30 Days of Passion and Revenge-Chapter 249: Family Tensions

Now that she was infected with AuroraVirus, without an antidote, she’d only have ten painful years to live. Whether she died sooner or later, what difference did it make?

After all, this was her reality now...

"You’re a stubborn rabbit," Tommy Blackwood sighed, shaking his head. Then, with his usual carefree attitude, he stretched lazily. "I’m exhausted. I’m off to take a nap."

When Ethan Blackwood returned home, Lily Anderson was in the kitchen with Nanny, learning how to make a restorative soup for his injuries.

Ethan walked into the kitchen and wrapped his arms around Lily’s waist from behind. She looked at him and said, "Now that you’ve exposed yourself like that, the media will have plenty to discuss. You’ll be photographed everywhere you go."

The trouble awaiting him would only increase. He still had a case hanging over him, and now he had gone public, standing up for her.

Ethan didn’t respond. Instead, he lowered his head and kissed her cheek. His lips slowly moved downward, planting gentle kisses along her face.

Standing at the counter, Lily felt a tickling sensation from his kisses. She tilted her head upward, meeting his lips. Taking this as encouragement, Ethan deepened the kiss, his tongue parting her lips and tangling with hers in a slow, intoxicating dance.

Lily looked into his deep, dark eyes.

Her mind suddenly wandered to what he’d said during the interview...

"She’s the first woman I’ve ever loved, and she’ll be the only one. She’s not my mistress; she’s my girlfriend. I can’t live without her."

This man... had said something like that on camera.

"Wow! What a passionate scene!" A roguish voice suddenly interrupted, followed by a loud whistle.

Lily immediately ducked her head, peeking out from Ethan’s chest. Tommy stood at the kitchen door, leaning casually against the frame, smirking as he watched them. "The kitchen is indeed a great place for... intimate moments."

The implication behind his words was unmistakable.

Ethan’s face darkened instantly. His cold, black eyes fixed on Tommy with an icy glare. "To my study. Now."

"Okay, I just woke up, and it’s a good time for business." Tommy shrugged, lifting his hand to blow Lily a kiss.

"If you don’t want me to break your fingers, put that hand down," Ethan warned. He strode over, grabbed Tommy’s hand, and bent it back sharply.

"Ahhh—" Tommy yelped in pain. "Brother! Brother! It’s just a joke..."

"You think my woman is a joke to you?!" Ethan’s voice was cold as ice. He twisted Tommy’s hand further, dragging him out of the kitchen.

Tommy was hauled away, his arm bent at an awkward angle, and he howled in pain. "Brother, take it easy! It hurts!"

When he cursed under his breath, the scene seemed anything but brotherly.

Lily watched them leave, shaking her head. She turned back and prepared two cups of coffee before heading upstairs. Now dressed casually, a few soldiers stood guard at the study door.

Balancing the tray in one hand, Lily pushed the door open and closed it behind her.

The inner study door was also shut. Without knocking, Lily entered directly.

Ethan was seated at the desk while Tommy sat across from him, fiddling with an array of models on the desk. Behind Tommy stood a group of foreign men, each holding a briefcase.

"Don’t touch my things," Lily said firmly as she walked over, setting the coffee down on the edge of the desk. She looked at Tommy with a serious expression.

Tommy glanced at Ethan, then Lily, clicking his tongue in amusement. "You’ve put in a lot of work, haven’t you? I didn’t realize you were interested in the entertainment industry. Planning to become a star?"

With Ethan by her side, it was as if she’d ever need to stoop to being a dime-a-dozen actress.

"Drink your coffee," Lily said, handing him a cup. Then, in a calm yet commanding tone, she added, "And don’t spill it on my models."

Tommy chuckled. "You’re starting to sound more and more like him."

The same decisive tone, the same commanding presence.

Lily ignored him and picked up another cup, handing it to Ethan. Ethan took the coffee with one hand and pulled her into his lap with the other.

"Rabbit, you two are way too lovey-dovey!" Tommy exclaimed, holding up his coffee cup, his tone deliberately laced with mock jealousy.

"Who are you calling Rabbit?!" Ethan asked coldly.

"Your woman, of course. Look at those expressive red eyes..." Tommy said with a playful smirk. Then, his expression turned serious. "Father wants you to shut down Blackwood Enterprise’s operations in Asia and return to Europe."

"Not happening." Ethan’s response was immediate and resolute. He placed his coffee aside and tightened his hold on Lily.

"That’s Father’s order."

"When I came to Asia to expand, I never intended to return to Europe," Ethan said, his tone leaving no room for negotiation. His deep, jet-black eyes radiated cold authority, his presence commanding and unyielding.

"That’s Father’s order," Tommy repeated, his tone firm. Those words carried more weight than anything else.

In the Blackwood family, their father was the ultimate authority. No one dared defy him.

Even as his sons, they were mere pawns. When their father made a move, they had no choice but to follow, trembling under the weight of his power.

"I don’t need his help. Take your men and get back to Europe!" Ethan snapped, his patience wearing thin.

