30 Days of Passion and Revenge-Chapter 159: Ethan’s Revenge

"To love someone to the point of obsession like you do? No thanks," Elliot said, shaking his head with mock horror.

But what did it matter if his love had turned into obsession?

No matter what, Alex could not lose Lily.

After showering and changing into fresh clothes, Alex returned to his bedroom. Lily was leaning against the headboard, looking at photos of him as a child.

She looked a bit pale but was still as beautiful and delicate as ever. Her clean, elegant features and quiet demeanor—everything about her—drew him in.

He had spent nine years searching for her... to be with her.

He wouldn’t let anyone ruin that.

Alex’s eyes darkened for a moment, but soon, a doting smile appeared on his lips. He walked over, climbed onto the bed beside her, and asked with a playful grin, "Did I look better when I was a kid, or do I look better now?"

Lily turned to look at him and smiled softly. "You were handsome then, and you’re even more handsome now."

When she first saw him again at the nightclub nine years later, she noticed how much more handsome he had become...

"And so are you," Alex said, gazing at her with deep affection. He set the photo aside and gently took her hand, bringing it to his lips for a soft kiss. "I always wondered what you’d look like when you grew up, and you’re even more beautiful than I imagined."

Lily quietly met his gaze, her eyes reflecting the same deep emotion.

This man was the one she had chosen to spend her life with, the man who had been her dream since childhood. He was the right path for her.

She couldn’t waver now.

"What did your friend say?" Lily asked, referring to Elliot.

"He left."

"What did he say about my condition?" Lily was still curious about her health.

Her body had been acting strange lately...

"He said your stomach issues, combined with the motion sickness, caused the nausea. You need some rest," Alex said gently.

"I knew it was nothing serious," Lily said, nodding. She didn’t say much more but wondered why her stomach had become so sensitive when she had been so careful with her diet lately. Could it be that the more she tried to care for it, the worse it became?

"Let me show you something."

Alex got up from the bed, retrieved a framed photo from a cabinet, and handed it to her.

Lily looked and saw that it was a family photo of the Andersons and Carters from years ago.

It was taken at a dining table. In the center, a young Lily and Alex sat hand in hand, both smiling happily. Alex’s smile had always been gentle, even as a child. Uncle Bill had a stern expression, while her father had a broad, cheerful grin. Both her mother and Alex’s mother were elegant, beautiful women. The photo radiated harmony.

In the blink of an eye, so many years had passed.

The Andersons and Carters were now worlds apart.

"This is the only photo of both families together," Alex said softly.

"Where is Mrs. Carter?" Lily asked, realizing she had not seen Alex’s mother since arriving at the Carter residence.

"She’s been abroad for the past couple of years. She only returned for the Carter family’s centennial celebration. She’s probably busy with the preparations."

Lily nodded and looked back at the photo. Would Mrs. Carter also look down on her when she saw her now?

"What do you think of my room?" Alex suddenly asked.

When the maids had helped Lily into the room earlier, she had rested on the bed for a while. Upon waking up, she had taken a look around his bedroom.

The design was simple and clean, like a model home, with no personal touches that reflected Alex’s true personality.

"It feels like a guest room. Your room at the seaside villa feels more like you," Lily said with a smile.

At the seaside villa, Alex’s room was filled with instruments like a piano and violin, an easel, abstract paintings, and car models he collected—all things he enjoyed.

"You do understand me," Alex said, kissing her nose affectionately. "I only feel like myself when I’m with you. The rest of the time, I’m just being the man my father expects me to be."

Hearing this, Lily looked down at the photo, her fingers brushing over her mother’s face. "Back then, everything was so good. There were no worries."

Alex stared at her quiet profile, his gaze soft, though anger and hatred flickered behind his eyes.

Yes, things had been better back then...

Without these nine years of separation, Ethan Blackwood would never have entered her life, and there would never have been a child...

If not for these nine years, her first kiss, her first night, would have been his.

But now, he wasn’t even sure if he was her first love, if he was the one she loved the most. He had no choice but to nurture their relationship, step by step, following the rules.

After a while, Alex leaned back against the headboard, pulling her into his arms.

A black Ferrari sped through the streets. Ethan Blackwood sat in the back seat, his long fingers massaging his aching head.

His memories could have been better.

Flashes of last night’s events were starting to come back. What had he done last night?

Damn it.

Why couldn’t he remember anything?

He vaguely remembered seeing Lily. She had come to the 30 Days Memorial Hotel? Why had she come?

He also remembered chasing after her taxi for a long time, running down the street like an idiot, trying to ask her something...

What had he wanted to ask her?

What exactly was it that he needed to know? Damn that alcohol... Every time he drank too much, he couldn’t remember anything.

The traffic light turned red at the intersection.

The Ferrari came to a stop, and Ethan glanced out the window. He saw a large building covered with red banners, each decorated with bold letters: Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Carter Group!

The Carters...

Just seeing the name "Carter" made him want to kill someone!

He wished he could bury the Carters right then and there!

Ethan’s eyes grew cold. "Is the Carter Group’s centennial celebration coming up?"

