Shadows Between Us (Stella and Sebastian) novel Chapter 63

Chapter 63

Chapter 63

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“What does this logo mean?” Lila looked confused. ‘Are all famous paintings this hard to get?’ she wondered.

“Uh, maybe it’s a lion?” Wendy hesitated, her voice uncertain.

“Or a tiger?” Hazel chimed in, sounding unsure too.

Stella remained silent.

‘No, it’s actually Serpentina’s first peregrine falcon, a real heartthrob among falcons. The one on her shoulder now is the third generation, just a greedy, chubby, and lazy bird, Stella thought.

‘Guess there’s a reason people say riches never survive past the third generation. Soft-hearted elders end up raising spoiled brats,’ Stella thought.

“Let’s go inside,” Hazel said, casting a sideways glance at Stella, who was still silent. Stella’s striking features were already making people turn for a second look, and Hazel was jealous.

‘Just wait. Her embarrassing moment is coming soon,’ Hazel thought.

Inside the store, a sales assistant greeted them.

“Welcome,” the sales assistant said, flashing Wendy an OK gesture behind the counter.

Wendy gave a haughty little hum.

“You, go pick something,” Wendy said, pointing at Stella without any manners, her voice dripping with

arrogance.

Lila chimed in, “Go ahead and pick whatever you want. Price doesn’t matter.”

‘You gotta bait the wolf with a lamb. Let her feel smug for now,’ Wendy thought.

“Pick whatever I want?” Stella drawled, her voice lazy, but her eyes sharp with mockery.

It was the first time in her life someone had spoken to her like she was some charity case.

Back then, even when Serpentina begged her to wear DenimKraft, Stella would turn up her nose at it. Now, it felt like Wendy was tossing her a bone.

Hazel was totally mesmerized by the gorgeous dresses in the store. Each one looked like it belonged in a fairy tale: ethereal whites, dreamy pinks, and romantic purples.

Her gaze was drawn to the black dress displayed right in the center of the store.

Under the lights, the diamonds on the black gown glittered.

She couldn’t help but imagine how she would look in it.

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Chapter 63

“That one,” Stella said, pointing at a dress.

“Stella, you really think you’re worthy of that?” Wendy sneered.

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That was DenimKraft’s latest limited edition for this year, inspired by Black Swan. It was the only black dress here, and every diamond on it was real.

“Seriously, how thick-skinned can Stella get?’ Wendy thought.

Stella shot her a cold look, saying nothing, but the rebel spirit in her eyes was almost impossible to hide.

She really had that fierce Black Swan energy.

“I want that one,” Stella said lazily, each word slow and clear. Instantly, her aura made everyone in the room freeze.

Wendy instinctively shivered.

Lila gave her a subtle nudge. “Go on. Get it for her.”

Wendy cleared her throat and motioned for the sales assistant to take the dress off the mannequin.

‘Just wait a little longer. That little bitch,’ Wendy fumed.

Stella grabbed the dress from the sales assistant with a blank face and strode toward the fitting room.

Not far away, Lucas was watching.

Seeing Stella head into the fitting room, Lucas’s face scrunched up in anxious impatience. The little binoculars around his neck swung wildly. He didn’t see John quietly slipping back to Sebastian’s side and giving him a subtle nod.

Sebastian pulled out his phone and sent a quick message.

Meanwhile, Stella sat in the fitting room with her legs crossed, scanning the space. She’d caught how the sales assistant had guided her into this particular room, and she definitely noticed the look of triumph in Lila and Wendy’s eyes.

She tossed the dress that everyone else treasured aside with total indifference.

Her phone dinged. Stella glanced at the screen. It was a message from Sebastian.

After reading the message, Stella’s lips curled into a subtle smile. She leaned back against the wall, listening as the sales assistant outside kept praising Hazel, urging her to try on the dress.

“I’ll take this one,” Hazel finally spoke up.

Soon, Stella heard the door of the fitting room next door open.

Stella sat there, legs crossed with that rebellious swagger. She pulled out the “cheap” phone Wendy had mocked and sent a message to Serpentina.

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Chapter 63

Then she leaned back, closed her eyes, and relaxed.

Inside the store, Wendy’s eyes gleamed with satisfaction. “Got her.”

Lila snorted, “Told you she’s just a gold-digger. As if she could rock that Black Swan dress.”

That dress was worth millions, and every diamond on it was real.

‘Stella’s dreaming way too big. No way I’m footing the bill for her, Wendy thought.

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“I’ll send my aunt a message and have her delete the surveillance footage,” Wendy said and pulled out her phone.

Lila crossed her arms, smirking as she stared at the closed door of Stella’s fitting room. Her face showed a kind of malice that was way too grown-up for her age.

Soon, Hazel stepped out of the fitting room.

“Hazel, you look amazing.” Lila’s eyes lit up, and she made sure to shout it loud enough for Stella to hear.

The soft white feathered dress floated around Hazel, making her look like she just stepped out of a fairy tale..

Lila was eyeing that dress, so she grabbed the same style and slipped into the fitting room herself.

‘Ugh, wannabe,’ Hazel grumbled inwardly, a little miffed. But since she still needed Lila to foot the bill, she had to put up with it.

Soon, Lila came out too.

But she didn’t have Hazel’s figure, and her skin was not as smooth. The dress was tight around her waist. It looked ready to pop if she bent over. She had to suck in her stomach to keep it together.

‘She’s not as pretty as me,’ Hazel thought, feeling smug. But on the outside, she played nice, gassing Lila

“Put it on my card. I’m taking both.” Lila was practically beaming with pride.

Hazel’s mind flashed to the party on Saturday, and she said, “But what about the party?”

If they bought these two, there probably won’t be enough left for Stella’s dress.

“Just lend her your dress, Hazel,” Lila said casually.

Hazel nearly lost her cool.

‘Is she really that slick? She knows exactly what will happen on Saturday. If I lend Stella my dress, I can kiss wearing it goodbye. If she doesn’t want me to get the same style, just say it. Lila’s just as scheming as Vera,’ Hazel thought.

Meanwhile, Wendy had just hung up the phone.

She turned around and caught sight of Hazel and Lila rocking those dresses, and her heart skipped a beat.

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Chapter 63

She was going to that party on Saturday too, so now she was itching to try one on herself.

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Before she could even try on a dress, there was a click. The fitting room door, which had been closed, suddenly popped open from inside.

Wendy, Hazel, and Lila instantly went quiet, their attention snapping to the door.

To their shock, Stella walked out in her shirt and jeans. She hadn’t bothered to try on the dress. The three of them stared at each other, totally blindsided by this twist.

“Why didn’t you change?” Wendy snapped.

‘If she doesn’t try it on, then all that effort will be for nothing,’ Wendy thought.

Instead of answering, Stella strode forward, flexing her fingers as her knuckles popped loudly with every step.

She let her rebellious energy explode, no longer bothering to hide the wild, intimidating aura.

“Trash belongs where it should: in the trash can,” Stella said, stopping in front of Wendy and arching her brow.

Before anyone could react, Stella yanked Wendy over with one hand, popped open the big trash can, and slammed Wendy’s head into it.

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