30 Days of Passion and Revenge-Chapter 228: A Game of Love

Nanny held Lily’s hand and said earnestly, "That’s why Mr. Blackwood went to Asia to develop his career—he wanted to distance himself from the Blackwood family’s core. Miss Anderson, don’t ever think Mr. Blackwood doesn’t understand family. He knows better than anyone what it feels like to lose it."

Lily assumed that someone like Ethan, born into privilege, had simply wanted to escape his family’s constraints. She never imagined there was so much more behind his decision.

"I didn’t know about his past. He’s never told me any of this..."

"Mr. Blackwood mentioned it to me on the phone. He said you’d told him so much about your childhood and how much you loved your father. That’s why he arranged today’s meeting," Nanny said, her voice choking with emotion as she stood up. "Miss Anderson, I’ll leave you to yourself for now. I just hope you understand, Mr. Blackwood."

Lily sat alone on the sofa, curling into herself.

Today... she had misunderstood entirely Ethan’s good intentions.

She had always thought of Ethan as a cold, domineering man who didn’t care about family or friendship and whose love for her was possessive above all else.

She never realized Ethan had such a painful past, one he had kept entirely hidden.

"Hey! Go shower!"

Ethan’s angry shout interrupted her thoughts. Lily quickly wiped away her tears, but Ethan walked up before she could compose herself entirely. His sharp eyes caught the traces of tears on her face. Disbelief flickered in his gaze as he demanded, "Why are you crying?!"

"Nothing," Lily said hastily, wiping her face.

"Are you feeling unwell?! I’ll call the doctor!" Ethan turned to grab the phone, but Lily, still seated on the sofa, reached out and grabbed his hand. Her voice was soft and slightly choked. "I’m fine."

Ethan looked down at their hands in surprise. She was gripping his hand tightly.

"What’s wrong with you?" Ethan frowned, one hand still in hers while the other reached to feel her forehead. No fever. She didn’t seem to be in pain. So what was going on?

"Sit down," Lily said weakly, tugging lightly on his hand.

Ethan shot her a suspicious look before sitting beside her. "Lily, what’s with the mysterious mood?"

"Nothing."

"Are you still mad about Alex Carter? So what if I punched him today? He deserved it for messing with me!" Ethan snarled, assuming she was still upset about what had happened earlier. His voice grew louder. "He had his hands all over you! There’s no way I could stand for that!"

But the words died in Ethan’s throat.

Lily suddenly threw herself into his arms.

Ethan froze, stiffening his entire body. Lily wrapped her arms around his back, pressing her face into his warm chest. He had just showered, and his scent was fresh and intoxicating.

The sudden embrace left Ethan stunned. He glared at the woman in his arms and said stiffly, "Lily, what’s gotten into you?"

"I just... felt like hugging you," Lily mumbled against his chest.

Ethan snorted. "Fickle woman!"

Just moments ago, she had been angry with him, giving him the cold shoulder over Alex Carter. She had even said she didn’t want to talk to him.

And now she was throwing herself into his arms?

This woman was unbelievably unpredictable.

"Lily, I love you," she said softly after a long silence. She pulled back slightly to look into his dark eyes.

Ethan felt as though something had struck his chest. He stared down at her, his expression unreadable. After a moment, he raised a brow arrogantly and said, "I know."

Lily couldn’t help but add, "If you could control your temper a little, I’d love you even more."

Ethan glared at her. "What’s wrong with my temper?"

"It’s terrible. Alex was just trying to help me today, and you blew up at him for no reason," Lily said, frowning. Alex had been punched twice for no reason.

"My woman was in his arms. The fact that I didn’t cut off his hands shows how much self-control I have!" Ethan snapped, his temper flaring again at the thought of Alex.

"... He’s getting married. We’re not involved anymore. He even said he just wants to be friends," Lily said, trying to reason with him.

"Friends?!" Ethan sneered. "To men, there are only two kinds of women—those they’ve slept with and those they haven’t."

His eyes darkened with anger as he recalled Alex’s expression when he had been holding Lily earlier. Was that the look of someone who just wanted to be friends?

And Alex hadn’t even fought back today. He could have quickly retaliated like he had, but instead, he just stood there, playing the victim in front of Lily.

"Lily Anderson..." Ethan growled, his frustration mounting. Why couldn’t she see through Alex’s act?

"Why were you crying earlier?" Ethan asked abruptly, steering the conversation in a new direction.

Lily hesitated before replying, her voice filled with mock accusations. "You bullied me."

She didn’t want to talk to him about his mother. She knew that sometimes, the best way to show compassion was not to bring up painful memories.

It had been years, and Ethan had already moved forward. There was no need to reopen old wounds.

"You mean when I pinned you down in the car? Or when I kissed you?" Ethan smirked, his tone laced with wickedness. "That’s bullying?"

