30 Days of Passion and Revenge-Chapter 268: Alex’s Curiosity

"And now...?" Alex Carter’s gaze flickered with worry as he asked gently.

"I’m... doing okay," Lily Anderson replied with a faint, bittersweet smile.

"I heard the central authorities haven’t withdrawn yet and are still investigating. Ethan Blackwood hasn’t resolved the situation?" Alex asked again. "Aren’t you both walking on eggshells with every step you take now?"

Ethan’s focus had long shifted from appeasing the central authorities to planning their departure. To him, whether he left behind a tarnished reputation or not didn’t seem to matter.

"Yes, the central authorities are still investigating," Lily said with a slight nod.

"I don’t know when my father will be released. His heart is weak, and he can’t handle stress, especially after such prolonged detention," Alex said, his brows furrowing with concern as he clasped his hands together.

Lily regarded him quietly. She didn’t dare mention anything about Bill Carter’s release and instead reassured him calmly, "Don’t worry. He’s doing fine. He hasn’t been mistreated at all."

"I know. With you around, my father couldn’t possibly suffer," Alex said with a bitter smile. Suddenly, as if something had occurred, he asked, "Ethan’s father is powerful and influential. Why hasn’t he stepped in to stop the central authorities’ investigation? If anything incriminating surfaces, Ethan could face interrogation."

That would undoubtedly be a significant scandal for the Blackwood family.

Lily lowered her gaze and replied lightly, "Ethan just wants to handle things alone..."

"On his own?" Alex looked at her with confusion. "Doesn’t the European branch of the Blackwood family know what he’s doing? I also heard that Ethan’s second brother is in the country."

"How do you know so much?" Lily asked, surprised. Alex even knew about Tommy Blackwood’s arrival in Asia?

Alex chuckled lightly and said casually, "The circles we move in aren’t that big. Ethan’s second brother doesn’t have the best reputation. Even Alice Johnson’s two best friends have been involved with him."

Tommy is truly a notorious playboy.

"Lily, I’ve been paying attention to this kidnapping case because I’m worried about my father—and also about what will happen to you if Ethan falls," Alex said with a bitter smile. "There’s no need to think of me as someone with ulterior motives."

Only then did Lily realize her earlier tone had been overly cautious, unintentionally offending Alex.

"I’m sorry, I... didn’t mean it that way," Lily apologized sincerely, feeling a pang of guilt. She didn’t know why she had become so jumpy and distrustful.

She trusted Alex, but part of her was still guarded around him.

"Lily, what about the AuroraVirus? Is there any medical solution?" Alex asked, steering the conversation back to her health.

"After the baby is born, I’ll undergo treatment to see if I can delay the onset of the symptoms without the antidote," Lily replied honestly.

"Does it hurt a lot when it flares up?" Alex asked, concern evident in his eyes.

Lily forced a faint smile. "It’s manageable. You don’t need to worry."

Maintaining his gentle and polite demeanor, Alex embodied the perfect image of a concerned friend. "I should get going. I’ll revisit you another day. Take care of yourself."

"You too. Be sure to take care of that cold," Lily said as she prepared to stand up, but Alex pressed her back into her seat.

"Stay seated. It’s tiring for a pregnant woman to keep standing," he said.

She had only come out to stretch her legs, yet now she was being told to sit again...

"Fine, then. Bye-bye," Lily said with a smile, waving him off.

Alex nodded and turned to leave. Just as Lily was about to stand up again, Alex suddenly stopped and turned back, his gaze warm as he asked, "You really don’t like the pastries from Macarons & More anymore?"

The pastries from Macarons & More?

Why would he suddenly ask about that?

Lily froze for a moment, her gaze flickering slightly before she nodded. "No, not anymore. My tastes have changed since I got pregnant."

The pastries from Macarons & More and Alex himself were remnants of her past—memories she had left behind. Now, she loved Ethan. Her favorite food was duck-blood vermicelli soup. There was no going back to who she used to be.

"Is that so?" Alex replied with a soft smile, his expression calm and unreadable.

For Ethan, she had changed more than just her taste in food. She had changed everything... all for him.

"What’s wrong?" Lily asked, puzzled by his sudden question.

"Nothing, just curious," Alex said, bidding her farewell before turning to leave.

Lily sat there, watching his retreating figure, feeling slightly bewildered. Why had he brought up Macarons & More’s pastries out of nowhere?

As Alex walked away, his steps steady, he reached a corner and casually tossed his medicine bag into the trash. His previously warm and gentle gaze turned ice-cold in an instant.

Lily sat at a small table in the hospital room, brushing her hair. Yet another strand fell onto the comb, making her heart tense.

She could barely bring herself to look in the mirror anymore. If she was already like this now, what would she look like in the future? What kind of monstrosity would she become?

"Nanny, do you think I should just shave my head and wear a wig instead?" Lily asked, staring at her increasingly sparse hair in the mirror. She imagined that if she pulled hard enough, all her hair would come out instantly...

"Miss Anderson, don’t say such things! Your hair is so beautiful; how could you bear to cut it?" Nanny quickly interrupted, her voice tinged with sadness as she looked at Lily.

"You’re not being honest, Nanny..." Lily said with a bitter smile, looking at the hair tangled in her comb. "My hair is getting thinner every day..."

Before she could finish her sentence, the door swung open. Lily quickly pulled the hair from the comb and stuffed it into Nanny’s hand. Nanny, quick on her feet, walked briskly to the trash can and disposed of it.

