30 Days of Passion and Revenge-Chapter 223: The Truth Behind Aiko

Ethan was about to explode with anger when a sudden thought struck him—he had once ordered other men to assault Lily Anderson.

Damn it.

How many stupid things had he done in the past?

"Miss Anderson, are you pretending to be kind? I don’t believe you don’t want the antidote." Aiko Nakamura sneered, blood still dripping from the corner of her mouth.

"Say one more word, and I swear—!" Ethan’s rage flared again, but he forcefully pulled back his raised hand.

"If we want the antidote, there are other ways." Lily pushed the glass of lemonade across the table and glanced at the bodyguards. "Make her drink it."

Aiko laughed again. "Do you think I’m afraid of this? Mmph—"

Before she could finish her sentence, the bodyguards grabbed her and forced the lemonade down her throat. Despite her struggles, she couldn’t stop them as they pinched her face, distorting her features, and made her drink every drop of the half-full glass.

"How does it taste?" Lily asked coldly. She had always believed in not provoking others unless provoked herself. While she hated dragging innocent people into her mess, she had no intention of showing mercy to her enemies.

She wasn’t a saint, and her distaste for Ethan’s tactic of using men to humiliate women didn’t mean that her kindness extended to someone who had infected her with AuroraVirus.

"I’m not afraid of this. At worst, we’ll die together," Aiko said, glaring at Lily with her defiant eyes.

"I don’t know how much you love Ethan," Lily said as she walked around the table to stand over Aiko, her tone cold and mocking. "But you must know why Ethan ever noticed you in the first place because you bear a slight resemblance to me. What he liked... was never you, Aiko Nakamura."

Ethan’s gaze fell on Lily’s face, his heart sinking. He wanted to shoot himself right then and there.

Damn it, he thought. The woman I brought into my life to spite Lily has hurt her. I’ve never done anything this stupid in my entire existence!

Aiko froze upon hearing Lily’s words, her expression stiffening as if Lily had struck a nerve.

"Even if, as you say, I become a bald, bedridden woman and Ethan doesn’t love me for long... at least I’ve never been loved by him. How does that compare to you?" Lily said, her voice cutting.

Aiko’s face twisted in anger. Ethan could never love her, not even for a single day.

"You’re still young—only twenty. The world is vast, and there are plenty of people out there. Are you sure you want to waste your life clinging to AuroraVirus?" Lily asked coldly.

Ethan watched her intently, his expression unreadable. Her words were sharp and logical as if she could have been a psychologist. Yet each sentence felt like a dagger stabbing into him as if she were blaming him for everything.

If they didn’t get the antidote, it wouldn’t be Aiko who killed Lily—it would be him, Ethan Blackwood.

That thought made Ethan feel like his chest was about to explode.

Aiko was silent for a moment before letting out a bitter laugh. "The world? Other people? What if I told you I’ve lived my entire life for Ethan?"

For Ethan?

Lily’s eyes widened in shock as she turned to look at him.

"What nonsense are you spouting?!" Ethan snapped angrily. Lived her life for me? Ridiculous!

Damn it.

He barely even remembered how he’d met Aiko. She was just a convenient pawn he’d used to provoke Lily—a vase he’d picked up and discarded without a second thought.

"There’s no nonsense. To be precise, I was raised to become the wife of the Blackwood family’s heir," Aiko explained.

"The Blackwood family’s... daughter-in-law?" Lily echoed, stunned. She stared at Aiko, her mind blank.

The Blackwood family’s daughter-in-law...

Aiko and Ethan?

Seeing the dazed look on Lily’s face, Ethan panicked. He slammed his fist on the table and roared, "Say one more word, and I swear I’ll make sure you never dream of me marrying you!"

Lily glanced at Ethan, her confusion deepening.

Wasn’t Aiko just a random woman Ethan had picked up? Wasn’t she merely an obsessive girl who loved Ethan to madness?

How had she suddenly become the designated Blackwood daughter-in-law?

What was going on? How much had Ethan never told her?

"The Blackwood family is the leading financial powerhouse in Europe," Aiko said with a bitter laugh. "When a Blackwood heir is born, the patriarch selects suitable families for marriage alliances—usually more than one. Girls like me, raised to become Blackwood daughters-in-law, exist worldwide."

Lily was hearing this for the first time, and her shock was palpable.

"I’ve never heard of this!" Ethan snarled. "Aiko Nakamura, stop spouting nonsense! Where is the antidote?!"

"Do you know what my childhood was like?" Aiko continued, ignoring his demand. "From the time I was born, everything I ate was strictly controlled. My weight was monitored daily. Even my height had to meet certain requirements by specific ages. If I didn’t meet the standards, I would lose my chance to be a candidate for the Blackwood family."

As Aiko recounted her story, tears began to fall from her eyes.

Lily couldn’t tell if her tears were real or fake, but she felt a pang of sympathy.

She had always known that the Blackwood family was powerful and wealthy. Still, she hadn’t realized their methods were so extreme—selecting daughters-in-law with such ruthless precision.

"Are you making up stories now, Aiko?" Ethan sneered.

