Shadows Between Us (Stella and Sebastian) novel Chapter 61

Chapter 61

Chapter 61

:

Ø

(21) #

E55 vouchers

Wendy squinted, searching for Stella. She had expected Stella to be standing out in the sun like a fool, but Stella was nowhere to be seen.

“Is she seriously late?” Lila snapped, forgetting that she had deliberately arrived half an hour late.

“Let me call her,” Hazel said, taking out her phone.

The phone rang, but Stella hung up immediately. The three exchanged glances, stunned. “Call her again,” Lila demanded.

Hazel’s mother had sent her to help Stella pick out a dress for Saturday’s party. She couldn’t afford to mess this up. Hazel kept calling, but Stella hung up each time.

Ten minutes passed, and the three had long lost the calm they had when they first got out of the car. Sweat drenched their clothes and ruined their carefully applied makeup.

“Keep calling!” Lila gritted out. This time, the call went through, but the ringtone seemed to come from very close by. The three of them turned, searching for the source.

Through the spotless window of the cafe next door, they saw a pair of pale hands pick up a phone from the table. Someone inside waved lazily at them through the glass, but the sunlight behind made it impossible to see her face clearly.

Lila ignored Hazel’s half-hearted attempt to stop her and stormed into the café as if she owned the place.

Stella was sitting at a window seat, lounging back with the air conditioning blasting and a coffee in hand. Meanwhile, Lila and her crew looked like they had just survived a heatwave, their faces flushed and makeup ruined.

“S-Stella,” Lila stammered, frozen as she stared at Stella’s face in disbelief. Stella looked effortlessly stunning, calm and poised, impossible to look away from.

“Stella?” Wendy said. She was the first to lose her composure. Once the initial shock faded, jealousy flared in her eyes, hot and unmistakable.

Wendy wondered, ‘Where had that awkward, old Stella gone?’ Stella glanced at them and said coolly, “You’re half an hour late.”

Stella’s gaze was cold and indifferent as it finally settled on Lila. Lila thought that this must be her insignificant cousin.

“You…” Lila stammered, but her confidence had crumbled in the face of Stella’s presence. She was clearly

outmatched.

Stella stood up, and Hazel instinctively stepped back half a pace. Stella gave a faint, almost-smirk, and tossed her empty coffee cup directly into the trash can without looking. It landed dead center with a perfect thud. The three stared, stunned.

Lila finally understood what Hazel meant when she said Stella was different. Lila felt bitter, frustrated, and

18:46 Mon, Jan 19

Chapter 61

consumed by jealousy.

(21:

55 vouchers

“You look ugly as hell,” Lila blurted out, loud enough for the whole café to hear. The couple at the next table glanced over, snickered, and looked away, their expressions dripping with the unspoken judgment that Lila didn’t stand a chance at all.

“Go fix your makeup,” Lila snapped at Stella, trying to sound authoritative.

Stella raised an eyebrow, moving lazily while barely hiding her irritation. Then she shot back, “Who do you think you are?”

With one hand in her pocket, Stella carried an air of quiet warning. She didn’t look back as she headed straight for the door linking café to the mall.

At the entrance, all the Nova Mall higher-ups stood by the revolving doors, frozen in terrified silence. No one dared to make a sound. Ten minutes later, a jet-black Maybach arrived. Everyone tensed instantly and held their breath.

The car door opened, and a five-year-old boy stepped out, dressed all in black and looking stylish with a pair of tiny sunglasses. The kid exuded a frosty aura, a mini telescope hanging around his neck.

Before anyone could react, another figure appeared. It was Allan, also dressed in black and wearing matching sunglasses. He looked nothing like the carefree guy from Sandridge Island. Now he seemed all business.

As the onlookers thought they could relax, the real boss arrived. Sebastian was wheeled out by John, and the air turned icy, like a sudden blast of winter in the middle of summer. The Nova Mall executives didn’t dare to breathe.

It had been years since they last saw Sebastian. Lucas tilted his head, cheeks puffed out in a sulky pout as he stared at Sebastian, clearly displeased.

Their cold aura matched perfectly, leaving no doubt they were family. The whole group marched into the mall as if they owned the place.

Allan pushed Sebastian’s wheelchair and muttered, “Weren’t we supposed to keep quiet? And I thought you weren’t coming.”

The executives followed a short distance behind, trying to keep up and looking confused. ‘Why is Sebastian. showing up in person? Did something go wrong?’ they wondered anxiously.

“I checked that chip,” Allan said, lowering his voice. “It has the Lab 709 vibe. And that South District land you got? It’s tied up with Lab 709 as well. So about Stella…”

Before Allan could finish, Sebastian shot him a cold, warning look.

“Alright, I’ll shut up, okay?” Allan said, throwing his hands up in surrender.

Suddenly, Lucas, leading the group, let out an excited squeak. He had spotted Stella. Before he could dash forward, a cold hand clamped down on the back of his collar, holding him in place.

Lucas was stuck, flailing like a turtle on its back, completely unable to move.

18:46 Mon, Jan 19

Chapter 61

21

55 vouchers

He puffed up his cheeks, full of fury. Bursting with impatience, Lucas snapped, “Stella was a few steps away. Let me go.”

“No,” Sebastian said, his voice ice-cold, cutting off any protest. Lucas stood his ground, hands on his hips, glaring up in defiance.

Lucas jabbed a finger at the three girls trailing behind Stella. Even a kid like him could spot trouble from a mile away. He let out a string of angry cries, vibrating with righteous determination. He declared, “Protecting Stella is our job.”

The Nova Mall executives kept their heads down, stunned. They had never seen such a wild confrontation, especially from a kid challenging adults.

Allan rubbed his chin and said, “What are those three plotting?” His gaze settled on the girl in the middle, dressed in a buttery yellow Chanel suit. She was young, but her expression was bitter and sharp.

Lucas had been glued to his mini telescope for ages, and now he sprang into action. He stomped toward Sebastian, poking at his digital watch, only to realize that Big Ben was still at home.

Lucas scrambled with hands and feet to grab Sebastian’s phone, jabbed at the screen, and muttered inwardly, ‘They’re trying to sneak pictures of Stella while she’s changing. That’s so shameless.’

Lucas raged inwardly, cheeks puffed in fury. Allan blinked, momentarily forgetting that Lucas could read lips. Then his casual demeanor vanished, replaced by deadly seriousness. Sebastian’s aura was intense enough to silence the entire place.

Even Allan began to crack under the pressure. The trailing executives froze, waiting for Sebastian to take action.

Meanwhile, Hazel faked panic and hesitation, but secretly, she was thrilled. Lila sneered, “Did you forget how she bullied you and your mother?”

Just thinking of Stella’s beauty made Wendy’s jealousy boil over. Wendy was attending the Lane family’s party on Saturday as well, and if Stella showed up, she would steal all the attention. Wendy lowered her gaze, eyes filled with malice.

18:46 Mon, Jan 19