30 Days of Passion and Revenge-Chapter 45: Defiant Captivity

Lily sat in the plush bed, her mind reeling as she took in her surroundings. The nanny had just removed the IV tube from her arm. Ethan, she thought bitterly, grinding her teeth. That fickle, heartless man!

"I’m not disabled yet," Lily snapped, pushing away the nanny’s helping hand. Instantly regretting her sharp tone, she forced a smile. "I don’t need help, thank you."

In the bathroom mirror, Lily surveyed her haggard reflection, the fresh kiss marks on her neck and chest a stark reminder of Ethan’s brutal passion. Beast, she seethed inwardly. I won’t let him cage me like this. I won’t surrender so easily.

Hunger gnawed at Lily’s stomach as she searched the immaculate room for food, finding only the apple the nanny had cut earlier. Flipping through TV channels, she stumbled upon a romantic contraceptive ad, panic seizing her. My bag! I didn’t take the pill after last night!

Lily swung open the door, determined to retrieve her belongings, only to be stopped by Ethan’s hefty bodyguards."Miss Anderson, Mr. Blackwood has ordered that you cannot leave this room."

Slamming the door in frustration, Lily’s anger surged as Ethan strode in, his coat reeking of Beth Samson’s signature perfume, a crimson lipstick stain marring his collar. His ’important business’ was fooling around with a married woman? Lily thought, disgusted. And then he imprisons me here, waiting for his occasional whims?

"Ethan, what exactly do you want?" Lily demanded, her voice dripping with disdain.

Ethan merely smirked, snapping his fingers. The nanny and a procession of maids entered, pushing carts laden with an array of mouth-watering dishes. Lily’s stomach betrayed her with an audible growl.

"I said I don’t want to eat," Lily insisted, perching on the sofa opposite Ethan. "Let me go."

"Give me a reason," Ethan challenged, his eyes glinting dangerously.

"First, you don’t lack women, so there’s no need to imprison me; second, I’m not a criminal; you can’t restrict my freedom; third, if you don’t release me, I’ll starve to death in your room."

Ethan’s gaze bore into Lily, his jaw clenched. This woman, he mused, doesn’t realize the depths of my obsession. The way she fainted last night awakened something in me—a fear I’ve never known.

"Lily, you are so naive," Ethan scoffed. "With all your charms, none can compete with me."

In one swift motion, he yanked her onto his lap, his hand boldly cupping her breast through the thin nightgown. "Do you want me to press you onto the bed and remind you of last night?" he growled, emphasizing the word ’remind.’

Lily’s face flushed with humiliation and rage. "Ethan, take your dirty hand away!"

"Dirty?" Ethan squeezed harder, kneading her soft flesh as the scent of his perfume enveloped her.

Driven by fury, Lily lunged forward, sinking her teeth into Ethan’s neck, drawing blood. Ethan roared in pain, pinning her to the bed; he claimed her mouth in a brutal kiss, his hands tearing at her nightgown.

"Let go! You’re shameless!" Lily cried, struggling beneath him.

"Slap!" Her hand connected with Ethan’s cheek, halting his assault.

"Lily, don’t you want to live?" Ethan snarled, his fingers closing around her throat.

The nanny watched in horrified silence as Ethan’s grip tightened, Lily’s face growing paler by the second. If survival means being his prisoner, his plaything... I’d rather die, Lily thought, her vision blurring.

"Mr. Blackwood, you’ll kill her!" the nanny pleaded.

Ethan’s fingers released their vice-like hold, and Lily gasped for air, coughing violently. "Aren’t you going to kill me?" she rasped, a defiant smile on her lips. "Ethan, I’d rather die than let you cage me."

"Lily!" Ethan roared, his fist slamming into the mattress beside her head. "You don’t have the power to fight me! I’m not done playing with you yet!"

Lily’s eyes widened in horror as Ethan’s words sank in. He’s truly a monster, she realized, her heart pounding with fear and revulsion.

In the following days, Lily was trapped in a gilded prison, her every move monitored by the nanny and Ethan’s guards.

Desperate for any connection to the outside world, Lily devoured the newspapers the nanny brought, her heart sinking as she read the vicious attacks on Alex Carter and his company. The suicide of Alex’s assistant, David, and the allegations of tax evasion dominated the headlines, painting Alex as a corrupt and incompetent leader.

It’s all Ethan’s doing, Lily thought bitterly, crumpling the newspaper in her hands. He’s determined to destroy Alex, to punish him for daring to touch what he considers his property.

One afternoon, as Lily wandered listlessly through the villa, the sound of the telephone ringing caught her attention. She overheard the maid answering, mentioning a call from the Manager of the Carter Group.

Alex! Lily’s heart leaped, and without thinking, she snatched the phone from the startled maid.

"Hello?" she asked breathlessly, hoping against hope to hear Alex’s gentle voice.

Instead, a middle-aged man spoke, explaining that Alex wished to invite Ethan to dinner to discuss a private matter. Lily’s brow furrowed in confusion. Why would Alex want to meet with Ethan after everything he’s done?

Suddenly, Alex’s soft and familiar voice came on the line, stirring a longing in Lily’s heart. "Hello, I am Carter’s general manager," he said politely.

"How are you?" Lily blurted out before she could stop herself.

"What?" Alex sounded puzzled.

"Nothing," Lily quickly amended. "I wanted to ask about the tax evasion... It’s a frame-up, right?"

There was a pause, and then Alex spoke again, his tone curious. "Miss, you are not a maid in the Blackwood family, are you? You are Mr. Blackwood’s...?"

Lily’s heart raced as she struggled to find the right words. I’m Lily, she wanted to cry out—the Lily you’ve been searching for all these years. But the shame of her current situation—of being Ethan’s mistress—held her tongue.

"I am his... girlfriend," she finally managed, the lie tasting bitter on her lips.

"I see," Alex replied, his voice carefully neutral. "Miss, if you know something, please tell Mr. Blackwood that Blackwood Enterprise and Carter should not interfere with each other. Do not push people too far."

He knows Ethan is behind this, Lily realized with relief. He’s fighting back in his own way.

"I’m sorry for disturbing you," Alex continued, his tone polite but distant. "Please forget about the dinner invitation. It was my secretary’s mistake."

"Wait," Lily began, desperate to keep him on the line, to hear his voice just a little longer. But it was too late. Alex had already hung up, the dial tone echoing in her ear like a mournful cry.

If only he knew it was me, Lily thought, tears stinging her eyes. Would he still have ended the call so abruptly? Would he have fought harder to save me from this nightmare?

But deep down, Lily knew the truth. Alex believed her to be Ethan’s girlfriend, a willing participant in her imprisonment. The Lily he had known, the innocent girl he had once loved, was gone, replaced by a shadow of her former self.

I have to find a way out of here, Lily vowed, determination burning in her heart. I can’t let Ethan break me, can’t let him win. Even if Alex never knows the truth and I have to bear this shame alone, I will survive. I will endure.

With renewed resolve, Lily returned to her gilded cage, her mind racing with thoughts of escape and revenge. Ethan may have captured her body, but her spirit, her will to fight, remained unbroken.

One day, she promised herself, I will make him pay for every moment of suffering, every indignity he has inflicted upon me. And on that day, I will finally be free.