30 Days of Passion and Revenge-Chapter 252: A Love Worth Fighting For

Like a mischievous child, Ethan Blackwood kept prodding Lily Anderson, insisting on making her admit she wanted to cry. Frustrated, Lily picked up the script and threw it at him in annoyance.

Outside, Tommy Blackwood stood with his arms crossed, watching them. The usual frivolity in his expression was replaced with a faint sigh.

No matter how beautiful, some things would be nothing more than fleeting bubbles.

Forcing a love that couldn’t last... in the end, it only hurt both parties.

"You’re only harming yourselves," Tommy muttered under his breath.

"I’ll take another look around," Lily said, standing up. Her script was set in a modern-day setting, and she wanted to explore the available modern-style sets in the studio.

"I’ll go with you."

"No, you sit down." Lily pressed Ethan back into his chair, wrapping her arms around him like coaxing a child. "Listen carefully: from now on, if you can lie down, you’re not allowed to sit. If you can sit, you’re not allowed to stand. Got it?"

"..." Ethan grabbed her wrist, letting out a displeased snort. "I’m not crippled!"

Did she have to treat him like he was some severely disabled person every time?

"Just sit here a little longer. I’ll take a quick look, and then we’ll head back."

"You’re not staying here?"

"I need to keep an eye on you during your IV drip. I’ll spend three hours every day tomorrow supervising your treatment."

"..." Was he a prisoner?

Lily leaned down and kissed him on the cheek before walking off. Alone, she wandered through the film studio, marveling at how the models she’d seen had come to life. Walking through the sets felt surreal, like stepping into a dream.

This place had become her kingdom—Lily Anderson’s realm.

Her fingertips brushed against the walls.

If only Dad were still here, she thought. Even if he couldn’t see her standing on stage accepting an award, at least he could see her directing a film.

Suddenly, her vision darkened, and her legs gave out. The familiar symptoms of her condition struck her, and Lily quickly reached for a nearby railing, using it to steady herself, trying desperately not to collapse.

Her hand slowly slid down the white railing as she sat on the ground, leaning against it for support.

From her coat pocket, she pulled out a pain-relief syringe. But before she could inject herself, a wave of excruciating pain washed over her, sharp and relentless, like needles stabbing into her nerves.

"Ah—"

She let out a cry of pain. Her trembling hand lost its grip on the syringe, and it fell to the ground. Lily tried to pick it up, her hand shaking uncontrollably, but the pain was so intense that she was on the verge of losing consciousness.

The syringe lay within her reach, but she couldn’t grab it. Beads of sweat rolled down her pale face, soaking her skin.

"What’s wrong with you?"

A voice, filled with surprise, came from above her. The next moment, Tommy Blackwood’s tall, lean figure crouched before her. He picked up the syringe, his expression puzzled as he looked at her.

"My pocket... there’s medicine... draw it... into the syringe..." Lily stammered, barely able to speak through her pain, her pleading eyes meeting his.

"You’re doing drugs?!"

Seeing her in such agony, her vision blurred, Tommy was momentarily stunned. Was she pregnant and still using drugs? How could Ethan be with a woman like this?

Tommy reached into her pocket and pulled out a small vial of medication. He filled the syringe with the liquid and then raised her trembling arm. "Should I inject it for you?"

"No... I’ll... do it myself..."

Even if there were the slightest chance of harming someone else, she wouldn’t take it.

Her sweat-blurred vision made it hard for her to see clearly, but Lily managed to take the syringe from Tommy. After a few shaky attempts, she injected the medication into her arm, pushing the liquid in forcefully.

Sweat dripped from her pale face, and her lips turned ashen as she endured the searing pain.

Tommy picked up the vial and sniffed it. "This isn’t a drug. What’s wrong with you? I’m going to get Ethan."

"No..." At his words, Lily panicked and tried to grab him. Her hand flailed weakly in the air before falling back to her side. She slumped further, almost collapsing onto the ground.

Tommy stepped forward and supported her back, crouching beside her. "Why don’t you want me to get Ethan?"

If it wasn’t drug use, what could cause her this much pain?

When the pain finally subsided, and strength returned to her legs, Lily mustered the energy to explain what had happened with Aiko Nakamura and how she had been infected with AuroraVirus.

As she spoke, Tommy handed her tissues. Lily wiped her face, soaking the tissue with sweat and tears. Her entire body felt utterly drained.

After hearing the whole story, Tommy was visibly shocked. "This is insane!"

Insane? Was he referring to Aiko Nakamura’s actions or something else?

"You and Ethan forcing this relationship... how long do you think it will last?" Tommy asked, standing tall and looking down at her. His usual playboy demeanor was gone, replaced by the tone of an elder brother lecturing a younger sibling. "Right now, separating is the best option. You could get the antidote, and Ethan wouldn’t have to suffer harsher punishments for defying Father."

"If you love someone, why would you let go so easily?" Lily’s voice was tired as if she had just fought a battle. She was so exhausted that she was short of breath. "I still love him. Watching him marry another woman... I couldn’t do it."

