30 Days of Passion and Revenge-Chapter 140: Surprise Encounter

In the end, Lily decided not to call Alex back. Instead, she climbed into bed and drifted off to sleep.

Early the following day, Lily was woken up by her aunt, who told her to make breakfast. Rubbing her eyes and yawning, Lily washed up. Despite getting plenty of sleep lately, her drowsiness only seemed to increase.

I’ve never felt like this before. Maybe I should go to the hospital for a check-up.

Halfway through preparing breakfast, Lily heard her aunt’s sycophantic voice ringing from the courtyard. "You must be Alex Carter, the only son of the Carter family? Oh my, look at you! The Anderson family may have fallen, but your family is thriving! You’re so handsome, such a gentleman.

Alex is here?!

Surprised, Lily forgot to put down the spatula and rushed out of the kitchen, only to find Alex and her aunt standing in the courtyard, chatting.

The moment Alex saw her, his smile froze. He looked surprised to see her standing in an apron, with sleeves rolled up and a spatula in hand, dressed in an ordinary, cheap skirt...

She’s... cooking?

Noticing Alex’s startled expression, Lily’s face flushed with embarrassment. She quickly ran back into the kitchen, setting down the spatula and removing her apron and sleeve covers.

"Lily, Alex is here to take you out. Hurry, go on, get ready," her aunt called out loudly, walking into the kitchen. She gave Lily a once-over and sneered, "Well, you’ve got a knack for attracting men, don’t you? Alex has a much better temper than Ethan. You’d make a decent mistress for a man like him. Hurry up and go before your uncle wakes up and stops you."

"I’m not his mistress."

"Please, don’t flatter yourself! You think he’s going to marry you?"

Lily didn’t bother arguing with her aunt. She knew it would only make her aunt spit out even harsher words.

Taking a deep breath, Lily forced a smile and walked out of the kitchen. Alex, ever the gentleman, was standing where she had left him, his earlier shock replaced by a warm smile. "Shall we go?"

"Okay."

Lily nodded. After getting into Alex’s car, she hesitated, unsure how to bring up the fact that she hadn’t answered his call the previous night. "Alex, about last night, I..."

"I was thinking, how about I show you an apartment in the city?" Alex interrupted gently as he drove onto the main road. "Your father will be released soon, and I have a friend selling a recently renovated three-bedroom apartment. If you like it, I’ll buy it for you.

Alex had already planned everything out for her.

But this kind of thoughtfulness weighed heavily on her, suffocating her.

"I was only planning to rent a place."

"Then consider it renting from me," Alex said with a soft smile, his eyes filled with warmth.

Lily realized she could not refuse Alex, so she went with him to see the apartment. It was far more luxurious than she had imagined.

The high-end décor was modern and sophisticated, with clean lines and a minimalist design.

Dad would love this place.

"An apartment in the city must be expensive."

"When you become a famous director, this will be just a small expense," Alex said with a chuckle, leading her away. "Come on, let’s go buy some things." 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

Alex took her to one of the Carter family’s large shopping malls, where a team of managers accompanied them the entire time.

In addition to the original furniture, Alex decided to replace all the decorations, light fixtures, and fabrics, pointing out one item after another as they walked through the store.

The ease with which he made these decisions and his natural confidence reminded Lily of Ethan.

That man always carried the same air of wealth and power, no matter where he went.

But while Ethan’s every move screamed arrogance, Alex’s actions were full of refined grace and elegance.

Watching the managers hurriedly take notes on everything Alex wanted, Lily couldn’t help but feel like she owed him so much...

When they reached the bookstore section, Lily wanted to pick out some books but found herself standing in front of the shelves, unsure where to start.

"What’s wrong?" Alex asked, noticing her hesitation.

"I told my dad I’m in graduate school, so I thought I’d pick a few books to make it look convincing."

"I’ll help," Alex said. With just a glance, he quickly pulled a few books off the shelf and handed them to her, his voice gentle. "You know, Lily, you can’t keep this lie up forever."

"I know, but I’ll tell him after he’s adjusted to life outside. He’s been in prison for nine years—I don’t want him to be shocked the moment he gets out." Lily gave him a small, bitter smile.

"You’re such a good daughter," Alex said softly, gazing at her admiringly as he held a stack of books.

Lily could only muster a pained smile.

I’m just a lost soul pretending to be something I’m not...

"At least you have some free time now. You could take graduate courses and pursue your dream of becoming a director. But it might be tough to balance both," Alex said, lifting one of the books in his hand. "Graduate school can be pretty tedious."

"..." Lily wasn’t sure about tedious. Still, she knew that graduate school would be tough with her current level of education. She didn’t have the knowledge or skills to jump straight into it.

"I’ll be with you every step of the way," Alex said, his voice full of determination.

"Let me carry those," Lily said, smiling as she took the books from him. Together, they walked toward the checkout, Alex quietly watching her face. Suddenly, he asked, "Lily, are you my girlfriend now?"

Lily stopped in her tracks, stunned.

"Lily, am I your boyfriend now?" Alex asked again, his voice soft but serious.

The memory of seeing her and Ethan standing by the roadside the night before had kept him awake. He hadn’t been able to sleep, haunted by uncertainty.

Some questions, when left unanswered, only fester. He couldn’t bear losing something so precious after finally finding it again.

He had waited nine years, searched for nine years. He couldn’t handle the idea of finding her, only to lose her all over again...

