30 Days of Passion and Revenge-Chapter 245: Ethan’s Return

The driver opened the car door, and the first thing that emerged was a long, slender leg clad in a polished black leather shoe, stepping firmly onto the ground.

All eyes turned toward the figure.

A tall man stepped out of the car, his height exceeding 188 cm. His short hair was neat and sharp, and his face was flawless, strikingly handsome. His cold, commanding gaze swept over the crowd before finally settling on a small face hidden behind large sunglasses. With a steady hand, he adjusted his tie and began walking toward her.

Behind him trailed several military personnel.

The crowd fell into a stunned silence.

Lily Anderson thought she must be seeing things. She reached up to remove her sunglasses and stared dumbfounded at the towering figure.

Across the distance, their eyes locked. Tears streamed down Lily’s face.

It was Ethan Blackwood.

He was awake.

Her sunglasses fell to the ground with a muffled thud.

Lily pushed past Alex Carter and Sophia Bennett, who had shielded her, and bolted toward Ethan.

Caught off guard, Alex stumbled to the side. For a moment, the warmth in his eyes was replaced by something darker.

Ethan opened his arms, and Lily embraced him, sobbing hoarsely, "Why did it take you so long to wake up? Why didn’t you wake up sooner?"

If he had woken up earlier, she wouldn’t have had to face all this alone. She wouldn’t have been left to shoulder everything if he had woken up sooner.

Ethan grunted softly as she collided with him, then wrapped his arms around her, patting her back. "Stupid woman, who made you cry like this?"

She looked awful.

Her eyes were so red that the whites were barely visible, and holding her, he could feel how much weight she had lost.

Lily trembled in his arms. Just moments ago, the reporters had pushed her to the edge of her endurance; she had thought she was going to collapse. But he had come.

Thankfully, he had come. Otherwise, she honestly wouldn’t have been able to stand any longer.

In the brief time it took for this reunion, the reporters had already pieced together who Ethan was. They pushed past the bodyguards again, bombarding them with questions.

"Mr. Blackwood, weren’t you receiving treatment at the military hospital? Are you fully recovered now?"

"Mr. Blackwood, do you know how far along the investigation into your case is?"

"The reputation of Blackwood Enterprise has plummeted in both domestic and international media. Do you have any comment on this?"

"Is it true you imprisoned and tortured dozens of hostages? There are rumors that some high-ranking officials were involved. Can you confirm this?"

"Do you really care so much about this mistress? You even showed up at this funeral for her."

"Is the child Miss Anderson is carrying yours? Are you willing to raise this child? Do you feel like you’ve been humiliated raising someone else’s child?"

"Are you aware of her alleged affair with Mr. Carter?"

At these words, Ethan’s face darkened instantly. He released Lily and shot a menacing glare at the reporters.

A female staff member hurried over, but Ethan’s sharp eyes locked onto her. "If I see any reports about this today, I’ll dismantle your entire PR department."

"Yes, Mr. Blackwood," she responded nervously, immediately turning to instruct her colleagues to take action.

Ethan’s domineering presence, his sharp tongue, and his unyielding nature...

All of it was what Lily had missed so dearly, as though she had waited a lifetime for this moment.

Ethan took Lily’s hand and led her inside, stopping in front of Alex Carter.

The two men stood face-to-face, one exuding warmth, and the other radiating dominance. Their gazes clashed in silent confrontation.

After a long pause, Ethan’s eyes shifted to the urn in Alex’s hands. Slowly, he spoke, his tone biting, "And what gives you the right to hold her father’s ashes?"

Who did Alex think he was, daring to carry the urn as if he were family? Did he believe Ethan Blackwood was dead?

The disdain and arrogance in Ethan’s voice were unmistakable, his gaze openly provocative.

"Ethan..." Lily tugged at his sleeve, embarrassed by his outburst. She turned apologetically to Alex. "I’m sorry."

"What are you apologizing to him for?!" Ethan snapped coldly, taking the urn from Alex’s hands.

Alex’s expression stiffened.

"Alex helped me bring my father back. He’s been helping me a lot these past few days," Lily explained softly, feeling a wave of guilt. Alex had done so much for her, yet here Ethan was, treating him rudely.

"Is that so?" Ethan sneered, his gaze dripping with contempt as it landed on Alex. "Well, we don’t need your help anymore. Get lost."

The word "get" was mouthed silently, but the message was clear.

Alex clenched his fists, his eyes growing cold. "For Lily’s sake, I won’t argue with you." 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

"We’re leaving," Ethan said curtly, giving Alex one last icy glare before turning to Lily, the urn securely in his hands.

Lily looked back at Alex, her eyes filled with gratitude. Alex offered her a reassuring smile, shaking his head to show he didn’t mind.

Lily smiled back at him, but Ethan immediately let out a disapproving huff. "Why are you smiling at him?"

"..." Lily was speechless. It was like a reunion after a long separation, and here he was, starting a jealous tantrum the moment he woke up.

Who behaves like this?

Surrounded by bodyguards, they walked toward the car. Only then did Lily notice that Ethan’s right leg seemed stiff as he walked. Concerned, she asked, "Your leg hasn’t fully healed, and you’re already up and walking?"

His movements were clearly hindered, but in her earlier excitement, she hadn’t noticed.

In his condition, he should have been bedridden for at least three more months.

