30 Days of Passion and Revenge-Chapter 244: A Chaotic Funeral

Her hand was held tightly in his... radiating his unique warmth.

Lily Anderson kept calling his name desperately, "Ethan... Ethan..."

Suddenly, Ethan Blackwood’s hand fell lifelessly.

Lily froze, her hand still lingering in midair, the warmth of his touch still present in her palm.

Yet his eyes remained closed, and he continued to sleep deeply. It was as if the person who had just gripped her hand... wasn’t him.

He still hadn’t woken up.

He was trying so hard, yet he couldn’t wake up... Was it possible that he could hear her voice?

Wiping away her tears, Lily picked up the English novel and continued reading by his bedside. It was remarkable how far she had read—nearly finishing the book—yet he still hadn’t awakened.

When the on-duty doctor and nurses came in, they saw Lily again reading aloud by his side. Quietly, they sat down in the corner of the room, her soft, raspy voice lulling them into a sleepy haze.

The only sound in the entire room was her steady reading.

Lily read tirelessly, her voice gentle but persistent, maintaining her vigil alone.

Se read late into the night. Finally, when she could no longer fight her exhaustion, she lowered her head and fell into a light sleep.

At dawn, Nanny arrived to take over caring for Ethan. Lily stood up, held his hand, and said gently, "I’ll come back to see you in a couple of days."

"I’ve arranged for some people to help with the funeral. Just instruct them, and they’ll handle the rest," Nanny informed her.

"Alright, I understand," Lily replied with a nod. She glanced at Ethan one last time before turning to leave.

According to the customs of her hometown, when someone passed away, the family was expected to keep vigil for a day, with cremation and burial taking place the following afternoon.

Her father had been in the military hospital’s morgue for many days. His appearance had been preserved, his features serene, though he would never open his eyes again.

Since the Anderson family’s fall from grace, they had lost all their relatives and friends, save for one uncle who had remained steadfastly by their side.

Her uncle, Robert Anderson, arrived early with her close friend Sophia Bennett. The moment Sophia saw Lily, she embraced her tightly and sobbed, "Lily, don’t you know how to take care of yourself? Look at the state you’re in..."

"I’m fine," Lily reassured her, patting her back before turning to her uncle. "Uncle Robert."

Robert nodded softly, looking slightly uncomfortable. "Your aunt... she..."

"I understand," Lily said quietly.

Given her current circumstances—her father’s death, her partner detained by the military—her aunt naturally wouldn’t want to attend the funeral.

Apart from Lily, her uncle, and Sophia, the funeral home was occupied by only the funeral staff and a large group of Blackwood family bodyguards. The hall felt cold and desolate.

When her mother had passed away, it had been the same. Few had come; the atmosphere had been equally quiet and somber.

The professionals carefully applied makeup to her father, dressing him in a clean suit before placing him into a crystal coffin. The sight brought tears streaming down Lily’s face.

"Everything will pass," Sophia said, staying beside Lily to comfort her.

The bodyguards arranged wreaths and hung black-and-white drapes in the memorial hall. Her uncle positioned the portrait of her father in its place. Lily, now dressed in black mourning attire with a white flower pinned to her chest, appeared even more fragile and thin.

She kept vigil over her father for an entire day and night. Following the customs of her hometown, she burned his clothing to send it with him. The smoke stung her eyes, making them tear up even more.

By midnight, Sophia stood up and approached Lily, resting on a chair. "There’s still so much to do tomorrow. You should sleep for a bit."

Lily shook her head. This was the final journey she could accompany her father on; no matter how tired she was, she would endure it.

Unable to persuade her, Sophia knelt beside her, adding stack after stack of paper money into the fire. The smoke swirled around them both.

Alex entered the hall, bowing three times before the body. Taking three large bags from his assistant, he walked over to them, his gaze gentle as he addressed Lily, "I knew you wouldn’t sleep tonight, so I brought some food. Eat a little, at least."

Lily stood up from the floor, looking at him apologetically. "I told you you didn’t need to come."

"If we’re friends, then don’t say things like that," Alex replied warmly, lifting the bags in his hands. "Come, have something to eat."

In the solemn atmosphere of the memorial hall, grief hung heavy in the air.

Lily sat down as Sophia and Alex both handed her bowls of porridge. She tried to smile but couldn’t. "You should eat too."

Alex glanced at the many arranged seats in the hall, all empty. No one had come to pay their respects.

"I’ll have people from the company come by tomorrow," Alex said. Such a lonely funeral...

"There’s no need. My father should leave quietly," Lily declined. A lively funeral wouldn’t bring her father back.

The next day, many people from Carter Group still came, delivering wreaths and condolence banners.

Helen arrived that day, as did Alex, her uncle, and Sophia. Aside from these few, everyone else seemed to be wearing masks of insincerity.

When it was time to take her father for cremation, Lily clung to him, refusing to let him go. Alex held her tightly, pulling her away. "Lily, don’t do this..."

"Dad..."

Lily cried so hard she couldn’t speak. All the memories flooded her at once—the nine years of waiting, the joy she’d felt when he was released from prison, and the moment they’d broken ties at her mother’s grave.

In such a short time, they were separated by life and death.

When a whole person was reduced to a small urn of ashes, Lily could not hold it. Her hands shook uncontrollably.