"You don’t believe me? Oh, that’s right—you’re the third son who was only brought back to the family later. There’s so much you don’t know." Aiko’s tears fell like broken pearls. "I’ve never had freedom. Every word, every action, even my smile... all of it was rehearsed every day, just so that one day, I might marry into the Blackwood family."

Aiko turned her tear-filled gaze to Lily. "So, Miss Anderson, you tell me—how could I explore the world? How could I love anyone else? From the moment I was born, my fate was sealed."

Lily silently listened for a moment before asking, "And how does that justify what you did to me?"

Because she was chosen as a Blackwood daughter-in-law, she had to harm Lily to such an extent?

Would torturing Lily satisfy her? Would stepping on Lily make her worthy of being Ethan’s wife?

"The only truthful thing I ever said to you was that I fell in love with Ethan at first sight," Aiko said, trembling. "When I was informed that I had been chosen as his wife, I intentionally attended that party. When he walked toward me, I thought... all those years of effort were finally worth it."

So, from the very beginning, Aiko’s appearance had been deliberate, with a calculated purpose.

"Have you said enough? Where’s the antidote?" Ethan asked coldly. He was a man who didn’t waste emotions, and her words left him unmoved.

Right now, all he cared about was obtaining the antidote.

"You said you couldn’t uncover the rest of my background," Aiko said, her tone bitter as she looked at Ethan. "My mother may appear to be a noblewoman of the Japanese royal family, but in reality, she’s the leader of the largest mafia organization in America."

Mafia...

No wonder her background was so well-hidden. Such a shadowy existence would be thoroughly concealed.

Shit.

"Out of all the girls, I was chosen by the Blackwood patriarch not because of my beauty or talent but because my mother has built a successful empire over the years. The Blackwood patriarch saw an opportunity for mutual benefit, a way to expand their influence in America."

"I want the antidote!" Ethan roared, slamming his hands on the table and leaning toward Aiko. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

His patience was gone entirely.

She kept rambling about irrelevant nonsense. When was this going to end?

"Fine. Marry me," Aiko said with a tearful, mocking smile.

"Keep dreaming!" Ethan rejected her without a second thought.

Lily stood quietly on the side, unable to interject. She didn’t even know what to say.

Aiko’s story had touched her in some way.

She had never known how much Aiko had been burdened from such a young age.

"Then I guess Miss Anderson and I will suffer together," Aiko said with a laugh.

"I’ll make sure your suffering is a hundred times worse!" Ethan growled.

"Let’s see who lasts longer," Aiko retorted, utterly indifferent to the torture she was enduring in the underground facility.

"Then let’s find out." Ethan turned to the bodyguards with a cold glare. "Do whatever you want to her—just don’t touch her that way."

"Yes, Mr. Blackwood."

"Let’s go," Ethan said, grabbing Lily’s hand and leading her out.

Lily followed him passively, but as they reached the exit, Aiko’s voice, dripping with mockery, echoed behind them. "I really wonder how long you two can love each other under the shadow of AuroraVirus."

Her words pierced through Lily like a dagger.

How long can you love her?

How far could she and Ethan go together? Lily’s heart was filled with uncertainty.

When they stepped out of the underground base, the sun was shining brightly. The sudden light stung Lily’s eyes, and she instinctively shut them. A large hand reached out to shield her from the sunlight, casting a shadow over her face.

She looked up to see Ethan’s perfectly sculpted face, his dark eyes gazing deeply at her.

Her heart skipped a beat.

"Thank you," Lily said with a soft smile.

"Lily Anderson."

"Hmm?"

Ethan’s voice was low and hoarse. "I’m sorry."

Sorry for what?

Sorry for ever getting involved with Aiko Nakamura?

"She’s the wife your father chose for you. Did you know about it all along? Why didn’t you tell me?" Lily asked, her tone calm.

His reaction made it clear that he already knew but had chosen not to tell her.

Was it because he was afraid it would hurt her?

Did he think she was too fragile to handle the truth?

Before she could dwell on it, Ethan pulled her into a tight embrace. His arms wrapped around her with so much force it felt like he wanted to fuse her into himself. "I promised you that you’d be the only woman in my life. I won’t marry her."

Hearing this, Lily let out a small laugh. "I thought you’d say something cliché, like marrying her for my sake."

Like in those drama clichés where the male lead sacrifices love for duty, choosing a marriage he doesn’t want.

"I have plenty of ways to make her talk. Why would I marry her?" Ethan said matter-of-factly as if the thought of marrying Aiko had never crossed his mind.

His words warmed Lily’s heart. He was determined not to make any decisions that would hurt her. If asked, she wouldn’t want Ethan to marry Aiko either.

"But your father..." Lily hesitated.

She had never even met Ethan’s father, but she’d already witnessed his ruthlessness. Hearing Aiko repeatedly say that his father wouldn’t let Ethan off the hook made her more anxious.

"My old man is just a nuisance. Don’t worry about him," Ethan replied coldly, cutting her off. A trace of irritation flickered in his eyes.

In truth, he knew his time was running out.

The secret of Holding Aiko captive would be kept for a while. When his father inevitably found out, there would be hell to pay. His father hated being defied above all else.