"I came because otherwise, would you have been able to leave the funeral home today?" Ethan replied.

The driver opened the car door, and Ethan and Lily got inside. The car began to move, followed by dozens of stretch limousines in a grand procession toward Lily’s hometown.

"Whether I could leave or not doesn’t matter. What matters is that you’re awake. That’s the most important thing," Lily said softly in the quiet car.

Ethan’s deep gaze lingered on her. Placing the urn carefully on his lap, he leaned forward and kissed her lips.

Lily responded willingly, her hand resting on his neck as she opened her lips for him.

But Ethan pulled back abruptly, pressing his lips together awkwardly. "My mouth tastes bitter."

"..."

Lily was momentarily stunned. Of course, after days in the hospital hooked up to IV drips, his mouth would taste bitter. But... did he really care about that right now?

"When did you wake up?" Lily asked.

"Less than two hours ago," Ethan replied, his deep, raspy voice carrying a hint of weariness as he gazed at her as though trying to memorize every detail of her face. "Are you really upset that I woke up too late?"

His voice was magnetic and sensual.

Hearing his words, Lily felt her eyes sting with fresh tears. She shook her head firmly. "It doesn’t matter when you wake up. What matters is that you’re awake."

Early or late, it didn’t matter anymore. As long as he remembered to wake up, as long as he knew she had been waiting for him, that was enough.

"You cried when I wasn’t awake, and now you’re crying again now that I am," Ethan remarked. "At the press conference, you performed better than my entire PR team."

She had drawn the public’s attention away, redirecting the focus with remarkable precision.

It was a move she had once used to help Alex. Now, she had done it again, but for him—standing in front of all those cameras for his sake.

But the fact that she had used the same tactic for Alex first... Seeing Alex holding Henry Anderson’s urn had made Ethan’s anger boil over.

"My only contribution was that press conference. Helen tried negotiating with the central government many times but couldn’t secure your release," Lily said, looking at him with a hint of confusion. "Does this mean... you’ve been released?"

Ethan looked coldly at the soldier sitting in the front passenger seat. "There are flies following me."

Still, this was better than being confined to the military hospital. At least he could move around freely.

But... with just a few soldiers tailing him, Ethan could easily escape whenever he wanted. That he allowed them to follow him meant he wasn’t ready to let Blackwood Enterprise retreat from the country entirely.

Understanding the sensitive nature of the situation, Lily refrained from discussing the case further in front of the soldiers.

She raised her hands to cup his face, studying him carefully. There was still a healing wound on his temple, but the bandages had been removed. "Why did you take off the bandages?"

"It’s just a scratch," Ethan said dismissively, his gaze softening as he looked at her. The thought of walking around with a bandaged head or using crutches was unbearable to him.

He was always like this, refusing to take proper care of his body. Staying in bed for a few extra days felt like a death sentence to him.

Lily’s hand brushed over the short scar on his brow. It was the most severe of his facial injuries, and while the wound was healing, it would undoubtedly leave a mark.

"You’re going to have a scar on your face," Lily said softly, her voice tinged with concern. The scar was close to his eye—thankfully, it hadn’t caused any damage to his vision.

"A man having a scar isn’t a big deal," Ethan replied nonchalantly.

"You’re not as handsome as you used to be," Lily said honestly.

Ethan’s face darkened. He touched the scar on his brow. "Is it that bad?"

Damn it...

It was just a scar. Did she really dislike it that much?

"Yeah," Lily said matter-of-factly. His features had once been flawless. The scar, though subtle from a distance, was very noticeable up close.

Her response was so casual.

"I’ll arrange for surgery to remove it," Ethan said coldly, pressing his fingers against the scar. Was it really that ugly?

"You’re willing to go under the knife again?" Lily asked, her gaze steady. Her voice was slightly hoarse as she continued, "It’s not bad. As long as I don’t mind, it’s fine."

"..." Ethan’s expression darkened further. Her tone made it clear that she didn’t mind.

This scar is coming off, no matter what!

He didn’t need her pity.

Ethan pulled her into his arms, his warmth enveloping her. Lily leaned against his shoulder, finally relaxing and enjoying the rare comfort.

... she had longed for this shoulder for what felt like an eternity. He appeared when she thought she couldn’t hold on any longer.

This shoulder gave her the strength to rely on, the reassurance she desperately needed.

From now on, she wouldn’t have to hold everything together alone. She knew he would be there to support her, to give her a safe haven.

The car was silent, and there was not even a hum of music to fill the air.

"Lily, don’t cry anymore," Ethan said suddenly, his voice low and commanding. He had never seen anyone cry so much that their eyes turned as red as hers.

Lily’s eyes stung, but she held back her tears. Leaning against his shoulder, she nodded firmly. "Okay."

After everything she had been through, she could endure as long as he was by her side. With him there, she wouldn’t need to hold herself up anymore. She could take shelter under his protection.

The road to her hometown was long—very long.

Outside the car windows, the scenery sped past, fading in and out of view as though in fast-forward.

Gradually, Lily’s head slid from Ethan’s shoulder to rest against his chest. Glancing down, Ethan saw that she had fallen asleep.

Adjusting her position so she could rest more comfortably against him, Ethan lowered his gaze to study her.

During the days he had been unconscious, he had heard her voice intermittently—talking, rambling, endlessly reading to him. She had even read him novels, repeatedly, without tiring...