Ethan... you should be here for this.

"I’ll take care of it," Alex said, lifting the urn. He glanced at Sophia, who quickly picked up the portrait. Turning to Lily, Sophia said, "We’ll take it back to your hometown. Let us handle it."

Carrying the portrait and the urn were tasks traditionally meant for the children. But now... Lily could only let others guide her through each step of the process.

"Miss Anderson, please take care of yourself."

Helen and her uncle supported Lily throughout the day. She looked so frail it seemed she might collapse the moment the funeral ended.

Lily allowed them to escort her out of the funeral home. But before she could get into the car, reporters surrounded them.

"Miss Anderson, your sunglasses." Helen quickly handed them to Lily. Ethan had always avoided media exposure, and naturally, he wouldn’t have wanted Lily to be exposed, either.

Flashes went off incessantly, and microphones were shoved in her face.

"Recent media reports claim you’re the mistress of B.E. Asia-Pacific President Ethan Blackwood. Is that true?"

"As his mistress, are you also managing his business affairs?"

"At the press conference, you accused the central government of human rights violations. Are you worried you’ll lose your financial backing if Ethan falls?"

How had these reporters heard about the funeral? The day after the press conference, countless headlines accused Lily of being Ethan’s mistress. Helen tried to shield her from the news, fearing she couldn’t handle it.

But now, these paparazzi dared to crash the funeral and ask such questions.

"Excuse me, this is a funeral. Please step aside. This is not an appropriate time or place for an interview. B.E. will hold a press conference. Please leave now," Helen said, stepping forward to block the reporters. She turned to the bodyguards and said, "Maintain order immediately."

But the paparazzi weren’t about to let such an opportunity slip away.

Even with her sunglasses on, Lily felt the flashing lights were blinding her.

This unexpected chaos caught her completely off guard.

Mistress.

That word had resurfaced right in front of the media.

Suddenly, one reporter noticed Alex standing beside Lily and screamed, "Why is Mr. Alex Carter here?!"

This single question made the reporters frenzy, overwhelming even the bodyguards. Some paparazzi deliberately moved closer to examine the name on the portrait.

"Isn’t this the infamous Henry Anderson? Is he your father? How did he die?"

"Were you the third party who came between Mr. Carter and Miss Johnson?"

"Henry Anderson and the Carter family didn’t get along, so why is Mr. Carter attending his funeral?"

"Wasn’t there talk about conducting a DNA test? Was it done?"

"Are you half-siblings with Mr. Carter?"

"Mr. Carter, aren’t you getting married in a couple of days? Why are you attending Henry Anderson’s funeral? Won’t Miss Johnson be upset? Is the wedding still happening?"

The barrage of sharp questions came relentlessly. Unable to handle it, Lily lowered her head, avoiding the flashing lights.

The crowd pressed closer, pushing her back. Instinctively, she shielded her stomach with her hands.

A sharp-eyed reporter immediately shouted.

"Miss Anderson, are you pregnant? Is it Ethan Blackwood’s child?"

"Or is it Mr. Carter’s child? Wouldn’t that be incest?"

"Miss Anderson, why did you become Ethan Blackwood’s mistress? Was it because you failed to win over Mr. Carter and turned to the Blackwood Enterprise President instead?"

"Are you half-siblings?"

"With Ethan Blackwood detained and under investigation by the central government, do you have anything to say?"

The endless barrage of questions and flashing lights overwhelmed Lily. Her mind became chaotic, and her ears were bombarded with noise.

A sense of helplessness engulfed her.

Lily hung her head like a prisoner on trial, unable to find a word to say. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Suddenly, a figure stepped in front of her. Lily looked up and saw Alex standing protectively before her, holding the urn. He addressed the media coldly, "Please show some respect. This is a funeral."

Lily stared at Alex’s back, then at Sophia and her uncle, who had also stepped forward to shield her. She felt an indescribable sense of gratitude.

But the scene had already spiraled out of control. The reporters surged forward relentlessly.

Lily felt herself jostled and swayed, struggling to breathe amidst the chaos. Her head throbbed, and the cacophony around her became unbearable.

"Move—move—"

"Move—move—"

Several commanding voices suddenly rang out, and the crowd stopped in its tracks.

Lily saw a group of men in black suits and sunglasses charging in, swiftly dispersing the reporters and clearing a path.

In the distance, a convoy of stretch limousines entered the funeral home’s grounds. The cars were adorned with white ribbons, and from them descended impeccably dressed men and women, all in black, with white ribbons tied around their wrists.

The atmosphere changed instantly. People began speculating that a prominent figure must have passed away.

"They’re from B.E.’s global headquarters," Helen said, stepping up beside Lily.

Lily was stunned. "Did you arrange for them to come?"

She didn’t need such a display...

"No, I didn’t. Everything’s been in chaos at B.E. these days. I couldn’t have summoned them even if I tried," Helen replied, puzzled. Then suddenly, her eyes widened in realization. "Could it be—"

Before she could finish, a black car pulled into the center of the grounds. The B.E. staff immediately lined up in several rows, bowing deeply in unison with remarkable reverence.

The driver opened the door, and the first thing to emerge was a long, slender leg clad in a black leather shoe, stepping firmly onto the ground.