30 Days of Passion and Revenge-Chapter 289: Time To Let Go

Lily stood frozen, staring blankly at Ethan’s retreating figure. He was the man she knew best, the man she loved to her very core—the same man who had once promised to take her away and marry her.

She could still vividly remember the warmth of his lips, a sensation she couldn’t forget... but now, he had given that warmth to another woman.

Ethan’s tall and striking figure stood out like a crane among chickens. As he stepped through the courthouse doors, a swarm of reporters immediately rushed toward him, blocking his way entirely. Even with bodyguards maintaining order, it was difficult for him to move forward.

Through the open courthouse doors, Lily could see the dazzling flashes of countless cameras and a sea of reporters shoving their microphones toward him.

"Lily..." Alex Carter stepped before her, gently taking her hand and shielding her from the view. "Don’t look anymore."

"Did you see it?" Lily asked softly, her voice so faint it was almost inaudible.

"Lily..."

Alex tried to block her view, but her gaze remained vacant, fixed on his crisp white shirt.

"You saw it too, didn’t you?" Lily raised her head, her face devoid of any expression, completely stiff. "It wasn’t just my imagination, was it?"

Maybe Alex could tell her that she had been mistaken...

That everything she saw was just a figment of her imagination...

But she could no longer deceive herself. She couldn’t lie to herself anymore.

The image of Ethan passionately kissing that woman was far too real...

"Your hands are so cold," Alex said, holding her icy hands tightly, trying to warm them. But her hands were like ice, unresponsive to his warmth.

Lily’s face remained expressionless, but tears silently streamed down her cheeks, tracing cold paths against her skin.

Her hands and feet felt numb.

No warmth at all.

The truth was, Ethan... truly didn’t love her anymore. It had always been her, living in her fantasy, stubbornly believing he still cared for her.

She was a fool.

He was right—when a man dumps a woman, there’s no need for some more profound reason. When he’s done, he’s done... She had no exceptional qualities to keep him interested.

The allure of the outside world was far more enticing, wasn’t it?

She was just a sick woman. She couldn’t give him what he wanted.

Lily pulled her hand away from Alex’s grasp and turned around. Her chest ached so much that she could no longer feel the pain.

"Lily..."

Lily sat down on one of the rowed chairs, her head bowed. Tears fell from her eyes, dripping straight to the ground without touching her cheeks.

Drop by drop, they formed faint stains on the floor...

Alex stood by her side, watching her quietly. He reached out and gently touched her back, trying to offer her some warmth.

"I think... I think it’s time to let go."

After a long silence, Lily finally spoke. Her voice didn’t tremble, but it was pale and hollow, devoid of emotion. It was as if she had resigned herself to her fate...

Accepted the changes.

Accepted Ethan Blackwood’s constant back-and-forth.

Accepted that this relationship could never be salvaged... Accepted that Ethan would never again be the man she could lean on.

She had accepted it. Truly. She had accepted it.

"Are you sure about this?" Alex asked gently. He exhaled softly, relief flickering briefly in his eyes.

Could she really think otherwise?

Would she continue to deceive herself? To cling to some false hope? To shamelessly chase after Ethan again?

Enough... It was enough.

They were finished. That was the undeniable truth... and she had to let go.

"Cry it out this time, but don’t cry any more after this," Alex said as he reached out to pull her into his arms. Lily pushed his hand away, wiping her tears with her fingers.

"Lily, I just want to give you a shoulder to lean on—as a friend. Nothing more," Alex said softly. Would she even reject this?

Hadn’t she already decided to let go of Ethan?

"I know," Lily replied, her lips trembling slightly. "But if I’m going to stand back up, I must rely on my strength."

"We’re friends." 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

"I won’t depend on anyone else’s shoulder," Lily said, shaking her head. From the beginning, she shouldn’t have relied so heavily on Ethan’s shoulder, to the point where she lost herself...

Alex lowered his gaze, his expression deep, and his lips pressed tightly together.

