Shadows Between Us (Stella and Sebastian) novel Chapter 84

Chapter 84

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With a deafening crash, the passenger seat where Sebastian sat was slammed by a souped-up Ferrari that had pulled up out of nowhere, throwing down a challenge.

The whole car rocked violently.

Stella called out, “Sebastian.” Her voice flared with anger as she instantly turned to him.

Sebastian looked clean-cut and elegant, totally unfazed. His sickly handsome face was half-hidden in the shadows, making it hard to read his expression. “I’m fine,” he said, not a hint of emotion in his voice.

It was obvious the other guy’s stunt didn’t faze him one bit.

But Stella was furious.

She let out a mocking laugh, licking her lips. Her gaze was stained with a fierce red, radiating danger and mischief.

She thought, ‘They should count themselves lucky they didn’t manage to hurt Sebastian.

‘But that doesn’t mean I am about to let them off easy.

With a thunderous roar, Stella slammed her foot down on the gas, pushing the car’s already insane 180 mph speed even higher.

Once she’d put some distance between herself and the souped-up Ferrari, a cold smirk tugged at her lips. She slammed on the brakes, dropping her speed instantly.

Then, at the last wide stretch of road, she pulled off a jaw-dropping 360-degree drift, spinning her car around and gunning it straight back at the Ferrari.

The other driver sucked in a sharp breath.

He thought, ‘Is this maniac for real?’

His instincts kicked in, and he jerked the wheel hard to the left to avoid Stella. But when he realized there was a sheer cliff on that side, it was already way too late.

The arrogant, tricked-out Ferrari smashed straight through the guardrail and went flying off the cliff.

With a deafening boom, a fireball lit up the night sky.

Good thing the driver managed to jump out at the very last second.

Allan, trailing behind and witnessing the whole scene, was utterly stunned.

Goosebumps broke out all over him. After all his years tearing up the racetrack, this was the first time a rush had ever sent shivers down his spine and made his scalp tingle.

He couldn’t even begin to imagine what kind of wild, jaw-dropping spectacle that must’ve looked like from Stella and Sebastian’s point of view.

“Liam!” A frantic shout burst through the Jaffina crew’s radio.

Liam’s expression turned grim, his eyes full of menace. He snapped, “I’m not fucking blind!”

He never expected to run into a psycho like Stella tonight.

16:02 Thu, Jan 22

Chapter 84

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“Her weak spot is that dead weight in the passenger seat, the guy in the wheelchair!” Liam spat, his tone cold and ruthless.

“Everyone, target the passenger side. I don’t care what it takes. Make sure I cross that finish line first!” he snarled.

Their employer was from one of Jaffina’s most powerful families. If Liam could help him win this car, he’d pocket an extra twenty million on top of his cut. Losing wasn’t an option; he’d rather die than let that happen.

Death Road had sixteen killer hairpin turns, split into two sections: the first eight were wide but dangerously steep, while the last eight were so tight they could eat one alive, all thanks to the brutal terrain.

The Jaffina crew was putting all their dirty tricks to work right in those first eight bends.

Allan was the first to realize something was seriously wrong.

He rolled down his window and shouted at the top of his lungs, “Sebastian, watch out!”

He could only watch helplessly as the Jaffina crew risked everything, gunning straight for the passenger side where Sebastian sat, like they’d zeroed in on Stella’s Achilles’ heel.

Allan slammed down the gas, trying to catch up.

Inside the Lamborghini, Stella sat with her eyes cast down, her face cold and unreadable. Her gaze seemed stained with crimson, icy to the core; every inch of her screamed danger.

“Guess I forgot to answer you earlier,” Sebastian said, his face blank, but his voice pulled Stella back from the edge just in time.

Moments ago, she’d had murder in her eyes.

Stella cooled her icy edge and asked, “What?”

Sebastian said, “I trust you.”

The dim glow from the dashboard lit up his face, making his devilishly handsome features look almost unreal: haunting, hypnotic, and untouched by the chaos outside.

He seemed completely unfazed by the danger, his eyes like pools of midnight ink, deep and unreadable.

Stella was momentarily speechless.

She thought, ‘Man, he really takes his sweet time to catch on.

She glanced down, let out a low laugh, and slammed on the gas. She said “They got it all wrong. You in the passenger seat? That’s not my weakness.”

Stella’s eyes flashed coldly as she yanked the wheel, pulling off a reckless drift.

