30 Days of Passion and Revenge-Chapter 290: Fine, I’ll Leave

Alice Johnson had arranged to meet at a café. When Lily arrived, she immediately noticed that Alice was crying. As Alice removed her sunglasses, her eyes were swollen and red, making her look utterly exhausted.

She had lost some of the poise and elegance of a socialite.

Lily took a seat across from her. Alice opened her mouth several times to speak but hesitated. Finally, Lily broke the silence. "You’ve been crying?"

Hearing this, Alice let out a bitter laugh, her eyes filled with sorrow. "Even you can tell I’ve been crying, but when Alex came home, he didn’t notice anything."

Lily already knew why Alice had asked to meet her today.

The coffee arrived, and Lily held the cup, taking a small sip. In the corner of the café, a violinist played a somber tune with great focus, the melody filling the air.

"I want to sincerely apologize for what happened at the reunion last time," Alice said, breaking the silence. Her tone was filled with regret as she looked at Lily with sadness. "I was immature back then, and my actions were extreme. I truly regret it."

If Ethan hadn’t saved her that day, Lily thought, she probably wouldn’t even be here to hear Alice’s apology today.

"Are you mature now?" Lily responded calmly. She felt no particular warmth toward Alice but didn’t feel the need to dwell on past grievances.

Alice had almost pushed herself to death...

Alice was Alex’s wife. What was there to argue about?

"He’s my husband." Alice choked back a sob, raising her tear-filled eyes to meet Lily’s. "I love him so much. You can’t imagine how much I love him. For him, I tried so hard to become a shadow of you... I love him more than anyone else does."

Alice repeated the word "love" several times, her tone intense and desperate.

"What are you trying to say?" Lily asked.

"I love him. I can’t live without him," Alice said, her voice trembling with emotion. Her eyes pleaded with Lily. "We’re already married. I don’t know what happened between you and Mr. Blackwood of Blackwood Enterprise, but... Alex and I are already married."

Alice’s words came out disjointed, almost incoherent.

But strangely enough, Lily understood. "You want me to stay away from Alex? To stop seeing him?"

Lily’s straightforwardness caught Alice off guard. For a moment, her face froze, but then her expression turned more earnest, almost begging. "Can you?"

"I know you’re not in good health. Whatever money you need for treatment, I can provide. I can arrange however many caregivers you need. Money isn’t an issue," Alice said hurriedly, then caught herself, adding, "I don’t mean to insult you with money. I just know you need care."

Lily looked at Alice, who seemed so timid and cautious.

Alice had matured. She was no longer the impulsive, reckless socialite she used to be. She lowered herself here, practically begging Lily to stay away from Alex.

It felt as though the once proud and elegant socialite was fading away.

"Fine. I’ll leave," Lily replied without hesitation.

Her quick agreement left Alice stunned. "You... You’ll leave?"

"Alex and I are just friends. But if it makes you uncomfortable, I’ll leave. Because I hope Alex can have a happy family without suspicion or conflict," Lily said earnestly.

She meant every word. She owed Alex so much and didn’t want to cause turmoil in his family. He deserved a life filled with happiness.

Perhaps Alice hadn’t expected Lily to agree so quickly. She stammered out her gratitude. "You... You’re not the same as before."

"Do you admire me now?" Lily asked coldly.

Alice let out a faint laugh, though it was tinged with bitterness. "I haven’t learned to admire my rival just yet."

Not learned to admire her rival...

For some reason, Lily suddenly thought of Aiko Nakamura. Thinking about her now, Lily no longer felt hatred. Aiko was a girl who was willing to lay down her life for Ethan and for her freedom.

Everyone has their own stance and their own beliefs... who are we to judge?

"Thank you," Alice said, raising her coffee cup in gratitude. She hadn’t expected Lily to agree so readily to leave.

"You love too cautiously," Lily remarked.

"That’s because you’ve never lost what matters most," Alice replied with a bitter smile. "When you lose something and get it back, it’s hard not to become paranoid."

