Shadows Between Us (Stella and Sebastian) novel Chapter 89

Chapter 89

It’s the Everhart family again!’ Stella thought.

When the name came up again, Stella glanced at Sebastian while cradling Lucas in her arms.

His face was completely swallowed by the darkness, his expression so faint that it was almost invisible.

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Just as Carlos thought he had Sebastian right where he wanted him, Sebastian’s voice, cold and mocking, drifted out from the half-lowered car window.

“The Everhart family is your lifeline, Grandpa. You’d never use it unless you were truly desperate,” Sebastian said.

Before Carlos could even catch his breath, Sebastian’s voice, sharp as ice, sliced through the silence again. Words that hit like a dagger to the throat.

Carlos was left speechless.

He couldn’t even come up with a comeback.

“John, drive,” Sebastian said.

The window slid up, sealing the car off from the world, and Carlos could only watch helplessly as the black Maybach rolled past him.

*****

In Sandridge Island, after getting out of the car, Sebastian headed upstairs without a word.

Stella watched him go in silence, while Lucas, still in his little shark pajamas, clutched a white stick, his head lolling to the side like a listless little ghost. He looked completely spaced out.

About ten minutes later, Allan came back. “Sebastian’s in his room?”

He looked around furtively, like he was pulling off a heist, only relaxing and speaking in his normal voice once he was sure Sebastian wasn’t anywhere nearby.

Hearing the name Sebastian, Lucas puffed up like a grumpy little pufferfish.

‘Uncle Sebastian is a bad guy!’ Lucas thought, his cheeks puffed out in indignation.

Allan didn’t bother with the little gremlin. He stood next to Stella and said, “Just remember, never mention the Everhart family in front of Sebastian. Don’t even ask why.”

Allan glanced down at Stella with a resigned sigh. “Never mind, I know you won’t ask.”

“Got it,” Stella replied. She lowered her gaze, her expression unreadable.

*

***

At midnight, Stella stepped out of the bathroom after her shower, drying her hair with a white towel in one hand while flipping open her custom-built ultra-thin laptop with the other. The glow from the screen lit up her skin.

Her fingers paused for a second before she typed in “Jaffina” and “Everhart family. Results popped up right away.

Jaffina, right under the king’s nose, was crawling with powerful families. The Everhart family couldn’t even get a foot in the door of the top tier; no wonder Stella had zero impression of that name,

16:03 Thu, Jan 22

Chapter 89

But for the top families in Haliville, the Everhart family was a name they could only dream of reaching.

Stella casually closed the browser with a flick of her wrist.

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After a quick pause, her fingers danced over the keyboard, and a little red scorpion icon popped up on the screen.

Shark’s account logged back in. [Shark?]

On the black screen, lines of white text from Shark spammed the chat, flooding the screen so fast Stella could barely keep

Stella was getting annoyed by the barrage, so she raised her hand and muted the chat with a click.

Shark: [Quiet now?]

Stella rolled her eyes and unmuted the chat again.

Blade: [Why haven’t you contacted us?]

Yarrow: [Why are you in Clusia?]

Shark: [Are we working with the Everhart family in Jaffina?]

Stella ignored their questions and tossed out her own.

Nimbus: [No, but they won’t leave us alone.]

Stella paused, her face unreadable.

Shark: [Put the Everhart family from Jaffina on the blacklist. From now on, we never work with them. I mean it, absolutely no exceptions.]

Right as she hit send, someone knocked on her door.

Stella snapped her laptop shut, totally unfazed by the cries coming from the other side. Her account auto-locked and logged

out.

She got up lazily and opened the door. There was nobody at the door.

But he didn’t dare say that out; he just let out a dry chuckle.

Stella glanced down and found Lucas standing there in his adorable cartoon shark pajamas, hugging a pillow, his eyes sparkling up at her.

Stella just stared, speechless. She was starting to suspect Lucas had an entire wardrobe full of those cute shark pajamas.

“Come in,” Stella said, stepping aside to let the freshly bathed, soft and sweet-smelling little guy into the room. Meanwhile, Snowball, unable to find his favorite ball anywhere in the corners, quietly slipped out of sight.

