30 Days of Passion and Revenge-Chapter 133: Memories and Regrets

Aiko insisting on packing up Lily’s belongings was a mistake. Nanny never should have listened to her, and now two innocent maids were paying the price.

"Actually, Mr. Blackwood..." Nanny hesitated momentarily, then gently reasoned with him, "Since Miss Lily has left, there’s no need to keep her things here... You’re a man of great stature, and many socialites admire you..."

There was no need to be so fixated on just one flower...

"Who said she left?!" Ethan retorted coldly.

"Uh... Miss Nakamura said so." Nanny was taken aback.

But I didn’t see Miss Lily return with you... Could Miss Nakamura have lied?

"She won’t leave!" Ethan growled, glaring at the items inside the box, his voice ice-cold. "If I see anyone touch her things again, I’ll chop off their hands!"

Miss Lily isn’t here, yet he says she won’t leave?

Is Mr. Blackwood planning to take action to bring her back?

But why did he let her leave the gambling ship in the first place? Wouldn’t it have been easier to just drag her back? With Mr. Blackwood’s domineering mindset, isn’t that the fastest way?

What exactly happened on that gambling ship today?

Nanny glanced at Ethan, unsure of what to say, and gently tugged the two maids, who were on the verge of tears, out of the room.

The door closed softly behind them.

Ethan crouched down, his dark eyes fixed on the items in the box, his handsome face tense, not a trace of warmth.

Nanny had worked quickly.

Nearly everything belonging to Lily had been packed up—only this single box remained.

I remember buying her quite a few things.

How could it be so little... as if she were just a guest here.

Her novels, pink towel, toothbrush, slippers, and various skincare products were all here.

And her pajamas.

Most of her pajamas were cute but conservative nightgowns. Ethan had once tried to get her to wear something more revealing, with a V-neck or lace cutouts.

"I’m not wearing that! I’d rather die than wear it!" Lily had shrunk into the corner, her face set in a defiant expression, looking like a martyr.

"I’ve already seen every inch of your body. What’s with the shyness? Put it on for me!"

He had pulled her onto the bed, pinning her long legs with his knee, tossing the sexy nightgown aside as he roughly tried to remove her current one. Lily had screamed and struggled, unintentionally stirring his deepest desires.

Ultimately, he hadn’t managed to get her to wear the nightgown.

Because her bare, white skin was far more tempting than any lingerie.

They had ended up rolling around on the bed, kissing passionately. No matter how much she resisted, she couldn’t stop him from taking her completely.

Ethan’s face softened momentarily as he hung Lily’s nightgown back in the wardrobe, placing it beside his own.

For now, she wouldn’t have a chance to wear it.

His gaze darkened once again.

He placed her toothbrush back in the bathroom, staring into the mirror at his own reflection—his face tight, devoid of any warmth, his eyes clouded and dangerous.

Is this the man Lily faced every day?

He looked at the toothbrushes in the cup. He had picked out a soft pink one for her. She was young, and the color suited her, giving her a fresh, clean look.

One morning, Lily had just woken up when he had pinned her down and kissed her deeply.

"Mm... Ethan, we haven’t even brushed our teeth yet. Don’t be so gross!" She had jumped out of bed and rushed to the bathroom, grabbing her toothbrush.

He had followed her, stopping her from closing the door. "Don’t shut the door."

Frustrated, she had started brushing her teeth, glaring at him as he stood casually in his robe, his chest bare. She had snorted, "Exhibitionist! You’re disgusting!"

"Lily Anderson! You’re using my toothbrush!" he had "kindly" reminded her.

"Pfft—" Lily spat out a mouthful of foam, frantically rinsing her mouth with water, trying to clean out the taste.

He had stepped forward, pinning her against the wall, and kissed her again, his hands roaming her soft body.

"Mmm..."

Her hand had dropped the toothbrush—his toothbrush—onto the floor. They’d need to buy a new one after that.

Lost in these memories, Ethan stood silently, placing her toothbrush right beside his in the cup.

Has she still yet to finish this novel?

Is it really that hard to understand?

He picked up the book and placed it on the bookshelf in his study, among his collection of books—technical manuals, business management guides, and now, a romance novel.

It looked completely out of place.

"Ethan Blackwood, I need communication freedom. You’ve got to at least give me internet access," she had protested for the nth time, storming into his study.

"Lily Anderson, go make a copy of this document," he replied casually. He was sitting at his desk, reading through a stack of reports. Without looking up, he handed her a pile of papers, his thin lips curving into a faint smile.

He knew that cutting off all her connections wasn’t good.

But once she fell in love with him, he would restore her freedom...

Before she loved him, though, he had to mark everything in her life as his. Even if she didn’t want to accept it, he would force her to become familiar with him... and, eventually, fall in love with him.

"I’m not your secretary!" she had protested, growing agitated. "I have my own job. I need to do my own things. You can’t just keep me locked up here!"

He had looked up at her, noticing the handcuffs still around her wrist, the diamond-studded chain dragging on the floor...

"You’re bored being locked up?"

"Of course."

