All Chapters of WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

These words struck Lily as if a hand had slapped her in the face. She was tearing up and trying not to; she would not cry. Frozen in place, Lily felt Vandaulf brush by her, and it was like a storm went sweeping through the room.Behind him, as the door closed, Helen set down her napkin and sighed. "He only wants the best for you, Lily," she said softly, though the guilt in her eyes betrayed her.Lily swallowed hard, her voice trembling as she spoke. “Does he? Or does he just enjoy making me feel small?”Helen looked at her for a long moment, her expression unreadable. “You’ll understand one day, dear. The world he comes from—it’s… ruthless. He’s only trying to prepare you.”And with that, Helen stood up from the chair, leaving Lily to sit alone in the cavernous dining room. The silence weighed on her, endless."See what happens when you keep quiet?" Ina's voice built inside her head with anger. "You let him get the better of you. You let him treat us like dirt.""What am I supposed to

It was quiet, with just a hum from the car's engine, which to me, was deafening against the weight of unspoken words.Ina kept her eyes on the window, the city lights passing by to paint fleeting patterns across her face. Her reflection stared back at her—a woman who had played the part of sweet, subservient Lily for too long. But in the quiet glow of her own defiance, this was something Ina saw a whole lot better: a flicker of liberation.A faint smile pulled at her lips, one that Vandaulf caught from the side of his eye. His jaw clenched and he shifted in his seat, the leather creaking beneath him."You think this funny?" he said, his voice low and cutting.Ina didn't look at him. "Funny? No," she replied softly, calm but edged with a subtle challenge. "Liberating? Maybe.His knuckles went white as he clasped the armrest. "Liberating?" he repeated, his voice vibrating with shadows. "Don't play games, Lily. This isn't liberation. This is you playing a very dangerous game.".She turne

The ride home was heavy with silence, punctuated only by the occasional hum of the car engine. Vandaulf sat beside Ina, his jaw tight and his eyes fixed out the window as though trying to find solace in the passing scenery. Ina, however, was at ease, her head lightly resting against the car seat. The dinner had been a small victory—not in the words exchanged but in the subtle power she had claimed for herself. Brenna's quiet support gave her the strength to weather the tension that seemed to hang over the evening like a storm cloud. As they pulled into the driveway of the grand estate, Vandaulf finally broke his silence, speaking low but dripping with warning:. "Whatever games you think you're playing, I'd advise you to stop. My patience isn't infinite, Lily."Ina turned to him, her face soft but her eyes unyielding and steady. "I wasn't aware I was playing any games, Vandaulf. Maybe you're just imagining things." He snorted, his sharp eyes narrowing as the car stopped. "Don't test me

The estate loomed dark and silent, with only the first hints of dawn brushing against the horizon. The heavy iron gates looked bigger in early morning stillness, almost menacing. Ina glanced round hastily, checking that no guards or staff were to be seen; she knew the routine of the house inside and out. Everyone would be asleep-or so she hoped.She walked fast; the sound of heels clicking soft on stone announced her approach, then she paused. A pressure was on her chest. That wasn't quite right. The house belonged not to her but to another: she was slipping into a lover's bed as one not desired.Ina shook off the thoughts and slid toward the servants' entrance. It had become her secret gateway, a lifeline to moments of freedom that were fleeting but necessary. Tonight had been exhilarating, and she wasn't ready to let the weight of the estate smother that feeling just yet.She opened the door with a faint creak. Her breath caught, but she moved inside, the heels now muffled against t

Vandaulf exhaled slowly, his fingers tightening around the empty glass in his hand. His grandmother's words clung to him, unwelcome and intrusive. You will lose her.He scoffed under his breath. Lose her? As if Lily had anywhere to go. As if she could simply walk away from him, from this life. He had chosen her. She belonged to him.And yet…Something about Helena's tone unsettled him. She was rarely wrong.He stood up from his chair and walked to the large window. The morning sun was bathing the grounds in soft golden light, but Vandaulf's gaze was elsewhere - fixed on the path leading to the gates.If she tried to leave at all, would I even see it coming?It angered him. No. Lily was impulsive, but she was not stupid. He had provided her with life, status, protection. There was nothing in it for her to turn on him.A small part of his mind whispered doubt, insidious and hard. He wanted to remind her of her position.Lily had hardly walked into the garden when she became aware of him