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WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK CHAPTER 43
Terakhir Diperbarui:
2025-02-19 00:33:31
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WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK CHAPTER 44
Lily felt it.The crush of his regard. The strangling breath of domination.Vandaulf Carlston pervaded everywhere.Wherever she went, whatever she did, he followed. Not as a husband ought to. Not with love or tenderness.Something else entirely.Possession.Punishment.He was not shielding her. He was imprisoning her.And she despised it.The morning was chilly, sunlight streaming through the big windows of the estate. But it did nothing to melt the icy tension between them.Lily had gotten exactly five steps toward the door before she heard it."Going somewhere?"His voice was even, undisturbed—too undisturbed. Like one knife in its scabbard.Lily spun to find him filling the doorway, arms crossed, his piercing eyes watching her every step.She set her jaw. "I didn't know I required your leave to walk outside."Vandaulf stepped out of the doorway, coming forward, slow and methodical. "You don't," he yielded. "But you do need a guardian."Her fists hardened at her waist. "Since when?"
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-20WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK CHAPTER 45
Then, in a single smooth motion, he leaned forward—And picked her up.Lily gasped as her feet were left suspended in the air, Vandaulf's grip tight as he swept her over his shoulder like she was weightless."VANDAULF—""Enough Lily," Vandaulf's growled, striding up the stairs with her.Lily-Ina beat at his back with her fists. "Put me down, you—!" A sharp slap echoed against her thigh.Her breath was stuck in her throat.Lily was stiff.Lily's face burned, a combination of anger and embarrassment for what Vandaulf's doing."You're unbearable Vandaulf," she hissed.Vandaulf's hold did not weaken. "And you Lily," he snarled, "are a goddamn headache."They arrived at her room.With measured strength, he kicked the door open and slammed her onto the bed.Lily sprang up, fury burning in her eyes. "Who the devil do you think you are—"Vandaulf leaned forward, his arms around her."Your husband," he breathed.Lily took a hard breath.For what seemed an eternity of suffocation, they just gla
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-21WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK CHAPTER 46
The instant Vandaulf's steps had vanished from the corridor, anger in Ina burst out like a wildfire.She wheeled, her breath coarse and panting, her fists gripped tight enough to make nails press into the flesh of her palms. Her heart pounded against her ears.He thinks he owns me.He thinks he can order me.She took a cold gasp of air and grasped the first vase—delicate, lace-lined porcelain Helena had brought them with the wedding party—and with a rough bellow, hurled it against the wall.CRASH!The ring of metal ripped through the room, fragments trembling across the slick marble like broken vows.Lily trembled, standing there in front of the wreckage, shaking hands, overflowing with unadulterated emotion.And then, in the quiet of her mind, there was a voice speaking. A gentle voice, restrained hard behind, but firm."Calm down, Ina."Lily.Her other half. The half that still grasped reason, control."We can get past this. Don't let Vandaulf destroy you."Ina took a harsh breath,
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-22WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK CHAPTER 47
The sun came up over the Carlston estate, but its rays did nothing to melt the frost in the air.Lily woke up as Lily.Ina had burned out during the middle of the night, leaving only fatigue behind.A ringing knock on her door jolted her into sitting up."Ma'am," the maid's voice was low but persistent. "Madam Helena and Mr. Vandaulf await in the dining room. Breakfast time."Lily breathed slowly, centering herself. Play the role.Stepping out of her bedroom, she was not Ina, no longer angry. She was the demure, reserved Lily—dominated, refined, submissive.Valeria twirled down the steps like a top, the thick silk floating in her wake. She fought for breath for a moment when she entered the dining room. Vandaulf stood there.Waiting for her. His wide shoulders rested indolently against the doorframe, arms crossed, but his face was anything but calm.His eyes found her at once, scanning, seeking.Lily kept her even stride."Good morning," she said, voice light, neutral.Vandaulf's lip
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-23WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK CHAPTER 48
The huge doors slam shut with a deafening crash, imprisoning Lily in the lion's den.Silence.Heavy. Choking.She barely had time to catch her breath before—"Where the hell were you?"His voice was deep, coarse—like gravel on steel.Lily gradually turned. Vandaulf hadn't stepped from the bottom of the stairs, yet his presence controlled the entire bloody room. Suit jacket open, rolled-up sleeves, as though pacing back and forth—awaiting.Her.Lily flicked a harsh brow, innocent. "Out."Darkening face, fists on his thighs. Mismatched reaction.He closed a cautious step, another, until all distance had disappeared. Something heavy erupted in the air."Out," he spat again, poison seeping through his words. "For seven hours, Lily?"She shrugged. "Didn't realize I was working."His jaw clenched. "You can't just bail."She nodded. "Amusing fact, since that is precisely what I did as well."His grip shattered.In seconds, he slapped his palm on her wrist—this time with more pressure.Lily d
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-25WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK CHAPTER 49
The quiet was oppressive. Nigh on unbearable.The face staring back at her wasn't Lily anymore.It was Ina.Her stronger, bolder, deadlier version.She let her breath out slowly, leaning on the cold marble sink with her elbows. Her eyes. Ina's eyes, smoldered with revolt."What in tarnation was that?" Ina growled, staring at herself in anger.Lily's gentle voice, tinged with doubt, ran through her mind. "I don't know Ina.""Liar," Ina growled. "You felt it. You let him in."Lily winced within. "No. That wasn't."It was real," Ina interjected. "You enjoyed it."Lily's hands shook. "That's not true.""Oh, sweetheart," Ina sighed. "Your heart still pounds. Your skin still stings where he touched you. Don't lie to me."Lily swallowed hard. She wanted to lie, to push the sensation down as she always did.But Ina was correct.Vandaulf had touched her beneath her skin.And that was not safe.Ina leaned forward, her eyes on their reflected faces, her voice a low whisper. "You let him win."Li
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-26WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK CHAPTER 50
The air between them charged with electricity, but neither blinked. Neither folded."Neither grovels, darling," Ina had sneered, her voice silk and steel.And now, observing Vandaulf's face harden—his jaw muscles locked, his fists clenched—she recognized she'd gained this fight.But victory was fleeting.Vandaulf didn't lose.He didn't surrender.He struck back. He didn’t say anything. Just turned and briskly walked out of the room as if making a clear statement with his footfalls on the marble floor.Ina took in a controlled breath and let it out in a measured manner as she slowly calmed down,her heart still racing from the fight.But deep down, Lily’s voice whispered soft, worried.This is dangerous, Ina. You’re pushing too far.Ina smirked at her reflection in the mirror. "Not far enough." The following morning, she awoke to a cage.Not a physical one—not chains, not locked doors—but something worse.A quiet, intangible prison built by a man who would not be disobeyed.She sensed
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-27WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK CHAPTER 51
Vandaulf stepped before the mirror, smoothing out the cuff of his suit in effortless familiarity. His image was the very model of control—icy, measured, lethal.Lily watched him from the bed, sitting on her haunches, fingers following the stitches on her dress with gentle fingertips."You look eager," she thought, her voice silky, removed.His eyes flashed to hers in the mirror. "It's business."A Halloween masquerade party thrown by one of the city's most powerful real estate moguls. Networking, power moves, and deal-making masquerading as fun.More significantly, it meant he would be away for hours.This was her opportunity.Lily hid her smile in a wine glass."Well," she stated and stood up, the silk of her robe whispering against her skin. "Don't have too much fun without me Vandaulf."Vandaulf's eyes narrowed into hers, hard and cold."I won't."She stepped closer, inches from his face. Teasing him."Good," she whispered, reaching out to touch his tie, her fingers tracing just ab
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-01
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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