"And then what? What’s the endgame? Are you two going to die in each other’s arms?!" Tommy ran a hand through his slightly wavy blond hair, exasperated. "You’re both insane!"

She just wanted to stay with Ethan. Was that so wrong? She couldn’t bring herself to leave so quickly...

Besides, Ethan had told her to give him three months. In three months, they could be together.

It wasn’t hopeless for them.

"The most important thing isn’t being together—staying alive. Do you get that?!" Tommy shouted.

For the first time, Lily saw a different side of Tommy Blackwood.

It was as if he had lived through this and knew exactly what he was talking about.

Lily grabbed the railing and stood up, silently meeting his gaze. "You..."

"Don’t even think about running away together," Tommy interrupted. "I tried that once. And because of it, the woman I loved the most was driven to suicide by Father. I almost got beaten to death myself."

Lily froze in place, her mind reeling.

"The woman Tommy loved most... was forced to commit suicide by his father?"

Tommy’s voice was steady but tinged with bitterness. "Don’t try to imagine how terrifying our father is. It’s beyond anything you can comprehend. If you let go of this relationship now, you’ll still have a chance to live."

Lily remained silent momentarily, then firmly said, "I trust Ethan."

Ethan had told her to give him three months; she believed he would give her a future. She was willing to stake her life on those words and had never considered leaving him.

"Crazy," Tommy muttered, shaking his head. He had nothing more to say. Turning to leave, he paused and looked back at her, pain visible in his eyes. "One day, you’ll understand. Staying alive is more important than anything else. Being together isn’t the only form of love. But by the time you realize that, it might already be too late."

With that, Tommy’s usual frivolous demeanor returned. He blew her a kiss. "Crazy Rabbit, I wish you happiness."

Lily stood there, watching Tommy’s retreating figure, her mind racing. She thought about his logic—was staying alive more critical than anything else? Could love still exist even if two people weren’t together?

In the end, her thoughts remained as stubborn as ever.

She believed she would find happiness.

She and Ethan... wouldn’t end up like Tommy.

Lily and Ethan began living parallel lives. Ethan was planning something, though he didn’t share the details with her. Meanwhile, Lily focused on working with the team Ethan had assembled for her, preparing for her film.

Alex Carter’s wedding dominated the headlines, but neither she nor Ethan attended.

To ensure she was cared for, Lily kept Nanny by her side. Whenever AuroraVirus symptoms flared up, Nanny would help her leave to administer her pain-relief injections.

Nanny often cried when she saw Lily suffering.

Lily eventually chose Grace, a talented little girl, from the twelve young actresses trained for the lead role.

The script was about a young girl who, after learning she had AIDS, ran away from home to avoid burdening her family. Along the way, she stumbled into a hospital, where she encountered various patients and their stories.

It wasn’t a big-budget film, but the subject matter was heavy and poignant.

At first, some experienced team members were skeptical of Lily’s leadership. However, once production moved to a real hospital for filming and the team saw the patients and heard their stories, everyone became deeply invested.

Even seasoned female crew members found themselves crying on set during certain scenes.

Lily learned a lot through the process. Among terminally ill patients, some clung to hope for the future, while others had given up, living day by day. Some only wished to step outside the hospital one last time before they passed.

Nanny often cried even more than the patients, incredibly emotional.

"Grace, you can’t cry in this scene," Lily gently explained to the young lead actress.

Grace was a stunningly beautiful five-year-old with an intelligent and lively spirit. Her eyes reddened as she pointed to another actor playing a patient. "But... he’s going to die. Why can’t I cry?"

The "he" she referred to was an actor playing a terminal patient. Grace was highly empathetic and deeply immersed in her role.

"You can’t cry because you’re supposed to represent hope. That patient would want to see your smile. If you smile, he’ll leave this world happy. Even in heaven, he’ll be happy," Lily explained in child-friendly terms.

Grace nodded, seemingly understanding but still a little uncertain.

When they began filming, Grace kept her sweet smile throughout the scene. But the moment the actor playing the patient "died," she burst into tears.

Lily was surprised but didn’t call for a cut. Instead, she watched as Grace cried uncontrollably.

Nanny, standing beside Lily, began crying as well. Several female crew members joined in, sniffling quietly.

Grace’s emotional performance was incredibly moving.

After the scene ended, Grace walked up to Lily with teary eyes, looking apologetic. "Director, did I mess it up?"

"Why did you cry?" Lily asked. She had intended to capture Grace’s innocence and lack of understanding about death, but the child had been so immersed in the role that she cried her heart out.

Grace’s mother helped wipe her tears as the little girl sniffled and said, "He... he’s going to die. I’ll miss him so much... What will I do if I think about him later? He’s gone to heaven to be an angel... He can see me, but I can’t see him..."

The innocence in her voice left Lily deeply moved.

Lily couldn’t help but remember Tommy’s words: One day, you’ll understand. Staying alive is more important than anything else...

For some reason, those words resonated with her now.

After wrapping up for the day, Lily returned home and sat studying the day’s footage. Grace had given an incredibly heartfelt performance. She realized that children weren’t as naive as they seemed. They had their unique understanding of life.