30 Days of Passion and Revenge-Chapter 120: Aiko’s Misunderstanding

The girl followed Lily up the stairs, her voice hoarse but cheerful. "You don’t have to feel guilty. I’m fine."

"..."

Lily glanced at her, puzzled. Which part of me looks guilty? It wasn’t as if she had made her drink that salted lemon juice.

"My name is Aiko Nakamura, but you can call me Aiko," the girl continued, her voice still husky as she smiled and extended her hand toward Lily.

Her outstretched hand blocked Lily’s path, leaving her no choice but to stop. With a forced smile, Lily introduced herself. "Lily Anderson."

"That’s a beautiful name," Aiko said warmly, shaking her hand enthusiastically. "I’m half-Japanese, half-Chinese. My father recently came to China to work with Blackwood Enterprise., so I came along for fun."

Lily maintained her stiff smile.

Aiko’s enthusiasm made Lily feel uncomfortable. They weren’t that close.

Noticing Lily’s lack of engagement, Aiko didn’t seem bothered. She smiled and asked, "Did you grab the wrong cup earlier? You meant for me to drink the salted lemon juice, right?"

"What?" Lily froze in front of the dressing room door.

"I know you used to be with Ethan, so are you jealous that I’m with him now?" Aiko asked innocently, her face full of naivety.

Lily stared at her in disbelief.

What kind of brain does this girl have?

"I was planning to give the lemon juice—"

"Don’t worry, I’m not upset. I just wanted to remind you that Ethan has a nasty temper. If he had drunk that salty lemon juice, you’d probably be left with another scar on your face."

Lily was at a loss for words.

So, Aiko drank the salted lemon juice, thinking she saved Lily from Ethan’s wrath.

This Aiko Nakamura... she has a kind heart.

Even if it was unnecessary.

But Lily wasn’t about to say thank you.

She opened the door to the dressing room and pulled out a shirt and suit at random.

"The fact that we both love the same man means we have the same taste in men. If you’re jealous, we can compete fairly—there is no need for these little tricks. Aiko said playfully, waving her finger back and forth with a bright, innocent smile that made her seem completely carefree.

When did I ever say I loved Ethan? And when did I admit I was jealous of them?

"Miss Nakamura," Lily interrupted, unable to hold back anymore. "How long have you known Ethan?"

Admiring men’s qualities...

What exactly is there to admire about Ethan Blackwood?

"Since last night. My father asked me to attend his party," Aiko replied, tilting her head with a cute, innocent expression.

"Last night?"

They had only met last night, and yet...

Lily was momentarily stunned, but then she realized it made perfect sense.

After all, this is Ethan Blackwood we’re talking about.

If kissing on the first meeting is nothing, then sleeping together on the first meeting isn’t a big deal in Ethan’s world.

"That’s right." Aiko’s face was full of sweetness. "It was so romantic. Most of the people at the party were celebrities, and I didn’t know anyone, so I was sitting in a corner playing with a coin.

Playing with a coin?

Lily grabbed a pair of shoes from the shoe cabinet.

Aiko continued, her eyes sparkling as she recounted the story. "Then Ethan walked over to me... Everyone watched us, and he asked me to dance the first dance. I fell for him at first sight."

Love at first sight?

Do feelings not need time to grow anymore?

Is love at first sight love?

"Lily, it seems like you don’t enjoy talking to me," Aiko pouted, stepping closer. "Am I the kind of rival you can’t stand? I hope we can still be friends."

Lily suddenly found this lively and innocent Aiko incredibly annoying for some reason.

"First, no one likes their romantic rival. Second, you’re not my rival. Third, I don’t want to be your friend. And finally, the most important point: that salted lemon juice was meant for Ethan."

Lily spoke firmly, looking straight at Aiko.

Aiko blinked in surprise, her face blank as she processed what Lily had just said.

Lily quickly grabbed the clothes and shoes and walked out. If she spent another moment with Aiko, her ears might explode.

How can there be a girl in this world who wants to be friends with her romantic rival?

This Aiko Nakamura... she’s something else.

"Hey, Lily, wait for me," Aiko called after her, quickly following.

Lily sped up, heading down the stairs before Aiko could catch up.

Lily bumped into a firm, warm chest at the corner of the staircase in her hurry.

Ethan staggered slightly from the impact, instinctively wrapping his arms around her.

Her head rested against his chest, and she could hear his heartbeat’s strong, steady rhythm, loud and clear.

"Lily, why are you running?" Aiko called out, catching up.

The next moment, Ethan pushed Lily away, glaring at her coldly. Without a word, he shrugged off his jacket and tossed it into the trash.

The contempt in his actions made Lily freeze.

A sharp pang of hurt ran through her chest.

In Ethan’s eyes, she was filthier than trash, so why did he have her prepare a change of clothes for him?

The clothes she was now holding had been touched by her, too.

With that thought, Lily’s face remained emotionless as she threw the clothes, shoes, and ties into the trash.

"Lily! What are you doing?!" Ethan shouted angrily.

"You think they’re dirty, don’t you?" Lily turned to Aiko with a blank expression. "Miss Nakamura, please prepare his clothes."

