Ms. Carter, I’ve got even better news,” Charles said, his eyes a little red after the laughter faded.

He said, “The villagers have started protecting our wild medicinal herbs all on their own. No one’s stripping them bare or chopping them down just for pocket change anymore!”

Off to the side, Allan stretched his neck and called out in a goofy voice, “Stella, dinner’s ready!” He barely got the words out before Eggie swooped in and pecked him right on the cheek.

Stella’s eyes softened for a rare moment. “Like I’ve always said, the world’s full of people hustling for their own gain. You can’t expect everyone to be some saint who’s immune to easy money.

“Feed them, make sure they’re healthy, and only then can you expect anyone to care about doing the right thing.”

Charles let out a deep sigh. “Ms. Carter, from now on, you’re Trent Pharmaceuticals’ lifesaver.”

Stella hung up without a care and, with her trademark nonchalance, wandered over to the dining room.

The long table was piled high with a feast Allan had the hotel whip up just for them.

Landen, Paul, and Dashiell, Halcyon, and Jareth, the old guard, sat shoulder to shoulder on one side, while the younger crew claimed the other.

Everyone, without a word, saved the prime spots in the middle for the two grown-ups and the little one.

Everyone ate for a bit.

“Stella, my young friend,” Paul suddenly raised his glass.

Everyone instinctively fell silent.

Paul said, “Thank you for saving both the Penn School and me from disaster.

“From this day forward, for a hundred years or a thousand, you and your descendants may command Penn School as you wish. If I ever break this vow, may the heavens strike me down!”

With that, Paul tipped his head back and downed his drink in one go.

Callum, full of conviction, sprang to his feet. “Ms. Carter, count me in too! All my contacts are at your disposal. If you ever need me, I’ll follow you to the ends of the earth!”

Stella froze.

‘No need to get so dramatic. I’m just an ordinary student,’ she thought.

Allan teased, swirling his glass, “Seriously, do you guys always make dinner this formal? Why not talk about what’s coming up on day three of the exchange event?

“Come on, it’s Medicine Mountain! Aren’t you all even a little curious?”

Allan dropped his voice, going for maximum mystery.

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Chapter 407

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He said, “The place is packed with toxic miasma, plus mythical beasts and rare spirit flowers. I heard the Wilkerson family even has a Magic Stone for the trial!”

Emily, still munching away, asked, “Test for what?”

Allan scratched his head. “Well…”

He was totally caught off guard by that one.

Morgan, lounging nearby, chuckled and jumped in, “Word is, you have to pass the Magic Stone test to even get a shot at entering the mountain.”

Emily paused mid-bite. “And if you fail?”

Morgan just shrugged, totally chill. “Who knows?”

Emily chewed it over. “Stella and I spotted the ugliest rock ever at the night market! Callum, you remember, right?”

Callum nodded. “Yeah, that was right after Cedar showed up.”

Allan snorted with laughter. “You really think the Wilkerson family’s top treasure would just pop up at a night market? Dream on, you two!”

Emily kept chewing, tilted her head, and thought, ‘Yeah, he’s got a point.

But honestly, that rock was just bizarre.

She just put it out of her mind.

“What?” Lucas suddenly perked up.

Even the peregrine falcon and the plain plant froze, sensing something in the air.

At the gate, an ugly, dusty rock tumbled in, rumbling softly across the floor.

Meanwhile, at the Herbal Medicine Guild, a bunch of old guys in traditional Tongalian outfits were huddled together.

The whole place was dead silent.

“We lost the battle and the bride. What a total disaster! We’ve lost all our face!”

“Now, whenever anyone mentions Herbal Medicine, all they think of is Carmelo getting zapped by lightning.”

“We’re doomed!”

“It’s all over for us!”

Soleil practically spat the words, “This is all Stella’s fault!”

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…

Chapter 407

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If it hadn’t been for her, all those years the Herbal Medicine Guild spent plotting wouldn’t have gone up in smoke and turned us into a complete joke.

Reuben couldn’t say a word with his injured throat, but his glare was just as cold and bitter.

Soleil spat, her voice dripping with resentment, “Dad, let’s request the Magic Stone for tomorrow’s trial.

“We’ll make Stella go up the mountain, and Reuben and I will teach her a lesson and get some payback for the Herbal Medicine Guild!”

Soleil scoffed to herself, ‘Lightning summoning? Yeah, right!

‘It was Carmelo who had that metal in his pocket that attracted lightning. Stella just took advantage of the whole mess and totally stole the spotlight!’

“That’s right! Mr. Wilkerson, bring out the Magic Stone!” the crowd echoed, voices full of excitement.

Medicine Mountain was already packed with poisonous fog and savage beasts. If something went wrong there, the Herbal Medicine Guild could just wash their hands of it. No one would blame them.

Quinto’s face was grim.

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