"Without Father offering the central government enough benefits, do you really think they would have let you off so easily? Every government follows the same principle—everything comes at a price."

"That’s my problem." 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

"Father has already said he will never allow one of his sons to be put on trial," Tommy said, meeting Ethan’s cold gaze. "If Father has decided to intervene, refusing his help won’t change anything for you."

"Are you done?" Ethan sneered, standing up with Lily in his arms. He looked down at Tommy, his tone dripping with disdain. "If you’re done, then get out."

Ethan’s words were arrogant, devoid of any trace of brotherly affection.

"Brother!" Tommy suddenly stood, pulling a small handgun from his pocket and aiming it directly at Ethan. His usual playful demeanor was replaced with rare seriousness. "Don’t defy Father. I don’t want to be the one to kill you."

Lily gasped in shock at the sight of the gun, her breath catching.

The Blackwood family couldn’t seem to meet without drawing weapons. Not once.

Ethan pushed Lily behind him, his expression unflinching as he stared at Tommy with disdain. He pointed to his temple. "If you’ve got the guts, shoot here! Aim right here!"

Tommy didn’t pull the trigger, but neither did he lower the gun. "You’ve tarnished Father’s name this time. Blackwood Enterprise can no longer survive in Asia. Even if it could, you won’t be the one to run it."

"The Asia-Pacific division of Blackwood Enterprise is my creation! No one else has the right to take it!" Ethan growled, his voice cold and menacing. His piercing gaze locked onto Tommy.

Giving up his empire? Impossible.

Tommy stared at him. "Don’t forget, we’re all illegitimate children. Without Father, where would you have gotten the capital to expand in Asia?"

"If you’re here on orders, then pull the trigger!" Ethan said with chilling finality, his voice devoid of any hesitation.

The two brothers locked eyes, the tension thick in the air. Tommy’s grip on the gun didn’t waver, and Ethan’s gaze remained unyielding.

Lily stood beside Ethan, her heart pounding wildly.

Whenever she witnessed a Blackwood family confrontation, she felt like watching a live-action gangster film. But the bloodshed and violence were all too real.

"Bang—"

Tommy slammed the gun onto the table, the sound echoing in the room. He broke into a smile, one tinged with admiration. "No wonder Father says you’re the most suited to inherit his empire. You’re fearless."

"I have no interest in his empire," Ethan said coldly, grabbing Lily’s hand and walking out.

Tommy’s voice followed them. "Brother, I still have some sense of family loyalty. But if you keep being this stubborn, when Father steps in personally, it’ll be too late for regrets."

Lily felt Ethan’s grip on her hand tightens at those words.

It’s a twisted family—a warped father-son relationship.

"None of your business!" Ethan shot back coldly, leading Lily out.

"Why are all of you so afraid of your father?" Lily couldn’t help but ask.

Ethan was a man who feared nothing. Considering what had happened with his mother’s death, one would think he’d harbor deep resentment toward his father. Why didn’t he stand up to him?

She had seen Ethan’s demeanor in front of his father—it was far softer than the tone she used with the man.

If what they said about their father was true, her own words to him should have gotten her killed several times over.

Ethan stopped in his tracks, his gaze darkening toward the study door. After a pause, he said in a low voice, "My second brother once sought freedom and ended up beaten so badly by the old man that he was bedridden for a year. He nearly became crippled."

"My oldest brother, the legitimate son, was beaten twice. His left arm is a prosthetic."

He didn’t need to elaborate. The weight of his words was enough to paint a clear picture of the kind of man their father was.

Lily looked at Ethan in disbelief. Even a tiger wouldn’t harm its cubs. For all his flaws and manipulations, her father had never laid a hand on her, not even to scold her harshly.

"You’re his sons!" Lily exclaimed in shock. They weren’t stray cats or dogs from the street. How could a father treat his own children with such cruelty?

"The old man wants to mold his successors. One mistake, one misstep, and we pay the price," Ethan said as he sat on the bed, pulling her down beside him. "When we were in Denmark, if you hadn’t spoken up, and the old man hadn’t been in a perfect mood, I wouldn’t have gotten away with just broken ribs."

Broken ribs weren’t enough?!

"But you don’t even want to be his successor. You’ve built your own empire. Why does he still—"

"Compared to his conglomerate, what I’ve built is insignificant. He only has one successor in mind. Even if I don’t become the heir, he expects me to eventually return and help manage his empire."

Ethan’s voice was heavy with disdain. He hated Europe and the Blackwood family. If the family hadn’t brought him back, his mother wouldn’t have died. Helping the old man run his empire? Impossible.

What kind of family was this...

They had to force their sons to comply to pass down an empire?

They weren’t saints. Everyone makes mistakes. What kind of upbringing was this?

Lily’s hand instinctively moved to her belly. Would her child face the same fate someday?

"Lily Anderson, don’t you trust me?!" Ethan’s sharp gaze caught her movement, and his brows furrowed in displeasure.

Did she really think he couldn’t protect both her and their child? What exactly was going through her mind?