30 Days of Passion and Revenge-Chapter 286: Alex’s Longing

For Ethan, she had broken so many principles, disregarded everything, stopping cars in the middle of the road, standing in the rain at the park...

Back then, when Lily pushed him away, it was merely under the pretext of the grudges and feuds of the previous generation. The only real reason was Ethan.

Otherwise, with her stubbornness after falling in love, the kind that disregarded consequences, how could she have let him go? How could they have reached this point today...

Lily...

She was like the ship he had been waiting for at the airport.

If he didn’t do something, he would never see her arrive.

"No," Lily blinked, wiping away her tears. "I feel like I’ve made you do so much for me... I’ve always been troubling you."

"Clatter—" 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

The medicine box slipped from AlexCarter’s hands and fell to the floor.

Alex stared at her, his eyes filled with astonishment. Was she crying for him? Could she still feel his presence?

He had thought she felt nothing anymore.

He had thought that apart from Ethan, the rest of the world was utterly irrelevant to her...

"Lily, you really—"

The sound of boiling water interrupted Alex mid-sentence.

He poured the hot water into a cup and handed it to Lily. She quickly took the cup but placed it on the table beside her, pulling her hands back as if they had been burned.

"What’s wrong?" Alex asked, puzzled by her reaction.

"I was afraid I might spill it on the model," Lily said, pointing to the model kit on her desk. "What were you about to say?"

Afraid to spill water?

Alex’s gaze fell on the words written on the model: Lily Film Base.

Ah, Ethan again.

Everything was always about Ethan.

"Nothing," Alex said, his jealousy flashing briefly in his eyes before he masked it with a smile. He placed the medicine in front of her. "Take your medicine, rest well, and then I’ll take you to the seaside villa."

There seemed to be no reason to refuse anymore.

Lily could only nod. She ate the bread, cooled down the hot water, and swallowed all the medicine. After coughing twice, she said, "You can go now. I’ll call you in a bit."

"You’ll actually call me?" Alex sounded skeptical. "You’re the most non-cooperative patient I’ve ever met. I’ll leave only after you fall asleep."

"Alex..."

Alex stood before her, bending slightly, his brown eyes locking onto hers. "If you feel like you’re troubling me, take good care of yourself. Otherwise, I won’t be at ease. Do you understand?"

A warm current surged through Lily’s heart, but deep down, it was still mostly guilt.

Apart from Ethan’s side, she had no idea where else she could go in this city. She didn’t deserve Alex to be so good to her.

Lily walked to the bed and lay down. Alex carefully pulled the blanket over her and stood by her bedside, saying, "Sleep."

"I’ll call you. You should go handle your own matters," Lily said, feeling a bit uneasy.

"I’ll leave after you fall asleep, okay?" Alex smiled, tucking her in gently. Have a good rest."

Alex’s persistence was something Lily had never been able to resist.

Under the influence of the medication, Lily eventually closed her eyes and drifted off into a deep sleep.

Even in her sleep, the child shared her likeness. They were indeed mother and son.

Alex sat by her bedside, silently watching her slumber. His long, pale fingers brushed across her face, his touch filled with infinite tenderness and longing.

This face, this person... She had been the one he had set his heart on since childhood. In his mind, that had never changed.

Her complexion was pale from the cold, and her forehead was warm. Whether she was thin or not, this face had never once bored him.

She was Lily.

The woman he had always longed for...

He hadn’t lied to Ethan. If he could have her, he would die willingly.

But alas... he had never honestly had her.

Nine years. He had searched for her for nine years. He didn’t care whose woman she had been or even if her heart held someone else. As long as he could be with her, he didn’t care about offending the entire world.

But she had thrown herself into Ethan’s arms. She loved Ethan, not him. Never him...

She had given him a hopeless, one-sided love. He was the only one struggling in it while she found happiness with Ethan...

She was like the ship he had been waiting for at the airport—a boat that would never come on its own.

Couldn’t he go to the airport if the ship couldn’t come to the airport?

Alex’s gaze lingered on her face, his brown eyes growing gentler as he admired her features. His fingers brushed lightly over her brows.