Alex arranged for a dozen maids to handle Lily’s daily needs. She felt grateful to still have a friend like him who cared for her attentively.

Lily sat in the bedroom of the seaside villa, listening to the sound of waves crashing and seabirds crying outside the window.

Her eyes fell on a model kit sitting on the desk. The scattered components lay untouched, unassembled.

The "Lily Film Base"—a dream he had given her.

There was no need to build it anymore.

Everything was over.

Opening an empty cabinet, Lily carefully placed the model kit inside, piece by piece. Then she locked the cabinet and threw the key out the window...

Standing by the window, Lily gazed out at the vast ocean, which rolled toward the shore wave after wave.

Lowering her eyes, she looked toward the flowerbed below. A maid was watering the plants. Lily scanned the area for the key she had tossed but couldn’t see any sign.

The key?

Suddenly, her heart filled with panic.

Without thinking, Lily rushed downstairs and ran outside.

"Miss, where are you going?" Aston called after her, startled by her sudden urgency.

Lily didn’t answer, running straight out the door. She searched everywhere but couldn’t find the key. Growing more frantic, she stopped the maid who was watering the flowers. "Stop for now—I’m looking for something."

"Yes, Miss," the maid replied respectfully, stepping aside.

Lily crouched down and combed through the flowerbed, searching for the key. Where could it have gone? She had only thrown it casually; it shouldn’t have gone far... So why couldn’t she find it?

Why couldn’t she find it...

A thorn pricked her finger. She instinctively pulled her hand back, blood seeping from the wound. Ignoring the pain, she continued searching.

"What are you looking for?"

A gentle voice came from behind her.

Lily looked up to see Alex standing outside the flowerbed’s fence, the sunlight behind him casting his face in shadow.

What was she looking for?

Yes, what was she looking for? It was something she had thrown away—why bother searching for it?

"Nothing," Lily murmured, shaking her head as she stood up. Her shoes were caked in thick, wet mud.

Alex didn’t press further. He reached out to help her out of the flowerbed.

Lily pulled her hand back, hiding it behind her. "I hurt my hand."

She climbed out of the flowerbed independently, walking ahead and asking, "Why are you here?"

"Can’t I come to see you just because I want to?" Alex replied with a smile. His tone was light and casual, maintaining the perfect balance of a caring friend.

"Can’t I come see you?"

Lily’s eyes shifted slightly. He had been coming over so often lately. Didn’t he notice? Or was she just being overly sensitive?

"You’ve been coming over every day. Are you worried I’ll ruin your villa?" Lily tried to joke, keeping her tone light.

"This villa was designed and built for you. Even if you turned it into a doghouse, no one would blame you," Alex said warmly, a hint of indulgence in his smile. "Or are you saying you’re tired of me?"

"I wouldn’t dare," Lily replied. "But... what about Alice Johnson?"

"Look what I brought for you to eat," Alex interrupted as if he hadn’t heard her mention his wife.

Aston appeared, carrying a tray with neatly arranged pastries shaped like flowers. They were from an old, well-known bakery.

"Your taste should be back to normal by now, right?" Alex asked his words carrying subtle undertones.

Back to normal?

Lily looked at the pastries, momentarily at a loss for words. She raised her hand slightly and said, "I need to clean this wound first."

In the bathroom, Lily washed the blood off her hand and looked at her reflection in the mirror. She wore a hat that made her face look smaller, but her eyes were dull and lifeless.

Was Alex hinting at something? Or was she overthinking it?

She was probably overthinking it. Alex was just being thoughtful—what could he possibly be hinting at?

But... she really shouldn’t stay here any longer. She couldn’t keep running to Alex every time she left Ethan.

How could she convince Alex to let her leave on her own?

After bandaging her wound with a plaster, Lily returned to the living room. Alex was reading a newspaper, his expression focused and serious. Even without smiling, his features exuded warmth.

"What are you reading?" Lily asked.

"Just browsing." Alex put the newspaper down when he saw her and shifted to make space on the sofa.

Lily pretended not to notice and sat on a separate chair, taking the newspaper he had set aside.

