30 Days of Passion and Revenge-Chapter 278: Seeking Answers

The female reporter immediately shouted, turning to the cameraman beside her. "Quick, record this! Ethan Blackwood’s mistress is yelling at and assaulting journalists in public!"

Yelling? Assaulting? Where had she done any of that?

Lily Anderson ignored them and tried to leave, but the two reporters followed her closely. The cameraman even bumped his equipment into her head, causing her to stumble and almost fall.

"Ms. Anderson is not accepting interviews right now. Please leave, or we’ll sue you for harassment!"

A deep male voice interrupted. A stranger walked forward and stepped between Lily and the reporters, shielding her.

The two reporters exchanged glances and, seeing the tall, imposing man, decided to retreat. They already had enough material to make a sensational story.

Lily turned to the man, who nodded politely at her. "Ms. Anderson."

"Did Ethan send you?" Lily’s first thought was that Ethan must have been secretly protecting her.

With that thought, she instinctively looked around, hoping to spot Ethan. Where was he?

"Ms. Anderson, our young master is waiting for you in the car," the man said politely, gesturing toward a sports car parked not far away.

Young master?

No Blackwood family member ever referred to Ethan as "young master"...

The man ran over to open the car door, and a tall, elegant figure stepped out. His features were as gentle and refined as ever, his gaze warm as he looked at her.

Alex Carter.

Lily walked over and thanked him sincerely. "Thank you."

If it weren’t for him, she wouldn’t know what kind of story the paparazzi would have spun today or how much damage it would have done to Ethan.

Alex pointed to the man who had helped her earlier. "He’s my driver. If I had stepped in myself, the reporters would’ve spun it into a bigger mess."

Lily nodded.

She understood. Ethan, Alex, Alice Johnson, and herself weren’t celebrities. Yet, their names appeared in entertainment tabloids more often than actual stars...

And their relationships were always interpreted in the most convoluted ways.

"What are you doing here? Should I drop you off somewhere?" Alex asked kindly.

"No, thank you. You must be busy," Lily politely declined and turned to hail a taxi.

Alex stood in front of his car, watching the taxi drive away. Slowly, the warmth in his expression faded.

"Miss, where exactly are you going?" the taxi driver asked for the umpteenth time.

She didn’t know either...

No friends. No home.

In the end, the taxi stopped outside the amusement park. Lily stared at the workers inside, who were dismantling the fairy lights. Her chest tightened painfully.

Just yesterday, they had kissed her.

"Miss, you haven’t paid the fare!" the driver’s voice snapped Lily out of her thoughts. She fumbled through her pockets but realized it had been a long since she carried cash.

Being with Ethan for so long had influenced her in countless ways. She had unknowingly picked up many of his habits...

She couldn’t find any cash, only Tommy’s card. The driver glanced at it and immediately shouted, "Miss! This is a taxi, not a department store! I can’t take a card like that!"

"Here, let me cover it," a gentle voice interjected.

Alex stepped forward and handed a hundred-dollar bill to the driver, apologizing with a polite smile.

"Honestly, young couples fighting and breaking up—at least make sure you have money for a taxi!" the driver muttered disdainfully, giving Lily a scornful look before driving off.

"Thank you," Lily said softly. Beyond that, she didn’t know what else to say to Alex.

Had he been following her the whole time?

"I noticed you seemed off earlier. Are you still upset about the child?" Alex asked, standing in front of her with concern in his eyes.

The child?

She had lost more than just a child. She had lost everything...

Lily didn’t respond. She walked into the amusement park, but a staff member stopped her. "Sorry, we’re not open yet. The park is still being cleaned."

Lily ignored them and kept walking.

"Hey! Can’t you understand what I’m saying?" The staff member, clearly annoyed, moved to block her.

"Apologies. Please let us take a quick look," Alex said, pulling out some money to smooth things over. He followed Lily quietly, not disturbing her.

Even in daylight, the amusement park still looked romantic...

Lily stared blankly at the scene before her. Workers were taking down the lights and wind chimes from the trees.

She picked up one of the "L&E" light signs. L&E. Lily & Ethan.

The romance Ethan had given her, the protection, the care... he had taken it all back.

"These lights are very well-crafted," Alex said as he stood beside her. He reached around her and took the light sign down from the tree.

The "L&E" sign was tiny, just the size of a palm, but exquisitely made.

Lily took it from his hands, her fingers brushing over the "L" character. Tears welled up and fell. "What’s the point of all this?"

If he wanted to break up, why take her to revisit all the places they had memories together?

It only made her feel worse, adding another layer of heartache to her already broken soul.

"What?" Alex didn’t understand her seemingly disjointed comment.

"He brought me here last night," Lily said, holding the light sign. Her voice was choked. She looked up at the lights still being taken down from the trees. "Is breaking up something that needs a prelude? A setup?"

"You and Ethan broke up?" Alex asked, shocked. "Your child just passed away, and he broke up with you?!"