Lucas buried himself in Stella’s big bed. He was so happy that he started wiggling and kicking his feet in pure joy.

Everything smelled just like Stella. ‘I’m so happy!’ Lucas thought.

*****

Meanwhile, over in Sebastian’s bedroom, the mood was dark, like storm clouds gathering.

The moment Snowball nudged the door open, it instantly regretted it. Not that its snake brain could really figure out why Sebastian had left the door ajar like that.

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Thu, Jan 2

Chapter 89

Is this some kind of snake trap?’ Snowball wondered, its big head full of questions.

But that thought only stuck around for a nanosecond before it started slowly dragging its huge body inside.

My ball, Snowball thought, obsessing over his favorite toy. ‘My ball. My precious ball? Where did it go?”

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With a click, the warm yellow wall lamp flicked on. Snowball practically jumped out of its scales, frozen on the spot.

Sebastian, dressed in black pajamas, sat with a blank face on the black leather armchair, his long, icy fingers idly twirling a pink ball.

Snowball was stunned for a moment.

Sebastian dangled the toy ball in one hand, shooting Snowball a cold, unimpressed look. “Looking for this?” he asked.

Snowball gulped, its nerves shot.

Snowball just wanted to turn tail and pretend none of this ever happened.

‘If I don’t move, maybe he won’t see me. If I don’t move, maybe he won’t see me,’ Snowball chanted in its head, desperately hoping Sebastian would forget it was even there.

Sebastian shot it a frosty look and beckoned him over. Snowball flicked its tongue, slithered over lazily, and stared at its beloved toy ball with its tiny red bean eyes, never taking its eyes off its precious treasure.

It was the cruelest distance in the world. Snowball was here, and his ball was way over there.

Sebastian didn’t say a word, just idly ran his hand over Snowball’s smooth scales. Snowball sprawled out on the floor, looking totally chill.

‘If it’s fate, I can’t escape it. Guess I’ll just go with the flow,’ Snowball thought, resigned.

“Is Lucas in his own room?” Sebastian asked, his voice icy.

Snowball was clearly pampered; its scales were spotless, not a whiff of that usual snake funk. They gleamed pearly white with a touch of pink, and he actually smelled fresh and clean.

Snowball lifted its big head and gave a slow, mechanical shake from side to side.

“Is Lucas in Stella’s room?” Sebastian asked, his voice still icy.

Snowball nodded, slow and obedient.

Sebastian fell silent again.

Snowball’s tail thumped against the floor, one lazy beat after another.

‘Life’s rough for a snake like me, Snowball heaved a sigh. ‘I really miss flopping around on my belly in Stella’s room. That’s gone for good.

“What do you see?” Sebastian asked. He lifted his hand in a languid gesture, the dark circles under his eyes making him look detached and sickly.

Snowball flicked its tongue.

‘It’s a water cup,’ Snowball thought. ‘Looks like it’s full of water?’ he wondered, staring at the cup.

Snowball cocked its big head at Sebastian, who was staring right back, lazily spinning his favorite ball between his fingers. There was this weird, dangerous tension hanging in the air.

7

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Chapter 89

Snowball felt its scales bristle all over again, ready to freak out on the spot.

Their eyes met, and Sebastian gave it a sly, chilling grin.

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With a sudden flick, Snowball’s precious ball shot toward the headboard, and in the next instant, the cup of water toppled, soaking the black sheets.

Snowball stiffly twisted its big head, glaring at its damn owner like, ‘Are you for real right now? Is this even something a human would do? Do humans even talk like that?’ Snowball grumbled to itself, still in shock.

Snowball was so stunned that it could barely process what just happened. If his pet translator had been on, it would’ve been spitting out the nastiest curses in the book.

And not just any curses, he’d be dropping the dirtiest, most savage ones out there.

“It’s way too late to bother getting someone to change the sheets. Looks like I’ll have to go bunk with Lucas tonight,” Sebastian said coolly

as if it was no big deal.

‘Seriously?’ Snowball raged inside, totally exasperated.

*****

The bedroom door slid open without a sound.

Sebastian, in his electric wheelchair, had just opened the door and found himself face to face with Stella, who was still up. Their eyes locked.

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