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WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK CHAPTER 32
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2025-02-09 02:01:31
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WHERE 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 : 2025-02-13WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK CHAPTER 40
It was a hesitant knock at the door that really jolted Lily from a deep sleep. As her eyelids grew heavy with slumber, she opened them to experience the full weight of her body, almost feeling a thorny headache from last night. The trails of Ina's visit still lingered on her body—smudged lipstick, knotted hair, and the residual taste of liquor and defiance on her skin. But with morning sunlight seeping through windows, she sensed it.The change.The transformation.Ina dissolved.Lily was all that was left.She swallowed, automatically pulling the covers tighter around her. A voice called through the door—soft, courteous, but demanding."Madam Lily," the maid said. "Master Vandaulf and Madam Helena await your presence in the dining hall. Breakfast is served." Lily froze in her tracks on hearing the sound. Vandaulf.She squeezed her eyes shut tight. What had happened the night before washed over her-the argument, his rage, his warning, the way he had glared at her with such anger. Rel
Last Updated : 2025-02-14
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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."Don't say anything to anyone," Brenna cautioned, gripping her hand tightly. "Let them prattle on. What happens in here is all that matters."Vandaulf, seated opposite them, was a storm bottled on fragile threads. Jaw set, fists curled in his lap. "I wish him to look into your eyes when the truth comes out."The car stopped. The door opened.Lily step
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
WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK CHAPTER 93
But faith is an ephemeral quality. It is a candle lit in a storm of untrammelled air, waiting to be extinguished the moment there is darkness within.She slept better that night than she had in months. No darkness quiet. No sudden heat flash, no clatter of high heels thrumming in her bones. Only quiet. Terrible, holy quiet. And when she awoke, the sun was already bright in the windows, warm and gentle. Her body was leaden, but not with fear—simply with being human.Vandaulf rolled over beside her, his eyes snapping open. His voice was gravel and fire. "Morning."Lily blinked at him, letting the quiet fall before she breathed, "Still me."He wrapped his hand tight around hers, interlacing their fingers. "I know."They sat in silence for a while. Breathing. Holding. Waiting to see if the shadows stirred.They didn't.After breakfast—a peaceful, fluffy session with Helena phoning in to drop over tea and today's hottest cuttings from the paper (none of which Lily actually read)—it was tim
WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK CHAPTER 92
The apartment was dark when they arrived back. The city skyline was swept by a late autumn storm outside the window, its soft rumble the echo of the storm within Lily's heart. She stood at the center of the living room, arms at her sides going limp, gaping into the stillness as though it might speak.Vandaulf hovered behind her. He didn’t speak. Not yet. He just watched her with that same relentless steadiness that had begun to unravel her in ways she hadn’t expected.Lily let out a slow breath. “The therapist said I’m making progress,” she murmured, her voice barely a thread. “That talking about Ina… naming what she was… was a step toward reclaiming myself.”"More than a name," Vandaulf said softly. "Survival."Lily spun around, her gaze tattered, lashes wet. "That's what frightens me."He edged closer carefully. "Because losing her feels like losing the only version of you that was able to survive what occurred?"She nodded. "Every time I talk as plain Lily. there's this echoing rin
WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK CHAPTER 91
There was a sweet scent of lavender and stale leather. Walking inside was to enter into a world of memory that the tenant had actively sought to forget. Lily folded into the end of a straight chair, her clenched tightly into her lap fingers. The rigidity with which she was clutching her fingers caused her knuckles to become pale. The corner hummed a gentle tick of a sound. A metronome. A tick that tolled within her as a challenge. A challenge to speak. To break the silence.She sat in her office across from Lily, as calm as a summer day. She wasn't old, but looked old, no. She did, however, have eyes that had witnessed it all. They were fixed on Lily with no suspicion, no disdain, but only impatience. As if to wait for her to draw breath before unspooling what she had stored inside.Dr. Valez leaned forward, just slightly. "Do you mind keeping your mouth shut for a bit longer," she said, talking slowly, "or do you need to tell me what you're thinking?"Lily's mouth opened. No noises
WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK CHAPTER 90
Lily sit up. He looks at her quizzically, but She smile into his eyes, before leaning down to kiss him deeply, sucking gently, sucking his passion and desire into her body, becoming keenly aware of all that he is and all that he wants, and sensing strongly his need for her. They kiss, pushing their tongues against each other, touching each other's soft lips, then pull away a centimeter and let tension between them mount, their warm breath on the other's lips, teasing, bringing us in, until.They kiss again, more passionately, but still slowly, taking it out, enjoying it. Sometimes they are madly passionate and their lovemaking is energetic and ardent. But tonight, She want to slow down, to feel everything strongly. "Hmmm..." She stroke his flat belly, her fingers tickled by the hair around his belly button. He is pulling her to him, kissing her hard and long, and slow, and his hand is sliding down toward her butt. He uses it to pull her toward him, pull her into him, breathing her in
WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK CHAPTER 89
The sunlight seeped gradually through the half-closed drapes, creating delicate patterns of light on the hotel suite floor. It was quiet—stunned, complete quiet.Lily sat up from the bed, her breath stuck in a catch.No voice in her head.No mocking insults. No laughter taunt. No Ina.Somewhere close by, Lily's knuckles went white with the sheet-clutching. She lay out flat, waiting for that same curl, shiver of chill, take-over—but nothing stirred.Nothing but her. Lily James. Alone in her own head."Arm." Vandaulf's voice was low in the kitchenette. "You're awake?"She nodded, forgetting he could not see her. "Yeah. I… I think I'm okay."Vandaulf bowed his head against the doorframe, crooked smile twisting across his lips, hair still disheveled. "Coffee? Tea? Or… quiet?"Lily's eyes widened in shock. "Quiet?"He smiled. "I thought it would be something of a luxury for the time."Her lips shook. "Really… yes. Quiet would fit perfectly."Vandaulf vanished once more, and the scent of fr
WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK CHAPTER 88
The rain beating on the hospital window had the cadence of a slowly building bomb, slow and steady and coiled, ready to explode. The lights in the room were only partially on, the weak light of the lamplight sitting beside the bed. Lily was huddled at the edge of the bed, panting at the border, with her wet hands bunched around the thin blanket. She could again sense the presence. Ina.Not in some remote corner of her mind, not like a ghost—no. Ina was near. On her back. Whispers on her nerve endings."You can't erase what you needed to live."The voice curled around her ear, too close. Too close."Lily, Lily—you can't erase me. You are me."No, Lily breathed, staring into the mirror in the next room. Her face met her, but it was wrong. Her eyes—Ina's eyes, no—smiled and not one muscle in her mouth moved."I made you strong," Ina asserted, her voice unyielding. "I protected you when they abandoned you. When they died. When he wedded you and told you it was duty. I was the one who stol
WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK CHAPTER 87
The therapist's office was a sanctuary of gentle light, calming grays, and muffled throbs—faux quiet that wrapped itself around broken pieces. Lily sat stiffly on the couch, too plush, too lenient, to sit on. Across from her, Dr. Mariel Kaine jotted something into her notebook before looking up."Lily," she answered softly, "how have you been since that experience in the warehouse?"Lily curled her fingers over the cuff of her sleeve, voice trembling. "I had her in check. I thought… it was over."Dr. Kaine did not respond at once. She let the silence linger between them—tense, awkward. Then, "When did you last feel her?"Lily looked away. Her own face was captured in the lip of a mirrored sculpture on the shelf. She couldn't look at it. "Last night," she whispered.Flashback: The Night BeforeThe bathroom light flickered above her as Lily stared at her reflection, breasts straining. Her fingers clenched the cold porcelain sink, knuckles white. Something had triggered it—maybe the manne
