30 Days of Passion and Revenge-Chapter 148: Unsettling Discovery

It felt like every step she took was being pushed forward by someone, things falling into place so quickly that it seemed almost unnatural.

Was she overthinking it?

Lily couldn’t shake the feeling that her father was overly eager about her marriage, as if rushing them into marriage wasn’t the goal. However, her father wanted Alex to acknowledge their relationship with the media publicly.

Lily shook her head. What was she thinking? Everything her father did was for her good...

Marrying Alex was her idea of a perfect love.

"Knock, knock—"

The door was tapped a few times, pulling Lily back to reality. "Come in," she called out.

The door opened, and Nanny entered, pushing a food cart, her face brimming with a cheerful smile. "Miss Anderson."

Right behind her came Butler Angus and Dr. Joel.

"Nanny, you all..." Lily’s eyes widened in surprise, staring at them in confusion. Why were they here?

"Mr. Blackwood was worried that Miss Anderson might not like the hospital food, so he specifically asked us to bring you a meal," Nanny explained as she pushed the cart to her bedside.

Ethan... worried about her?!

A strange feeling surged through Lily’s heart.

"How are you feeling, Miss Anderson?" Nanny asked kindly.

"I’m fine. Just a bit chilled, but I’ll be discharged soon," Lily smiled.

Lily glanced toward the door as she spoke, but no one else entered.

"Mr. Blackwood didn’t come," Nanny said, knowing what she was looking for.

"Oh."

Lily replied softly, though inside, her emotions were tumbling like a storm.

What was going on with Ethan?

He had previously threatened that he wouldn’t let her off, yet now, he saved her and had Nanny bring her food without showing up himself.

Was he letting go, or... what?

Lily was utterly confused.

Dr. Joel came over and asked her a few questions about her stomach condition.

Nanny, still smiling, added, "Mr. Blackwood asked Dr. Joel to continue treating Miss Anderson’s stomach issues."

Continue the treatment?

Why was Ethan suddenly being so good to her?

Had he already moved past the "betrayal" she had committed against him?

"Come on, eat something, Miss Anderson," Nanny said as she scooped some porridge, blew on it gently, and fed it to Lily with a spoon.

"Please thank him for me," Lily said. If it weren’t for Ethan, she would’ve frozen to death in that changing room today.

"Miss Anderson, why don’t you thank Mr. Blackwood in person? Should I arrange a lunch for you two?" Nanny offered.

Lily’s gaze became distant, and she shook her head. "No, my... boyfriend wouldn’t like me meeting him again."

Upon hearing this, Nanny sighed. "Miss Anderson already has a boyfriend, but Mr. Blackwood is still alone."

"He’s never lacking women around him," Lily said without a trace of doubt.

"That’s not true. Mr. Blackwood still thinks of you. Miss Nakamura has already returned to Japan, and there are no other women around Mr. Blackwood," Nanny said while continuing to feed Lily the porridge.

No women around him anymore?

Then what about Lynn? What kind of relationship did he have with her, showing up together at the class reunion?

"Nanny, Angus, Dr. Joel, thank you for coming to see me today," Lily said, smiling at them, choosing not to continue the topic of the women around Ethan.

When the doctor came in for rounds, Nanny and the others left, but not before Nanny let out another long sigh as she exited.

The doctor conducted a routine check-up and took her blood pressure. He said, "Your discharge request has been approved, and I’ve brought your test results along."

At Alex’s insistence, Lily had undergone a full-body check-up.

"Thank you, doctor," Lily said, glancing at the test reports on the bedside table.

Did her father file the discharge request for her?

While the doctor was taking her blood pressure, Lily stretched out one hand to try and grab the test report on the bedside table, but she couldn’t quite reach it...

"Lily, stay still while you’re getting your blood pressure taken," her father, Henry Anderson, said as he walked in from outside. He grabbed the test report before she could, flipping through a few pages. His eyes darkened slightly, though his expression didn’t change. He smiled at Lily. "I’ll pack up your things and return to take you home."

"Oh, okay, Dad," Lily responded obediently.

Henry put the test report into a small suitcase and began tidying up.

"After being discharged, watch your diet and return to the hospital for regular check-ups. The hospital will call you when necessary," the doctor said as he packed up his blood pressure equipment.

"Check-ups?" Lily was surprised. "I was just a little chilled; nothing shouldn’t be wrong..."

"Doctor, I’ll see you out," Henry suddenly interrupted Lily, grabbing the suitcase and escorting the doctor. "Rest well, my dear. I’ll come back to pick you up in a bit."

"Okay."

Lily was left puzzled by her father’s behavior but nodded.

Why would she need regular check-ups just because she got cold?

On the other side, In the Blackwood Enterprise President’s Office —

Secretary Helen stared at the list of layoffs Mr. Blackwood had just approved, gasping in shock. What had triggered him this time? He was laying off so many people, including some high-level administrative managers.

"Helen... I’m never returning to the President’s Office again, I swear!" Another younger secretary, Shirley, came out of the office crying, clutching a pile of files, her legs trembling.

"What happened?"

"I don’t know what’s gotten into Mr. Blackwood today. I was delivering some documents, and he screamed at me and then threw the papers right at me. I’m never going back in there again. Shirley sobbed, her voice trembling.

Mr. Blackwood was notorious for yelling at people indiscriminately, regardless of gender. Still, hadn’t his mood been relatively good over the past few days? Why was he suddenly so angry again today?

