30 Days of Passion and Revenge-Chapter 275: A Night of Mixed Emotions

What could Ethan Blackwood want her to do at a time like this? What kind of "fun" was he planning? Lily Anderson couldn’t help but feel that something wasn’t right...

Ethan brought her to the Skyline Hotel.

The luxurious rooftop hotel offered a panoramic view of the city, and its observation area was equipped with several familiar astronomical telescopes.

Seated at a table by the window, Ethan picked up the menu and ordered a few dishes without consulting Lily.

What exactly was Ethan trying to do?

A waiter poured red wine into their glasses. Ethan raised his glass and looked at her. The light illuminated his face, highlighting his perfect, handsome features. His deep, magnetic voice rang out, "Cheers."

Ethan had never toasted her before. This felt too normal—sharing a meal like this—so much so that it felt decidedly abnormal.

Their son had just died, and he still had the mood to drink?

"Lily," Ethan called her name again, his thin lips exuding a quiet sensuality.

Lily’s mind was a mess. She couldn’t grasp Ethan’s thoughts, so she followed his lead, raising her glass and gently clinking it against his before taking a sip.

"Lafite?" Lily paused, surprised. The wine was unmistakable—she had tasted it before and couldn’t forget its distinctive flavor.

"From 1982," Ethan said in his low voice, setting his glass aside.

1982 Lafite. It was the wine he had served her the first time he took her into the presidential suite...

And this Skyline Hotel—he had brought her here before as well...

It felt like revisiting old memories.

The gentle sound of a violin filled the restaurant. Ethan cut a piece of steak and placed it on her plate, his deep gaze fixed on her. "Do you remember this place?"

Lily looked toward the telescope area not far away, nodding faintly. "Sirius."

Of course, she remembered. This was the place where he had taught her how to find Sirius in the sky, practically forcing her to look through the telescope.

"Not bad," Ethan said, the corner of his lips curving slightly in approval.

Lily quietly ate the steak he had cut for her. She wanted to ask about the baby but decided to hold back. Perhaps Ethan had brought her out to help her relax.

She would wait until they returned home to ask.

Lily decided to temporarily suppress her thoughts about their son. However, this so-called "date" still left her distracted. Her mind was a tangled mess, filled with thoughts of their child.

"Come and look at Sirius," Ethan said, pulling her from her seat and leading her to the observation area. He adjusted one of the telescopes for a long time before draping an arm over her shoulder. "Take a look."

As expected, Lily saw that same exceptionally bright star.

"Do you see it?" Ethan asked.

"Yes," Lily replied, lifting her head from the telescope. Her gaze met Ethan’s deep, dark eyes. He was staring at her intently, his gaze unwavering.

Lily saw something else in his eyes but couldn’t quite put her finger on it.

"You’re done looking?"

"Why do we always have to look at a star that symbolizes disaster?" Lily asked bitterly.

Perhaps it was all fate.

Sirius symbolized disaster. She had lost her father, lost her son... All she had left was Ethan, but even then, she felt like a burden to him.

"Then let’s not look at it anymore. Let’s go."

Ethan spoke decisively, wrapping his arm around her shoulders as they left. Through the glass elevator, the cityscape blurred past them.

By the time they exited the Skyline Hotel, night had fallen. Ethan removed his coat and draped it over Lily’s shoulders, tucking her hands into the oversized sleeves in his usual domineering manner.

"Aren’t we going back?" Lily asked.

His coat was so prominent on her that even her hands couldn’t peek out from the sleeves.

"I brought you out to have fun," Ethan said. They had only just finished dinner.

"..." Fun? At this hour?

Ethan bundled her into the car and drove her to an amusement park he had brought her to before.

The park was pitch dark. Lily turned to Ethan and said, "It’s closed at night. Let’s just go back."

She knew he was trying to cheer her up, but she wasn’t in the mood for Fun.

Ethan opened the convertible roof. The chilly night wind swept across their faces. Despite the cold, Lily, wrapped in his coat, didn’t feel it.

She was about to take off the coat and return it to him when Ethan suddenly raised his hand and snapped his fingers.

Snap—

As the sound rang out, a firework shot into the sky.

Seconds later, countless fireworks lit up the amusement park, their dazzling beauty illuminating the night sky.

The fireworks exploded in vibrant colors, painting the sky with their brilliance.

Lily looked up, entranced. Ethan stood behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. Her back pressed warmly against his chest.

It was warm. And sweet.

Leaning against his chest, Lily felt herself momentarily forgetting everything. All she could hear was the sound of the fireworks. All she could see was the breathtaking display in the sky. It was utterly beautiful.

"Do you like it?" Ethan’s deep, sensual voice whispered in her ear, his chin resting lightly on her shoulder.

"Yes."

Lily answered honestly. It had been so long since she had seen fireworks...

Ethan snapped his fingers again.

Slowly, the amusement park gates lit up with rows of glowing fairy lights. At the center of the gate, the lights formed a romantic arrow-piercing heart design.

Within the design, the fairy lights spelled out two initials: L&E.

"Come on. Let’s play some shooting games," Ethan said, stepping out of the car and lifting her out of the convertible. He held her hand tightly as they walked into the park.

The amusement park was eerily quiet. There wasn’t a single person in sight—not even staff.