For the first time, the atmosphere between Lily and Alice felt harmonious. Lily promised Alice that once she signed the stock transfer documents, she would leave this city and no longer stay.

When Lily left the café, the sun outside was blazing. She got into a taxi and headed to the outskirts of Shallow Bay. This time, however, she didn’t cause a scene or demand to be let inside.

The taxi stopped outside the gated community, and Lily quietly looked toward the neighborhood.

From her vantage point, she couldn’t even see the Blackwood villa. She didn’t know why she had come here or what she was hoping to see...

She had already decided to give up... already decided to leave this place...

Several cars drove into Shallow Bay one after another.

"Miss, what exactly are you looking at?" the driver asked impatiently. "Shallow Bay is the most upscale community. If you’re here to meet some rich businessmen, you’ve got to step out of the car and show yourself. Sitting in here, they won’t even notice you."

"I’ll pay for the ride," Lily replied coldly.

"Hey, miss, you look familiar..." the driver said, glancing at her in the rearview mirror. He began chattering again. "Are you a celebrity?"

"I’d like some quiet, please," Lily said exasperatedly. Taxi drivers these days are far too talkative.

Finally, the driver fell silent.

Lily’s gaze darkened as she stared at Shallow Bay, where she had lived for so long. The man inside... no longer belonged to her.

"This Shallow Bay has that Blackwood Enterprise president living here. The news about that kidnapping case was huge... But now the news says it wasn’t him after all..." The driver couldn’t keep quiet for long and started talking again.

Suddenly, the gates of Shallow Bay opened, and a young woman in a sultry blue dress walked out. She wore a long coat over her outfit, all from the Blackwood Enterprise fashion line.

What stood out most was her straight hair.

That sleek, straight hair lifted slightly in the breeze. Lily recognized her immediately—clear as day.

In the courthouse, Ethan had kissed this woman. He kissed her passionately, running his long fingers through her straight hair as he kissed her tenderly...

This woman had a beautiful head of straight, long hair. Meanwhile, Lily’s hair was increasingly thinning, and soon, she would be left entirely bald.

The woman walked while talking on her phone, her face glowing with shyness. "Alright, once I finish up this case, I’ll come to keep Mr. Blackwood company, okay?"

Mr. Blackwood.

Through the car window, Lily could hear her words clearly. Her heart clenched tightly as if it were being ripped apart.

"You don’t have to send a car for me. My client’s coming to pick me up anyway. But you ripped my stockings earlier, and now it’s so cold walking around like this..." The straight-haired woman pouted into her phone as she walked away.

Lily’s hand moved to clutch her chest, the pain so intense it left her feeling numb, as though all warmth had drained from her body.

Letting go.

It wasn’t just about ceasing her actions of pursuit. Her heart was still beating, still aching...

"Let’s go," Lily said, no longer forcing herself to stay.

"Alright," the driver said, starting the car.

The taxi slowly pulled away from Shallow Bay.

Inside Shallow Bay, the winding roads led to a parked van. Tommy Blackwood stood by it, bowing respectfully. "Mr. Blackwood, Miss. Anderson has left."

After the kidnapping case had been resolved, the surviving bodyguards had all returned to work under Ethan.

She left?

Lily... how much does she hate me now?

Ethan sat inside the van, his face tight and devoid of expression. His dark eyes were fathomless. "Drive."

The car entered the Blackwood residence. Ethan stepped out and walked into the house. Nanny greeted him at the door. "Mr. Blackwood."

Ethan didn’t respond, striding past her into the empty villa. The cold air filled the space.

The sofa Lily used to sit on, the kitchen she used to cook in, the easel she used to paint on...

Ethan walked to the wine cabinet and absentmindedly picked up a bottle of Lafite. Nanny quickly approached him. "Mr. Blackwood, your fever has been recurring these past few days. Please don’t drink anymore."

Ethan stared at the bottle in his hand...

Cursing under his breath, Ethan put the bottle back. He had lost count of how many times he had unconsciously gone to grab a drink...

He couldn’t drink. If he drank, he’d lose control.

