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WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK CHAPTER 31
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2025-02-09 01:32:34
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WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK CHAPTER 32
She took up the deep red lipstick on the vanity and twisted it up, dragging it over her lips.She pressed them together, admiring the change.The girl in the mirror was no longer Lily.She was something new.Something stronger."Ina."She grinned, heart racing with exhilaration."I am Ina."And for the first time in her life—She felt free.Brenna stirred awake, hearing faint steps sound in the hall.Her eyebrows knitted themselves together.Who could be up at this hour?She wore a robe, tied around her waist as she went out.Then froze.There at the front door was Lily.No-not Lily.The girl before her was different.In the way she was. The way she stood. The confidence, the defiance in the posture was nothing like the broken girl she had held in her arms.She wore a sleek black dress, her lips painted a dangerous shade of red.Brenna felt a chill descend down her spine."Lily?" Brenna whispered her voice raspy.The girl turned.And when she did—Brenna's stomach dropped.That smile.
Last Updated : 2025-02-09WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK CHAPTER 33
Present Day – Carlston EstateLily jolted awake, her breath coming in sharp gasps, her hands trembling as they clutched the sheets. The nightmares never ended. Even sixteen years later, the ghosts of that day refused to let her go.She stumbled toward the vanity, gripping the edge as she met her own reflection.But was it really her?The face staring back was one she hardly recognized. Dark circles shadowed her eyes, speaking silently of restless nights. The lifelessness in the gaze whispered something of a long-lost soul. And in those broken parts, another thing lurked - deep within the cracks.Ina.She was the other part of herself that would never be caged. The part that had borne itself into life the night when everything went about being taken.Lily ground her teeth, her fingers tightening around the edge of the vanity. "Tell me, Ina," she whispered. "Did you see him? Did you recognize Caleb?"Inna's slow, amused chuckle echoed in her mind."I don't know him, Lily," Ina replied,
Last Updated : 2025-02-09WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK CHAPTER 34
Helena sighed. "And that is why I worry about you. You've convinced yourself that you don't need anyone, that attachment is a weakness. But Vandaulf, shutting people out won't make the past disappear."His throat tightened. "This isn't about the past."Helena's gaze softened. "Isn't it?Vandaulf closed his fists. His father had never cared about him, at least. The mother, Emily, had given up on the boy for another life, for another family. If not Helena, he'd have been forgotten.Perhaps, in some aspects, he was.Helena stretched out to him, her hand soft around his. "You're not your father, my boy. You don't have to be him. You can be more."Vandaulf swallowed hard. His walls crumbled at her gentle tones. But she didn't get to speak again. Footsteps came from the hallway.Lily.She stood in the doorway, startled to find him there. Her face was a mask of caution, something flickering behind her gaze: could it be hesitation? Curiosity?Vandaulf straightened, his mask slipping back into
Last Updated : 2025-02-09WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK CHAPTER 35
Helena studied Lily—no, Ina—with quiet intensity. The young woman sitting before her was not the same fragile girl she had met months ago. There was a fire in her, a sharp, reckless edge that hadn’t been there before. Or perhaps…it had always been there, buried beneath years of grief and control.Helena set down her teacup, her movements slow and deliberate. “And what do you gain from provoking him, my dear?”Ina relaxed into her chair, stretching out almost lazily, though her smirk was far from casual. "Entertainment."Helena smiled at this, though there wasn't one whit of amusement in her eyes. "Lies do not suit you, child."Ina inclined her head. She blinked, just slightly lowering the angle of her smirk. "And what makes you think I am lying?The older woman sighed. "Because I have lived long enough to distinguish between someone who plays a game for fun and someone who plays a game in order to survive."Lily's belly knotted up in knots. Survive.That was what Lily-Ina had been doi
Last Updated : 2025-02-10WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK CHAPTER 36