"But... okay, I’ll go get them," Aiko hesitated, glancing at Ethan before reluctantly heading off to fetch the clothes.

Ethan immediately pinned Lily against the corner of the wall.

"Lily, don’t try to test my limits!" Ethan growled, pressing his hand against her shoulder, his eyes full of malice.

Lily looked at his handsome face with a cold gaze, then glanced at his arm. She spoke calmly, "I thought you were worried about catching some disease from me. Aren’t you afraid your hand will rot?"

Her tone was full of self-mockery, and a faint glimmer of wounded pride was in her eyes.

Does it bother her that he’s treating her like this?

Doesn’t she only care about Alex Carter? Why would she care about how he looks down on her?

Lily pushed his hand off her, not even glancing at him as she turned to walk downstairs.

But before she could take a step, Ethan grabbed her arm again, yanking her back and pressing her against the wall. His imposing presence surrounded her as he leaned down, capturing her lips in a rough, possessive kiss. One hand pressed against the wall behind her while the other gripped the back of her head, deepening the kiss.

Didn’t he think I was dirty?

Then why is he kissing me? Using the same mouth, he kissed Aiko with last night? I find him filthy!

Lily frowned, her hands pressing against his firm chest as she tried to push him away. But Ethan’s strong body didn’t budge. He continued his relentless assault on her soft lips, over and over again.

He had intended to bite her.

But the moment his lips touched hers, he realized he was craving her taste.

It felt like forever since he had kissed her.

When Lily couldn’t push him away, she lifted her foot and stomped on his.

Ethan flinched, pulling back from her lips. His eyes were cold as he glared at her. His fists were clenched tightly, and his knuckles cracked menacingly, filling the air with tension.

"Are you going to hit me again?" Lily scoffed, leaning against the wall and closing her eyes as if resigned to her fate.

Her face had been pale for days, never showing a hint of color. Her eyes were tightly shut, her eyelashes trembling slightly, and her face bore the minor cuts from the car window glass. Her hands clenched the fabric of her sleeves.

She was afraid.

But she forced herself to act like she didn’t care.

"Ethan, I’ve picked out your clothes," Aiko said, appearing with the clothes in her hands. She noticed the tense atmosphere between them and asked curiously, "What’s going on?"

"Come with me while I change," Ethan said, grabbing Aiko’s hand and leading her toward one of the bedrooms.

Lily finally opened her eyes, watching Ethan lead Aiko into the bedroom. His dark eyes locked onto hers as he closed the door behind him.

Their eyes met.

Then the door shut, separating them.

Lily turned and walked downstairs, each step feeling heavier than the last.

"Hey, go take out the trash," one of the maids called from the main hall.

"I’m not going," Lily replied coldly. I’m not a maid here, so why should I do all these chores?

"Nanny, look at her... I don’t know what she’s so proud of," the maid grumbled to Nanny, standing nearby.

"Do it yourself, do it yourself," Nanny snapped, shooing the maid away. She then approached Lily with a smile. "What’s wrong, Miss Anderson? You seem upset."

"I’m distraught." Lily pouted, turning to sit on the sofa.

The TV in the main hall was on, playing various entertainment news segments.

Seeing how troubled Lily and Ethan were, Nanny decided to try breaking the ice from Lily’s side. She sat beside her and said, "Mr. Blackwood is upset about you and Alex Carter. Give him some time; he’ll calm down."

Lily stared blankly at the TV, saying nothing.

"You know, that Miss Nakamura he brought back, her big innocent eyes remind me of yours, Miss Anderson... Mr. Blackwood probably still has feelings for you," Nanny continued.

"Finding someone who looks like me means he still has feelings for me?" Lily shot back, her eyes cold. "He’s just promiscuous."

She didn’t think Aiko Nakamura looked anything like her.

Besides, with all the women who came and went from Ethan’s bed, she didn’t want to know...

She didn’t want to know anything anymore.

"Miss Anderson..." Nanny finally realized that Lily was just as stubborn as Ethan.

"Today’s top news: A high-profile breakup between two prominent families." 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

The female news anchor appeared on the screen, smiling brightly as she reported, "The engagement between Alex Carter and the mayor’s daughter, Alice Johnson, has been the talk of the town. However, three days ago, Alex Carter posted on his social media at 2 a.m., announcing that they had broken up."

Lily’s eyes widened in shock.

The news showed Alex’s social media post and the message was simple yet incredibly formal: Alice and I have broken up. I wish her all the best in finding her prince.

Three days ago...

That was two days after the celebration at the Carter house...

Was it what I said that led to their breakup?

Should I not have impulsively exposed Alice’s lies?

The news anchor continued with her engaging smile. "The engagement lasted less than a month before the split, leading many to recall the rumors of Alice Johnson’s intimate moment with a foreign man at a hotel. Perhaps Alex Carter decided ultimately that he wouldn’t wear the green hat after all."

Her words were sharp.

The screen then cut to Alice’s social media post, which had been made at 4 a.m. that morning. It read: We haven’t broken up. We won’t break up because of someone insignificant. I will always wait for you until you come back.