"Alex, we need to talk," Lily said quietly.

Avoiding the issue was no longer an option. She had to face this.

Talk about what? About how her heart still hasn’t settled? Or might her choice still be Ethan Blackwood?

"We haven’t finished shopping yet; let’s go," Alex said abruptly, cutting off the conversation. He stepped into the elevator, gripping the books tightly, his steps hurried and unsteady...

His nervousness tugged at Lily’s heart.

She didn’t want to see Alex like this—walking on eggshells because of her.

He was such a good man, treating her like a princess. But she was the one who was unworthy of him.

"Alex, let’s go to a restaurant and get something to eat," Lily suggested as she followed him into the elevator.

"Are you hungry?"

"Alex..." Lily hesitated but said, "I want to tell you about my life over the past nine years."

Alex looked at her in surprise, remaining silent for a long moment before nodding. "Alright."

It wasn’t lunchtime yet, so the restaurant was quiet. Alex and Lily sat by the window, neither speaking.

The silence stretched on until the waiter brought over two glasses of water. Lily bit her lip, staring at the table, summoning the courage to speak. Finally, she broke the silence. "Alex, your father was right. There’s a huge gap between us. Just like how surprised you were when you saw me in the kitchen earlier."

"I was just..." Alex explained, but he couldn’t find the right words. He had been surprised to see her cooking, a far cry from the Lily he remembered from childhood.

"You still see me as the Lily from nine years ago. I’ve often wished you could keep seeing me that way. Lily said, her voice trembling slightly as she sipped water. "But I’m not that person anymore."

"Lily..."

"I didn’t get much of an education. I became a paparazzo, digging into people’s private lives... And the truth is... " Lily could barely get the words out. She couldn’t meet his eyes as she continued, "The truth is, I was Ethan Blackwood’s mistress."

She had torn open her deepest wound, revealing it to him.

Keeping this secret from Alex had only made her feel more guilty. But now that she had said it, she wasn’t sure if it was better or worse. Had she just shattered whatever image Alex had of her, made him feel even more pain?

"That’s impossible." Alex’s lips twitched in disbelief, but there was no hint of a smile. "Lily, what are you talking about?"

Her, a mistress?

She must be joking.

"I was Ethan Blackwood’s mistress. Every time I slept with him, our magazine returned exclusive stories." Lily’s face had turned deathly pale, her voice shaky as she forced herself to continue. "He didn’t force me. I chose it. I let myself fall."

Her eyes brimmed with tears.

Every word felt like a needle piercing her own heart.

"That’s impossible... Lily, stop. Stop talking. What do you want to eat? How about foie gras? They make it well here," Alex said, his voice tense as he quickly tried to change the subject, picking up the menu.

"I saw you, Alex. I saw how you came to the Blackwood estate to celebrate my birthday, risked your life to gamble for me, and built Dreamhouse for me... Do you know how that made me feel?" Lily asked, her voice shaking as she looked up at him.

Alex’s face was full of shock and disbelief, not a trace of disdain, as he stared at her silently.

"I told myself, ’Lily Anderson, you’re not worthy. You don’t deserve what Alex is doing for you.’" The tears finally spilled over, and Lily wiped them with trembling hands. "I’m sorry, Alex."

"Why are you telling me this?" Alex asked, his voice quiet.

She didn’t have to tell me. I never would have known... I would never have believed she had fallen so far and become a mistress. I always thought it was just a ridiculous rumor.

The Lily I knew—she was the proud daughter of a wealthy family. How could she ever become someone’s mistress?

"Because the girl you loved, the Lily Anderson you remember, is gone. The more you do for me, the more I feel like a fraud who doesn’t deserve any of it." Lily stood up, forcing a smile through her tears. "I’m sorry, Alex."

Her voice choked with emotion as she turned and walked away from the table.

Her steps felt unsteady as she left the restaurant.

She hadn’t intended to reveal the depths of her disgrace. A part of her selfishly wanted to preserve the perfect image of herself in Alex’s mind, the way she had been nine years ago...

But it was too late. He hadn’t changed, but she had. She had become tainted, dirty...

Before she could leave the restaurant, Alex rushed up behind her and wrapped his arms around her tightly.

The few customers and waiters in the restaurant all turned to watch.

"Are you telling me all of this so I’ll let you go?" Alex’s voice was soft yet full of emotion. He rested his head against her shoulder, his breath warm against her skin. "I don’t care about the past. I don’t care who you were or what you did. As long as you’re Lily Anderson, you’re the only one I’ll ever love."

His voice was like a sweet, intoxicating melody.

"You need time to think about this," Lily said, trying to pull away from him.

"Lily, I’ve had nine years to think about it," Alex said, turning her around to face him. His eyes were filled with unwavering determination. "I only want you."

"But I..."

"I don’t care if you’ve changed. You’re still Lily Anderson. There’s no one else in this world I could love," Alex said, his voice steady, his gaze full of sincerity.

Lily stared at him in shock, forgetting to cry.

It would be a lie to say she wasn’t moved. She had bared her most profound shame to him, and without a second thought, he had accepted her entirely.

He wasn’t clinging to the image of the little princess she had once been—he was holding onto her, Lily Anderson, just as she was.

"Lily, you don’t love him, do you?" Alex asked softly, gently cupping her face in his hands, his fingertips tenderly wiping away her tears.