Shadows Between Us (Stella and Sebastian) novel Chapter 42

Chapter 42

“The program is way too old. Need an upgrade?” Stella said in an unhurried tone, pulling out the chip and giving it a glance.

Still reeling from the shock, Allan blurted out, “You can upgrade?”

Stella shot him a look. He was sure he caught a flash of annoyance in her eyes.

Lucas let out a happy giggle, still thrilled that Big Ben was back. His eyes sparkled with pure, adorable admiration as he gazed at Stella.

Allan stared at her hands and asked, “Will Big Ben still be able to talk after the upgrade?”

“He will,” Stella replied absently, her attention still on Big Ben.

“Can he do forward and backward somersaults?” Allan pressed.

Stella’s hand froze for a moment, and she replied, “He can.”

“Then…” Allan started to ask again.

Stella slowly turned her head toward him, her eyes narrowing dangerously. Then, she snapped, “Shut up.”

After a moment, Stella snapped the back cover of Big Ben back into place and pressed the power button. A white light lit up, and the robot that had once been declared dead began to boot up.

Lucas’s eyes lit up instantly, his mouth opening slightly in awe. Allan and Jake stared intently at the old, patched-up Big Ben, eager to see what kind of transformation it would undergo.

Even Snowball, coiled around the indoor tree, lifted its massive head. Big Ben’s black eyes blinked once.

“Seriously?” Allan blurted out as Lucas lifted his hand and slowly reached out his index finger toward Big Ben.

Big Ben tilted his head, his fluffy body bouncing with a springy wobble. Following Lucas’s lead, he poked out his chubby finger, and the moment their fingertips touched, tiny pink hearts burst across Big Ben’s digital display.

“Good morning, Lucas! Rain or shine, Big Ben is always here for you,” he said in a cheerful, childlike voice.

It wasn’t the cold, robotic monotone everyone expected. Instead, it was a warm, lively, and irresistibly cute kid’s voice. Allan’s eyes went wide. Anyone could tell at a glance how much Big Ben had changed.

He wasn’t just a mechanical chatterbox spouting weather forecasts anymore. Allan could swear he saw a shy look on a robot’s face. He was totally blown away.

“What did you do to Big Ben?” Allan blurted out, totally stunned.

“I just upgraded the program,” Stella replied lazily as if it were no big deal.

“Just upgraded the program?” Allan looked at Stella as if she were some little monster. Even the newest Big Ben couldn’t compare to how human-like he was after Stella’s tweaks.

“What else did you upgrade?” Allan pressed.

Stella thought for a moment and replied, “Emotion sensing, danger alerts, GPS auto-recognition, and stuff like that.”

Allan was speechless. ‘Is she really just a high school student?’ he wondered.

When Sebastian came downstairs, he saw Lucas sprawled out, burying himself in Big Ben’s soft, bouncy belly. Lucas made a

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heart gesture to Stella behind his back, and Big Ben clumsily tried to mimic him, struggling to form a heart with his chubby fingers.

“Mr. Gray,” Jake called out. He immediately noticed Sebastian, feeling the sudden chill in the air. Behind him, John was dressed in a suit, about to head out.

“Lucas, go change your clothes,” Sebastian said coolly.

Lucas blinked. Sebastian added, “We’re going to the hospital to see your great-grandmother.”

As soon as he heard they were visiting his great-grandmother, Lucas nodded sweetly. But after a couple of steps, he dashed back and started gesturing excitedly at Big Ben..

He wanted his great-grandmother to meet Big Ben, too. Sebastian didn’t object. Lucas scampered upstairs on his little legs to get changed.

“Sebastian, you seriously have no clue how incredible Stella is. Look at Big Ben. She brought him back to life,” Allan gushed.

Sebastian’s gaze landed on Big Ben’s fresh new face, and memories of his family came flooding back. It felt like a lifetime ago. Big Ben tilted his head, watching Sebastian, as if he could sense something.

Suddenly, Big Ben waddled over to Stella, scooped her up in a perfect princess carry, and set her down right in Sebastian’s arms like it was nothing.

Stella and Sebastian didn’t know what was going on at all. Sebastian instinctively tightened his hold on her.

Big Ben chirped, “I just picked up on your sadness, so the system figured this would make you feel better.”

The adorable Big Ben puffed out his chest, gave it a proud pat, and tried to make a heart with his hands for Sebastian. Then Big Ben added, “No need to thank me.”

Sebastian and Stella were left speechless. Allan chuckled, calling AI next level, and the sight left everyone in shock.

*****

On the road, inside the Maybach, Stella sat in her black T-shirt, staring out the half-open window. The cool breeze drifted in, blowing her long hair loose behind her. She propped her chin on one hand, not bothered by the wind or her hair.

Her hair brushed against Sebastian’s cheek. Big Ben, sitting across from them, suddenly said, “The system is picking up your heart rate.”

Sebastian shot back, “Shut up.”

Big Ben replied, “Sure thing, sir! But with your heart beating so fast, maybe you should get checked out.” Sebastian was left speechless.

Stella didn’t turn her head, a faint smirk on her lips. Lucas kept glancing between Sebastian and Stella, swinging his legs, clearly in a great mood.

Sebastian’s private phone rang. The caller ID showed it was Allan “Sebastian,” Allan said, his voice unusually serious, nothing like his usual playful self. “Something happened to Paul.”

Paul, the legendary acupuncture master who stood for the highest level in the country, was in trouble. Sebastian’s eyes darkened, a storm raging behind them.

“Paul’s top student betrayed him, crippled his hands, and defected to Tongalia with Paul’s Acupuncture Mastery. In two weeks, he’ll be representing Tongalia at the International Traditional Medicine Summit,” Allan added.

Even through the phone, Allan’s fury was unmistakable. As a grandmaster, Paul had only taught his acupuncture secrets to

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his top student. Now, with his hands ruined and his top student aving turned traitor, Penn’s Acupuncture Mastery could be lost forever.

Big Ben piped up and shouted, “Warning! Warning! The system detects your emotional levels hitting the danger zone.” Right then, Sebastian’s whole vibe was ice-cold, his eyes tinged with red, radiating a dangerous, almost predatory energy.

The call ended. Sebastian closed his eyes, lost in thought. John and Jake, in the front seat, didn’t even dare to breathe.

Sebastian remembered the serious look on Nathan’s face when I got the call last night. It seemed that a trip to Jaffina was on the horizon.

Soon, they reached the door to the patient room at the private spital. The moment Sebastian appeared, everyone greeted him with serious respect.

The door swung open. Inside, the beeping machines and the whirring humidifier blended. As soon as Stella heard it, her steps faltered for a split second, her face shifting. Then she rushed straight over to Annette’s bedside.

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