She tried not to make her actions appear deliberate...

Alex’s gaze darkened slightly.

The newspapers Alex had been reading focused on the same headline: the sudden dismissal of Ethan’s high-profile case. Speculations and rumors swirled.

A photo of Ethan exiting the courthouse was prominently featured. The photo captured his usual cold expression, his gaze avoiding the cameras, and his tightly pressed lips.

Lily’s fingers lightly traced the image of his lips.

Biting her lip, she folded the newspaper forcefully and tossed it aside.

Don’t look anymore. There’s nothing worth looking at...

She told herself this.

"Here, try one of these," Alex said, holding out a pastry with a gentle smile.

"Thank you."

Lily had no reason to refuse. She took the pastry and took a bite. Although it tasted exactly like she remembered, it no longer felt the same.

Maybe her tastes had changed, and they could never change back.

"Is it good?" Alex asked, his eyes fixed on her with anticipation.

His gaze was so intense that Lily couldn’t meet it. She nodded slightly. "Yes, it’s good."

"I’m glad you still like it," Alex said, his smile softening, his eyes curving like a crescent moon. He reached out and gently brushed away a crumb from her lips.

Lily froze for a moment, instinctively turning her face away.

Alex’s hand paused midair but didn’t pull it back.

"Alex, bring the stock transfer papers next time. I’ll sign them," Lily said, trying to divert the conversation, her tone slightly uneasy.

"I thought you didn’t want to sign them," Alex said with a bitter smile. "That’s part of your father’s estate. Since you don’t have anything to do right now, why not come work at Carter Group?"

Work?

She had no aptitude for business management.

"I’m not interested, and my health doesn’t allow me to work right now," Lily replied. She held the pastry in her hand but couldn’t finish it.

"Alright, I’ll bring the papers tomorrow."

Lily nodded. A wave of exhaustion suddenly washed over her, and she pressed her fingers to her temples, trying to stay awake.

"Are you tired again?" Alex asked.

Lily nodded slightly.

"I’ll help you upstairs to rest."

"I can manage on my own," Lily said, politely declining. But Alex was already helping her up. "I’m worried you might fall on the stairs."

Her bouts of fatigue were becoming more frequent. The fact that she hadn’t yet succumbed to paralysis was already fortunate. If she didn’t begin treatment soon, even with the antidote, recovery would be slow.

Alex guided Lily to her princess-style bed. The plush toys and dolls she loved as a child had been moved to a corner of the room.

Lily, too drained to resist, quickly fell asleep.

Alex tucked her in, placing her hat on the bedside table. Her hair was increasingly thinning, and she rarely even took off her hat to sleep these days.

"If I took you away, would you come with me?" Alex asked softly, knowing she couldn’t hear him—and that even if she could, her answer would be no.

Without Ethan, she wouldn’t accept him so easily...

When Lily woke up, Alex was gone. She lay in bed, her eyes drifting to the locked cabinet. Inside was the model Ethan had spent an entire night building for her—a memory she had now shut away.

Without the key.

A door that couldn’t be opened...

"Miss." A soft knock came at the door, followed by Aston’s calm, steady voice.

"Come in."

Lily sat up slowly. Her eyelids felt heavy, and she still felt drowsy even after waking. Her body was getting weaker and weaker...

She had thought she could stay by Ethan’s side until the end of her life. But everything she had believed—it was all a lie.

Aston entered, bowing slightly as he approached. In his hand was a phone. "A call for you, Miss."

A call for her?

Who would call her here?

Curious, Lily took the phone and brought it to her ear. "Hello, this is Lily."

A faint voice came from the other end. "Miss, Ms. Lily is on the line."

Then another voice, slightly hoarse, spoke. "This is Alice Johnson. Can we talk?"

Alice Johnson?

Lily paused for a moment. "Alright."

Alice had arranged to meet at a café. When Lily arrived, she saw that Alice had clearly been crying. Removing her sunglasses revealed her red, swollen eyes, making her look worn out.