30 Days of Passion and Revenge-Chapter 224: A Walk to Remember

Ethan knew his father would soon learn about Aiko Nakamura’s capture. When that happened, his father would undoubtedly hold him accountable. The old man despised disobedience above all else.

For now, the priority was to force Aiko to reveal the formula or location of the antidote. Identifying the culprit was already a step forward compared to searching aimlessly.

"Where are we going now?" Lily asked, leaning against Ethan’s firm chest.

"I’ll have the driver take you home. I’m heading out for a walk," Ethan said, releasing her as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and led her toward the car.

A walk?

Did he have something on his mind?

"Ethan."

"Hmm?" Ethan stopped as Lily halted in her steps. He looked down at her, his deep voice carrying a hint of sensuality as he responded with a single syllable.

"From the moment I decided to stay with you, I told myself we would start over. No more burdens from the past," Lily said, looking at him thoughtfully. Her words were deliberate and heartfelt.

Ethan lowered his gaze, remaining silent.

He understood her meaning, but his chest had felt unbearably heavy ever since it was confirmed that Aiko was the culprit.

To be honest, the moment he learned about her infection with AuroraVirus, he had known the target wasn’t her—it was him.

But the one suffering was his woman. Watching her grow increasingly drowsy, her hands tremble while holding a camera... and being utterly powerless to help her made him feel useless.

"Lily, I don’t blame you," she said with a smile, her almond-shaped eyes curving beautifully with a reassuring gaze. "Do you understand that?"

She had never blamed him for AuroraVirus.

After all, in this world, no one cared more about her health than Ethan did. No one else was as desperate to find the person responsible.

Even though he rarely said a word about it, she knew no one would ever care for her like Ethan did.

Ethan’s Adam’s apple moved as if he wanted to say something, but he remained silent. His breathing was heavy as he looked deeply into her eyes. Suddenly, he bent down and kissed her fiercely. The kiss was brief but intense. When he pulled away, his voice was low and hoarse. "Lily Anderson, I love you."

Her forgiveness, her understanding—it all felt like knives cutting into him, one by one.

If she had yelled at him, hit him, cursed him, maybe he would have felt better.

But instead, she was comforting him.

"Do you still want to go for a walk now?" Lily asked softly, her tone light and clean.

"Let’s go home," Ethan said. This woman clearly didn’t want him walking around by himself, so why bother?

"Ethan, carry me," Lily said with a hopeful smile.

Ethan crouched down in front of her without hesitation, his movements swift and decisive. Lily smiled warmly and climbed onto his back with ease.

Ethan’s back was broad and warm. As she clung to him, she felt his solid, reassuring presence.

The countryside scenery was beautiful—open fields, fresh air, and a tranquility far removed from the city.

Ethan carried her along a winding path, walking steadily while several cars followed respectfully behind them.

"I won’t let anything happen to you," Ethan said suddenly.

"I know. I trust you," Lily replied without hesitation. She knew he was already under immense pressure these days, and she didn’t want him to feel guilty over her infection with AuroraVirus.

Even if there came a day when she couldn’t hold on, he would need to.

The path stretched, covered with golden leaves that fell gently, landing on both.

Ethan’s steps were steady as he walked along the trail.

Lily rested her head on his shoulder, gazing at the road ahead. Sleepiness began to creep in, her eyelids growing heavier and heavier. She tried to fight it, forcing herself to stay awake.

She hated how much she had been sleeping lately. She wanted to stay active and do the things she wanted.

"Lily, how about I take you to an art exhibit tonight?" Ethan asked in his deep voice.

"Sure," Lily agreed without hesitation. "Staying home all the time is so boring."

The road ahead seemed to stretch endlessly.

Her vision blurred slightly, and her surroundings began to fade. Her eyelids drooped once more.

Unable to resist her exhaustion, Lily fell asleep on Ethan’s back. A leaf landed on her face, but she didn’t notice. The sunlight bathed her face, highlighting her soft, pale skin. Her long lashes rested against her closed eyes, and her lips were gently pressed together.

"Mr. Blackwood, Miss Anderson is asleep," one of the bodyguards said as they approached. "Should we let her sleep in the car?"

Asleep again...

She was sleeping more and more these days, her symptoms becoming increasingly apparent.

"Bring a coat," Ethan ordered coldly.

"Yes, Mr. Blackwood."

One of the bodyguards ran to the car and returned with a coat, which he draped over Lily. Ethan continued walking forward with her on his back.

The two bodyguards exchanged glances, then fell silent as they watched the couple disappear down the path.

When Lily woke up, it was still early. Ethan was nowhere to be seen, and the empty room felt particularly quiet.

She sat up in bed, went to the bathroom to wash her face, and re-bandaged the wound on her hand. She placed the blood-stained gauze in a plastic bag, tied it tightly, and threw it in the trash.

Is Ethan out-handling business?

Lily wandered into the study, but he wasn’t there. Just as she was about to leave, her eyes landed on the bookshelves.

Half of Ethan’s bookshelves were filled with the textbooks she had been using to study directing. But now, they were useless.

For some reason, thinking about Aiko Nakamura convinced her that Aiko wouldn’t easily give up the antidote.

