30 Days of Passion and Revenge-Chapter 143: Lily’s Struggle

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

She was making all those expressions just looking at this?

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

[Here, take this quiz. You’ll know for sure if you’ve fallen in love.]

Reading their conversation, Ethan’s brows furrowed tightly. What is the testing? How in love she is with Alex Carter?

A dark flame flickered in Ethan’s black eyes, and he nearly smashed the mouse in frustration.

After a long pause, a look of calculation crossed his face. He quickly typed a few commands into the computer and recorded a video.

In her bedroom, Lily stared blankly at her computer screen, her mind a mess.

I can’t keep thinking about this.

It’s not fair to Alex.

Even if there were signs that I might be falling for someone, what does that matter? I’ll squash those feelings.

Yes, I won’t let myself dwell on it anymore.

Just as Lily was about to shut down her computer, nothing happened when she pressed the power button.

The next second, a familiar video suddenly filled her screen.

It was footage from the celebration at the Carter residence, where Ethan had played the saxophone on stage. Then, the two of them embraced in front of the crowd...

Lily blinked in confusion.

Do I see things?

How could this video pop up right after I took that quiz about Ethan?

Wait, this video isn’t even on my computer... How is it playing?

The USB drive with the video that Aiko Nakamura gave her was still at Blackwood Villa. So, how could Ethan have sent this video?

How could he have sent it?

I don’t even have any of his contact information on my computer.

Lily frantically pressed the "Esc" key to exit full screen, but nothing worked. All she could do was sit there, helpless, watching the video of them embracing play repeatedly...

It was clear that her computer had been hacked.

And who else could be behind it but Ethan Blackwood, that insufferable man?

"Ethan Blackwood, you jerk!"

Lily nearly smashed her keyboard in frustration. Unable to close the video or exit full screen, she cursed loudly at the screen.

On the other end—

Ethan watched Lily’s furious outburst with amusement, his lips curving into a sly smile. His dark eyes gleamed with satisfaction.

Got you, you stubborn woman! Let’s see you talk about love with someone else now!

"Knock, knock—"

The sound of a knock interrupted him. Ethan quickly wiped the smile off his face. "Come in."

His secretary, Helen, entered, carrying a thick stack of documents. "Mr. Blackwood, these need your signature."

Ethan’s eyes remained on the screen, not even glancing up as he took the documents from her and casually flipped to the signature pages, signing them quickly.

Helen couldn’t help but notice the slight lift in Ethan’s brows. The entire office had been like a storm for the past few days; every meeting ended with someone being yelled at or fired.

But today... why did Mr. Blackwood seem to be in a strangely good mood?

"Mr. Blackwood, I brought you a new bandage. The one on your hand should be changed," Helen said, placing a pack of adhesive bandages on the desk.

Ethan’s faint smile disappeared instantly.

"Leave."

"Yes, Mr. Blackwood." Helen quickly gathered the signed documents and left the room.

Ethan stared at his open palm, peeling off the bandage. The cut was still fresh, and the wound had not yet healed.

Suddenly, his phone rang the screen lighting up with an unfamiliar number.

He was about to hang up when he glanced back at the computer screen, where Lily was now holding her phone up to her ear, her face filled with anger.

Could it be her?

Since switching phones, Ethan has also changed his number multiple times. But recently, after smashing several limited-edition phones, he had stopped changing his number altogether. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

Ethan’s eyes narrowed as he stared at Lily’s face on the screen and answered the call. "Hello?"

There was nothing but silence on the other end.

The screen showed Lily holding her phone, not saying a word.

She called me but won’t speak.

"Hello?" Ethan called out again, this time more eagerly, his eyes glued to the screen, watching Lily’s every move.

"I just got off the plane. Even though you didn’t see me off at the airport, I still wanted to let you know I arrived safely. Ethan, I..."

It was Aiko Nakamura.

Ethan ended the call abruptly without bothering to listen further, a wave of disappointment washing over him.

His eyes shifted to the cut on his hand as he clenched his fist, the pain bringing a slight sense of relief. Looking back at the screen, he saw Lily standing up from her desk, finally speaking. "Hello, I’d like to order takeout. Yes, the address is...

So, takeaway, huh?

She wasn’t calling me after all.

Once again, I’ve let myself believe something that wasn’t true.

Ethan let out a bitter laugh, feeling the familiar, suffocating tightness in his chest once more.

After ordering her food, Lily sat back at her computer and began frantically typing, trying to close the uncooperative video. But it was useless—she couldn’t even shut down the computer.

The video played repeatedly on the screen: the moment she had thrown herself into Ethan’s arms, his face lit up with a smug, triumphant smile.

Lily stared at the screen in frustration, her mind swirling with emotions. Finally, she yanked the power cord from the wall.

The screen went black.

Let’s see Ethan hack my computer now!

I want to get him out of my head.

Ethan picked up the business card on his desk and dialed a number. "What’s Lily Anderson’s current phone number?"

I let myself fall for it again.

Ethan let out another bitter laugh, his chest tightening once more.

After ordering her food, Lily sat back down and started furiously typing, continuing her futile attempts to close the video. But no matter what she did, she couldn’t even shut down the computer.

The video looped on the screen: her throwing herself into Ethan’s arms, his face smug and full of triumph.

Lily stared at the screen, her mind a mess, and finally yanked the power cord from the wall.

The screen went black.

The world was finally quiet.

Let’s see how Ethan manages to hack my computer now... I want to get him out of my mind.

Ethan picked up the business card on his desk and dialed a number. "What’s Lily Anderson’s current phone number?"

