30 Days of Passion and Revenge-Chapter 31: Threatening Control

"Lily!" Ethan pulled out of her body, his hand tightening as he dragged her up from the bed into a sitting position.

One of his hands gripped her head, forcing her to lean closer to him. His voice was laced with menace. "Listen to me. I’m the only one who decides when you leave! If you dare to act all high and mighty in front of me again, I’ll ensure your magazine goes bankrupt!"

Make the magazine go bankrupt?!

He knew perfectly well that the only reason she had agreed to be his mistress was to protect the magazine, and now he was using that against her as a despicable threat.

"You’re crazy! The only thing you’re good at is exploiting people’s weaknesses!" she spat, her head forced back, her hair aching under the pressure of his large hand.

He hated the contempt in her eyes—it drove him mad with rage.

Ethan’s face darkened.

Lily knew she had provoked him, and a wave of satisfaction washed over her. She glared at him with even more disdain, watching his expression grow uglier by the second. "Ethan, a lunatic like you—no woman would ever fall for you! You’re nothing but a mad dog on the street without your power and wealth!"

A lunatic like you—no woman would ever fall for you!

You’re just a mad dog on the street without your power and wealth!

No one had ever dared to insult him like this, not even during his lowest moments.

So, this was how Lily saw him—a mad dog.

Ethan’s chest heaved with anger, his eyes burning with fury. With a violent motion, he threw her back onto the bed, entering her forcefully, using her body to vent all his rage. He showed no mercy as she cried out in pain.

Lily, you brought this upon yourself.

Endless pain spread through her. Lily turned her head away, refusing to look at him, her tears soaking the bedsheets.

She wanted so desperately to leave this man, to slam the door behind her, to slap him across the face...

But she couldn’t. This man’s power could crush her, could destroy the entire magazine...

All she could do was endure, curse him when it became unbearable, and then suffer through the humiliation once more. What else could she do?

She was powerless, utterly helpless...

His teeth sank into her shoulder, biting down hard as he ravaged her like a wild beast, caring nothing for whether she could bear it or not.

She turned her head slightly and saw that her shoulder had started to bleed from his bite. Blood trickled down through the marks his kisses had left, and he continued to press her down, taking from her again and again, with no sign of stopping.

His movements were animalistic, causing her so much pain she nearly passed out.

When she felt his teeth on her back again, she quickly spoke, her voice trembling as she pleaded, "Ethan, stop... it hurts..."

If she didn’t beg for mercy, she would only be hurting herself.

He was still enjoying himself, so why should she continue to suffer?

Finally, she gave in.

Ethan paused, leaning down to whisper coldly into her ear, "Then beg me... Kiss me, Lily."

Lily clenched her teeth, closed her eyes, and kissed his cheek.

His lips seized hers right away, and his scalding kisses trailed down her body, tease her, and cause her body to react against her will.

His warm hands roamed her soft, delicate skin, igniting a fire within her.

His expert touch quickly stirred her body, filling her with a strange heat, her body growing weak and pliant.

Satisfied, Ethan began to move again. Forced to follow his rhythm, Lily no longer felt any pain, only a numb sensation that spread throughout her body.

Like someone who’d had too much to drink, her face flushed, and she closed her eyes tightly, soft moans escaping her lips.

"Lily, open your eyes and look at me. See who I am," Ethan commanded, a satisfied smirk on his lips.

Lily, dazed, slowly opened her eyes, her voice weak. "Ethan... mm..."

When it came to matters in bed, Ethan was like an expert tutor, always in control. She had no chance against him.

"Lily, if I can’t make you submit to me within a month if I can’t make you obey me completely, I’ll take your last name!" His voice was hoarse and seductive, yet his gaze was dark and terrifying.

He was determined to have her heart.

The humiliation she had made him feel—he would make her pay for it by ultimately conquering her. He would strip away all her false pride, her dignity, and her ridiculous sense of self-worth.

Lily stared at him, exhausted. Make her submit to him? Conquer her? Did he think he could win her heart?

It was almost laughable. Even without Alex, she would never fall for him. He would never win her heart.

How could she possibly love someone as shameless and inhumane as him?

But this time, Lily wisely kept her mouth shut. She didn’t argue or hurl insults at him.

Provoking a beast like him would only hurt her in the end.

Ethan lowered his head and kissed her again, taking everything from her.

After they were done, Ethan got out of bed and dressed himself while Lily lay there like a discarded rag doll.

Watching him stand in front of the mirror, adjusting his suit, one word came to her mind: beast in a suit.

The sound of an incoming message brought her attention back to her phone. She struggled to reach it and saw a message from her uncle. He was ecstatic, telling her that Natalie Walker and the actress Ela had both dropped their lawsuits.

"Thud—"

A file folder was thrown on the bed.

"With me backing you, publish whatever news you want." Ethan glanced at her, his gaze cold and cruel. "As my mistress, know your place. From now on, come whenever I call, and don’t piss me off again."

Ethan walked out with that, leaving only the lingering scent of their earlier activities.

Lily silently opened the folder. Inside were photos of another scandal—an A-list celebrity caught in a hotel tryst. Another story that would cause a media storm. But somehow, she felt no excitement at all...

After all, she had become the biggest scandal of all.

Alex’s gentle, handsome face floated into her mind, and her heart ached sharply. Lily wiped away her tears, telling herself repeatedly to stop thinking about it...

Stop thinking about anything beautiful; maybe she wouldn’t feel so ashamed and worthless.

Because of Ethan, Lily was late for work again. Her uncle, thinking she had been out collecting news about the latest celebrity scandal, was beaming with pride. He didn’t reprimand her at all; he praised her in front of her colleagues.

Her uncle treated her like his own daughter. He was so good to her.

When her family fell apart in her first year of middle school, her uncle took care of her. Without him, she didn’t know what she would have become. So, what she was doing now—she told herself it was the right thing.

"Wow, he’s as handsome as any top-tier celebrity."

"I heard Carter Group is relocating its headquarters to our city. Maybe we’ll even run into him someday."

"Keep dreaming! Guys like him either marry actresses or have business alliances. You think you’d have a chance?"

The chatter of her female colleagues reached Lily’s ears. She glanced over and saw them holding a financial magazine with a cover photo of a young man in a sharp suit.

Alex Carter.

So, Carter Group had moved its headquarters to the city. No wonder he had been at Summer Night.

It had been nine years. He had probably forgotten all about her by now. It was better that way...

After all, the person she had become... even she couldn’t stand herself.