Ethan stood in the doorway, his cold gaze taking in the scene without saying a word.

Lily adjusted her hat, turned in her chair to face him, and greeted him with a bright smile. "You’re here."

Her smile was pure and untainted as if it could chase away all the shadows.

"Duck-blood vermicelli soup," Ethan said flatly, placing a bag on the table before her.

"That’s perfect! I was just telling Nanny how much I was craving your duck-blood vermicelli soup, and here you are, bringing it to me," Lily said, her eyes lighting up as she eagerly opened the container. The aroma wafted out, making her mouth water.

She had to admit that Ethan’s soup-making skills had improved significantly. Nanny once mentioned how much Ethan despised cheap food, yet for Lily, he had repeatedly broken his own principles.

Ethan sat across from her, letting out a faint scoff. "It’s only because Nanny called me."

"Can’t you let me feel touched for a moment? Let me believe we’re so in sync that you just knew," Lily said with mock exasperation as she poured a generous amount of vinegar into the soup. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

The sharp smell of vinegar made Ethan turn his head away, his brows furrowing slightly.

"Ethan, do you want to try a bite? You’ve gotten really good at making this," Lily said with a teasing smile.

"No."

Ethan refused immediately. There was no way he’d bite something so drenched in vinegar. No one in the house had taste buds as extreme as hers.

"Just one bite. C’mon..." Lily pressed, scooping up some noodles and holding the spoon out to him. "Just one bite, Ethan..."

Ethan glared at her. "Stop it."

"Will you eat it or not?!" Lily persisted, refusing to back down.

Glaring at her one last time, Ethan finally gave in, leaning forward and swallowing the noodles swiftly as if he wanted to swallow the spoon.

Lily’s eyes sparkled as she watched him. The moment he swallowed, his handsome face twisted into a grimace.

Unable to contain her laughter, Lily said, "It’s good, right? I think it’s getting better every time you make it."

Ethan didn’t even chew; he just swallowed it whole. His dark eyes glared at her. "Why don’t you just drink straight vinegar?!"

Seriously.

How could she eat something so sour?

"Vinegar doesn’t taste good on its own. It’s only delicious when mixed with your duck-blood vermicelli soup," Lily said, laughing uncontrollably.

Ethan frowned, unsure if she was complimenting or mocking him. "Stop laughing."

When she saw that her teasing wasn’t easing his mood, Lily sighed and handed him a glass of water. "Here, drink some water."

Ethan took the glass and downed it in one go, his movements abrupt and forceful. After finishing, he glared at her. "Lily! Don’t think I won’t punish you just because you’re pregnant!"

She dared to make him eat that sour mess.

"I’m not relying on the fact that I’m pregnant," Lily said with a grin.

Even if she weren’t pregnant, she was certain Ethan wouldn’t lay a hand on her anymore.

With a playful smile, Lily climbed onto Ethan’s lap, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. She batted her eyes at him in an exaggeratedly flirtatious way. "This is called romance. Don’t you get it?"

She didn’t want to see him frowning constantly, his face dark with worry.

Even though she had to stay in the hospital, she wanted Ethan to feel happy every time he visited her—because she was here, with him.

"Your idea of romance is making me drink vinegar?!" Ethan scoffed, his face full of disdain. "I must’ve gone too long without teaching you what romance really is."

"Isn’t your idea of romance just role-play?" Lily retorted, her tone full of mischief.

This woman... she was asking for trouble.

After finishing her bowl of soup, which Ethan could hardly stomach, Lily dragged him out to the balcony to play strategy board games.

Lily was keenly interested in strategy games, but her win rate was abysmal. She had never won a single match.

Each time she moved a piece, she was overly cautious, shielding her side of the board with her hands and warning Ethan, "No peeking."

"..." Ethan lazily glanced at her. "I could beat you with my eyes closed."

He had never seen anyone so terrible at strategy games...

Smack.

Lily watched helplessly as her pieces were eliminated from the board. Ethan glanced at the empty space before her and said, "Looks like we’re ready for another round."

Couldn’t he draw out the game a little longer so she could learn something?

"Lily, your IQ is leagues behind mine," Ethan said smugly.

Show-off.

After losing several rounds, Lily gave up on the board game. "Let’s play a simple card game instead."

"Alright," Ethan agreed, his sharp black eyes fixed on her as she prepared for the next game. She was trying so hard to appear cheerful and optimistic before him...

She wanted him to accept reality, but she hadn’t truly accepted it.

That’s why she was putting on such an act.

"Commander," Lily announced, laying down her highest card.

"Bomb," Ethan countered, revealing his card with a raised brow.

"..." Lily stared in disbelief as her strongest card was annihilated by Ethan’s bomb.

"Next time you play your Commander, don’t bite your lip," Ethan pointed out, revealing her tell.

"Did I bite my lip?" Lily touched her lips, frustrated.

In the end, Ethan let her win a couple of rounds—not because her gameplay was so hopeless it was comical, but because her forced optimism was heartbreakingly apparent.

"Lily, I can accept this. But you need to accept it, too," Ethan said as he reset the game pieces.

"What?" Lily asked, confused.

"Lily! I’m your man. In front of me, if you’re happy, laugh. If you’re sad, cry. Stop pretending. Do you hear me?" Ethan’s voice was steady but firm. As much as he wanted to ignore it, he hated seeing her force a smile.