As they walked deeper into the park, Lily noticed the trees were adorned with lights, strings of glowing decorations spelling out "L&E," and hanging wind chimes.

When the wind blew, the chimes created a soft, melodic sound, filling the air with a soothing rhythm.

If their baby were here, he would have loved this. Children are always drawn to lively, cheerful sounds like these.

"Did you reserve the entire park?" Lily asked, her fingers intertwined with Ethan’s as he held her hand tightly.

"Mm," Ethan nodded, leading her past the illuminated trees.

The glowing lights cast a romantic glow over them.

Lily reached out to touch one of the "L&E" light decorations. It radiated a faint warmth, beautiful and comforting.

L&E.

Lily & Ethan.

Ethan led her to the shooting game area and handed her a toy gun. Activating the game, he asked, "Ready?"

She didn’t particularly enjoy shooting games.

Especially not in the middle of the night.

Lily wanted to refuse, but she swallowed her words as she glanced at the glowing lights on the trees. He had gone through so much effort to make her happy. How could she ruin it?

"I’m ready," Lily said, raising the toy gun.

Bang, bang, bang—

The sound of the electronic gunfire shattered the silence of the night. Lily tried to focus on the game but couldn’t quiet her chaotic thoughts.

Each time danger appeared, Ethan stepped in to save her, shooting the enemies and teaching her to aim correctly...

Without his help, her inexperience would’ve ended the game for her long ago.

After several rounds, Ethan began to lose patience. "Lily, how many times do I have to teach you? You’re still doing it wrong!"

Lily pursed her lips. She wasn’t really paying attention to what he was saying...

"Defeating your enemies is the best way to protect yourself. Do you understand?!" Ethan barked, his tone filled with frustration.

"Didn’t you say we’re on the same team? You can protect me," Lily replied, gripping the toy gun. She had never liked violent games like this...

"What if I’m not here? What if you cannot protect yourself?!" Ethan shot her a cold glare, his face dark with displeasure.

Not here?

What did he mean by that?

Lily looked at him, puzzled. Why did it feel like there was a deeper meaning behind his words? What did he mean by "not here"? What did he mean by "self-protection"?

Hadn’t he always proclaimed himself a shield for her, ensuring she didn’t have to worry about anything?

Suddenly, he was criticizing her for lacking self-defense skills... Wasn’t that a contradiction?

"No more teaming up. Let’s go head-to-head. Come and shoot me!" Ethan switched the game mode to a one-on-one battle.

The next moment, Ethan turned his back to her and sat opposite her, each of them facing their own game screen.

In an instant, they went from teammates to opponents.

Lily froze, unable to react. On the screen, Ethan’s character was already advancing toward her. Instinctively, Lily moved her gun to dodge.

Ethan seemed to deliberately expose himself on the screen, chasing after her. All Lily could do was avoid him.

"Lily, stop dodging! Shoot!" Ethan ordered, his voice colder than the night wind.

Shoot?!

Lily stared at the enemy on the screen. The memory of the explosion in the countryside flashed through her mind—soldiers surrounding the villa, gunfire erupting everywhere...

The final explosion, the flames soaring into the sky, Ethan carrying her father on his back... and collapsing.

"Lily Anderson—"

Lily lowered her gun. "I don’t want to play anymore."

The image of Ethan shooting at her on the road that day was seared into her memory.

She couldn’t aim a gun at Ethan, not even in a game.

"Then you’ll have to die at my hands!" Ethan said coldly.

Bang, bang, bang—

The sound of gunfire echoed, pounding in her ears.

Lily instinctively closed her eyes. When she opened them again, she saw that her character still had full health. Not a single point of damage had been taken.

The nearby obstacle boxes, however, had been blown to smithereens...

"You missed," Lily said, staring at the screen.

After a long silence, Ethan’s low voice came from behind her. "Mm, I missed."

His voice was quiet, almost stifled.

Lily froze as Ethan leaned back, tilting toward her. His dark eyes were bottomless as if they could draw her soul in.

He had missed on purpose. He couldn’t bring himself to aim at her.

Lily understood.

Ethan leaned down and kissed her lips. His hand cupped her neck, his warm fingers trailing up to her face, filled with tenderness and longing.

Lily gazed at his handsome features, offering no resistance as he kissed her. His tongue pried her lips apart, slipping inside to explore, tracing every corner with meticulous care.

This kiss was different—more deliberate, more profound.

It was just a kiss, but Lily felt something change. Maybe she was being overly sensitive.

As she tilted her face slightly upward and closed her eyes, she surrendered to his heated kiss...

Even though they were seated back-to-back, their kiss was deeply intimate.

His presence engulfed her entirely, leaving no part of her untouched by Ethan.

What should have been a sweet date was overshadowed by the grief of their child’s death. Even in their closeness, a lingering sadness hung between them.

A barrier they couldn’t cross...

Perhaps this subtle change was because of their child. Yes, it must be. It couldn’t be anything else...

Ethan kissed her as though he could never get enough, savoring her sweetness, taking every part of her as his own...

When Lily was nearly out of breath, Ethan finally let her go.

Her eyes were hazy as she looked up at him. Ethan’s dark gaze held something unreadable. He leaned down again without warning, capturing her lips in another deep kiss.