30 Days of Passion and Revenge-Chapter 188: The Impossible Escape

The bodyguards had moved quickly—they had already found their way to the restroom.

Lily opened her phone, which she had turned off earlier to avoid being tracked while boarding the plane. It was filled with missed calls from Ethan’s arrogant and domineering number.

Before she could even make a call, his number appeared on the screen again, ringing.

Lily’s lips pressed into a tight line as she forcefully ended the call. There was no way she could pick up his call now.

Instead, she quickly dialed her friend Sophia Bennett’s number, her voice filled with tension. "Hello, Sophia, listen to me, I’m being—"

"Actually, you should listen to me, Lily," Sophia said excitedly. "I saw how reluctant you were to let go of that handsome guy, Ethan... so I went to see him. Please forgive me!"

Now she understood why Ethan had found her so quickly.

She had told Sophia about Ethan—his overbearing personality, ruthless methods, and vast influence. Her friend’s "help" had only pushed her further into the abyss.

"Did you give him my letter?" Lily forced herself to stay calm and asked.

"Yes, but why didn’t you tell me you’re pregnant?! How could you go off alone when you’re expecting a baby?" Sophia chattered away.

Lily’s face instantly turned pale.

Ethan... knew about the baby.

What would he think? Would he be happy or furious?

He had already believed she betrayed him, that she had cheated on him. Would he think the baby was Alex’s?

"Where are you now? I’ll come find you!" Sophia asked, now sounding anxious.

With Ethan’s bodyguards searching everywhere outside...

There was no way Lily could escape now.

Bang, bang, bang—

The restroom door was suddenly pounded on, and a male voice called out from the other side, "Everyone out in three minutes! We need to conduct a search!"

Lily closed her eyes in despair. The bodyguards were even checking the women’s restroom?

How could she possibly escape now?

She was already caught in the net...

"No need. I’m not leaving," Lily said softly, hanging up the phone.

She couldn’t escape anymore...

Lily stood in front of the sink again, splashing water on her face. She stared at her pale reflection in the mirror, trying to calm herself. And yet, she was still thinking about what Ethan might be feeling right now...

No matter what he thought, with his domineering and possessive nature, he would surely drag her back without asking any questions...

Lily watched as the women in the restroom slowly filed out one by one...

It felt like she was waiting for her doom, her body growing colder with each passing second.

She could no longer escape, yet she clung to the thought of struggling.

Pulling the hood of her casual coat over her head, Lily looked at her reflection in the mirror. It would be a miracle if she wasn’t recognized.

Her gaze shifted to a woman packing up her makeup bag nearby, and an idea suddenly flashed through her mind.

Lily approached her and asked, "Excuse me, could I borrow your makeup?"

The woman hesitated, looking at Lily curiously. Lily quickly added, "I’m meeting my boyfriend and want to look nice."

"Sure, but you need to be quick. The people outside are asking us to leave."

"Thank you."

Lily smiled gratefully, taking the makeup bag and quickly rummaging through it.

She had always gone out barefaced, and with makeup, she looked completely different. Not even Ethan’s bodyguards, or Ethan himself, had ever seen her in heavy makeup.

Whenever she even lightly touched up her eyebrows, Ethan would scold her...

Lily deliberately applied a heavy layer of makeup, darkening her eyes with smoky shadow and painting her lips a bold red. In an instant, her face transformed into something sultry and seductive.

"Thank you."

She returned the makeup bag to the woman, then quickly took off her coat, tied it around her waist, and tousled her hair to give herself a wild, rebellious look.

With a deep breath, Lily mingled with the crowd as they left the restroom. Fortunately, none of the bodyguards outside were familiar faces like Cipher Stone.

Lily kept her head down as she walked past them. The bodyguards glanced at the photos in their hands, gave the women a quick once-over, and let them pass.

Lily breathed a sigh of relief and stayed close to a group walking together.

Cipher was still in the waiting area, scanning the crowd, directing the search with his sharp eyes.

Once outside, Lily saw the terminal filled with stranded passengers. It wasn’t just her flight—all flights had been stopped... Ethan had caused this massive disruption.

The airport’s main entrance was lined with bodyguards, but at least they weren’t preventing people from leaving. Her heart pounding, Lily slipped out of the airport and got into a taxi.

Only then did her racing heart begin to settle...

She couldn’t imagine what would happen if Ethan caught her this time.

"Miss, where to?" the driver asked.

"Just get me out of the city," Lily replied. The last time Alex took her to the seaside villa, Ethan took a while to find her. He would search the entire city first...

She could figure out her next steps once she was out of the city. She couldn’t return to her hometown now.

As the taxi drove away, Lily fixed her hair and properly put her coat back on, waiting quietly. She had checked in her suitcase and hadn’t dared to retrieve it...

Everything was a mess.

How had things gotten so out of control? Her mindset before boarding, and now we’re worlds apart...

