30 Days of Passion and Revenge-Chapter 177: The Tomato Girl

Lily had her hand on the door, ready to leave. Her gaze swept coldly over Ethan’s desk. Amid the cold, lifeless stacks of paperwork, a cartoonish wooden tomato figurine was sitting prominently on the table.

It stood out like a sore thumb.

A cartoon tomato?!

Lily’s eyes lingered on the figurine for a moment before she walked over and picked it up, her heart suddenly skipping a beat.

Had he kept this tomato on his desk all this time? She had thought he would have thrown it away by now.

Yet here it was, still sitting on his desk. Did that mean he saw it every time he reviewed documents or reprimanded his staff?

This man kept a cartoon tomato on a work desk—it was entirely out of place. Wasn’t he worried that people would laugh at him?!

It didn’t match the style of his office at all.

As she brushed her fingers over the smiling face of the tomato figurine, Lily’s face unknowingly smiled. She didn’t even realize how her mood had lifted just from seeing that little tomato.

It had nothing to do with anything else—just this little cartoon tomato, simply because Ethan had kept it.

As she played with the tomato in her hands, Lily found the button on the back. She pressed it gently, and a familiar electronic voice echoed from within: "Lily is Tomato Girl!"

"Lily is Tomato Girl!"

Who was the tomato here? Ethan was the real "Tomato"! A big tomato!

Lily grumbled to herself, setting the tomato back down on the desk. She glanced at the documents scattered around. They were mostly reports with various data. B.E. was involved in so many industries—could one person manage all of this?

Lily didn’t touch the papers on the desk but casually opened one of the drawers. What she saw inside left her momentarily stunned.

The drawer was filled with photos of her as a child, all taken before her family’s downfall. She wondered how Ethan had found some of these photos she hadn’t seen in years.

How much time had it taken him to track these down...

Lily picked up the stack of photos and flipped through them. In every picture, she was smiling. She had been so carefree and loved to smile when she was younger...

Ethan, do you love me that much?

Keeping a stack of her photos in his work drawer...

Did he open the drawer and look at them while working? Lily shook her head at the thought. What was she thinking? It was probably a coincidence that he kept them there. Who would open a drawer of photos and look at them while working? He wasn’t some fool.

It was more likely that his ever-efficient secretarial department had found the photos for him. A busy CEO like Ethan would not have searched for them himself. Why was she getting emotional over this?

At the bottom of the stack of photos were two pictures of her and Ethan together.

Both were of Ethan kissing her and holding her in his arms.

Each photo had been taken when Ethan forced her to pose, but because of the lighting and angles, they looked like pictures of a loving couple.

Ever since she decided to tell Ethan about the baby, she had known that she would have to be with Ethan because of this child.

For the child?

Was it just for the child?

Lily, aren’t you happy? This little life has finally given you the courage to accept Ethan.

At least he had only kept the photos in a drawer. If he had blown them up and hung them on the wall for everyone to see...

She couldn’t even imagine that scenario.

After putting the photos back into the drawer, Lily took one last look at the pictures of her and Ethan before closing the drawer, a soft smile lingering on her lips.

She noticed that the drawer below it was locked. She tugged on it but couldn’t open it—it must have been closed for essential company documents.

Lily stood up from the desk and glanced around the office. Wasn’t he always boasting that his office had a bed?

She walked over to a door and opened it, revealing a modern black-and-white bedroom with sleek, simple lines. The monochromatic color scheme perfectly matched her understanding of Ethan’s style.

It was clear that someone regularly cleaned the room, as it was spotless, without a speck of dust.

Lily stepped inside. Next to the heavy curtains, there was a treadmill. Ethan worked out here? No wonder his body was in such good shape...

She noticed a suit jacket casually tossed on the bed. She picked it up, intending to hang it on the coat rack.

As she turned around, her eyes landed on the wall, where two large framed photos, each about 30 inches wide, were hanging. The images, of course, were of Ethan kissing and holding her...

She had just thought he wouldn’t do something like this.

Lily carefully examined the room. The photos were directly opposite the bed, so anyone lying down would have a perfect view of these intimate pictures...

Lily lowered her gaze. Ethan... 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

She had never been sure how much of his love was real and how much was just a playboy’s game. But now... she was truly moved.

No one would fake it to this extent.

This man... kept her photos everywhere, as if he were afraid he wouldn’t see them...

A man like Ethan wouldn’t do these things if he didn’t love her.

He was always arrogant in front of her, but behind her back, he was doing all these silly things... If she hadn’t seen it for herself, she never would have believed that someone as dominant as Ethan would do such things.

"Fool."

Lily smiled softly and whispered, hanging the suit jacket on the coat rack.

Suddenly, she heard Ethan’s angry voice from outside, "What’s wrong with you? You can’t even get this project right, but do you have the nerve to sit in that executive chair? Get lost before I fire you myself!"

What now? Who had provoked the lion this time?

"Mr. Blackwood, I’m sorry! Please give me another chance!"

