30 Days of Passion and Revenge-Chapter 176: Unexpected Joy

As Lily passed by a window, she caught her reflection. Her lips were curved into a smile, her eyes filled with warmth, and even the lines of her face looked soft... She had thought there was no joy in her heart, but now she realized... she was happy.

She could no longer fool herself. She did want this baby. She wanted to watch the child grow, see whether it would be a boy or a girl, and see whether the child’s personality would be lively and cheerful...

This little life was her baby... She couldn’t give it up.

Lily had spent the whole night hesitating, unable to decide. Still, when she saw that black-and-white ultrasound photo, she knew she wanted this baby...

But what now?

Lily began to worry about something else.

Should she tell Ethan? She didn’t want to lose her freedom because of a baby. But she also couldn’t keep this from him.

She always hated it when others made decisions for her without giving her a choice. Now... she couldn’t deny Ethan the right to know about his child.

Ethan... would love this child.

He had insisted for a while that she should have his child, and she had refused adamantly then.

But now that this baby had come unexpectedly, things didn’t seem as bad as she had once imagined.

She even found herself smiling...

The sudden news of her pregnancy had filled her mind with thoughts of the baby. As she flipped through the pregnancy guide the doctor had given her, she realized there were so many things to take care of...

Having a baby seemed incredibly difficult.

She called her friend Sophia and told her she had some things to care for and would be gone for a week.

Sophia had her job, but if she knew Lily was in the hospital, she would drop everything to take care of her, and Lily didn’t want to burden her friend.

Lily then went shopping and bought some clothes for her hospital stay. Looking at the dwindling balance in her bank account, she began to worry.

Her savings from the past few years were only enough to cover her education. Raising a child? That was entirely out of the question.

She hadn’t taken anything with her that Ethan had given her—none of the credit cards or gifts. She had no financial cushion.

It seemed telling Ethan was inevitable...

Otherwise, the baby would only get the best care or education from her with others.

She had suffered the pain of not being able to continue her studies. She couldn’t let her child go through the same thing. After all, the baby’s father was wealthy, and the child could receive an excellent education...

But how should she tell him?

Should she tell him directly or test the waters first?

Standing on the street, holding two large shopping bags, Lily waited for a taxi to take her back to the hospital. She mulled over how to tell Ethan the news.

Should she be direct or approach it gently?

Suddenly, a flashy sports car pulled up before her, and the window slowly rolled down.

Ethan’s handsome, devilish face appeared right in front of her...

Lily stared at him, slightly stunned. She hadn’t even decided how to tell him, and here he was already!

Ethan leaned casually against the car window, striking a relaxed pose.

His dark, mischievous eyes locked onto hers, and his sensual lips curved into a smirk. "Miss Lily Anderson, I’m giving you two very respectful choices: either get in bed or the car."

Lily was speechless. He had a dangerously handsome face, but the moment he opened his mouth, all the charm was ruined.

Despite his cheeky, seductive expression, Lily found that her mood wasn’t as bad as it could have been. His shameless words almost made her want to laugh.

She wasn’t expecting anything decent to come out of his mouth anyway...

And a lighter mood would be good for the baby.

"Are you following me again?" Lily didn’t laugh but pretended to be cold as she asked.

"No!" Ethan immediately replied, clearly annoyed. Hadn’t she told him not to control her life anymore?! How dare she doubt him?

"Really?" Lily looked at him skeptically. How else would he have shown up here?

"What did you buy?" Ethan glanced down at the bags in her hands and, without waiting for her to answer, arrogantly said, "Don’t tell me you’re standing here trying to run into me by chance."

"I’m not that bored," Lily shot him a glare. Did he think the whole world revolved around him?

With that, she walked around the car and opened the door to get in.

Ethan’s dark eyes flickered with surprise. "So obedient?"

She got in the car without him having to go around and drag her in?!

This sudden compliance from her left him feeling a bit off balance.

"If you don’t want me to get in, I’ll get out right now." Lily moved to push the door open, but Ethan immediately grabbed her hand, pulling her into his arms. "You’re not going anywhere!"

"Ethan..." Lily, now forcefully held against his chest, instinctively placed a hand over her stomach.

"No need to remind me; you want me to respect you, right?"

Ethan knew exactly what she would say before she even said it. He held her tightly in his arms and planted a firm kiss on her face. His voice was low and seductive as he whispered in her ear, "Miss Lily Anderson, may I hold you? Yes, I may!"

Was he asking and answering his questions?!

"Miss Lily Anderson, how about we get in the car first and then in bed? Does that sound good? Yes, it does!" See, he was being so respectful.

Ethan had never been this respectful to any woman before!

Lily felt like she was choking, unable to get a word out.

Ethan had no qualms about acting shamelessly in front of others. The driver was right there, and Lily, not wanting any more of his nonsense, snapped, "Ethan, shut your mouth!"

"You wanted me to respect you." He had respected her, and now she wanted him to shut up?! This woman’s demands were too much!