SCREECH—

The taxi came to a sudden halt, violently jolting Lily. She instinctively clutched her belly. "What happened?"

"I-I don’t know..."

The driver stammered, clearly terrified.

Lily looked up and saw that a dozen black cars had blocked the broad road, surrounding the taxi and bringing traffic to a standstill.

A group of well-trained bodyguards exited the cars and surrounded the taxi.

Lily leaned back in her seat, her heart sinking. They had found her after all.

She had thought she could escape this time... Why was freedom always so far out of reach and distant from what she wanted...

The bodyguards didn’t ask her to get out. They stood silently, their faces expressionless, waiting for something.

Suddenly, everyone’s attention shifted forward.

The two black cars blocking the road moved aside, creating a path. A silver convertible sped through, coming to a screeching halt in front of the taxi.

A bodyguard immediately rushed forward to open the car door.

It was dusk, and thick clouds hung low in the sky as the sun set, casting a golden glow over the road. A tall figure stepped out of the car, wearing a long black coat accentuating his height and imposing presence. His dark tie was perfectly knotted, his shirt immaculate.

Lily’s hands clenched tightly in her lap as she stared at the familiar figure, her breath catching in her throat.

Ethan glared at the taxi, striding forward with a dark, stormy expression, his eyes as black as a bottomless abyss.

BANG— 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

The door beside her was smashed open, and a bodyguard used a crowbar to pry it loose.

The terrified driver cowered, clutching the steering wheel and mumbling, "Call the police—someone call the police."

As Ethan approached the car, the bodyguards stepped back, his gaze locking onto Lily’s heavily made-up face. His breath hitched.

Their eyes met.

The tension in the air was suffocating.

"Lily Anderson, did you enjoy this game of hide and seek?" After a long pause, Ethan leaned an arm against the car, looking down at her with a dark expression. "Look at you—what mess have you made of yourself?"

He had always told her he hated it when she wore makeup, and now she had applied it so thickly just to avoid him.

Lily lowered her gaze, her fists clenching tighter. "Do you enjoy playing cat and mouse?"

"Get out!" Ethan slammed his fist against the car’s roof, his voice filled with fury.

Lily knew she couldn’t escape this time. She stepped out of the car and stood in front of him.

The dark cloud hanging over Ethan was suffocating.

Ethan stared at her expressionless face, a tightness building in his chest. He instinctively reached for his tie but remembered it was the one she had just fixed for him, so he stopped.

"Where were you planning to run off to?" Ethan growled through gritted teeth, glaring at her without raising a hand.

It had been a long time since he had brought himself to hit her. He had learned to hold back his anger.

"Does it matter now?" Lily asked, meeting his furious gaze. "Aren’t you here to drag me back? Let’s go."

There was no way she could escape now...

There was no point in talking more. The new life she had wanted was slipping further and further away. All she had to look forward to now was her continued imprisonment.

"Lily Anderson!" Ethan slammed his fist against the car again, his rage boiling over. "What do you want from me? I told you I wouldn’t control your life anymore. And what do I get in return? You’re pregnant and planned to tell me a month later?!"

She only knew how to run away from him.

Even after having his child, she still wanted to leave him. Did watching him search for her like a fool make her happy?

Lily’s eyelashes fluttered, her voice trembling as she said, "I considered not telling you at all."

"Not telling me?! Ha..." As if hearing a joke, Ethan let out a cold laugh. "Lily Anderson, what gives you the right not to tell me?"

That child was his!

He was the father! How could she even think about not telling him and running away with their baby?

Ethan’s reaction surprised Lily. She looked up at him, confused. "I thought... you’d believe the child was Alex’s."

Was this his way of showing trust, or was it something else?

"I..." Ethan wanted to argue, but the words stuck in his throat, and a flicker of hesitation crossed his eyes.

When he found out she was pregnant, his first thought had been that she was carrying his child.

He hadn’t even considered Alex.

Hadn’t he been convinced she had slept with Alex? So why had he never doubted it was his from the moment he found out about the baby?

Perhaps, deep down, he had already believed her. That she hadn’t betrayed him, that she hadn’t cheated on him.

Maybe he did trust her after all...

The flicker of uncertainty in Ethan’s eyes didn’t escape Lily’s notice. She thought he was hesitating because of her question, that he was at a loss for words...

Her chest tightened with pain, the ache so sharp she wanted to double over.

"Do you have nothing to say?" Lily asked, a bitter smile tugging at her lips. "Or do you want me to get rid of the baby?"

"That’s my child!" Ethan shouted. He would never let her get rid of his baby!

"And if it weren’t?" Lily countered, her voice tinged with bitterness.

Hadn’t he been convinced she had slept with Alex?

"Lily! Are you trying to pick a fight with me?" Ethan growled, his frustration boiling over. "When I didn’t believe you, you blamed me for not trusting you! Now that I believe the baby is mine, you still give me attitude! What do you want from me?!"