30 Days of Passion and Revenge-Chapter 222: The Antidote’s Price

Hearing this, Aiko Nakamura’s eyes filled with unmistakable fear. In shock, she turned to Ethan and asked, "How did you know I was being protected?"

"I should be asking you—what other identities are you hiding?!" Ethan sneered coldly, his lips curling into a sardonic smile. "In all of Asia, there are fewer than five people whose backgrounds I can’t uncover. A wealthy heiress, a royal princess... or something else entirely? What are you hiding that I can’t find out?!"

As Ethan spoke, Aiko’s expression shifted. The look of innocence and grievance faded from her face, replaced by a cold, calculating smile that mirrored Ethan’s own. "Do you want to know? You know who to ask. If you dare lay a hand on me, let’s see if your father will spare you."

Lily stared at Aiko in surprise. The smile on Aiko’s face... was identical to the one she wore while playing a scheming empress in a drama.

Off-camera, Lily had never seen such an expression on Aiko’s face before.

Every time she saw Aiko’s seemingly innocent face twist into a cold smile, chills ran down her spine. It felt out of place, so unnatural.

In Lily’s mind, Aiko had always been a bright, vivacious, and energetic girl who chased love with reckless abandon.

But the Aiko standing before her now was completely different. It was shocking.

"Don’t you dare try to threaten me!" Ethan roared, his anger boiling over. He stepped forward and grabbed the collar of Aiko’s dress, lifting her off the ground. "If you don’t hand over the antidote, you’ll see if I dare kill you!"

Dangling on her tiptoes, Aiko’s eyes flickered with fear, and she didn’t dare to provoke Ethan further.

"Take her away! Make sure you ’welcome’ her properly!" Ethan barked, shoving Aiko toward the bodyguards. They immediately restrained her and escorted her out.

"Why would your father not spare you if you touched her?!" Lily asked, watching Aiko being dragged away. Her confusion was evident.

What did Aiko mean by that?

"Don’t listen to her nonsense!" Ethan replied through gritted teeth. His gaze shifted to Lily’s bleeding hand, and he reached out to take it.

Lily instinctively stepped back, hiding her injured hand behind her back.

"Let me see your hand!" Ethan demanded, his tone leaving no room for argument.

"It’s fine. I’ll clean the wound," Lily said with a forced smile, turning to leave. Her foot suddenly landed on something hard.

Looking down, she saw the ring Aiko had dropped earlier. It was still stained with blood.

Lily froze, fragments of memories flashing in her mind as if the answer to everything was just about to surface.

"Ethan," Lily said, bending down to pick up the ring. She turned to him and continued, "Have this ring tested. It might have traces of AuroraVirus."

"What?" Ethan frowned.

"I’m unsure if I’m right, but the ring has my blood on it. Can you test it to see if there’s anything on the ring itself?" Lily asked.

"You think she came here just to poison you again?" Ethan’s eyes narrowed as he pieced together her meaning. "That’s impossible." 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

She was already infected with AuroraVirus. Why would Aiko go through the trouble of poisoning her again?

Impossible? Lily thought, her gaze shifting to the lemonade Aiko had tried to make her drink. There may have been another way to prove it.

Lily strode over to the table without hesitation, picked up the glass, and downed half the lemonade in one gulp.

"What are you doing?!" Ethan roared, his voice laced with alarm. What is she trying to do?!

"I want to prove if Aiko Nakamura is harming me," Lily said firmly, gripping the glass tightly as she stood still, waiting.

For a long moment, nothing happened.

Then Lily took a few steps. Suddenly, her head felt dizzy. Her vision darkened for a second as if everything had gone black. But just as quickly, her sight returned as if nothing had happened.

This feeling...

She had experienced it before.

Lily’s legs gave out, and she collapsed onto the sofa. "I need to see Aiko Nakamura."

Her face was pale, and Ethan stared at her intently. After a moment, he nodded. "Alright."

Ethan wrapped his arm protectively around Lily’s shoulders as they made their way forward in a dimly lit underground facility on the city’s outskirts. Lily’s bandaged hand was tucked into her pocket, while her other hand held a transparent plastic bag containing the half glass of lemonade.

The corridor was eerily quiet except for the sound of their footsteps. Suddenly, faint, blood-curdling screams echoed from a nearby room. The chilling cries made Lily’s body stiffen involuntarily.

Ethan glanced at a nearby bodyguard and gave him a subtle signal. The man quickly jogged away, and the screams abruptly stopped moments later.

"Can you release the innocent people?" Lily asked softly. She hated the thought of others suffering because of her.

"Not yet. Are you certain Aiko Nakamura is the one who poisoned you?" Ethan asked coldly, a dangerous glint in his eyes.

"Yes, I’m certain," Lily replied with conviction. There was no longer any doubt in her mind.

A bodyguard opened a door with a refined aesthetic, and Ethan guided Lily inside.

