30 Days of Passion and Revenge-Chapter 142: Alex’s Sacrifice

"I was prepared for the paparazzi to expose it, so I’ve been so open about it. I’m going to make our relationship public," Alex said earnestly.

"Public? Do you really think your father will agree to you and Lily being together?!" Henry asked, his face devoid of any warmth.

"I’ll convince him."

"Convince him? Your father is an old-fashioned, stubborn man. Do you really think you can persuade him?" Henry abruptly stood up, pulling Lily’s hand from Alex’s grip. "Lily, come with me."

"Dad..." Lily looked at him in shock. What’s gotten into him? He’s never been this blunt or harsh before.

"Uncle Henry." Alex stood up as well, grasping Lily’s hand once more. "I’m serious about Lily."

"Serious? Your idea of ’serious’ is letting my daughter be painted as a homewrecker in the tabloids?" Henry’s voice was cold as he turned to Alex. "Don’t forget, your family was the one to break their promise first. Lily was engaged to you—she’s no third party."

"It’s my fault," Alex admitted without hesitation. "I’ll hold a press conference as soon as we return to the city."

Henry’s expression softened slightly. A flicker of satisfaction crossed his eyes as he sat back down to continue the meal.

Lily couldn’t shake the feeling that her father was especially hard on Alex.

After returning to the city, Lily’s uncle joined them for a small family gathering. Her father was his usual cheerful and witty self, chatting with her uncle and thanking him for caring for Lily all these years.

Later, back at the three-bedroom apartment Alex had bought for her, her father went to take a shower. At the same time, Lily busied herself unpacking his things.

Aside from some clothes and books, the rest of the bag was stuffed with newspapers and magazines, new and old, all featuring news about the Carter family. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

With her instincts as a former paparazzo, Lily couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.

"Helping me unpack, huh? You’re such a sweet daughter." Henry’s voice came from behind her, lighthearted and warm, as he emerged from the bathroom, wrapped in a towel.

"Dad..." Lily hesitated, holding up one of the newspapers. "Why have you collected so much news about the Carter family?"

"Just something to read." Henry waved it off casually and grabbed the remote to flip through the TV channels. "Alex said he’s holding a press conference when he returns to the city."

He flipped through a few channels, not finding any news coverage. "There are so many news stations now. Which one do you think will cover it first?"

"Let me." Lily took the remote and switched to a channel broadcasting Alex’s press conference from an hour earlier.

A flurry of camera flashes illuminated Alex as he sat at a table surrounded by microphones. Calmly, he addressed the press. "Yes, I’m currently in a relationship. Thank you for your interest."

"Did you break up with Miss Johnson because of this third party?"

"Don’t you feel guilty for how you treated Miss Johnson?"

"You’ve always presented yourself to the media as a model gentleman. Was that all just an act?"

The reporters bombarded him with pointed questions, and public opinion clearly sided with Alice Johnson.

"My girlfriend is not a third party. She’s the woman I was promised in a childhood engagement," Alex explained calmly. "As for Alice, I deeply regret the pain I’ve caused her."

His statement sent the reporters into a frenzy.

"So, you were already engaged when you proposed to Miss Johnson?"

"Does this mean you don’t take marriage seriously at all?"

The questions grew more aggressive, with some reporters questioning Alex’s character.

"Dad, you forced him to do this. His reputation is being completely destroyed," Lily said, frowning at the screen as she watched Alex face the harsh media storm.

"His reputation doesn’t matter. What matters is clearing your name." Henry patted her shoulder. "I won’t allow my daughter to be wrongfully labeled a homewrecker."

"Dad..."

"Sweetheart, dry my hair for me, will you?" Henry changed the subject smoothly.

"Okay." Lily sighed, dropping the conversation for now.

After all, my face was blurred in the newspapers. Whether Alex clarifies things or not doesn’t really affect me.

Back in her own room, Lily called Alex. The phone rang several times before he picked up, his voice weary. "Lily."

"Are you okay?" Lily asked, her concern evident.

As a former paparazzo, she knew the damage public scrutiny could inflict.

"My father’s asked me to step down from all my responsibilities at the company," Alex’s voice came through softly, the exhaustion palpable in his words.

"I’m sorry... My dad, he..."

"Lily, never apologize to me," Alex interrupted gently. The world was ultimately still on his end, save for his quiet, tired voice. "We’re going to get through this together, right?"

Get through this together?

Lily paused, sensing Alex’s need for reassurance as if he were waiting for her to confirm they would make it through.

"Yes, we will. We’ll get through this together," Lily whispered.

Alex laughed softly, the fatigue in his voice lifting. "Lily, I’ll start planning for us to move abroad soon. We’ll leave all of this behind."

"But what about your father?" Lily knew how bad the situation was, but running away...

"I’ll come back to see him," Alex said after a brief pause, his tone serious. "Lily, nothing is more important to me than being with you. Love you."

Lily remained silent for a long moment before she finally said, " I love you, too."

It was supposed to be a heartwarming exchange of affection.

Instead, Lily felt a tightness in her chest, a heaviness that wouldn’t disappear. At that moment, her mind flashed to Ethan Blackwood’s unpredictable face.

The realization filled her with a sense of dread.