"What else would you call it?" Lily shot back, glaring at him.

With sudden determination, she mimicked his earlier actions, pressing her hands against his shoulders to push him down onto the sofa. At first, she didn’t have enough strength to move him, but when Ethan realized what she was doing, amusement flickered in his eyes. He let her push him back, lying on the sofa with a playful grin.

The way he complied so quickly only made Lily feel more defeated.

The strength difference between men and women was undeniable. She couldn’t even push him down without his cooperation. It made her feel completely powerless.

"This is just throwing yourself into my arms," Ethan teased, clearly enjoying himself. "You’ve pinned me down. Are you going to kiss me now?"

He was insufferable!

A complete scoundrel! A shameless rogue!

Lily knelt over him, looking down at his face. His features were so perfect they could make any woman swoon—sharp and chiseled like they had been sculpted by an artist. His deep, piercing eyes gazed back at her, his high nose bridge and thin, seductive lips curling into a mischievous smile.

Lily’s hand brushed across his face for a moment, and she found herself lost in thought.

She had never met Ethan’s parents and didn’t know who he resembled more. But his mother must have been stunning. A proud and dignified woman like her deserved admiration.

Even so, Lily couldn’t agree with the decision to end one’s life as a solution. It was a foolish way out.

Ethan’s fear of being alone and solitude could be traced back to his mother. For years, he had faced life on his own.

"Are you that mesmerized?" Ethan asked, his voice tinged with teasing as her soft touch sent shivers through him. "Lily, just how much do you love me?"

"So much. And now that I truly understand you, I love you even more," Lily said, her voice steady and sincere.

Ethan’s playful smirk froze. He stared at her, caught off guard by her serious tone.

What had started as a teasing question had led to an unexpectedly heartfelt answer.

After silence, Ethan frowned and asked, "Lily, what’s wrong with you?"

Was this woman playing some sort of game? Why was her attitude so different all of a sudden? He had only gone to shower, and now she was acting entirely out of character.

"Bang—"

Lily suddenly punched him in the chest. Ethan groaned in pain and glared at her. "Lily, are you trying to kill your man? Would it kill you to behave for once?"

"When I behave, you won’t stop asking what’s wrong with me, acting like you’ve seen a ghost," Lily retorted. She grabbed the belt of his bathrobe and yanked it open, exposing his chest. Her fingertips traced lazy circles on his skin.

Ethan’s breathing grew heavier. He caught her wandering hand and stared at her with a heated gaze. "Lily, do you want to play a game?"

A game?

Her thoughts immediately went to the kind of adult games between men and women—handcuffs, whips, candles...

Flustered, she punched him again. "Ethan, can you stop having such dirty thoughts?!"

Ethan looked at her, utterly baffled. "Lily, what on earth is going through your mind?"

"You’re the one with the dirty mind!" Lily exclaimed, quickly climbing off him and sitting to the side. She didn’t have the energy to deal with him if he suddenly unleashed his "beastly" side.

Ethan sat up gracefully, his sharp gaze fixed on her. Then, as if realizing something, he leaned close to her ear, his lips brushing against her earlobe as he whispered in a dangerously seductive voice, "Lily... were you thinking of an adult game? Something 18+?"

The heat of his breath sent shivers down her spine. Lily instinctively scooted away, her face flushed.

Ethan laughed, his smile wicked. "Lily, your face is red. You really were thinking about it, weren’t you?"

"... You’re the one who brought it up!" Lily stammered, shoving him aside.

Why was her emotional state all over the place?

One moment, she was crying over his tragic past; the next, she was flustered by his teasing. Her face felt like it was on fire.

This is Ethan Blackwood. Couldn’t he find something else to talk about?

"I only said we should play a game," Ethan said, his lips capturing her earlobe as he kissed and nibbled on it with playful intimacy.

Lily shrank back, her face burning even hotter. She tried to move further away, but Ethan pulled her into his arms before she could. He tilted her chin up, his eyes gleaming mischievously. "What kind of game were you thinking of? BDSM? Do you want handcuffs and a whip?"

If she insisted on playing such a game, he wouldn’t object.

"...I wasn’t thinking that!" Lily protested.

"Then why are you blushing?" Ethan shot back mercilessly.

"Fine, what game were you talking about?" Lily demanded, glaring at him. She refused to believe he had anything pure in mind.

"Let’s go. I’ll show you!" Ethan scooped her up in his arms and carried her upstairs. As he headed toward the master bedroom, Lily narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "I knew it."

"Knew what? BDSM?" Ethan smirked wickedly, carrying her into the bedroom.

Frustrated and embarrassed, Lily smacked him. However, as soon as Ethan laid her on the bed, she noticed a large gift box tied with a pink ribbon on the mattress.

Lily immediately sat up, clutching a pillow as she shrank back. She looked at Ethan with suspicion. "Is it another costume?!"