The clock struck midnight, and the Carlston estate was silent, cloaked in darkness.But inside one of its grand rooms, Lily James ceased to exist.Her reflection in the mirror no longer held the prim, well-mannered wife of Vandaulf Carlston. Instead, Ina stared back.Lips painted a daring shade of red.Dark kohl lining her eyes, making them sharp, dangerous.A dress clinging to her curves like a second skin, slit high up her thigh, daring anyone to look.She smiled. Perfect.With practiced silence, she tiptoed out of her room, her heels dangling from her fingers. The corridors of the estate were vast, but she knew the path by heart now—the back staircase, the staff entrance, the small side gate that led to freedom.Within minutes, she was outside, the cool night air caressing her bare skin. She slipped into the waiting Uber, her heart already beating to the rhythm of the music she hadn't yet heard."Where to?" the driver asked."Eclipse Bar," Ina purred.The man glanced at her through
Last Updated : 2025-02-11WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK CHAPTER 37
Before she could so much as lift a hand to defend herself, he had her backed against the wall, his body mere inches from hers. His hands were large and strong, pressing into the surface on either side of her, as if caging her in some way.She gasped with her breath hitched, refused to let him see it."You want to know what happens when you push me?" Low, dangerous. "You don't get to play reckless games and walk away unscathed.Ina smirked. "Funny. I don't remember asking your permission."He gripped the wall harder. "You think this is some kind of game?" His stare was like burning coals in her eyes and, for the first time all night, she felt it.Not just anger.Not just control.But something else.Something raw.Something desperate."Why do you do this?" he whispered, his voice softer this time. "Run off. Dress like that. Surround yourself with people who don't give a damn about you Lily."Ina's smirk wavered for just a second.And Vandaulf saw it.His head tilted, eyes narrowing. "Y
Last Updated : 2025-02-11WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK CHAPTER 38
The Carlston estate was dark and silent, save for the dim flicker of light coming from Vandaulf’s study.He sat in his leather chair, fingers drumming against the desk, whiskey untouched beside him. His jaw was tight, his mind restless.Why the hell am I so mad?It wasn’t the first time Lily—Ina—had gone out. He knew she did. He had ignored it, let her run free like a caged bird desperate to prove it wasn’t caught.But tonight…Tonight, something had changed.The image burned in his mind—the way she had laughed, head thrown back, lips curled into a teasing smirk. The way she leaned in close to that bastard—Caleb.A man who had no business looking at her like that.Vandaulf clenched his fists.She had looked free. Careless. Untouchable.And worst of all, she had looked happy.With someone else.He exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. His head was a storm of contradictions. He didn’t care. He had no reason to care. This wasn’t a real marriage. It was an arrangement. A contr
Last Updated : 2025-02-12WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK CHAPTER 39
Lily went still. The words hit her like a gut punch."My responsibility."Not his wife. Not his partner.A burden.Something in her broke.She pushed her chair back, standing quickly. "You know what, Vandaulf? Screw you."His face didn't change. "Sit down, Lily.""No."His voice went low and commanding. "Sit. Down."Then she breathed sharply, shaking her head. "You sit down, Vandaulf."Initially rejoicing in the silence, she turned around and made her way without looking back. She failed to notice the way his hand contracted into a fist. She didn't catch the breath he released, slow and deliberate.And she didn't notice the way his eyes tracked her, something unreadable flashing in his turbulent blue eyes.His voice fell, low and commanding. "Sit. Down."She glared at him, her heart pounding against her ribs. His voice was a lash, slicing through the room, thick with power.For an instant, she contemplated obeying. Complying, and letting him have his way.But Ina would not.Neither
Last Updated : 2025-02-13
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WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK CHAPTER 102