From her observations, there was usually only one reason Mr. Blackwood lost his temper.

"Has there been any news about Miss Anderson lately?" Helen asked.

"Yes, yes! She was almost frozen to death in a changing room after being pranked. It was all over the news today, but Mr. Blackwood ordered that her face be blurred out in the reports. There are photos of Alex accompanying her to the hospital, but none of Mr. Blackwood."

Mr. Blackwood had maintained absolute discretion in front of the media, never showing his face.

If any photos had leaked, the secretarial team would have dealt with them immediately.

"Alright, I understand."

As an experienced and mature woman, Helen quickly connected the dots. She picked up the documents and headed toward the President’s office.

Upon entering, she saw Ethan leaning back in his chair, his head tilted slightly to the side, his hand resting against his face, and his dark eyes staring intently at the computer screen. His hair was somewhat messy, and his tie was crooked...

Ethan seemed increasingly worn out daily, practically living in the office without going home.

When a man falls in love, he falls harder than a woman.

In the past, Mr. Blackwood had so many women around him that he probably couldn’t even remember their faces or names.

But now...

There was only one name left.

Lily Anderson.

It was always Lily, only Lily...

Since the day Helen had started helping Ethan investigate Lily, she had heard that name more times than she could count.

"Mr. Blackwood, you’ve been working day and night in the office. You’re going to wear yourself out," Helen said, approaching him with genuine concern.

"Shut up!" Ethan didn’t even look up, his voice cold. "If you have something to say, say it. If not, get lost!"

Helen hesitated momentarily before continuing, "... pursuing a girl isn’t easy, but it can be straightforward if you grasp the key."

Ethan finally reacted, lifting his gaze to look at Helen, his eyes filled with irritation. "Since when did you become such a busybody? Get out!"

Ethan was the epitome of sharp-tongued!

"I’m just trying to tell you that silently watching her daily life won’t win a girl over!" With a serious expression, Helen placed the documents on his desk and slapped the top of his computer.

"Are you looking for death?!" Ethan’s eyes flared with anger as he hurled the documents at her.

Helen had expected this reaction and quickly fled, calling over her shoulder, "Make sure to sign those contracts, Mr. Blackwood."

The documents scattered across the floor behind her!

Ethan slammed his fist on the desk in frustration!

Was Helen going through menopause or something?!

Why was she being so annoying?

Did she think he had nothing better to do than chase after a girl? Ethan Blackwood could snap his fingers, and women would throw themselves at him, ready to share his bed! Why would he need to put in effort to pursue a girl?

Especially not Lily Anderson, that ungrateful woman!

Damn it, he had saved her, and the moment she woke up, she ran straight into Alex’s arms!

He had to use every ounce of self-control to stop himself from beating Alex to a pulp!

She hadn’t even uttered a word of thanks.

Why should he waste his time chasing a woman with a heart as cold as stone, a woman who had already betrayed him? Ethan wasn’t that desperate, nor was he that stupid!

Her father would eventually hand her over to him. She was bound to be his. Ethan’s brain would have to be shot for him to waste time trying to win her heart...

"Damn it!"

Ethan cursed under his breath, violently sweeping everything off his desk onto the floor.

Sitting back down, his long fingers quickly danced across the keyboard, opening a search engine. He typed out a phrase and hit enter—

[Women respond to gentleness, not force. How can a man become more gentle?]

His brain must’ve been shot!

The first result that popped up was a large headline—

[Five Gentle Ways to Capture a Girl’s Heart]

Hell no!

Why was Ethan Blackwood even looking at this garbage?!

He angrily grabbed his mouse to close the page but found his gaze glued to the screen.

* When she’s talking, smile at her and look at her with admiration until she feels shy.

* Gently wipe her mouth while she’s eating.

* Hold her hand when crossing the street and shield her in your arms.

* On a crowded bus, create a protective barrier around her so no one bumps into her.

* If her shoelaces come undone, kneel and tie them for her with reverence.

* Always naturally take the heavy items from her, no matter where you are.

* ...

Idiot!

Why would he smile stupidly while she talked?

She never got food on her face when she ate, so why would he be dumb enough to wipe her mouth for her?!

And he had his car! Why the hell would he take a bus?!

Ethan let out a cold snort, about to close the page, but a line of text below the list caught his eye—

"Small gestures easily move women. Make her feel cherished, and she’ll think to herself, ’He’s so gentle!’"

...

Was that what this damn woman liked?

No wonder she always looked unimpressed whenever he bought her a bunch of clothes. Did modern women no longer care about designer clothes, jewelry, and unlimited credit cards... and prefer these so-called "small gestures"?!

Were all women idiots these days?!

In his study, surrounded by fine art tools, Henry Anderson stood focused, working on a meticulously detailed piece of art.

"Dad!"

Lily suddenly shouted from beside him, startling Henry. His hand slipped, and the brush left a heavy paint streak across the canvas, ruining his working piece.

"Sweetheart, the one thing you must never do is interrupt someone while they’re working," Henry sighed.

Feeling guilty, Lily playfully stuck out her tongue. "How’s the set of art tools Alex got you?"

"They’re decent," Henry said, moving the ruined canvas aside and starting a new piece, depicting a large, intricate design...

Revenge?!

"Dad, this design feels a bit too angry," Lily remarked as she picked up some of his earlier work. Every piece was filled with the same intricate design, "Revenge." Lily’s expression shifted slightly.