Lily grabbed a storage box and began packing the books away, one by one.

Her dream... had been so short-lived.

She hadn’t been studying for very long, and now she had to give it up. Someone who couldn’t even care for herself had no right to dream.

Looking back, the commercial she shot for Aiko Nakamura was the only work she had ever completed.

How ironic...

Aiko Nakamura had destroyed her dream.

"I’ll take my white Samoyed for walks on the beach every day, and when I’m not filming, I’ll sleep on my princess bed, listening to the sound of the waves until I fall asleep... Is that a perfect dream, Alex?"

"My daughter has always dreamed of becoming a director. She’s a girl with big dreams—destined for greatness..."

"When this is all over, you’ll have no more burdens. Go and chase your dreams."

"How can a grueling and exhausting job be called a dream?!"

Lily wasn’t afraid of hardship or exhaustion... but now, she no longer had the right to carry the weight of her dreams.

Maybe it had always been destined that she wouldn’t become a director.

She packed her books away—scriptwriting, the basics of filmmaking, techniques, and skills in cinematography, and nonlinear editing—one by one. Tears fell silently onto the covers.

She opened her class notes, filled with page after page of careful handwriting. She had worked so hard, genuinely wanting to achieve her dream, believing she would someday create something of her own.

But now, none of it would ever come true.

Tears streamed down her face as she continued packing the books. With Ethan gone, she allowed herself to cry freely.

When all the books were packed, she picked up the storage box and headed back to the study.

"Bang—"

The storage box slipped from her hands, and all the books scattered across the floor.

Lily stood there, staring blankly at her hands, which had suddenly lost all strength. Tears poured down her face, but no sound escaped her lips.

She was only 22. Why was her life being destroyed so soon?

She would rather die instantly than endure ten years of suffering.

Lily collapsed to her knees, trying desperately to lift her hands, but they hung uselessly at her sides. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t move them.

Panic.

An overwhelming fear gripped her as she realized what was happening. Her entire body began to tremble as she cried uncontrollably, her shoulders shaking violently.

After a long while, the strength in her hands gradually returned. She began picking up the books, tears still streaming down her face.

"Miss Anderson? Miss Anderson?!" Nanny’s voice called out from outside.

Lily quickly wiped her tears and pressed herself against the door, clearing her throat to steady her voice. "I’m in the study. What is it?"

Nanny tried the door handle but found it locked. Standing outside, she said, "Mr. Blackwood asked me to tell you to come down and eat."

"He’s home?" Lily asked, surprised. She thought Ethan had gone out for business.

"Yes, Mr. Blackwood has been home the whole time."

"Okay, I’ll be right down," Lily replied. Hearing Nanny’s footsteps retreating, she took a moment to compose herself and put the storage box away.

After washing her face, Lily went downstairs, where the fragrant smell of food wafted from the dining room.

"Did you make more herbal soup, Nanny?" Lily asked as she stepped into the dining room. She immediately recognized the familiar scent.

As she entered, she saw Ethan placing a bowl of herbal soup on the table. His long fingers were clearly burned, marked by visible scalds.

Hearing her voice, Ethan straightened up and looked at her with a scowl. "Do you think Nanny is the only one who can make soup for you?"

Their eyes met, and Ethan’s anger froze mid-expression. Her eyes were red and swollen—she had clearly been crying and crying hard.

Had she been crying in the study just now?

"You made this?" Lily smiled as she walked over, lifting the lid to sniff. "Not bad! Smells authentic. Let me see if it tastes as good."

Ethan swallowed hard and nodded stiffly. "Stop acting smug. I didn’t let Nanny help at all."

"I don’t believe you," Lily teased, glancing toward Nanny in the kitchen. Raising her voice, she asked, "Nanny, did Ethan make this soup himself?"

"Uh..." Nanny hesitated, glancing at Ethan before letting out an awkward laugh. "I’ll just get back to work, Miss Anderson."

"..." Nanny’s reaction made Ethan want to punch something.

"Pfft..." Lily couldn’t help but laugh. "Even Nanny doesn’t want to lie for you."

Ethan was good at cooking spicy dishes, but herbal soups were not his forte.

"She just gave me some instructions. I made it myself from start to finish," Ethan growled defensively.

Lily grabbed the spoon with her bandaged right hand and sipped the soup. Her laughter faded as she nodded approvingly. Then her gaze fell on the burns on his hand. "I believe you. You even burned yourself," she said.

He had hurt himself making soup for her, and she didn’t even dare to check his wound.

Ethan noticed her red-rimmed eyes and felt a tightness in his chest. He stretched out his burned hand and said domineeringly, "Blow on it."

"Bang—"

Startled, Lily dropped the spoon and quickly pulled her hand back as if afraid he might touch her.

"What are you doing?" Ethan frowned.

"Nothing. My hand is injured. Be careful," Lily said awkwardly, smiling as she switched the spoon to her left hand and continued drinking the soup.

"You’re afraid of infecting me, aren’t you?" Ethan asked in a low voice.

"Of course I am. If you get infected, we’ll both end up bedridden. What would that do to Nanny? She’d be run off her feet," Lily joked, her tone deliberately lighthearted and carefree.