30 Days of Passion and Revenge-Chapter 215: Mysteries Exposed

Lily glanced at Alex’s hand. His ring finger bore a visible scrape, a long wound with clear traces of blood.

Noticing her gaze, Alex saw the wedding ring in her hand. Without a word, he subtly moved his injured hand behind him.

When he and Alice Johnson were forcibly brought here, he had intentionally thrown the ring away. That wedding ring had been publicized before. If the police found it, it could lead them to this location.

However, instead of the police, it had drawn Lily here. What an ironic twist.

"We’re discussing business," Ethan Blackwood said, pulling Lily beside him. He wrapped an arm around her slender waist, drawing her close. Leaning toward her ear, he lowered his voice so only the two could hear. His tone was cold as ice. "You’ve gotten bold, haven’t you? Following me?"

Ethan’s voice carried a chilling edge, sending shivers down Lily’s spine.

When he sent people to follow her, it was perfectly justified. But when it was the other way around, he was furious... That was his double standard: what was acceptable for him wasn’t for anyone else.

"Double standard," Lily muttered softly.

Ethan immediately kissed her ear and whispered hoarsely, "I’ll deal with you when we get home."

Her sudden appearance had disrupted all his plans.

He had intended for her to ring the doorbell several times and leave when no one answered. But this woman... her stubbornness was unmatched. She refused to leave until she had seen what was inside the villa.

Alex Carter watched their intimate exchange, his hand tightening around Alice Johnson’s shoulder. His knuckles turned white, veins popping as a flash of jealousy and resentment flickered in his eyes, though it disappeared quickly.

"This... you dropped it outside," Lily said, placing the ring on the coffee table. Her tone was calm, though there was a faint note of inquiry. She glanced at Alex, wanting to ask about the injury on his hand.

"Mm," Alex responded, his face calm and refined. He gave her a faint smile but offered no explanation. Reaching out, he moved to pick up the ring.

But another hand—long, strong, and faster—snatched the ring before he could. Alex’s hand paused midair as he turned to look at Ethan.

"Trash like this should’ve been thrown away long ago," Ethan said disdainfully, casting Alex a cold glance. With a sneer, he casually tossed the ring into the trash can.

The room fell into a heavy silence.

Alex stared at the trash can, his fists clenching tighter, though his face betrayed no emotion.

Lily watched as the ring dropped into the trash, her gaze momentarily distant.

The wedding ring wasn’t trash, but it was... no longer necessary.

Now, she had Ethan, and Alex had Alice. The ring should have been put away long ago. Why was Alex still wearing it?

"What were you discussing?" Lily suddenly asked, her expression calm, though her almond-shaped eyes held a multitude of unanswered questions.

"Business. And... personal matters," Ethan said, his thin lips curving into a faint, mocking smile.

She had once asked Ethan not to interfere with Carter International, yet he still insisted on getting involved?

And personal matters... What personal issues could he possibly have with Alex?

As if sensing her thoughts, Ethan glanced at Alex and Alice, letting out a cold laugh. "They’re getting married."

Married?!

Lily’s eyes widened in shock as she looked at Alex. Were he and Alice getting married so soon?

Alex’s expression shifted slightly, but he maintained his gentle smile. Sitting beside him, Alice looked at Lily apologetically and said, "I just wanted to apologize for what happened in the dressing room last time. I went too far."

Alice looked thinner and paler than before, clearly having suffered from the public backlash after the incident in the dressing room.

What Alice had endured after that incident was far worse than Lily’s experience.

"It’s all in the past," Lily said, shaking her head and forcing a smile. "Congratulations to you both."

Alex’s gaze lingered on her, a flash of pain passing through his eyes.

"Thank you," Alice replied on his behalf, noticing Alex’s hesitation.

"Have we Finished catching up?" Ethan snorted coldly, placing a hand on Lily’s shoulder. He lowered his gaze to hers, his dark eyes piercing. "Go, wait for me in the car. We’re heading home."

Lily hesitated, then nodded. "Alright."

Lowering her head, she pretended to organize her bag. Quietly, she turned on the voice recorder on her phone and slipped it behind a throw pillow without drawing attention. Then she stood and walked out.

Outside, the sky had turned dark.

Lily stood by the car long before the villa’s gates finally opened. Ethan emerged first, followed by Alex and Alice.

Lily walked over to Ethan, who immediately pulled her into his arms. He glanced at Alex and Alice with a cold, dismissive look. "Take care. I won’t be seeing you off."

"Take care," Alex replied, shaking Lily’s hand. As he did, he discreetly passed a small object into her palm.

Lily looked at him in surprise.

"What’s this, Carter? Are you looking for a fight?" Ethan growled, swatting Alex’s hand away, his eyes blazing with anger.

Even as he was leaving, Alex had to touch his woman?

"Goodbye," Alex said calmly. As he walked past them, he gave Lily a deep, complex look filled with emotions she couldn’t decipher.

Alex got into the car with his arm around Alice, and they drove away.