Lily was deeply asleep. When his fingertips grazed her, she furrowed her brows slightly as if displeased...

Alex chuckled softly, his smile tender and indulgent. "Lily, how about waking up beside me every day?"

Of course, Lily didn’t answer him. She remained fast asleep, looking so docile and harmless...

His fingertips traced the shape of her face, feeling the softness of her skin. Just this tiny act filled Alex’s heart to the brim.

Leaning down, Alex pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. It was fleeting and light—like a dragonfly skimming the water’s surface—so tender it was heartbreaking.

Lily shifted restlessly under the blanket, her lips parting slightly as she murmured faintly, "Ethan..."

Alex’s body froze, and his sensitive nerves struck hard.

"Ethan..."

Lily murmured his name repeatedly, her voice soft and dreamlike. She showed no signs of waking, unconsciously speaking in her sleep.

Her dreams were entirely consumed by Ethan.

Staring at her slightly parted lips, endlessly whispering Ethan’s name, Alex’s expression darkened. Without hesitation, he bent down and captured her lips, silencing her.

"Mm..."

Lily frowned deeply, her unconscious body instinctively resisting.

Alex cupped her jaw with one hand, abandoning his usual gentleness. His lips pressed hard against hers, ignoring her muffled protests...

He wanted to erase every trace of Ethan from her body and heart...

Lily’s eyelids twitched slightly, but Alex continued to kiss her, disregarding the consequences. As he tried to part her tightly closed lips, his phone suddenly vibrated, interrupting him.

Alex straightened up abruptly.

Freed from his restraint, Lily remained asleep, her frown gradually easing as she drifted back into a peaceful slumber.

Alex answered the call with one hand while the other brushed his lips, where the taste of Lily still lingered—the taste he had dreamed of for so long...

"Alex, where are you?" Alice Johnson’s cautious and tentative voice came through the line.

Alex’s expression darkened. Ever since Lily had called Alice twice, Alice had turned into an overly sensitive and insecure spouse, constantly calling—once every hour or two, disrupting his work and thoughts.

"I’m handling something outside," Alex said calmly, his voice still carrying a trace of gentleness. "Alice, when I’m working, try not to call me so frequently."

"I twisted my ankle. Can you come home?" Alice asked carefully, afraid of upsetting him.

Twisted her ankle?

"Alright, I’ll come back now," Alex replied hesitantly. He ended the call and then looked down at the sleeping Lily. His fingers brushed her lips one last time before he stood up and left.

When Lily woke up groggily, Alex was gone. She was, once again, alone.

Her mind had cleared a little, but not entirely.

How much longer would her days be like this? Was she just waiting to die?

Lily lay on the bed, unable to get up. She grabbed the remote and turned on the TV, flipping through channels aimlessly. Suddenly, she stopped and switched back to a previous channel.

A line of subtitles scrolled across the news screen: "Sensational National Kidnapping Case to Go on Trial Tomorrow."

The trial was starting?!

With Ethan’s capabilities, he should have left the country by now. Why was he still here?

Something didn’t feel right...

It was as if everything was at a standstill. Wasn’t the Blackwood family supposed to intervene in this matter? Why...?

On the TV screen, Ethan was shown leaving Blackwood Enterprise’s headquarters. He was immediately surrounded by reporters bombarding him with questions. His face remained cold and stoic as bodyguards cleared a path for him.

From start to finish, he didn’t say a single word.

"Mr. Blackwood, will you appear in court tomorrow?"

"Do you have some special privilege that has kept you from being detained?"

"Are you the mastermind behind the kidnapping case? Can you comment on this?"

Ethan’s expression remained as cold and intimidating as ever. His dark eyes were icy, and he avoided all cameras.

Was he... okay?

"A few days ago, the media captured your alleged mistress crying on a street corner. Was this due to your legal troubles, or is there an issue in your relationship?"

As soon as the reporter finished their question—

Ethan’s icy gaze shifted toward them, his eyes filled with murderous intent that sent chills down everyone’s spine. Several reporters instinctively stepped back in fear.