After she hung up the phone with Alex, Lily sat down at her desk and logged into her message account for the first time in ages.

Full of her friend Sophia’s message.

[Lily, what’s going on with you and that guy? Don’t tell me you’ve been dragged back into some twisted love-hate relationship! Are you alive or not? Just give me a sign! Please!]

[Darling Lily, you left that gemstone ring at my place. When are you coming to pick it up?]

The Tears of Airlie ring is still with Sophia.

After a moment’s hesitation, Lily typed out a message on her computer—

[How do you know when you’ve genuinely fallen in love with someone?]

Sophia quickly replied.

[So, you’re alive after all! I was worried sick! But how can you not know what love is by now?!]

Lily stared at the screen, momentarily stunned. I thought I knew...

[Here, take this quiz. You’ll know for sure whether you’re in love or not.]

Sophia sent over a link to a quiz, and Lily clicked on it. At the top of the page, the title read:

"Love Quiz: Are You Already in Love?"

Lily hesitated for a moment before proceeding.

[1. Do you keep your phone on when you’re busy, waiting for their call?]

My phone always communicated with Ethan in one way. I could only call him, so he yelled at me if I didn’t keep my phone on.

Does that count as waiting for his call? Probably not. I’ve never waited for Ethan’s calls.

Lily clicked "No."

[2. Do you feel like time flies when you’re with him, and when you’re apart, do you find yourself thinking about him?]

What kind of question is this?

I never felt like time flew when I was with Ethan. It always felt like torture.

But now that we’re apart, I think about him too often. Even when Alex was making breakfast, my mind drifted to Ethan.

Lily clicked "Yes."

[3. When he’s close to someone else, do you feel jealous or upset, and do you ignore him or even lash out at him?]

I’ve always hated how Ethan would cycle through women like they were nothing. But that wasn’t jealousy.

No, I wasn’t jealous.

Lily clicked "No."

[4. When he’s sick or hurt, do you feel anxious, worried, and want to take care of him, even losing sleep?]

What does this have to do with love?

If someone in my family were sick, I’d be worried too...

Lily clicked "Yes."

[5. Do you enjoy taking walks alone with him?

[6. When he gets close to you, does your face turn red, and does your heart start to race?

[7. When he smiles, do you find yourself smiling too, feeling proud?]

The questions just kept coming, and Lily clicked through them quickly, choosing "No," "No," and "No" for each one.

After going through the quiz, she heaved a sigh of relief...

Thankfully, I only answered ’Yes’ to two or three questions. That definitely means I’m not in love.

She clicked on "Show Results," and when the answer popped up on her screen, it felt like a lightning bolt had struck her.

"Dear user, you’ve answered ’Yes’ to three love symptoms. This is the early stage of love! Cupid’s arrow has already struck you! Be brave and embrace love!"

What kind of nonsense is this?

Lily stared at the result, dumbfounded.

What kind of ridiculous quiz is this? It’s completely inaccurate.

Spending time with someone naturally builds habits, but habits aren’t love, right?!

No, of course not.

It can’t be.

Lily quickly closed the webpage in a panic, not wanting to look at the results any longer.

I grew up with Alex and missed him for nine years. How could I fall in love with Ethan Blackwood after only a month together, especially when we never even got along?

It’s impossible. It’s absolutely impossible.

Back at Blackwood Enterprise, Ethan returned to his office after a meeting and sat at his desk, signing off on documents. Occasionally, he would glance up at the screen displaying a live feed of Lily.

The private investigator had worked quickly.

In just a few days, they had secretly installed surveillance cameras everywhere Lily frequented. Her home, in particular, was now filled with hidden cameras.

At that moment, Lily was sitting at her desk, staring intently at her computer, her delicate fingers clicking the mouse occasionally.

Her eyebrows furrowed occasionally as if deep in thought, her expression tense.

Suddenly, she let out a long breath, her hand instinctively patting her chest as if she had just calmed herself down.

But in the next moment, her expression shifted dramatically.

She looked like she had just seen a ghost, her eyes widening in shock as she stared at the screen.

In ten minutes, Lily’s face went through an entire range of emotions, so comical that Ethan couldn’t help but think she was better suited to acting than directing.

She’d make a great actress.

Ethan stopped signing documents, tossing his pen aside. His eyes remained fixed on the computer screen, watching Lily intently.

Suddenly, a flicker of frustration flashed across his face. He picked up his phone and dialed a number, his voice cold and sharp. "Can’t you install more cameras in her room?"

On the other end of the line, the private investigator responded nervously, "Mr. Blackwood, we’ve already installed three cameras in her bedroom."

"But none of them are pointed at her computer. I can’t see what she’s looking at."

Ethan let out an irritated snort.

On the screen, Lily was sitting frozen in front of her computer, staring at the screen in disbelief, as if she couldn’t process what she was seeing.

"Would you like us to monitor her computer as well? We’ve logged her IP address. I can help you hack into it and connect it to your system," the private investigator offered hurriedly. We’ve already broken the law, so why not go all the way...

"Do it."

Ethan ended the call decisively.

The investigator swiftly connected Lily’s computer feed to Ethan’s system. At first, all that appeared was her desktop and a message chat window with a user named "Sophia."