Yes. As if one blow wasn’t enough, Ethan had delivered a crushing strike, hitting her where it hurt the most.

Lily looked at the trees, and the faint sound of the wind chimes still lingered. She cried silently.

"Lily, don’t cry. Is he really worth your tears?" Alex said, pulling out a tissue and offering it to her.

Lily’s voice was muffled with sobs, but her tone was resolute. "Yes, he’s worth it."

Ethan was worth everything... because he had once been so good to her. She couldn’t believe it was all just revenge.

A man seeking revenge wouldn’t shed tears for her...

A man seeking revenge wouldn’t risk his life to save her father...

She cried, but her words were firm.

Alex said nothing more. He gently used the tissue to wipe her tears. "Lily, don’t cry. Be good..."

His voice was so gentle, reminiscent of when they were children...

Lily turned her face away, avoiding his touch.

Her rejection was clear.

Alex’s hand froze mid-air, holding the tissue. A flicker of emotion crossed his eyes but disappeared just as quickly.

After a long pause, Alex said, "Let me take you somewhere to rest."

"I want to stay a little longer."

She didn’t know where else she could go or if she could even truly rest... She didn’t even know what she was holding on to anymore.

"Lily, don’t be so stubborn. You don’t have any money with you. I know your uncle’s family has left the city. I’m the only friend you have here. Don’t refuse my help."

"Alex, I don’t want anyone’s help right now."

She felt like a balloon floating aimlessly in the air. Ethan had let go of the string, and now she was just drifting, waiting to pop...

"You’ve also contracted the AuroraVirus. You need someone to take care of you. Come back to my place. I have staff who can look after you."

Go to Alex’s house? In what capacity?

Lily shook her head. Alex added, "Alice is also at home. She won’t give you a hard time anymore. She can help take care of you, too."

Alex was trying hard to reassure her.

It was strange. They had grown up together as childhood friends, yet she was more guarded against him than anyone else...

The little girl who used to drag a bag of sparklers to find him in kindergarten had changed so much—all because of Ethan Blackwood.

"I have money. I can find a place to stay," Lily said, wiping away her tears and continuing.

"Alright, if you won’t come with me, then I’ll stay with you until you agree to," Alex said, his voice calm but firm. He had always been more stubborn than she was.

Lily’s steps faltered momentarily but said nothing and continued walking deeper into the amusement park.

Lily saw the familiar chairs, arcade game consoles, and sensor guns in the shooting game area. Her fingers brushed over one of the guns with a slight tremble.

"Defeating your enemies is the best way to protect yourself. Do you understand?!"

"But we’re on the same team. You can protect me."

"What if I’m not here? You can’t even protect yourself?!"

"Then you’ll die at my hands!"

"You missed your shot."

"Yeah, I missed."

Self-protection...

Ethan had always told her not to worry about anything, that he would handle everything. Over time, she had lost her sense of self-reliance, and now he blamed her for it...

Would firing a few shots really give her the ability to protect herself?

No. She needed to ask him directly why he didn’t want her anymore. Even if they had to break up, she deserved a clear answer, not some vague excuse...

She wasn’t going to burden him. She just wanted clarity.

"Do you like shooting games?" Alex asked. In his memory, Lily had never liked such things.

"Alex, I have something to do. I’m leaving."

Lily clutched the light sign tightly and ran out. Alex glanced at the shooting game area, his brows furrowing slightly before he turned to follow her.

"Lily, where are you going? Let me drive you."

"No need."

Another refusal.

"Do you even have money on you?"

Standing at the amusement park entrance, Lily looked around. There were no ATMs nearby and no taxis in sight.

Alex opened the car door. "Get in."

This time, Lily didn’t refuse. She got into the car and said, "Take me to Shallow Bay."

"You still want to see Ethan? He dumped you after you had his child, and the child died. He didn’t care about you and still broke up with you. What’s the point of going to him?" Alex scolded.

"I just want answers."

Answers... What was there to clarify?

"You want answers, or are you just looking for an excuse to see him?" Alex asked, glancing at her as he drove. His words hit the mark.

Lily sat in silence, her head slightly lowered.

She couldn’t refute him.

Was she seeking answers or just an excuse to see Ethan? Even she didn’t know.

Alex stopped trying to dissuade her and drove her to Shallow Bay, but they stopped at the entrance.

"I’m sorry, Ms. Anderson. Mr. Blackwood has instructed us that you can no longer enter Shallow Bay." The young security guard blocked their way.

"..." Lily stared at him in a daze.

Not allowed to enter Shallow Bay? Not just the Blackwood estate—she wasn’t even allowed into the neighborhood anymore...

"Lily, let’s go," Alex said, trying to take her hand. He added bitterly, "He doesn’t want anything to do with you anymore."

Is it that easy to sever ties?

"I’m not leaving."

"Lily, don’t do this. Staying here will only humiliate you," Alex said, trying to pull her away.

Lily used all her strength to break free from his grasp. Her voice trembled with emotion as she said, "I just want to know why he broke up with me."