The post-engagement days were a fantasy woven out of strands of golden sunlight and gentle laughter. The Carlston Estate, foreboding and dark, was now radiant. It pulsed with purpose—florists dashing along hallways with arms loaded with ivory roses, tailors darting to and from with packages of silk draped over their arms, and cooks darting back and forth with taste-test plates that sent fragrant odors wafting through the air. There was laughter once more. There was music. There was hope.And in the midst of it all—Lily and Vandaulf.“You’re breathing too loud,” Lily muttered without looking up from her sketchpad, a pencil tucked behind her ear, the other in her hand, tapping against the paper.“I’m literally just existing,” Vandaulf replied from the couch, watching her from over a stack of fabric swatches. “You’re the one judging ribbon samples like they hold state secrets.”"Yes, they do keep state secrets," she told him sternly, holding two very similar champagne-colored swatches in
WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK CHAPTER 101
Morning sunlight streamed through the Carlston house windows, bathing the stone floors in a warm golden glow once filled with power, secrets, and tears. But now, the quiet was serene. The war was over. Brigs Carlston had died. The ghosts were serene. And life—sweet, still life—started to take back its space again.At the heart of the estate garden in which sorrow previously grew like weeds, now blossoming roses graced that space.Vandaulf was among them.His eyes also looked for her simultaneously. Lily sat beneath the ancient tree where she had fled from the world. Her dark black hair fell down the sides of her shoulders like ink, and a half-opened journal lay across her lap. She wasn't writing anymore—just sitting with it. Remembering, maybe. Letting go.He swallowed hard. His heart pounded harder, the moment in his chest balancing like gravity."She deserves better," he whispered.“I’d say she deserves everything,” a familiar voice teased gently behind him. Vandaulf whirled, surpr
WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK CHAPTER 100
James & Monroe Holdings, Boardroom – Friday MorningThe lift moved slowly as if delayed by frost to reach its forty-eight floor. Lily was quite alone. She wore a black turtleneck blouse, a buttoned, cream-colored placket displayed with black trousers.A blazer fit close to her, arms rolled back in a casual fashion to expose the monogrammed cufflinks belonging to her father.Her hair was pulled back in a neat, every inch of her person assembled.Her fingers were shaking.Not out of fear.Out of anticipation.The instant the elevator doors slid open with a gentle chime, the hallway fell silent, as if the building itself acknowledged who now filled its corridors. Assistants looked up from their desks. Phones ceased ringing. Men in suits halted their conversations.The heir had come home.Vandaulf moved beside her in silence, one step behind. He was not here to make speeches on her behalf.He was present to see her reclaim all that had been taken.They approached the dark mahogany doors of
WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK CHAPTER 99
The gates of the James estate slowly swung open, leading to the curved, winding driveway lined with cypress trees that reached as high as the sky. The morning sun filtered through their leaves, casting golden spangles on the pavement. It was the same. And nothing was the same.Lily stepped out of the dark car, the gravel beneath her boots grinding. Her heart pounded in her chest, loaded with memory and significance. Vandaulf stood behind her in silence, letting her take it all in. It was sixteen years ago.The house stood like a sleeping giant—regal, proud, un touched since the world shattered. Ivy crawled up its stone front, and several of the windows were shrouded in mist, but it was still beautiful. Still hers.Brenna moved out of her way, the wind whipping clumps of her silver hair. "Your father designed every aspect of this house. Every beam, every tile, every windowpane. he wanted it to last for generations."Lily felt a wave of emotions. Tears filled her eyes as she tried to s
WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK CHAPTER 98
"I'm not here to intrude," Helen whispered. "To tell you something I should have told you ages ago."The room was quiet."I'm sorry. For all the things Brigs did. For what he hurt me. For not saying anything."Lily rose, her voice shaking. "Why now?"Lily's eyes flicked rapidly. "You saved me. That night. If you hadn't. shot him."Helen dropped her eyes. "That was the last thing I was able to do right."Silence descended once more, but not cold."I don't seek forgiveness," Helen continued. "I just needed you to hear it."She was going to leave, but remained."And Lily? He was afraid of you, you know. Even at the end. That's why he wanted to kill you. Because you reminded him that he could never be good."Then she departed, the door closing quietly.Lily breathed out. The room somehow was clearer."She's shattered," Brenna stated."We're all that," Lily whispered. "But some of us are trying to put the pieces together."Vandaulf embraced her once more and sat down beside her."No more m
WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK CHAPTER 97
The sun had stretched long shadows on the steps of the courthouse in the morning, gold-glazing the sandstone walls in a light too gentle for the day to come. A wave of reporters waited below, microphones poised like weapons, their voices a rising hum of anticipation. Cameras flashed simultaneously, as if thousands of eyes eager to devour the moment.Behind the courtroom doors, Lily remained trapped, back stiff but palms sweaty. Varnished wood and paper's aroma still lingered behind the halls of justice behind her, but outside—it was pandemonium.She turned the microphone attached to her blouse, hands shaking."Ready?" Vandaulf's voice whispered by her side, steady like an anchor, blazing like the sun she hardly remembered loving.She swallowed hard. "As ready as I'll ever be grandma.""Don't let them shake you Lily," Brenna said over her shoulder, her voice weighed down by years of pain and resilience. "Tell your truth. That's all that matters."The massive doors creaked as they opene
WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK CHAPTER 96
"You've said nothing since the verdict."He blinked, his jaw clenched. "Because I spent years wondering whether justice was possible at all.""And now?" she asked.He glanced at her—actually looked—and something relaxed in his face."Now I know it is. Because you made it possible."Her heart wrenched. She ached to stumble into his arms and stay still forever, but the pressure of it all hung out there still like a hurricane just past the window."I need air," she blurted suddenly.They moved out into a blaze of flashbulbs and camera equipment."Lily! Miss James—one word, please!""Did the Carlstons intimidate you?""Was Brigs the only one in it?"Vandaulf stepped in front of her, interposing himself. "No comment.They pushed their way through, security flanking them until they reached the car parked by the curb.As soon as the doors closed, quiet came over them once again.Brenna placed her hand on Lily's knee. "You don't have to talk now. Just breathe."But Lily couldn't breathe—not y
WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK CHAPTER 95
The courthouse loomed like a monolith, its towering shadow sweeping over the cluster of reporters spilling onto its steps. Flashbulbs popped. Microphones pushed their way forward like swords. Voices clashed in argument."Is it true Brigs Carlston planned the James family crash?""Ms. James! Will you testify?""Do you think justice will now be served?Lily was at the rear of the tinted windows of the bulletproof vehicle, her heart pounding. The burden of a thousand unsaid things pressed in her chest like concrete. She hadn't dressed in black, not today—today she'd dressed in white. Not because she forgave. But because she had to be heard."Do not tell anyone anything," Brenna warned, clutching her hand in a tight grip. "Let them prattle. What goes on here is all that counts."Vandaulf, sitting across from them, was a tempest contained in thin threads. Jaw clenched, fists clenched in his lap. "I want him to look into your eyes when the truth emerges."The car stopped. The door opened.Li
WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK CHAPTER 94
The hospital room was silent—too silent for the tempest that seethed within the man who lay motionless beneath white blankets. The machines beeped continuously. But Brigs Carlston's breathing was no longer continuous.His eyes flew open.The world dissolved and throbbed, sound coming back in waves. He attempted to rise, winced as agony constricted his chest. A nurse screamed."He's awake! Call Dr. Yashir!"Brigs blinked, struggling to recall why his throat was as dry as sand, why his muscles felt pulled through the fire. Then… the memories filtered in.The girl.The car.The fire.The screams.Lily.His jaw clenched. The last shred of the James family. A thread he'd thought long severed.She lived.A rasp tore his throat as he ripped the oxygen mask away. "Where… is she?" he croaked.The nurse took a step back, eyes wide. "Sir, please—don't move too much—""LILY JAMES." His voice cracked into a harsh cough. "Is she alive?""I—I don't know—please, sir, lie back, the doctor—"He shoved