"Then let’s do something more exciting." 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

He had stood up, pulled her onto the desk, and cuffed the other end of the chain to his own wrist. She had stared at him in disbelief, "Ethan Blackwood, what are you doing?"

"Taking care of you."

He had cupped her face in his hands, kissing her fiercely, his handcuffed hand roaming her body. The cold metal of the cuffs had sent a shiver through her...

Her protest, of course, had failed.

She had always ended up yielding to him.

In just a month, the house had become filled with reminders of Lily...

In the corner of the box was a USB drive.

Ethan picked it up and plugged it into the computer. The screen immediately displayed footage from the celebration at the Carter residence, showing him playing the saxophone.

"Ethan! You need a lot of lung capacity to play the saxophone. Your ribs are still hurt—don’t push it!" Back in Germany, his father had angrily chased away the saxophone teacher.

"Father, it was you who ordered the beating that caused my injury," Ethan had replied coldly, walking away with the saxophone in hand.

"A man being heartbroken over a woman is a grave mistake!"

His father had warned him as he left.

A grave mistake?

I’ve already made that mistake.

Maybe the old man was right.

Lily ran into his arms on the screen, and they embraced tightly... It was a beautiful moment.

In the blink of an eye, he had seen a very different scene when he had gone to find her.

Alex Carter.

She deceived me, acting sweet and innocent in front of me while doing everything for Alex behind my back...

Ethan’s dark eyes stared at the screen, watching the two of them, his hand hovering over the power button but unable to press it.

The quiet study echoed with the video playing on a loop.

The bathroom in the seaside villa was like something out of a dream, as though it had been designed for a teenage girl.

The bathtub was filled with petals, the air fragrant and soothing.

Lily had been sitting in the tub long, staring blankly ahead.

She couldn’t shake the image of Ethan standing there before she left the gambling ship...

What was Ethan thinking at that moment? I don’t even know what I was thinking.

Dressed in the nightgown Butler Aston had prepared for her—a soft, purple, round-necked gown—Lily stepped out of the bathroom. The fabric was comfortable and modest.

If Ethan had chosen it, he would have picked a low V-neck gown—or better yet, nothing at all...

Staring at her anxious reflection in the mirror, Lily let out a bitter laugh.

What’s wrong with me? I’ve escaped Ethan Blackwood and gained the freedom I wanted. Why am I still thinking about him?

After drying her hair, Lily left the bathroom, only to find Alex sitting in a white wicker chair, his back to her. A bandage was stuck to his back, and he struggled to put on his shirt.

His movements were stiff and difficult.

Several bloodstained bandages lay on the floor around him.

"Your injury still hasn’t healed?" Lily asked in surprise, walking over.

Alex froze at her words, hastily buttoning his shirt as he kicked the bloody bandages under the chair with his foot...

"I saw that."

Lily stood beside him, raising an eyebrow at his slightly embarrassed expression. Glancing at the floor, she asked, "Is it serious?"

"It’s nothing," Alex replied, smiling warmly at her as he patted his shoulder. "Butler Aston already changed the bandages for me."

"You even carried me on your back earlier," Lily said, her worry evident. "Let me take you to the hospital for a check-up."

He still has an injury on his back, yet he insisted on carrying me?

"I’m really fine..."

Alex grabbed her hand, pulling her beside him as he reassured her, "I could still carry you for a lap around the beach."

His hand was much larger than hers, completely enveloping it.

Lily didn’t respond, lowering her gaze to their hands. The ring that had once been on his finger was now gone, leaving no mark behind...

"Lily, are you hungry?" Alex suddenly asked. "How about I make some sweet and sour fish for you?"

At the mention of sweet and sour fish, Lily instinctively asked, "Is that still the only dish you know how to make?"

"..." Alex paused, then nodded sheepishly. "Yes."

It felt like they were back in their childhood when he would make sweet and sour fish for her.

Alex gazed into her eyes, and they both couldn’t help but smile.

"Come on," Alex said, standing up and pulling her with him. "I’ll cook the fish for you."

"You’re injured. I’ll cook," Lily offered as he led her downstairs.

Alex stopped in his tracks, surprised. "You know how to cook?"

She’s the pampered princess of the Anderson family. Back then, she wouldn’t even set foot in the kitchen, let alone cook.

His astonished look made Lily feel self-conscious as if she wanted to disappear.

"Actually, I..." Lily began hesitantly, her voice barely audible, "I’ve been living with my uncle for the past nine years."

"I found out a little," Alex nodded, gently stroking her hair. "And was the exposé in AK magazine written by you?"

The one about Alice’s affair?

"Yes," Lily admitted, biting her lip. "I’m sorry..."

"If anything, the Carter family should be grateful to you. You saved us from a PR crisis," Alex said with a smile. "I shouldn’t have let Alice get involved first."

"..." Lily lowered her head, not saying anything.

Alex held her hand and continued leading her downstairs. "Over the past nine years, I’ve been looking for you, but for some reason, I could never find any trace of you—not even your family. I didn’t even know you had an uncle."

"He’s a distant relative. When my family fell apart, everyone else hid from me, but he was the first to step forward," Lily said with a sad smile. "He’s a good man."