"Mr. Blackwood, how are you feeling today? Should I get you some fever medicine, or would you like the doctor to come and give you an IV?" Nanny asked from the side.

"Medicine," Ethan said coldly.

Nanny quickly prepared the fever medicine and a glass of water. Ethan swallowed the pills dry, taking a couple of gulps of water before heading upstairs.

Nanny watched his retreating figure with concern. In the past, when Mr. Blackwood was upset, he’d express it through bursts of anger, smashing things everywhere...

Now that he had broken up with Lily, the violence remained, and the house had seen its furniture replaced several times over. But he no longer lashed out in rage. Instead, he had grown eerily quiet, speaking only a few words daily.

Even though it was just an ordinary fever, Mr. Blackwood’s condition kept relapsing, recovering, and worsening again...

"Please rest well, Mr. Blackwood."

Ethan sat alone in the home theater, watching Gone with the Wind, the same film he had once watched with Lily. It was a long, long film...

He loved holding Lily while watching movies or resting his head on her lap. They’d watch romantic films, art films, and even business dramas...

And every time, she was the first to fall asleep.

The theater lights remained off, leaving only the flickering glow of the screen illuminating his face. Ethan sat on the sofa and instinctively reached out to the side, only to grasp at empty air. It was then he realized... there was no one left to hold.

His expression darkened further.

Suddenly, Ethan lay down, leaning against the sofa, his eyes fixed on the massive screen. Even the couch felt cold, the only warmth from his fever-ridden body...

Closing his eyes, Ethan raised his hand upward, reaching for something. But all he touched was air—not the soft contours of Lily’s face...

Even the memory of her touch was slipping away from him...

He had pushed her away with his own hands, pushed her so far. Some decisions, once made, couldn’t be undone. Some decisions, even if filled with regret, had to be carried out...

Ethan Blackwood, this is where you’ve ended up.

"Lily..." Ethan murmured hoarsely, but the only response was the movie’s sound.

When Nanny found Ethan, he was lying on the sofa, fast asleep. The movie had long since ended, and the screen was frozen on the closing credits.

Sighing, Nanny fetched a blanket and draped it over him.

"Lily..." Ethan muttered again as the blanket touched him. Like a helpless child, he pulled it closer, his voice low and filled with longing, calling her name even in his sleep.

It was as if saying her name would summon her...

For the past few days, this had been Mr. Blackwood’s state. Awake, he barely spoke. Asleep, the only words on his lips were "Lily."

He showed no other emotions—not happiness or sadness. Whatever dreams he had, they always came back to that one name: Lily.

Nothing else.

Nanny watched him and let out another heavy sigh. As someone who had lived a long life, she could see clearly that Mr. Blackwood still loved Lily. But how had it come to this? She couldn’t understand.

Why did he push her away if he couldn’t let her go?

Lily was a carrier of the AuroraVirus. Soon, she wouldn’t be able to take care of herself. How could she survive on her own?

"Lily..."

Ethan called out again.

Sigh.

Nanny sighed once more.

When Ethan woke, he looked at the blanket draped over him. Sitting upright suddenly, he called out, "Lily—"

The theater responded with silence... suffocating silence. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

It wasn’t Lily.

She wouldn’t come back now, not in a million years.

Ethan threw off the blanket and stood up. Sweat clung to his body. He walked into the bathroom and took a cold shower, only to realize midway that he was running a fever and shouldn’t have used cold water.

If Lily were still here, she’d probably nagged him endlessly again.

A quiet woman by nature, but when she got anxious, she could be as nagging as Nanny and fiercer than him...

Returning to his room, Ethan surveyed the empty space. He sat on the edge of the bed.

Nanny had tidied everything so thoroughly...

Not a single photo of them together remained.

She had erased every trace of Lily from this house...

What was she doing now? Crying alone somewhere? She was still carrying AuroraVirus and wandering around on her own...

She used to scold him for not taking care of his health. But what about her? How well did she take care of herself?

She seemed even thinner now...

The roundness she had gained during her pregnancy was completely gone. She couldn’t afford to lose any more weight...