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WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK CHAPTER 63
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2025-03-15 23:13:01
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WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK CHAPTER 64
Her heart pounded against the cage of her ribcage like a hammer, but she restrained herself from flinching, from moving.Because if she let herself be afraid, then she was already lost.Vandaulf's hand still clasped around her wrist, his fingers curled as if attempting to hold onto her in place. His face remained static, but his eyes—those dark, storm-worn eyes—contained a pleading something.A warning.A threat.A plea."Let me go, Vandaulf." Her voice was sharp, tight, but the thud of her pulse betrayed her.Vandaulf did not budge."You have no idea what you've done Lily." Vandaulf's voice was menacing and low.Lily pulled her hand free from his, defiance dancing in her eyes. "And you don't have an idea that I don't care."A cold, cruel laugh burst out of him. "Of course you don't." One step he took forward, slow. "Because you believe you can win at this game. But you're playing with a man who has no rules to play by, Lily."She stood firm."And what of you, Vandaulf?" she flung at
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-16WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK CHAPTER 65
Lily would not allow her terror to be expressed. She locked eyes with him, her backbone stiff, face unyielding.If a power game this was, it was not her that would concede."I have lived through more," she countered, her words suave with veiled provocation.Brigs laughed again, his head wagging with the motion before he took yet another deliberate gulp of his liquid. "They all say so, my darling." Lily battled to keep her hands from forming into fists. Condescension dripped from his voice; he was speaking as though he were already had won-and that made her furious."I've heard you and my father were friends," Lily-Ina said, cocking her head. "You must be missing him terribly."Brigs' sneer failed by a moment.Then he sat back in his chair. "Roosevelt was a genial man." His fingers drummed against his glass. "He and I shared a vision. The James and Carlston empires becoming one? It was destiny.""Destiny?" Lily echoed, her lips twisting into something cold. "Or compelled to be?"Brigs
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-17WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK CHAPTER 66
The soft click of Lily's heels measured her leave from the vanity of the study as she placed step by conscientious step- steady, despite the mutiny raging in her mind. She could still feel the ghost of Vandaulf's gaze searing into the back of her neck, still hear the low-throated menace of his voice ringing in her mind. "Watch where you tread."But she would not stumble.Not now.Not when she was so close.The letter concealed beneath her sleeve weighed more than gold. The fears of her father, penned in ink, the affirmation that he had always suspected Brigs Carlston.It was the chink in the armor she had been seeking.But she knew this was just the start.Brigs was bad news.Vandaulf was bad news.And both of them were now watching her. She crept into her room and locked the door.Her breath left in a shudder, and for a moment, her mask cracked. With quaking hands, she slipped the letter out of her sleeve. She read it again, again scanning every word with her eye as if to catch t
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-18WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK CHAPTER 67
The night had descended deep and still over the Carlston estate. Lily sat before the gilded mirror in the serenity of her opulent bedroom. The woman who thought there was not only Lily.It was Ina.The almost imperceptible change in her eyes, the curve of her lips into rebellion—this was not the submissive daughter of the Jameses, nor the compliant bride-to-be of Vandaulf Carlston.This was the fire that her enemies could not put out."I said don't leave the house tonight," Lily hissed to her own face.Ina smiled, however. "I can take him. He is blinded by his own ego. He'll never notice me when I come up behind him."Lily panted hard, resting her flat palms on the vanity. Her phone buzzed gently on the counter.Grandma Brenna.She jerked it to life and replied in a subdued voice. "Grandma?"Brenna's voice was even but tight with steel. "Lily… no screw-ups tonight. Do you hear me? Brigs is sneakier than we ever thought possible. He already suspects.""I know," Lily breathed. Her t
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-19WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK CHAPTER 68
The Carlston estate bore more weight that night.The grand hallways echoed with whispers—of secrets, of obsessions, of things that would not lie still.Vandaulf brooded at his desk, staring into the burning fireplace, whiskey untouched in his hand. His mind reeled wildly. Weeks. Weeks that he'd thought it was she. Lily. The woman who consumed his nights and inspired his madness.A light knock interrupted his storm of thoughts."Enter."The private investigator moved forward, tension betraying the flick of his lip."Speak," Vandaulf ordered.The man swallowed. "We've…we've verified something, sir."Vandaulf's gaze clouded. "And?""It's not her."A silence fell between them like a blade."Not…her?" Vandaulf said again, his voice dreadfully soft."No, sir." The investigator shifted uncomfortably. "We've reviewed surveillance footage, spoken with guests at the Halloween masquerade ball. The woman you spent the evening with…wasn't Mrs. Carlston."Vandaulf's knuckles whitened around the glas
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-20WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK CHAPTER 69
Lily sat in her room, gazing into the mirror. But staring back wasn't Lily.It was Ina."Stop pushing him," Lily muttered under her breath, fear eating at her. "You're going to get us both ruined."Ina sneered in the mirror. "I'm not the one lying to his face. You are."Her phone beeped on the vanity table.Grandmother Brenna.Lily grabbed it. "Grandma?"Brenna's tone was quiet but insistent. "Lily, you have to be careful. Brigs Carlston won't remain quiet for much longer. He feels the walls closing in on him.""I know." Lily's voice shook, then stabilized. "I've been careful."Careful isn't enough." Brenna's tone grew firmer. "Get proof. And when you get it — you leave that house. Do you get me?""I do.""And Lily…" "Yes?""Don't let hate use you up. It makes you reckless."Lily exhaled shakily. "I’ll be fine.""Just remember why you’re there.""I won’t forget."The line went dead.She closed her eyes — only for a moment.And then the door burst open.Vandaulf stood there.His eyes
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-21WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK CHAPTER 70
The night was thick with silence, but inside Lily’s heart, chaos thundered.She sat stiffly in the grand study, pretending to read, but her mind was elsewhere — on the phone call she had overheard.Vandaulf’s private investigator.Zeroing in.“She’s not Lily,” the man had said.“She’s someone else. A different name. But we’re close.”Her blood ran cold.Ina.They were getting too close.Too fast.She leapt at the sound of footsteps. Her breath caught when the door opened. Vandaulf stood in the entrance, his face impassive."Good evening," he spoke smoothly, but there was steel under it."Evening," Lily replied, straining to get her voice to be bored, her heart racing.He took the seat opposite her, never looking away from her face."I received an interesting call today," he whispered.She feigned turning a page."Oh?"Vandaulf leaned forward, putting elbows on his knees."My investigator made progress." His voice was perilously gentle.Lily swallowed."Oh, that's… good.""Good?" His t
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-22WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK CHAPTER 71
The air was heavy in the evening.Lily sat on the vanity, staring into the mirror. But it wasn't Lily staring back. It was Ina. The sly smile, the defying glint in her eyes — the piece of her that wouldn't be controlled.Her phone rang.A message from Brenna James:Watch your back. Brigs is monitoring all. Get evidence, but don't screw up.Lily gulped. "I know," she panted hoarsely, staring into Ina's mirror image.But just as she could have replied, another message came.And don't forget, child — if you fall, everything falls with you.Lily put down the phone.Someone knocked at the door."Madam," the butler murmured outside. "Your presence is needed in the study."She quickly brushed away any feeling from her face, bristling into the perfect mask of calm.She entered the spacious study — and stopped.Vandaulf sat there, bracingly rigid, and facing him sat his private investigator.Her heart skipped a beat."Lily," Vandaulf said in a low, unreadable voice. "Sit down."She sat down slo
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-23
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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
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"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
