WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK CHAPTER 2

The door clicked shut, and Brenna looked at Lily. "You're playing with fire, girl. Letting your anger run amok won't give you the upper hand here. If you're going to burn, burn smart. Tell me your plan." 

Lily’s laugh was dark and unrestrained. She leaned forward, her eyes meeting Brenna’s without fear. “Plan?” she repeated, her voice dripping with defiance. “I don’t need a plan to remind them I’m more than their pawn. Let him think I’m weak. I’ll show him what a mistake that was.” 

Brenna’s lips pressed into a thin line, but a flicker of pride glimmered in her eyes. “Then you’d better be ready to outlast him. You’re a James, Lily. Don’t forget that.” 

Lily’s smirk spread wider. Her boldness ran unchecked. "Oh, I won't. I'll make sure he doesn't forget it either." She spoke with a self-assurance she never allowed during the day. It was another Lily entirely standing in Brenna's office: sharp-edged, unapologetic, and utterly defiant. 

At night, the character she kept veiled during the day came into full bloom. The downcast eyes and fidgety limbs disappeared. Deliberate steps matched the purposeful clicking of her heels against the marble floor. She had become a force of nature—unapologetic in its freedom to be itself. 

In the drawing room, where the evening's social gathering lingered, she didn't seek refuge from the eyes of others. Instead, she drew attention to herself. Conversations halted as heads turned to observe her enter the room, for she had an attraction and pull about her that seemed impossible to overlook. 

It was wedding day, and the grand ballroom of the James estate was in full swing. Above sparkled crystal chandeliers, their soft beams illuminating the expanse of designer gowns and tuxedos. Still, amidst such luxury, Lily James felt little. The gown she wore was delicate lace and soft satin, pale as the morning sky's hues. It pressed against her chest as though suffocating her, reality closing like a vice to strangle any attempt to hide the truth.

She was preparing to marry a man she didn't even know—a man who considered her just a pawn in a business deal. She had spent years hiding in the shadows of family expectations, but on what was supposed to be their union, she felt lonelier than ever. 

But that was not even the worst of it.It was hell. Just as Lily was emerging from the bathroom, readjusting her dainty lace veil over her hair, a knock came at the door. Her heart was beating rapidly. She knew it was him. She was afraid it was all over, and that finally, this would catch up to her. "Come in," she whispered softly. The door creaked open, and Vandaulf Carlston strode in, just as tall and intimidating as he had ever been. His sharp jawline and gray eyes narrowed at her, glinting like steel beneath ice. 

He was immaculately dressed, naturally; nothing shook him off-kilter. Still, something about his gaze or the curve of his lips into that condescending half-smile sent a twinge through Lily that felt eerily childlike. "Lily," he said, his voice heavy with arrogance, "you look tolerable." She felt the bite of his words, but she didn't let it show. She was accustomed to his cruelty now. "What do you want, Vandaulf?" she asked, her voice still soft—too soft. She hated it. Lily hated that this man, this stranger, had the power to make her feel so insignificant. He approached her slowly, deliberately. In his hands, he grasped two fat envelopes—papers, she saw now; he dominated the room, choking out all air from her. "I have a few things you'll need to sign," he said dully, pushing the papers toward her. Lily's heart beat as she scrutinized them. "What is this?"

 "The first is a marriage contract," he said to her, his voice dripping with disdain. "A proper agreement detailing what is expected in this union and what is permitted. We aren't here out of love for each other, Lily. This is a business affair, and I expect you to understand that." Lily felt the usual twinge of pain, but she didn't let it bleed through. It was either from the sting of his words or the weight of the situation itself that left her breathless. "Rules?" she asked shakily. "Regulations? Vandaulf, what—" 

His hand sliced through the air, cutting her off. "No questions, Lily. You will read the document and sign it. Easy. We both know you are nothing more than a means to an end. I have my empire to run, and you have yours. We're just here to ensure neither of us gets in the other's way." He tossed the papers down on the table, the sharp sound making her flinch. "The terms are simple. You're not to interfere with my business dealings. You'll remain a silent partner in our marriage, and you will not meddle in my private affairs. Violate this agreement, and I will take 50% of your stock in the company and transfer it to someone who hasn’t broken the rules, Miss James." Lily's breath caught in her throat.

She worked all her life for this; she earned a spot in her family's empire. Sacrifices have been made and endured for years just for that one moment, and now, it is taken from her like a transaction. "Vandaulf, this is insane. I—" 

"Do you want out of this marriage, Lily? Because that's the second letter," he said, coldly dismissive, slapping the second envelope onto the table with a careful hand, his gesture deliberate but rough enough to make the paper rustle like the cruelest of reminders. 

"A Divorce agreement. To get cold feet, all he had to do was sign on the dotted line. But let's be clear, shall we: he'd surrender his shares; he'd lose it all; and he'd take nothing with him." 

She shakily glanced through the papers on the table before her. His words were stabbing in, icy cold and mercilessly brutal, as if throwing dagger after dagger at her chest. She longed to put her hand on the pen as she awaited permission to sign, but her brain stopped her. 

This was the wedding day, and she had always fantasized about having such a perfect day, to be in complete control of herself, but on this day it felt as though she was standing on the edge of a cliff and not even an arm to hold on to.

"You can't do this to me Vandaulf," she whispered, barely getting the words out. "You can't just treat me like this… like a piece of paper. I’m not just some… some business transaction.”

"Ah, but you are," Vandaulf sneered, his eyes glacial and unyielding. "You've always been a business transaction. Your family's wealth, your name, your power—it was never about love. This isn't about you, Lily. This is about securing the future of our families." 

He moved closer, towering over her as if he were a predator with its prey cornered. "And if you're smart, you'll sign. Because the sooner you do, the sooner we can both get on with our lives. No more pretending. No more games."