"The data in this report is full of errors. It would help if you had done the proper market research. I’m done talking to you! I could train a dog to do better than you! You’re fired!"

Ethan was furious, and his words were as sharp as poison.

Lily walked to the door, where she could only see Ethan’s tall figure from behind.

Bang—

Ethan slammed a report onto the desk. His anger was so intense it seemed like it could burn everything around him.

The executive Ethan had been scolding looked utterly humiliated but didn’t dare talk back. He quietly turned and left.

Lily had always known that Ethan had a temper. He never treated people like people.

Would he be this bad-tempered with their child?

This man liked to hit people whenever he was angry. What if he lost his temper with their child?

"Lily! Lily!"

While Lily was deep in thought, Ethan’s enraged voice echoed through the office as he yelled her name. He swept all the papers off his desk. "Where did that stubborn woman run off to now?!"

"I’m right here." Lily stepped out of the bedroom, her voice calm.

He’s the stubborn one.

Seeing her, Ethan’s dark, stormy expression softened. He tugged at his tie to release some tension, exhaling deeply. He had thought she had run off again. This constant fear that she would leave at any moment was driving him insane.

Did he think she would leave?

Lily quietly watched as he loosened his tie. Was he scared she would run away? This man...

The next second, Ethan glanced toward the bedroom behind her, a wicked smirk curling his lips. "So, you were checking out the bed already? How is it? Do you want me to join you now and try it?"

The warmth Lily had felt for him moments ago vanished into thin air. Ethan was truly beyond comprehension.

A moment ago, he had been the powerful CEO berating his staff, and just before that, he had been a man whose deep feelings had moved her. Now, he had become a shameless flirt in the blink of an eye!

Suddenly, a child crying echoed from outside, and Ethan’s face darkened immediately, turning as black as coal.

"What’s going on? Why is there a child crying?" Lily asked, surprised. Why would there be a child in such a big company?

Ethan angrily pressed a button on the phone, shouting, "Helen! If your kid cries one more time, I’ll flush him down the toilet!"

Flush a child down the toilet?!

Lily blinked in disbelief. Had she heard that right?

Suddenly, she wasn’t sure if she should tell him about the pregnancy.

Lily instinctively placed a hand on her stomach, starting to feel like she couldn’t bring it up.

A few moments later, Helen, the secretary, came in, holding the hand of a five-year-old boy. She apologized profusely, "I’m so sorry, Mr. Blackwood. My little prince threw a tantrum and wouldn’t attend daycare, so I had to bring him here."

The boy, who was quite handsome, was still sniffling and hiccuping.

His cries sounded like those of a dog Ethan’s cousin Alex used to have. Thinking of Alex, Lily’s expression darkened again.

She still didn’t know how to face Alex.

Was he her childhood sweetheart, her half-brother, or... the son of the man who had had an affair with her mother?

"This is a company, not a daycare!" Ethan snapped, glaring at the boy before turning to Helen. "If you don’t get him to stop crying, you’ll stay home permanently as a housewife!"

The little boy immediately stopped crying, his tears still streaming down his face as he hiccuped, his little shoulders trembling with fear.

Lily stood quietly to the side, observing Ethan’s furious expression—

"Please, Mr. Blackwood, I’m about to meet with Mr. Bailey. Just let the little prince stay here for a bit longer," Helen pleaded.

Where would she find another one that paid so well if she lost this job?

"So, I’m supposed to listen to this kid scream?!" Ethan’s brows furrowed in frustration. Did they think this was a daycare center?

"Just for a little while, please."

"Fine! But as soon as you leave, I’m flushing him down the toilet!" Ethan yelled, clearly fed up.

Helen was practically on the verge of tears.

"Waahhh..." The little boy immediately started crying again out of fear.

Ethan’s face darkened further, and he pointed at the large windows. "Cry again, and I’ll throw you out of there!"

The boy was so terrified that he choked back his sobs, staring at Ethan with wide, frightened eyes, his little shoulders still trembling.

Lily stared at Ethan in disbelief. Was he seriously bullying a little kid?!

How could she expect him to be an excellent father to her baby?

Suddenly, an idea popped into Lily’s mind. She stepped forward and took the boy’s hand, saying, "Helen, you can proceed with your meeting. I’ll take care of him with Ethan."

"What did you just say?!" Ethan glared at Lily, his expression dark.

Was she insane? Why would she volunteer to take care of a crying child... and drag him into it?!

"Are you sure? I can leave him in the conference room to play alone," Helen said, feeling awkward.

A secretary leaving her child with her boss? That didn’t seem right.

"It’s fine. I don’t have much to do right now, and we shouldn’t leave a child alone in a conference room," Lily said.

"Miss Anderson, you seem to be in a much better mood," Helen remarked, surprised.

She had thought Lily was deeply affected by recent events, but now, she seemed more at ease.

"Really?"

Lily spoke softly. She had to try to be in a better mood for the baby growing inside her. She had to try at least to be happy.