"Let’s go," Ethan said, pulling Lily toward their car.

"Wait. I think I forgot something inside," Lily said with a smile before quickly heading back into the villa. She retrieved the phone she had hidden earlier and slipped it into her bag.

The object Alex had slipped her was a small memory card. Lily was puzzled. Why would Alex give me this?

"What did you forget?" Ethan asked as she walked back outside.

"My phone," Lily replied.

"Hand it over," Ethan said, holding out his palm.

Lily looked at him, confused. "What?"

"Your phone." Ethan’s gaze was sharp as if he could see right through her.

Lily’s heart skipped a beat. Before she could respond, Ethan snatched her bag, pulled out her phone, and tossed it aside. "I’ll buy you a new one."

"...What are you doing?" Lily stared at him in disbelief. "Ethan Blackwood, why did you throw my phone away?"

"If there’s something you want to know, just ask me directly," Ethan said, his voice cold.

He didn’t need to think twice to know that she had recorded or taken pictures earlier. She had tried little tricks like this on him before.

"Would you have told me if I asked?" Lily shot back, her lips pressed tightly together.

Ethan glanced toward where her phone had landed, his expression dark with irritation. "You don’t get to play games like this with me."

"Then why did you bring Alice and Alex to such a remote place?" Lily pressed, her tone unwavering. She hated being left in the dark.

"There are things you don’t need to know," Ethan replied coldly.

"I’ve been kept in the dark too many times, Ethan. If you want this relationship to work, stop hiding things from me," Lily said, clutching his hand and looking at him with frustration and pleading. "I don’t want to feel like an idiot, constantly guessing what you’re up to."

"I never told you to guess," Ethan said, frowning. What is this woman thinking?

"Then stop keeping secrets from me," Lily insisted, tightening her grip on his hand.

Ethan grabbed her hand in return, his tone impatient. "Let’s go. We’re going home."

Lily stared at his back, disappointment washing over her as she freed her hand.

Ethan turned to look at her but said nothing. Lily walked ahead, got into the car, and deliberately sat closer to the door, separating them.

"Lily Anderson!" Ethan glared at her, displeased, as he reached out to pull her closer.

Lily brushed his hand away. "I don’t want to talk to you right now."

This woman... Her defiance and mood swings were pushing his patience.

"Lily—Anderson!" Ethan growled through clenched teeth.

Lily continued to ignore him, staring out the window. Suddenly, Ethan grabbed her face, turning her toward him. Before she could resist, his lips crashed onto hers.

"Mmph..." Lily tried to struggle, hitting his chest in anger.

But Ethan didn’t seem to feel the blows. He kissed her fiercely, his lips claiming hers with a fiery passion. His tongue pried her lips apart, dominating her in an unrelenting kiss, pouring all his emotions into her.

"Mmph..."

Lily struggled, but Ethan’s arms wrapped tightly around her, one hand on her waist, the other on the back of her head, holding her in place as he kissed her with an intensity that left her breathless.

The kiss was overwhelming, consuming her completely. She could feel his heart pounding against her fists as she slowly gave in, melting into his embrace.

Finally, Ethan pulled away, his dark eyes burning with emotion. "Lily Anderson, I love you. I just want you to know that."

His voice was firm, so steady it made her feel safe.

Lily stared at him, her anger dissipating. She realized, once again, how easily Ethan could make her relent.

Seeing she was no longer resisting, Ethan leaned in to kiss her again, savoring her warmth.

Back at the villa, dinner was already prepared in the kitchen.

"I’m going to shower," Ethan said, heading to the bathroom. Though he had grown numb to the scent of blood, he still felt as though it clung to him, and he didn’t want Lily to notice it.

"Okay," Lily replied.

Watching him disappear into the bathroom, Lily walked into his study and pulled the tiny memory card out of her bag.

Why did Alex give me this?

Puzzled, she inserted the card into a reader and opened it on the computer. To her surprise, it was her phone’s memory card.

When did Alex take this out of my phone?

Does that mean the recording... is still intact?

Lily’s heart raced as she opened the recording file. The timestamp matched today’s events. Alex must have noticed her hiding the phone and removed the card.

She clicked on the file. At first, there was only silence—no sound at all for a long stretch.

Feeling nervous, Lily sipped her milk and waited.

Finally, Cipher Stone’s voice came through. "Mr. Blackwood, we’ve put Chairman Carter on oxygen. Should we temporarily detain Mr. Anderson as well?"

Then came Alex’s calm voice: "Ethan, I’ve played along with your act. Lily doesn’t know anything. Can you release my father and Mr. Anderson now? My father’s health is deteriorating."

Lily’s grip tightened on the milk cup. Ethan kidnapped Alex’s father... and my father?

What is he doing?!

On the recording, Ethan let out a cold laugh. "How do I know you won’t talk once you’re out?"

Alex’s tone grew agitated. "So your solution is to kidnap both Lily’s and my father? With your resources, you could relocate this entire base overnight. You don’t need to worry about us saying anything."