30 Days of Passion and Revenge-Chapter 233: A Dangerous Rescue Mission

Lily felt slightly relieved hearing Ethan’s voice, but her tone remained urgent. "Ethan, please have them look for my father, okay? I’m unsure if he went there, but don’t let anything happen to him... nothing can happen to him..."

"I understand," Ethan replied, his deep voice steady before he hung up.

"Lily, what’s going on?" Alex asked as he glanced at her, watching her accelerate the sports car.

Lily gripped her phone tightly, her fingers trembling.

Dad... please be safe. Please...

Why would he go to the suburbs at this time? Even Cipher Stone didn’t know if he had been there... Maybe he wasn’t there after all.

Yes, there were so many suburban areas—he wouldn’t necessarily be at that one.

He was her only family, her biological father... She didn’t want anything to happen to him.

Lily was so tense and panicked that her hands wouldn’t stop shaking.

"We’re very close to the west suburbs now. We’ll be there soon," Alex reassured her, driving even faster.

As they approached the west suburbs, they were met with the sight of military forces stationed along the road. Soldiers armed with rifles stood on both sides of the road, their camouflage uniforms blending into the surroundings. The scale of the operation was enormous.

The road was blocked by barricades, and Lily stared ahead in shock.

So quickly...

The military had already arrived.

Would Ethan and his men have had time to evacuate? And her father... where was he? Was he even there?

"The military’s involved?" Alex muttered in disbelief, staring at the massive presence ahead before turning to Lily. "Has the location where they’re holding people been exposed? What about my father...?"

"I’ve already asked them to move your father first. Don’t worry," Lily said, her voice trembling.

She trusted Cipher Stone’s efficiency... but what about her father? What would happen to him? She still didn’t even know if he was there.

Alex exhaled deeply, gripping the steering wheel tightly.

"Don’t be so nervous. Let me get out and check the situation," Alex said as he unbuckled his seatbelt. He patted Lily’s shoulder reassuringly. "Wait here."

How could she not be nervous?

Her father and her man—she didn’t know if either of them was safe.

Lily kept dialing her father’s and Cipher Stone’s numbers, but at this moment, both phones were turned off...

She felt as though her heart might burst out of her chest.

Lily watched as Alex exited the car and spoke to one of the soldiers. After a brief exchange, the barricade was lifted, and Alex returned to the car, starting it up again and driving them through.

"How did you...?" Lily asked in surprise. How had he managed to get past the barricade?

"Alice’s father has recently taken up a position in the central government with considerable authority. I used his name to get us through, but we can only take a look. We’ll have to leave before they take action," Alex explained as he drove through the barricade.

Soldiers stood tall on both sides of the road, their rifles held firmly in their hands. The sight made Lily’s anxiety skyrocket.

She had never experienced such a tense situation before.

More soldiers approached a more minor road intersection to stop them from advancing.

Lily hurriedly opened the car door and stepped out. In the distance, she saw the villa surrounded by soldiers. Some were kneeling, others standing, their rifles trained on every corner of the property. Special forces were on high alert, securing every inch of the area.

The villa was so tightly surrounded that not even a fly could escape.

Lily felt an icy chill spread through her entire body. She instinctively tried to walk forward, but Alex grabbed her hand to stop her.

Alex leaned down and whispered softly in her ear, "Ethan wouldn’t be foolish enough to still be inside. He must have evacuated by now. Don’t worry."

A commanding officer stood at the front, using a loudspeaker to shout toward the villa’s closed doors. "You are surrounded! Release the hostages immediately!"

The people Ethan had secretly captured were all-powerful, high-profile figures. Naturally, the central government was taking this situation extremely seriously. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

How had the base been exposed?

With the central government and the military now involved, how would this end?

As Lily’s thoughts raced, a sudden flash caught her eye. She turned to see a swarm of reporters outside the barricades, frantically snapping photos.

How did the media find out so quickly...? If news broke that the Asia-Pacific president of Blackwood Enterprise had kidnapped numerous high-profile individuals, Ethan would be ruined.

Forcing herself to stay calm, Lily quietly called Nanny. She returned to the scene and whispered, "Nanny, get rid of the reporters immediately. They can’t be allowed to publish anything."

"Understood, Miss Anderson. I’ll handle it right away," Nanny replied, sounding just as tense.

Lily ended the call and turned back to the villa. The soldiers outside remained motionless, while the villa itself was eerily silent. She could only assume it would explode soon.

Is Ethan still inside? What about my father?

The two most important men in her life were missing, and she had no answers.

"You need to send someone out to negotiate with the military. We just want to ensure the hostages’ safety," the officer with the loudspeaker continued to shout. His voice echoed clearly.

Suddenly, a gunshot rang out, shattering the tense silence of the wilderness.

The gunfire was quickly followed by a series of shots, throwing the scene into chaos.

Soldiers returned fire, and people inside the villa began to fall one by one, dropping from windows and balconies to the ground below.

Lily froze in place, completely stunned.

Weren’t they supposed to have evacuated? Why are people still inside?

What about Ethan? What about my father? Where are they...?

"Please leave immediately. This area is dangerous," a soldier said, approaching Alex and Lily.