The room was spacious but barren, save for an expensive chandelier overhead. In the corner was a long table and a single chair. Aiko Nakamura sat bound to the chair, her hands and legs tied tightly, the restraints leaving visible marks on her skin. Her once pristine hairstyle was now a tangled mess.

Two black men stood guard beside her. When Ethan entered, they bowed respectfully and greeted him, "Mr. Blackwood."

Hearing their voices, Aiko looked up. Her once lively, delicate face was now pale and marred with a large wound at the corner of her mouth. Blood trickled down her chin, staining her already battered appearance.

Lily was taken aback by the sight. In such a short time, Ethan’s men had managed to turn Aiko into this...

Ethan let go of Lily and stepped forward, slamming his foot onto the long table. His anger barely contained, he roared, "Hand over the antidote right now! I have no patience for your games!"

Aiko’s breathing was shaky as she stared at Ethan’s foot on the table. "I don’t know what antidote you’re talking about... Your father won’t forgive you if you don’t let me go."

"You’re courting death?!" Enraged by her threats, Ethan kicked the table over, sending it crashing into Aiko.

"Ah—!" Aiko screamed as the table hit her chest, her face contorting in pain.

"Move the table," Lily said calmly, glancing at the bodyguards.

"Yes, ma’am," the two men responded, quickly removing the table from Aiko’s body.

"Let me talk to her," Lily said, stepping forward.

Ethan’s face was still twisted with anger, but he reluctantly stepped aside. A bodyguard brought over two chairs, one of which Ethan slumped into, tugging at his tie in frustration.

Aiko’s tear-filled eyes locked onto Lily as she approached. Her voice was pitiful as she sobbed, "Miss Anderson... I don’t understand what Ethan is talking about. Please, ask him to let me go. If he doesn’t, I’ll die here... Please, help me..."

Lily stared at her, unmoved, and waited for her to finish. Then, in a calm voice, she said, "If I let you go, the one who dies will be me."

Aiko looked at her in confusion. "Miss Anderson, what are you talking about?"

"Are you thirsty?" Lily placed the half glass of lemonade on the table. Her tone was cold as she asked, "Would you like a drink?"

Shock flashed across Aiko’s eyes, and she stared at Lily in disbelief.

Suddenly, the tears stopped. Her expression shifted seamlessly as if she had figured everything out. Aiko’s gaze turned hateful as she glared at Lily. "I see now. That medical report was fake. You used it to trick me into making another move so you could catch me."

When Aiko had seen Lily’s medical report, she had thought the infection hadn’t taken hold—after all, the bacteria wasn’t guaranteed to infect someone immediately. That’s why she had been desperate to strike again.

But this time, it had been a trap.

Ethan’s eyes darkened with rage as the truth dawned on him. So it really was her. Damn it! How did I ever think this woman was harmless?!

"You can stop pretending now," Lily said, her hand covering the lemonade glass. "Before you left for Japan, you insisted on sharing a glass of juice with me. Even back then, you were targeting me. Why?"

Aiko fell silent momentarily, then began to laugh as though she had just heard the funniest joke. Her gaze shifted to Ethan. "Why? For this man, of course."

Tears streaked her face, mingling with the blood on her lips, but her laughter rang out loud and clear. The sight was both pitiful and horrifying.

"Bang!" Ethan slammed his hand on the table, his voice thunderous and fury. "Cut the crap! Hand over the antidote, or I’ll make sure you suffer endlessly!"

Lily was momentarily stunned by Aiko’s words. Watching Ethan’s rage, her chest tightened with pain.

Is he regretting ever having anything to do with her? Is that why he’s so angry?

"My mother always told me to take the initiative against potential threats," Aiko said coldly, turning back to Lily. "I don’t like killing people outright. AuroraVirus was just the best choice among many bacteria. Ethan, how long could you love a bald, bedridden woman? A month? Two months? Or... ten years?"

"Smack!" Ethan’s palm struck Aiko’s face with such force that her head snapped to the side.

Blood spewed from her mouth as Ethan’s voice boomed, "Don’t think I won’t hit a woman! Say one more word, and I dare you to see what happens!"

"I love you!" Aiko said defiantly, her voice unwavering.

"Smack!" Ethan hit her again, this time swelling half her face. She spat blood onto the floor.

"Are you that desperate for a man? I’ve got plenty of men here for you!" Ethan said, his gaze cold and merciless.

Aiko stared at him in panic. "What are you going to do? You can’t! Your father won’t forgive you!"

"Let’s see who dies first—you or me!" Ethan sneered, slamming his fist onto the table. "Who wants to go first?"

Aiko’s lips trembled in fear. "I’m your woman..."

Ethan raised his hand to hit her again, but Lily’s voice stopped him. "Don’t."

"Go back home. I’ll deal with this," Ethan said, his voice low but still simmering with rage. His fists were clenched tightly, veins bulging as he tried to contain himself.

"Whatever you do, just don’t hurt her that way," Lily said softly, her gaze steady.

Ethan froze, remembering how he had once ordered someone to hurt her similarly.