30 Days of Passion and Revenge-Chapter 109: Alex’s Conflicted Loyalties

But as Lily brushed past Alex and ran toward Ethan, Alex felt, for the first time, the crushing pain of losing everything.

Lily was still the princess, but the prince was no longer him.

Perhaps it had never been him in the first place.

The celebration at the Carter residence continued despite the earlier commotion. The servants led Lily to a guest bedroom to change clothes.

After putting on a clean, fresh dress, Lily didn’t immediately leave. Instead, she stood by the window.

From this vantage point, she could see the swimming pool below. A large group of guests was surrounding Alex and Alice. Alex was pouring champagne into glasses on a tower, his face wearing a faint smile.

Everyone clapped enthusiastically.

"Congratulations, Mr. Carter, on becoming the second-largest shareholder of Carter International!"

"Congratulations! Congratulations!"

Fireworks burst into the sky at just the right moment.

Looking down, Lily spotted Ethan sitting away from the crowd on a lounge chair by the pool, sipping his wine.

This man had publicly declared her to be his girlfriend in front of everyone.

He had pulled her out from the onslaught of mockery, scorn, and disdain.

The same man who had once pushed her innocence into the depths of hell was the one who had pulled her out today...

The room was dark, with only the occasional light flashes from the fireworks outside briefly illuminating it.

Lily sat on the sofa, hugging herself tightly as if trying to protect herself.

Her gaze was unfocused as it fell on the floor before her...

Perhaps this wasn’t so bad after all?

The man she loved would never be hers—Alex would never be hers—and maybe she would never be able to love anyone else again.

Ethan treated her well, even going so far as to acknowledge her as his girlfriend publicly. She had nothing to worry about anymore.

Once her father is released from prison, Ethan can provide them with a comfortable life.

She had no more troubles to concern herself with.

With such a powerful benefactor, what more could she want?

Maybe this was the life she was destined for... Perhaps she was meant to depend on Ethan Blackwood for survival.

The quiet sound of the door opening and steady footsteps approaching broke the silence in the room.

Lily thought it was Ethan, impatient from waiting, who had come looking for her. She forced a bitter smile and pretended to be casual. "It’s too noisy downstairs. I’ll sit here for a little longer before heading down."

In the dim light, someone handed her a cup of lemon tea.

"Thank..."

Lily took the cup but realized the hand offering the tea wasn’t Ethan’s before finishing her sentence. A faint trace of mint was in the air along with the scent of lemon.

Alex?!

"I’m sorry."

Alex’s voice came from behind her.

Lily froze. Ever since she had reconnected with Alex, it seemed that the only words they exchanged were apologies—either he was apologizing to her, or she was apologizing to him.

Did they have that much to apologize for?

Her eyes welled up with tears, but fortunately, the room remained unlit. She held the cup of lemon tea tightly and smiled, pretending to be unaffected. "Sorry for what? Why are you apologizing to me?"

"For what happened here in my home. You fell into the pool and were subjected to all that slander and humiliation." Alex stood behind the sofa where she sat, his voice full of guilt.

He wasn’t just apologizing for that.

He felt most guilty about not taking her away from that situation immediately.

He had allowed people to use such filthy words to describe her.

At that moment, his attention had been completely drawn to the Mistress’s Rulebook, and fear had gripped his heart. He had been afraid, just like everyone else, that she had indeed become a mistress.

He shouldn’t have believed it. How could Lily ever become someone’s mistress? That was impossible...

He should have dragged her away when those words were spoken instead of watching her run toward Ethan.

If he had just had one more minute...

He would have taken her away, and she wouldn’t have needed Ethan to save her.

He would never have let her run into another man’s arms.

Lily sat stiffly on the sofa, shaking her head. "It’s fine. It’s all in the past."

If it weren’t for Ethan...

She couldn’t even imagine how things would have turned out.

To have her identity as a mistress brutally exposed in front of Alex, losing all her dignity...

Thank goodness... Ethan had been there.

"Are you alright?" Alex asked gently, still standing behind her, his voice filled with concern.

"I’m fine. There’s nothing wrong."

Lily smiled faintly. She thought back over the events surrounding her fall into the pool. That Mistress’s Rulebook hadn’t been in her possession for days; there was no way it could have accidentally appeared at the Carter residence.

The only explanation was that Nanny had accidentally put it in her bag while packing her things after their return from the beach house.

Alice must have seen the notebook at the beach house when she tugged at Lily’s purse, and she had carefully orchestrated this plan...

That’s why Alice had been so eager to pick up her purse that day...

Alice had wanted to humiliate Lily in front of Alex, to expose her in front of everyone... She had been planning this from the moment she picked up that purse.

"Lily..." Alex walked around the sofa and knelt before her, staring at her.

"Hmm?"

Alex slowly raised his hand, his warm palm hovering above her eyes.

The room was already dim, but with his hand blocking the light, Lily could no longer see anything. She asked in confusion, "Alex?"

Her surprised expression made Alex smile bitterly. He slowly lowered his hand.

"Lily, have you forgotten everything?"

