30 Days of Passion and Revenge-Chapter 182: Confronting the Past

Lily let out a soft moan, quickly silenced by Ethan’s lips as they pressed down again. His kiss was fierce and domineering, as if trying to devour her, while his large hands kneaded her chest through her clothes.

Before long, Ethan’s hands grew restless, drifting lower to her flat stomach, moving in slow, teasing circles, his fingers tracing the edge of her underwear.

They were on the verge of losing control.

With a last shred of self-control, Lily pushed against his shoulders, breathless from his intense kisses. "Stop, I need to tell you something."

"We’ll talk after," Ethan grumbled, frustrated by the interruption. He leaned in to kiss her again.

Lily quickly turned her head away. "We can’t."

Given her current condition, it wasn’t a good idea to engage in any strenuous bedroom activities.

"Lily Anderson, can you stop ruining the mood?!" Ethan’s face darkened with annoyance. "Fine, fine, tell me your three conditions!"

What could be so important that she needed to set terms before talking?

He was starting to feel more and more powerless around her.

He had really lost to her!

"First, from now on, you need to speak to me gently. No more yelling or throwing tantrums. It affects my mood." Lily raised one finger as she spoke.

Ethan stared at her like she was an alien. "Lily Anderson, did I hear you wrong, or did you misspeak? Are you giving me orders?"

Did this woman really think she had him completely wrapped around her finger?

He hadn’t even gotten a taste of what he wanted, and she was already asking him to change his temper. His temper had always been like this—how was that affecting her mood?! Damn it!

How much was it affecting her mood?

Ignoring him, Lily continued, "Second, you can’t interfere with my personal freedom ever again."

"I already told you I wouldn’t control your life." Why was she still bringing this up?

"Just promise me first," Lily insisted, pursing her lips. Who knew what he would do once she told him she was pregnant? He might use the baby as an excuse to trap her in the Blackwood estate.

She needed to be prepared.

"What’s the third one?" Ethan asked, irritated, as he threw his suit jacket aside. What could be so important that it required all these conditions?

Lily walked over to the desk, picked up the cartoon tomato figurine, and toyed with it, a soft smile playing on her lips. Her eyes sparkled with amusement as she continued, "Third, you’re not allowed to flirt with or be involved with other women ever again."

"Uh, what’s going on? Who’s making all that noise?" A groggy female voice suddenly interrupted her, cutting her off.

Lily froze.

She looked up to see Aiko Nakamura standing in the doorway, half-asleep. Her large eyes blinked in confusion as she rubbed her messy hair.

Lily’s smile froze, and she stared at Aiko in disbelief.

Aiko Nakamura.

Aiko was wearing the suit jacket that Lily had earlier hung on the coat rack for Ethan.

Had Aiko been in the bedroom this whole time? Did she have free access to Ethan’s office?

"Oh, hey, Alex! You’re back!" Aiko’s eyes lit up when she spotted Ethan, and she hurried over, still wearing his oversized jacket, completely ignoring Lily.

Lily could only watch as Aiko ran excitedly toward Ethan.

"Surprise!" Aiko exclaimed happily as she threw herself into Ethan’s arms, lifting her head to kiss him. Her tongue darted out to lick his lips.

The same lips Lily had just kissed.

Thud—

The cartoon tomato slipped from Lily’s hands and hit the floor, her face turning pale.

"Shit!" Ethan hadn’t expected Aiko to pull a stunt like that. His eyes darted to Lily’s shocked face, and he quickly shoved Aiko away, cursing under his breath, "Who the hell are you?!"

Damn it, was this woman out of her mind? How dare she show up in his office!

"I’m Aiko Nakamura! We haven’t seen each other for a while, and you’ve forgotten me already?" Aiko pouted, looking hurt.

"I don’t know you!"

"Don’t be like that, Alex," Aiko said, pouting her pink lips. "Your secretary said you were out, so I figured I’d wait for you here. But I was so tired from my flight that I napped."

"You were sleeping here?"

Before Ethan could explode with anger, Lily suddenly spoke, her voice icy. "You were sleeping in his office?"

Aiko had been sleeping in the bed Ethan had made such a big deal about?

"Yeah," Aiko replied cheerfully, still clinging to Ethan’s arm as she smiled at Lily. "Oh, Lily, you’re here too? I’m back! I’m not going back to Japan this time. Aren’t you happy?"

Happy? Did Aiko seriously think she would be pleased about this?

Lily had half a mind to throw the cartoon tomato at her.

"Who the hell let you in here?!" Ethan snapped, shaking Aiko off. "Are you crazy? Who gave you permission to sleep in my room?!"

What was his secretarial team doing, letting this woman into his office?

"Ow..." Aiko stumbled back, clutching her arm in pain, her face full of grievance as she looked at Ethan. "Why are you so mean? It’s not like it’s my first time sleeping here."

Not the first time?

Lily suddenly felt like a fool. She already knew Ethan had a chaotic love life...