Ethan momentarily glared at the reporter before turning to say something to Helen, standing beside him. Then, surrounded by his bodyguards, he got into his car. Before the door closed, Ethan glared at the reporter, his dark eyes unfathomable.

Even though she couldn’t hear what he said, Lily knew he must have dominantly instructed Helen to deal with the reporter and whatever outlet they represented...

He had remained unresponsive to all other questions but reacted so strongly to the mention of a "mistress."

In front of the media, Ethan was always low-key. But for her, even during such a precarious time, he had exposed himself to judgment, ensuring everyone’s attention was directed at him—all because someone referred to her as his mistress...

Ethan... If he truly didn’t love her anymore, why would he react so strongly to such a question in front of reporters?

Lily got out of bed and opened her suitcase. Inside were all her belongings, even her toothbrush and cup, neatly packed. Should she admire Nanny’s efficiency or feel heartbroken over Ethan’s ruthlessness...?

Lily dressed and walked out the door. Standing on either side were two bodyguards who immediately became alert. "Miss. Anderson."

Lily ignored them and continued walking. The two bodyguards followed her without a word, staying close.

With these two shadows trailing her, she knew there was no way she could see Ethan.

Even without the bodyguards, what could she do? She couldn’t even reach Ethan on the phone...

Was that call from the other night just drunken nonsense from Ethan?

One moment, he said he missed her, and the next, he had all her belongings thrown out...

Lily entered the restaurant at the 30-Day Commemoration Hotel for a meal. Though she had no appetite, she forced herself to eat to fill her stomach.

On every table sat a cartoon tomato, grinning mischievously and looking adorably playful.

Lily picked up the cartoon tomato, her chest tightening with a dull ache.

She bought a toolbox from a nearby store and wandered the streets aimlessly, the two foreign bodyguards trailing her the entire time.

When she got into a taxi, the bodyguards followed suit.

"Shallow Bay," Lily said.

As soon as the words left her lips, the two bodyguards immediately pulled her out of the car. "Miss. Anderson, you cannot go to Shallow Bay."

What did her going to Shallow Bay have to do with Tommy Blackwood?

"Call Tommy Blackwood for me. I want to see him," Lily said coldly.

"Yes, Miss. Anderson."

Lily waited on a bench in a recreational fitness park. Before long, Tommy arrived, driving a brightly colored convertible.

Lily stood up as Tommy approached her with open arms, grinning from ear to ear, his eyes gleaming mischievously. "Missing me, rabbit? Have you finally realized that a man like me is more charming? Ready to be mine, hmm?!"

Lily quickly stepped to the side to avoid him.

"Darling... You called me here, and you’re not even going to give me a hug? I’m hurt," Tommy said, his arms still outstretched, feigning a deeply wounded expression.

"Dismiss your bodyguards," Lily ordered, glaring angrily at the two men following her.

"Oh, alright," Tommy agreed quickly. After all, Ethan was sober now and wouldn’t bother with the rabbit anymore.

Lily was slightly surprised by Tommy’s cooperation but said nothing and turned to leave.

"Where are you going, rabbit?" Tommy called after her. She summoned him here just to say one sentence? That was it?

"I’m going to see Ethan."

She had so many unanswered questions. She needed to find Ethan and get clarity, or she couldn’t move on.

"If you go to him, he’ll just humiliate you again," Tommy said, catching up to her. "You two have already broken up."

Tommy blocked her path with his arm.

"But we broke up without any closure," Lily said coldly, suddenly narrowing her eyes at Tommy’s nonchalant expression. "Why do you keep stopping me from seeing Ethan?"

Caught off guard by her sudden question, Tommy was momentarily at a loss for words.

"Is it your father who asked you to do this?" Lily pressed further.

"I don’t understand how staying by Ethan’s side would harm him in any way. Yes, I’m a carrier of AuroraVirus and might burden him, but it won’t be long... Can’t I just stay by his side a little longer? Is that too much to ask?" Lily’s voice grew weaker and weaker...