Semua Bab WHERE LIGHT MEETS DARK: Bab 31 - Bab 40

The first sound Lily heard was the beeping of machines, a slow and rhythmic pulse. Then there was pain - her whole body hurt, she felt knives on every breath as she tried to open her eyes. The light was blinding. A groan escaped from her lips, and instantly movement came. She felt a presence beside her, and then someone said, "Lily?" The voice was hoarse with desperation. Warm fingers wrapped themselves around hers, and Lily swallowed hard, her eyes blinking against the brightness. Slowly the face above her came into view. Brenna.Tears fell down the side of her grandmother's face as she gently cupped her cheek. "Oh, sweet girl," Brenna whispered. "You are awake." Lily's lips moved open, shuddering air shaking in. Brenna only barely registered that she was getting up and walking quickly toward the door, desperation climbing in her voice.Nurse! Call the doctor! My baby is awake!" Footsteps pounded outside the room. A nurse rushed in, gasping at the sight of Lily's half-open eyes. "W

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,

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

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

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