30 Days of Passion and Revenge-Chapter 234: Hope in the Darkness

"No orders were given. Who would dare fire recklessly? It must have been someone inside the villa..."

"This situation has gotten out of hand. So many high-profile figures involved..."

"Do your job. Less talking."

A squad jogged past them in formation, their expressions solemn as they approached the scene. The fire at the villa raged uncontrollably while the flashes of cameras from outside the barricades were blinding.

Not a single one survived...

What were they saying? What do they mean by not a single one survived?

Ethan and her father couldn’t be among them. They couldn’t be gone.

Lily stood frozen, her mind completely blank as she listened to the soldiers’ murmurs.

On the scene, soldiers cautiously approached the fallen bodies, guns in hand. One soldier nudged a figure lying on the ground. The body rolled over but remained motionless.

The soldier turned to his comrades and shook his head.

Everyone understood the meaning of that gesture. It signified the end of a life.

No... that’s not possible. Ethan... Dad... They must still be alive. They had to be.

With a sudden surge of strength, Lily shoved Alex aside. He stumbled back, hitting the car with a thud.

Her strength startled even her. Alex clutched his chest in pain, frowning as he chased after her. "Lily, stop! It’s too dangerous!"

But Lily ignored him, running toward the narrow path leading to the villa. She watched as the soldiers began moving the fallen bodies one by one. Each figure lay limp and motionless, utterly devoid of life.

More soldiers shook their heads as they moved through the scene. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

To Lily, the repeated gestures of shaking heads felt like slow motion, replaying over and over in her mind...

Memories flooded her thoughts like an opened box spilling its contents:

"Just wait fifty or sixty years and see if I stop locking the door."

"I’ll wait for you."

"Did you see the model? Lily, listen to me! I’ll make your dreams come true! If you dare give up, you’re dead meat!"

"Ethan, please have them look for my father, okay? I don’t know if he’s there, but don’t let anything happen to him... nothing can happen to him..."

"I understand."

They were supposed to have fifty or sixty years together...

Ethan, stop fooling around. Get up. Don’t joke with me like this. Don’t mess with me...

As all these memories intertwined, Lily ran forward, her vision suddenly darkening. She collapsed to the ground.

"Lily!"

Alex rushed to catch her before she hit the ground. She had already lost consciousness in his arms.

Lily dreamed.

She and Ethan’s child was born in her dream—a little girl.

The child clung to Ethan, always wanting him to hold or carry her. But she was stubborn, refusing to say sweet or endearing things, her personality just as tricky as Ethan’s.

Ethan, who hated caring for children, would glare and scold his daughter, calling her ugly and mocking her inability to speak clearly.

The child, furious but not crying, would grab whatever she could reach and throw it at Ethan, fearless and defiant.

Lily stood to the side and said, "Ethan, look at her. She’s inherited all your bad temper. Can’t you set a good example and change for the better?"

"My temper isn’t bad!"

"I didn’t learn anything from my stupid dad!"

Father and daughter shouted in unison, their eyes wide, and then they began arguing loudly, neither willing to back down.

"You’re so ugly. I’m going to give you away. I’m not raising you!"

"Fine! If you give me away, don’t cry without me!"

"You think I’m like you?!"

"Stupid dad!"

"Ugly brat!"

"Wake up, Lily... Lily, wake up." A voice interrupted her dream.

The image of father and daughter arguing faded further and further away. Lily reached out, trying to hold onto it, but she couldn’t grasp it.

"Lily."

Her body was gently shaken. Lily’s eyes flew open, and Alex’s face appeared inches from hers.

Startled, she blinked, unsure if she was still dreaming or awake.

Seeing her finally awake, Alex let out a sigh of relief, his expression soft. "What were you dreaming about? You were smiling so sweetly."

His tone was casual as if nothing had happened.

Smiling sweetly?

Lily froze for a moment as all the memories came rushing back—the deafening explosion, the blazing fire that lit up the sky, the lifeless bodies scattered across the ground...

The soldiers had said that, after so long, none of them could have survived.

Lily suddenly sat up in bed. "Where’s Ethan? Where’s my dad? Where are they?!"

"They were taken by the military."

"The military?" Lily looked at him in shock. "Taken... you mean they’re safe? They’re okay, right?"

At least they were "taken"...

Not...

Alex hesitated momentarily before replying, "It’s unclear right now. But they were still breathing when they were loaded onto the ambulance."

Still breathing...

Lily let out a long breath of relief. She threw off the blanket and got out of bed. She was in what appeared to be a hospital room, the air heavy with the smell of disinfectant.

Alex grabbed her hand to stop her. "The military hospital is far from here, and it’s not easy to get inside. Reporters are swarming outside the hospital—it’ll be hard for you to get in."

"I’ll call Secretary Helen to pull some strings for me," Lily said, shaking off his hand.

Ethan’s influence in the country was formidable. When Alex’s car hit her, Ethan mobilized his entire network, forcing even the police chief to act according to his wishes.