Yet she had convinced herself that because she was carrying his child, they had a reason to be together.

Together?

What did "together" even mean?

Would she be pregnant, spending her days wondering which woman he was with, waiting for him to occasionally come home and grace her with his presence?

Lily Anderson, how is this any different from being his mistress?

"Don’t try to act like there’s something between us!" Ethan snapped, glancing at Lily’s cold expression, a hint of panic flashing in his eyes. He turned to Aiko and shouted, "Get out of here!"

"When I came to your office last time, I slept here, remember?" Aiko said, her face full of confusion.

Just as Lily had suspected, Ethan regularly brought women to his office.

What a joke. He had made such a big deal about showing her his office bed.

Did he say the same thing to every woman? Were the sweet words he whispered to her just recycled lines he used on all his lovers?

Lily couldn’t stand to hear anymore. She turned and walked out.

She could forgive many things, but this was something she couldn’t let go of...

What was the point of being together if she couldn’t change Ethan’s promiscuity?

Ethan quickly caught her arm. "Where are you going? This woman’s crazy. I’ll throw her out right now!"

"Let go!" Lily struggled, glaring at him coldly.

"I’m not letting go!" Ethan’s dark eyes locked onto hers, filled with frustration. The coldness in her eyes made his chest tighten uncomfortably. "You don’t trust me?!"

How was he supposed to know Aiko would show up out of nowhere?

Damn that woman!

He had finally gotten Lily to be affectionate toward him, and now Aiko had ruined everything! Damn it! Who knew how long it would take to fix this mess?

"That’s right, I don’t trust you. Now let me go."

Lily’s voice was calm, but every word was resolute. She used all her strength to pull away from him, but Ethan quickly grabbed her wrist again, spinning her around to face him.

"Lily Anderson, you haven’t finished talking." Ethan wasn’t about to let her run away like that. He held onto her tightly, his voice low and serious.

"I didn’t finish, but now I have nothing to say."

How could he expect her to tell him she was pregnant, with another woman who had just woken up from his bed standing right there? Lily couldn’t do it.

"Lily, stop being so stubborn." For the first time, Ethan tried to explain himself. "I have no idea how Aiko got in here. If you’re mad because of her, I’ll throw her out right now and make sure she never steps foot in my building again!"

Happy now?

Ethan had never felt the need to explain himself to any woman, but for Lily Anderson, he was willing to do it. She had just started warming up to him, and he didn’t want everything to return to square one. He didn’t want to keep hurting himself just to numb the pain in his chest...

He couldn’t lose her again.

"And what about the others?" Lily stopped struggling and looked him in the eye. Her voice was calm as she asked, "Ethan, how many women have been in your bed? Natalie Walker? Emily Prescott? Beth Samson? Who else? How many other names don’t I know?"

"I only have you now!" Ethan growled, his voice heavy with frustration. She was the only woman who had ever made his heart race!

Natalie Walker and Emily Prescott... Those were from so long ago. Why was she bringing up ancient history? What good was it to dig up the past?

"Really?" Lily asked coldly.

Only her? Was it really only her? How many times had she seen and heard of his affairs? And yet he could say this so confidently as if it were the absolute truth...

The cold look on Lily’s face told him she didn’t believe him.

Ethan’s temper flared, and he tightened his grip on her hand, shouting, "Lily Anderson! For the first time, I’ve opened my heart to a woman—only you, Lily Anderson! And you don’t believe me?!"

He had never done for any other woman what he had done for her.

He had never felt for any other woman what he thought for her. And now she was throwing all that back in his face, bringing up old grievances?

And what about her?

He had swallowed his pride and forgiven her for making him a cuckold, and yet she still wasn’t satisfied!

He had been with her all day, so how could she think he had anything to do with Aiko Nakamura? He hadn’t even called that woman here, yet Lily was jealous and angry?

He wanted her to be jealous, to show that she cared, but not like this—not to the point where she was walking away!

A few staff members passed by, sneaking curious glances their way.

Ethan, already furious, turned and shouted, "What are you looking at? Do you want to be fired?!"

"We’re sorry, Mr. Blackwood. We’re sorry! We’ll leave right away." The staff members, terrified, quickly scurried away.

"Lily Anderson, do you really not trust me at all?!" Ethan roared, glaring at her. "I swear I had no idea Aiko would show up!"

Lily looked into his face, silent for a moment before speaking. "Ethan, do you know how many times I’ve told myself? I’ve told myself over and over again not to fall in love with you. How could I fall in love with a man who raped me, a man who’s so promiscuous, a man who even threatened me with drugs?"

Ethan’s eyes widened, and momentarily, he was speechless, still holding onto her hand.

Had he really been that awful to her?

What about everything he had done for her? Did none of that matter?

"Maybe I’m just an idiot," Lily continued, her voice eerily calm, as if she were simply stating facts about someone else. "I warned myself thousands of times, but when you stood up for me at the Carter family’s centennial celebration, that’s when I fell in love with you."