"Yes, Mr. Blackwood. It’s this weekend," the driver answered respectfully. "The Carters are putting a lot of emphasis on this celebration. This building is a new mall they plan to open on the event day. It’s being touted as the largest mall in the country. There’s been a lot of media coverage."

The largest mall in the country?

Ethan’s gaze turned icy as he looked at the building. Just then, he spotted Bill Carter walking out, surrounded by a group of board members, discussing something.

They had come this far. It would be too easy to take the opportunity to cause trouble for the Carters.

"Stop the car," Ethan ordered coldly.

The driver immediately stopped and opened the door for Ethan. As he stepped out, Ethan buttoned his suit jacket, his posture exuding power and arrogance.

When Bill Carter saw Ethan, his expression changed. He stepped forward with a forced smile. "Mr. Blackwood, what brings you here?"

Ethan lazily glanced up at the banners on the building and let out a mocking laugh. "So, the Carter Group has been around for a hundred years. If it were a person, they’d be heading to the afterlife by now."

Bill Carter’s face darkened, and the board members exchanged uneasy glances.

"Are all the Carter board members here? Why don’t we have a little chat?" Ethan said with a sneer, casting a disdainful look at the group.

"Very well, Mr. Blackwood. Please, come this way."

Bill Carter and the board members sat around the table in the highest-level conference room of the not-yet-opened mall.

Bill knew Ethan wasn’t here with good intentions but forced himself to remain calm. "Mr. Blackwood, what did you want to discuss?"

Ethan didn’t sit down. Instead, he leaned forward, resting his hands on the table, his posture relaxed as he surveyed each person in the room.

After a long pause, Ethan smirked and said arrogantly, "The Carter Group has been around for a hundred years. Do you think it still deserves to exist?"

To say something like that in the middle of the Carter Group’s centennial celebration planning...

The board members were shocked, and Bill Carter’s voice turned cold. "Mr. Blackwood, if you’re here to joke around, forgive us, but we have important matters to attend to."

Ethan was a business genius but needed to follow the usual rules of commerce.

Ethan hadn’t been after profit in the last round of attacks on the Carter Group. His only goal had been to target and attack the Carters.

The most challenging enemy was one with vast resources, unlimited wealth, and no interest in financial gain.

Because he wasn’t in it for the money.

Bill stood up, and the board members followed suit, preparing to leave.

"Blackwood Enterprise will fully acquire the Carter Group!"

Ethan’s domineering voice stopped everyone in their tracks, and they turned to stare at him in shock.

Fully acquire the Carter Group?!

The Carter Group wasn’t some small business. Who in Asia could afford to buy out the entire company?

"I’m putting it out there now: I will fully acquire the Carter Group. If any of you board members want to sell your shares first, I’ll give you a very generous price," Ethan said, his tone dripping with arrogance.

Bill Carter was furious. "Mr. Blackwood, your joke has gone too far. The Carter Group is thriving, and the profits are endless.

"Why don’t you create a report estimating how much profit the Carter Group will make in the next hundred years? Then let’s see if I, Ethan Blackwood, can match that amount?" Ethan sneered, his tone full of contempt.

The board members were stunned.

"Ridiculous!" Bill Carter slammed his hand on the table. "Mr. Blackwood, can you match the profits for the next hundred years? You can’t bring down the Carter Group just by throwing money around.

Ethan looked at Bill with disdain; his attitude was arrogant and reckless. "I have the entire Blackwood Enterprise behind me. You think I can’t take down the Carter Group?"

This time, even Bill Carter fell silent.

The Blackwood Enterprise in Europe was wealthy enough to rival nations. Ethan could easily swallow the Carter Group if he wanted to bleed money.

Some board members were already beginning to waver, greed flickering in their eyes. None of them spoke yet, unsure if Ethan was serious.

Seeing this, Ethan straightened up, walked to the front of the room, and stopped in front of Bill Carter, a mocking smile on his lips. "Don’t be so nervous. I was joking."

Faced with Ethan’s unpredictable behavior, Bill was furious. "What exactly do you mean by this?"

"It doesn’t take a financial empire to bring down the Carters," Ethan said coldly, glancing at his watch. His voice was filled with arrogance. "But I’m serious about fully acquiring the Carter Group. If none of you decide to sell before this weekend, the price will go down afterward."

Bill Carter picked up on the hidden meaning in Ethan’s words.

This weekend? Was Ethan planning something big for the Carter Group’s centennial celebration?!

"Board members, think it over."

Ethan smirked and walked out, leaving the board members, who were used to navigating the business world, entirely at a loss.

As Ethan stepped out of the Carter building, his mocking smile faded.

An empty void remained.

Ever since he had watched Lily leave that gambling boat in Alex’s arms, no amount of success in the business world could fill the bottomless pit inside him...

He stared at the bustling traffic on the street, the lights from the cars glaring in his eyes.

The lights cut through his memory, returning a fragment of the past.

"I once had feelings for you."

The streetlights flashed across her tear-streaked face as she stood before him, her voice soft as she spoke those words.