Even if this situation had escalated to the central government, Ethan would still have some connections left, even if it was now a national incident.

Alex stared at his hand, now empty, his gaze darkening.

"Lily, you’re awake!" Nanny burst into the room, her face tear-streaked and swollen from crying. Seeing Lily up and moving, she rushed forward and hugged her. "Thank goodness you’re okay."

If Mr. Blackwood was now in the military hospital and something had happened to Lily, too, this family would entirely fall apart.

"Nanny, stop crying." Lily hugged her back, patting her gently. But her own eyes began to sting with tears.

"With Mr. Blackwood in the hospital, there’s no one to hold the family and company together. Should we notify Europe and have Mr. Blackwood’s father step in to get him out?" Nanny asked, her voice trembling with panic.

His father...

That ruthless man, even more cold-blooded and merciless than Ethan...

Who knew what would happen if Ethan’s father found out about this mess?

"We’ll go to the military hospital first. Notify Secretary Helen to help me," Lily said, biting her lip. She couldn’t afford to panic now. She had to stay calm.

"Yes, Miss Anderson."

If Ethan and her father were safe, everything else could be dealt with later.

For now, the most important thing was to confirm their condition.

Even as Lily outwardly handled things with composure, her hands trembled uncontrollably. Her heart was in utter chaos as she strode toward the door, only to have someone grab her hand from behind.

She turned to see Alex smiling faintly at her. "I’ll find a way to get you in to see him. It’ll be faster than waiting for Ethan’s secretary."

"Thank you."

Alex quickly got Lily into the military hospital through his connection to Alice’s father. The facility was heavily guarded, with soldiers stationed at every entrance, and the gravity of the situation was apparent.

The hospital gates were swarmed with reporters, desperate for any information. Whenever a car approached, journalists would swarm it, shoving microphones and cameras forward, trying to uncover details about the kidnapping of several high-profile individuals.

As Alex’s car approached the gates, reporters immediately surrounded it, blocking their path completely.

Lily’s face turned pale. "What’s being reported out there?"

"The reporters have already uncovered that the Asia-Pacific president of Blackwood Enterprise orchestrated the kidnappings. The news is everywhere," Alex said grimly.

Lily clenched her fists tightly on her lap as cameras and microphones pressed against the car windows. It seemed like the reporters were ready to pry the doors open.

A group of soldiers emerged to restore order, pushing the reporters back and allowing Alex’s car to pass through the gates.

"This incident has drawn the attention of the central government. The only reason I could bring you here is because of Alice’s father’s influence," Alex said as he parked the car. He turned to look at Lily, who was visibly shaken. Her face was pale, and cold sweat beaded on her forehead.

"Lily, are you okay?" Alex asked, his voice filled with concern. "I was planning to negotiate with the central government to suppress the news, but it’s too late now. The internet and media have already blown this up into a national scandal."

"Thank you, Alex." Lily forced a small smile. "You’ve already done so much. I’m very grateful."

"Mm."

Alex returned her smile, though it carried a hint of bitterness.

What he wanted was never her gratitude or thanks...

The hospital’s security was incredibly tight, with soldiers stationed along the corridors. Alex led Lily to a restricted area where the survivors were being treated.

"This is as far as I can take you," Alex said, gesturing for her to sit on a nearby bench. "I’ll go find out more."

Lily nodded, her nerves fraying as she watched him step away to speak with the soldiers. After a brief conversation, Alex returned, his expression heavy.

"They’re still in emergency care. Three of them didn’t make it."

Didn’t make it?

If she hadn’t been sitting, she would have collapsed again.

"Alex..."

Anticipating her question, Alex crouched before her, his hands resting gently on her shoulders. "Stay here. I’ll go check on them."

"I want to go with you." She didn’t want to sit and wait like she was anticipating the world’s end.

"I don’t want you to see the bodies. Stay here—I’ll identify them myself."

"I don’t want to wait here," Lily said, standing with trembling legs.

"Alright, but try to stay calm, okay?" Alex said, trying to reassure her.

"Okay."

Two soldiers led Alex and Lily to the temporary morgue where the bodies from the explosion had been placed.

Lily’s entire body felt cold, her hands and feet numb. Even her lips trembled.

Alex reached out and held her hand, his warmth grounding her. "Don’t be afraid," he said softly.

I’m not afraid...

Under the cold, sterile lights, a soldier lifted the first white sheet. Before Lily could see anything, Alex covered her eyes with his hand. "Not him," he said gently.

His soft, calm voice brought her an inexplicable sense of comfort.

Lily clutched his hand tightly, her heart nearly stopping.

"Not him."

"Not him."

After two more sheets were lifted, Alex repeated the exact words. The tension in Lily’s body finally began to ease, and she nearly collapsed again. Alex quickly caught her, supporting her weight.

She was like a fragile doll, unable to stand without someone holding her.

Alex removed his hand from her eyes as the soldier covered the bodies again. He placed a steadying hand on her shoulder. "Let’s wait outside."