"Is this how your family shows respect?!" Lily said, feeling utterly exasperated. She struggled out of his arms and moved as far away from him as possible.

Ethan didn’t force her to stay close. Instead, he leaned back lazily in his seat, grabbing her hand and toying with her delicate fingers. "Lily, I have something severe to tell you."

His tone was suddenly serious, and Lily was caught off guard. She turned to look at him.

Ethan stared at her intently, not blinking as he spoke slowly, "My office has a bed."

"What?" Lily needed help understanding.

"So, do you want to get in bed with me?" Ethan’s eyes gleamed as he stared at her.

Lily quickly pulled her hand out of his grasp. He utterly defeated her. Was his mind incapable of thinking about anything else?

"Ethan..."

"Shut up! Or I’ll jump out of the car!"

"Okay! I’ll shut up!" Ethan agreed so quickly, and it was almost comical. The little kitten was angry again—he couldn’t tease her too much.

Ethan stopped talking, but he continued to stare at her beautiful profile, unable to look away. Her face seemed even more radiant than the day before. Yesterday, she had been like a lifeless doll, completely expressionless.

Though she still looked calm today, he could sense that her mood had improved significantly...

Was it because he had let her blow off steam by playing the shooting game at the amusement park?

It seemed her depression wasn’t as severe as those so-called psychologists had made it out to be. Luckily, he hadn’t given her any medication.

People sometimes lose control after a shock—what’s the big deal? It wasn’t some severe psychological disorder.

The car suddenly came to a stop, and Lily glanced outside. They were at the B.E. Asia headquarters in the city, a towering building in a prime location.

"Why are we here?" Lily asked, surprised.

Why had he taken her to his company? Despite knowing Ethan for so long, she had never been here before.

"I had a meeting scheduled. I wasn’t following you. Don’t overthink it," Ethan said, clearly annoyed as he pinched her tiny nose.

As she thought about it, the route they had taken did lead directly to his company...

Suddenly, Ethan leaned close to her ear and whispered, "I have a bed in my office."

"Shut up!"

Lily’s tone grew sharper.

What did it matter to her whether he had a bed in his office?

Did he always have to be so vulgar?!

Thank goodness her baby was still tiny and hadn’t developed yet. Otherwise, listening to this every day would ruin any chance of an excellent prenatal environment.

Right, she had gotten into the car to tell Ethan about the pregnancy... but all she’d heard so far was his shameless teasing.

When she got in the car, Ethan had left her so frustrated that she almost forgot about the critical news she needed to share.

"I..."

Before she could speak, Ethan pulled her out of the car and into the grand, luxurious entrance of Blackwood Enterprise Asia’s headquarters. The opulence and grandeur of the place made her pause for a moment.

B.E. was indeed a large corporation. The entrance alone was the most luxurious she had ever seen.

"Ethan, I need to tell you something." Lily pulled her gaze away from the surroundings, not wanting to delay any longer.

She might as well say it directly... No matter how he reacted, she would have to tell him eventually...

Ethan held her hand as they walked inside, and all the receptionists bowed and greeted him. "Good morning, Mr. Blackwood!"

The chorus of voices drowned out Lily’s.

Lily glanced over and noticed that the receptionist barely gave her a second look. They seemed utterly accustomed to seeing Ethan bring women into the building.

She even overheard one of the receptionists whispering to her colleague, "Is she a movie star? Another one of those pure and innocent types?"

This man... He must bring women to his company all the time.

She suddenly remembered the phone call she had received a long time ago, in which Ethan and Emily Prescott were moaning together in his office.

The thought made her uneasy, a strange discomfort rising in her chest. She suddenly wanted to leave. Pulling her hand out of Ethan’s grasp, her face turned pale.

"What’s wrong?" Ethan turned to look at her, confusion in his eyes.

Lily shook her head. "Nothing."

She couldn’t tell him she was irritated by how nonchalant the receptionists were about him bringing women into the office—that would sound silly, like she was jealous.

"Mr. Blackwood." His secretary, Helen, approached them, holding a stack of documents. She smiled at Lily. "Miss Anderson, nice to see you."

"Hello," Lily replied politely, "I was just about to leave."

"Leave?!" Ethan’s face darkened with irritation as he frowned. "You’re coming upstairs to my office. I’ll be back after my meeting."

Lily didn’t even get the chance to protest before Ethan forcefully pulled her into the elevator. The numbers on the elevator screen climbed higher and higher.

"If you want something to drink, just ask the secretaries. Be good and wait for me."

Ethan left Lily in his luxurious office, kissing her forehead before heading to his meeting.

Who was going to obediently wait for him?

Lily glanced coldly around the office, decorated in a sleek, modern style. The massive windows offered a stunning view of the city.

Was this the office where Ethan and Emily Prescott had been intimate? Was it on the desk or on that supposed bed?!

Lily placed her hand on the door, ready to leave. Her gaze swept coldly over Ethan’s desk, which was piled with documents. Amidst the cold, lifeless files, a small, cartoonish wooden tomato figurine sat on the desk.