"Uh, we haven’t been able to find it yet. There’s no registration under her name with the phone company so that she might be using someone else’s phone," the private investigator stammered nervously.

"Useless!" Ethan growled and hung up, immediately dialing another number. His voice was cold. "What’s Lily Anderson’s phone number?"

"536xxxxxxx," the voice on the other end responded promptly, adding with a hint of malice, "The game is about to begin."

"I only care about results. My patience won’t last long."

"Relax, Mr. Blackwood. I guarantee she’ll come back to you willingly."

"I’m giving you no more than a month."

Ethan’s voice was cold as he hung up the call. He then dialed Lily’s number.

Lily was standing by her wardrobe, picking out clothes. When her phone rang, she picked it up. "Hello, this is Lily Anderson."

Her voice...

It sounds different over the phone than it does on the computer.

It’s softer, more real. It stirs something inside me.

Ethan’s eyes remained fixed on the screen, watching Lily hold the phone to her ear while pulling off her sweater, revealing a white lace camisole underneath.

The surveillance camera above her gave him a clear view of her soft, pale skin.

His throat tightened.

Ethan’s gaze darkened as desire stirred within him.

"Hello?" Lily called out again, looking at her phone in confusion before ending the call.

It must’ve been a prank.

Tossing her phone onto the bed, Lily grabbed her bathrobe and headed for the bathroom.

And just like that, the show’s over.

Ethan sighed in frustration and tossed his phone aside, his brows furrowing with dissatisfaction.

Damn it—

I should’ve also had the investigator install a camera in her bathroom.

Grabbing his car keys from the drawer, Ethan was about to leave when his phone rang again. He answered it immediately.

"I forgot to mention something when I gave you her phone number earlier, Mr. Blackwood."

"What is it?" Ethan asked coldly.

"When you call her, try to be gentle. She’s the kind of woman who responds to kindness, not force. You won’t win her over by being too aggressive." The voice on the other end carried a faint, mocking smile before they hung up.

She responds to kindness, huh?

Have I been too aggressive? She betrayed me and had the nerve to go on a hunger strike. Then she went silent, and now she’s publicly dating Alex.

Why should I treat her with kindness?!

Ethan glared at the empty screen before him, his frustration mounting. In anger, he threw his car keys onto the desk.

He sat back down, burying himself in paperwork. But as he wrote, a drop of blood fell onto the page. Looking down, he realized his palm was bleeding again.

He had forgotten to replace the bandage.

The pressure from holding the pen had reopened the wound.

"Clatter—"

Ethan tossed the pen aside and pressed his hands to his forehead, his chest tightening again.

What have I become?

I’m the CEO of Blackwood Enterprise’s Asia-Pacific division, yet I’ve become a voyeur, spying on her.

Lily Anderson has driven me insane...

Ethan reached to turn off the monitor, only to freeze when he saw Lily emerge from the bathroom, wrapped in a bathrobe. She rushed over to the bed to grab her phone.

Ethan’s eyes narrowed, and he quickly unmuted the computer.

Forget being a voyeur. This is more important.

"Alex?" Lily said into the phone, sitting on the edge of the bed. She sounded surprised. Didn’t we talk? Why is he calling again?

"There’s a middle school class reunion tomorrow. The invitation just came through my butler. Are you going?" Alex’s voice was warm and gentle as he stood on his balcony, flipping through the invitation card.

Lily rubbed her damp hair with a towel. "A middle school reunion?"

From the school we went to back then?

"Yes. You’ll know most of the people there. We didn’t have many new classmates join our class from grades seven to nine," Alex explained. "Will you go?"

Lily hesitated. Back then, I attended one of the most expensive private middle schools, where all the students came from wealthy families. If I go now, won’t they look down on me?

But the fact that Alex was asking meant he wanted her to go.

After a long moment of silence, Lily still hadn’t answered.

"They all know I spent years looking for you. Let’s make an appearance," Alex said, his voice gentle and reassuring.

Lily forced a smile. "Okay, I’ll go."

If he wants me to, then I’ll go.

What’s the worst that could happen? Some stuck-up classmates might mock me for being poor... But I’ve developed a thick skin for those kinds of comments.

"I’ll pick you up tomorrow."

"Okay."

After hanging up, Lily continued drying her hair as she entered the living room.

Her father, Henry Anderson, had just come in with a bag of takeout, looking touched. "It’s so nice to have my daughter around. Did you order takeout for me? You knew I was hungry?"

"I noticed you didn’t eat much with Alex and Uncle Robert earlier," Lily replied, smiling as she joined him at the dining table.

The takeout was simple, light dishes meant to whet the appetite. After nine years, Lily wasn’t entirely sure what her father’s favorite foods were anymore.

She did remember that he used to enjoy drinking red wine.

But wine... wasn’t exactly a good thing. She didn’t want him to drink.

Henry’s appetite was strong, and he ate heartily. Noticing the slight frown on Lily’s face, he asked, "What’s wrong, sweetheart? Something on your mind?"

"I’m going to a middle school reunion tomorrow, so I won’t be able to spend time with you."

"That’s fine, that’s fine. You’ve got a boyfriend now, so of course you’d ditch your old dad," Henry teased lightly. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, his tone grew serious. "But listen, until the Carter family gives you a proper title, don’t stay out too late with Alex. You need to be home before ten, understand?"

His words were gentle, but the implication was clear: No spending the night with Alex until you’re married.

Lily’s face paled slightly, and she nodded. "I understand, Dad. Now, eat up. This roast duck is delicious."

"Okay."

As her father happily ate, Lily’s heart sank.

Whenever her father said things like that, it made her feel small, unworthy...