"Lily, let’s go," Alex urged. He tried to take her hand, but Lily pushed him away. "I’m not leaving."

"Lily..."

"Please leave now!" the soldier said firmly, opening the car door for them with a commanding tone.

"Lily, let’s go..." Alex grabbed her hand and pushed her into the car. As Lily struggled to escape again, Alex whispered, "Don’t do this. The military will grow suspicious if you act like this."

Lily stopped moving but continued to dial Cipher Stone’s number on Ethan’s phone repeatedly, the phone remaining off every time.

"Don’t worry. They’ll be fine," Alex said as he got into the driver’s seat. Leaning over, he buckled her seatbelt.

Suddenly, a loud voice came from the direction of the villa. "Step back thirty meters! We will bring the hostages out!"

It was Cipher Stone’s voice.

Lily’s eyes widened in shock. Why is Cipher Stone still in there? What about Ethan?

She pushed Alex’s hand away and got out of the car. A soldier immediately blocked her path. "What’s going on? Why haven’t you left yet?!"

"Sorry, I’ll take her away now," Alex said apologetically. He turned to follow Lily’s gaze.

After a brief exchange of gunfire, the soldiers surrounding the villa began to retreat slowly. The commanding officer shouted, "You may come out! As long as the hostages are safe, we will not open fire."

The situation was on the brink of exploding—figuratively and literally.

The soldier blocking Lily rushed toward the villa to monitor the developments.

Alex stood beside Lily, watching as the villa’s doors were suddenly thrown open. Cipher Stone and a group of men walked out.

Lily’s heart leaped into her throat. From this distance, she couldn’t tell if Ethan was among them.

"Where are the hostages?!" the officer shouted again.

"Retreat further! Keep retreating! If you don’t, we can’t guarantee the safety of the hostages!" Cipher Stone shouted back.

The soldiers moved back again while the media outside the barricades refused to leave, furiously snapping photos. Camera flashes lit up the scene like fireworks.

After a long pause, Ethan finally appeared in Lily’s line of sight. Behind him, bodyguards emerged, some carrying or supporting the hostages.

Lily couldn’t see Ethan’s face clearly from a distance, but she would never mistake his figure.

Surrounded by bodyguards, Ethan carried a man on his back as they exited the villa.

Every rifle in the military’s arsenal was trained on them.

Lily covered her mouth to stifle a scream. Who is the man on his back? Is it... my father?

Alex borrowed a pair of binoculars from a nearby soldier. After glancing at the villa, he turned to Lily, his brows furrowed. "The man he’s carrying is your father."

Lily’s knees buckled, and she nearly collapsed.

It really is Dad...

Why was Ethan carrying him? What had happened?

"Everyone retreat! The villa will explode in fifteen seconds! Retreat immediately, or we won’t come out!" Cipher Stone shouted as he and the bodyguards threw their weapons to the ground.

Fifteen seconds?!

"Lower your weapons!" the officer ordered. In an instant, every soldier lowered their rifle.

"Run!" Cipher Stone roared, and the group bolted from the villa like their lives depended on it.

BOOM!

A deafening explosion erupted from the villa, engulfing the entire structure in flames that shot into the sky.

Lily’s heart seemed to stop.

Even from their distance, the heat of the flames could be felt. Alex shielded her with his body.

Lily pushed Alex’s arm away, her eyes fixed on the scene. Ethan’s group had all fallen to the ground in the blazing inferno.

None of them were standing. Some who had been slower to escape were thrown into the air by the force of the explosion, crashing heavily to the ground.

The explosion was terrifyingly real, leaving no room for preparation.

As the deafening roar of the blast subsided, a deathly silence fell over the scene.

The soldiers, who had also taken cover, slowly lifted their heads, staring blankly at the inferno.

Why isn’t anyone standing up?

Why isn’t Ethan standing up? Where’s my dad? Why aren’t they getting up?

The explosion is over—why are they still lying there? Stand up so I can see you...

Which one is Ethan? Which one is my dad?

From this distance, Lily couldn’t tell one person from another among the fallen figures.

Instinctively, she tried to run forward, but Alex grabbed her hands firmly, pulling her into his arms. "Don’t. The military will take care of it."

"I need to see them! Let me go!" Lily struggled with all her strength to break free from Alex’s grasp.

"Lily, calm down," Alex said, holding her tightly.

"I can’t calm down! Let me go!" Lily shouted, her voice breaking. Ethan and her father were both out there. How could she stay calm? If anything happened to them, what was the point of her living?

"Let’s wait and see what happens first," Alex said, refusing to let go as he held her tightly.

Lily’s eyes remained fixed on the scene. The flames continued to burn fiercely... and none of the fallen figures had moved.

Ethan...

Dad...

A group of soldiers jogged past them, their faces somber. Two junior officers at the back of the group spoke in hushed tones.

"Did they set off the explosives and stay inside the villa?"

"They must not have had time to escape when we arrived."

"None of them are getting up. I doubt anyone survived. That explosion was massive... If they’d surrendered earlier, this wouldn’t have happened. But instead, they fired shots and wasted time, blowing themselves up in the end."

"Wasn’t the first shot fired from inside the villa?"

"No orders were given to shoot. Who would dare fire without orders? It must have been someone inside the villa..."