The souped-up car aiming for Sebastian got shoved right in front of her, grinding along the guardrail by the cliff at insane speed, a trail of sparks lighting up the night.

Stella said, “If you weren’t here, they’d all be dead tonight.”

She said it with a chill so deep, it was like she didn’t care at all.

Outside, sparks flew as the car scraped along the guardrail, but inside, Stella’s eyes were devoid of warmth, like she was born cold and ruthless, made of ice and stone.

The screech of tires ripping across the asphalt echoed through the bend, the sound of death itself.

16:02 Thu, Jan 22

Chapter 84

“They should thank you,” Stella said, her voice cold as ice, not a hint of mercy.

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At this insane speed, Stella returned to her cool, effortless control. Her foot worked the gas and clutch in perfect sync, and the speedometer jumped to 217 mph in a heartbeat, the kind of speed where one was flirting with death every second.

One slip, and it was game over: totaled car, dead bodies.

The Jaffina crew were all street-racing veterans, but even they felt a chill run down their spines as Stella pushed the limits, as if she had a death wish.

It was psychological warfare: she was in their heads, making them doubt themselves.

Outside, the scenery whipped by in a blur of speed. Sebastian sat quietly, his gaze locked on Stella.

As the shifting light played over his face, that usual icy aloofness faded, replaced by a sharp, almost obsessive focus, like the cold walls he’d built around himself were finally starting to crack.

He was dangerously handsome: his features so perfect it was almost unfair, like he’d been sculpted by the gods just to make everyone else look plain.

Stella tore through the swarm of cars trying to box her in, weaving S-curves with deadly precision like she owned the road.

Crashes and explosions echoed all around her, and every time she whipped around a corner, her tires smoked and screeched, leaving trails of burning rubber.

She was so fast, it was straight-up terrifying, like she was flirting with death and loving every second of it.

Liam barked, “Bunch of fucking idiots!” He slammed his fist on the wheel, shooting a glare to the side. His eyes went wide, then narrowed in disbelief.

The deafening roar of an engine was suddenly right next to him. The Lamborghini his crew had been trying to pin down was now in his sights, like it had just materialized out of nowhere.

A bunch of Haliville’s most notorious rich kids were gathered around the finish line, the crowd buzzing with anticipation as everyone waited anxiously for the results.

“Damn it, every single bet over there is on the Jaffina crew to win!” one of the rich kids grumbled, coming back from a stroll and looking pissed.

He thought, ‘Not a single person thinks Stella stands a chance?’

“Anyone got any money?” someone called out.

Blake, so nervous he was practically pulling his hair out, didn’t even think twice. He whipped out his wallet and threw a fat wad of cash at the guy. The rest quickly followed suit, and in no time, they’d pooled together several grand.

“Put it all on Stella!” Blake ordered, not a shred of hesitation in his voice.

“Blake, have you lost your mind?” came a chorus of jeers from the crowd, the mockery loud and clear.

Blake didn’t even bother to look their way. He just slammed down a fat stack of cash, cool as ever.

To the rest of the onlookers, Blake and his crew looked like they were begging to be called idiots.

“They’re coming!” someone yelled, their voice slicing through the crowd and sending a ripple of excitement.

The roar of engines thundered closer and closer. The betting crowd went wild, craning their necks and straining to see who’d cross the finish line first, hearts pounding with anticipation.

16:02 Thu, Jan 22

Chapter 84

A babe was waving a flag and busting out some wild dance moves, getting everyone fired up at the finish line.

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“Who is it? Who’s ahead? Who’s winning?” The rich kids were shouting over each other, voices cracking with excitement and

nerves.

They were on the edge of their seats, wishing they had eagle eyes and radar ears to catch the result before anyone else.

“Stop shoving, I can’t see anything!” someone shouted, their voice full of annoyance.

“Who is it? Who’s in the lead?” another yelled, barely able to hold back their excitement.

In the distance, two sports cars came into view, neck and neck as they raced toward the finish line at breakneck speed.

The crowd’s adrenaline spiked, and everyone was on edge as the showdown unfolded.

Victory was right there, just inches away. Either car could snatch the win at any second.

The middle-aged bodyguard frowned, gazing into the distance. He couldn’t shake the feeling that something bad was about to happen.

The very next second, the two sports cars shot across the finish line, barely a split second apart.

“Stella, you’re a total badass!” Everyone lost it, screaming her name at the top of their lungs.

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