His voice was filled with a quiet sorrow. He had tried so hard to preserve their childhood memories, yet it seemed he was the only one who remembered...

Every time they met, he felt Lily was drifting further away from him...

Even though he had found her again, it felt like they were more distant than ever.

Lily stared at Alex, silent, though her heart ached slightly.

How could I forget...

When they were children, whenever they exchanged gifts, they would always cover each other’s eyes with their hands, waiting until the other grew impatient before revealing the present.

Was that what Alex had been doing just now? Was he trying to give her a gift?

But she didn’t want it...

She no longer had the right to accept his gifts.

Kneeling in front of her, Alex’s face was filled with sadness, though he said nothing to blame her. It had been nine years—why should he be surprised that she had forgotten?

Lily broke the silence. "Alex, do you love Alice?"

Alex’s expression froze. "Why do you ask?"

Lily opened her mouth, wanting to tell him about Alice’s scheming, but in the end, she remained silent.

If Alex and Alice were in love, why should she say something that might create a rift between them? It wasn’t easy to find someone you truly loved in this world.

"Lily..." Alex murmured, his hand reaching into his suit pocket.

"Bang—"

The room’s lights suddenly flicked on, the brightness catching Lily off guard and making her blink.

"What were you two doing in here with the lights off?!"

Alice’s sharp voice rang out in the room.

Alex frowned slightly and stood up.

Lily also rose from the sofa and turned to face Alice, who stood by the wall. She glared at them with an expression of pure hatred as if she had just caught them in the act.

"You two talk. I’m leaving."

Without further confrontation, Lily spoke calmly, walking around the sofa and heading for the door.

"Leaving?" Alice’s forced politeness toward her fiancé’s "friend" was gone. She grabbed Lily’s arm, stopping her from leaving. Her voice was sharp and accusing. "Lily! Are you that shameless? Your man is downstairs, and yet you’re here seducing my fiancé?!"

"Stop it, Alice!"

Alex stepped forward, pulling Alice’s hand off of Lily’s arm. His usually gentle voice had a hint of anger as he spoke quietly but firmly. "Alice, that’s enough. You’re being rude."

"Rude?! I catch the two of you alone in a dark room, and I’m being rude?!" Alice raised her voice, her eyes blazing as she turned toward Lily. "Lily is seducing men; is that the only thing you know how to do?!"

Lily met Alice’s gaze coldly, her voice tinged with sarcasm. "What’s wrong? Can’t keep up the act anymore? Weren’t you so friendly to me at the beach house?"

"Slap—"

Alice’s hand shot out, and her long nails scratched across Lily’s face, leaving four red welts behind.

Lily didn’t have time to dodge and took the slap head-on. The pain was intense.

When she touched her cheek, her palm came away smeared with blood.

"What are you doing?!"

Before Lily could react, Alex grabbed Alice’s wrist, his voice filled with anger. "What gives you the right to hit her? Get out!"

Alex’s anger left Lily momentarily stunned.

His ordinarily gentle eyes were now filled with fury.

Alex was always calm and composed, but beneath that quiet exterior lay a stubbornness stronger than most. He rarely raised his voice.

Lily had never seen Alex this angry, especially not toward his fiancée.

"You’re yelling at me?" Alice stared at Alex in disbelief, tears welling up in her eyes. "I catch my fiancé sneaking around with another woman, and I’m not allowed to hit her? Why not?!"

Sneaking around?! What had she seen that made her think they were sneaking around?!

"She’s not someone you can hit. Now leave!" Alex briefly, apologetically, looked at Lily before pulling Alice toward the door.

"You’re being too much, Alex." Alice couldn’t believe what was happening. She was unable to take her fiancé’s reprimand in front of another woman. She wrenched her arm free from Alex’s grip and cried out, "I’ve stayed by your side all this time, and now you’re defending some mistress over me? She’s just a woman who spreads her legs for money! Can’t you see that?!"

Alice’s heavy makeup started running, making her look messy and unattractive. Gone was the elegance of a well-bred heiress.

Her harsh words made Lily’s face go pale.

"That’s enough! Haven’t you said enough?"

Alex’s stern voice echoed in the room. He turned to Lily, his face filled with guilt. "Lily, please leave for now. I’m sorry... I truly am."

Lily understood Alex’s predicament and nodded quietly, pressing her hand to her scratched cheek as she turned to leave.

"Lily, you b***h! All you ever do is hide behind men and play the victim!" Alice screamed, trying to lunge at Lily, but Alex held her back firmly, his grip unrelenting.

"Enough. I don’t want to hear another word from you. Have you forgotten what I told you?"

"I haven’t forgotten, but I’m your fiancée! You buy houses for her, clothes for her, and you’re always thinking about what would suit her. But what about me? What have you ever bought for me?" Alice cried, tears streaming down her face.

"Alice..."

"Alex, she’s Ethan Blackwood’s mistress. Haven’t you wondered why Ethan has been attacking Carter Group? Why are you still defending her?!"

Alice’s words made Lily freeze in her tracks. Does this woman dare to throw such accusations at me? How ridiculous. Just because I’ve stayed silent doesn’t mean I don’t care.