30 Days of Passion and Revenge-Chapter 304: Unmasking Alex

Lily didn’t even flinch when the needle pierced her skin. She sat through the entire examination process without any pain, sadness, or even relief on her face.

It was as if whether she got better or not no longer mattered to her.

"Lily, let me take you to Bali for treatment," Alex said, helping her off one of the medical devices. His expression was serious, unwavering.

"Bali?" Lily looked at him in confusion. "Why would I need to go to Bali for treatment?"

Was it because the climate there could aid her recovery? Or was there another reason?

"It’s for treatment, yes," Alex said, placing his hands gently on her shoulders. He leaned in slightly, his warm gaze locking onto hers. "But it’s to heal something deeper—your heart."

His voice softened. "Do you even realize how much you worry me? You have the chance to live a normal life again, to leave behind the years of being bedridden. And yet... you don’t seem happy at all."

Happy?

Was she supposed to feel happy?

But how...?

"I..."

"Getting away for a while will help," Alex encouraged, his eyes filled with reassurance. "Come with me, okay?"

The sincerity in his gaze was so pure and unwavering that Lily couldn’t find a reason to refuse.

Right now, she was the one who was sick. He was running around, doing everything he could for her recovery.

"Alright," she finally said. "I’ll go with the medical team. But you—"

"I’m coming with you," Alex interrupted.

"You can’t," Lily protested. "You have your company, your family—"

"Your treatment won’t take that long," he said with a smile, cutting off any further objections. "Now, go home and rest. Once the test results come in, we’ll leave."

Lily had to let him lead her out of the hospital.

As they reached the car, she hesitated before calling, "Alex."

"Hm?" He turned toward her, his expression gentle, his presence as comforting as a warm breeze.

For a moment, she wasn’t sure what to say. Then, after a brief pause, she finally murmured, "We’re just... good friends, right?"

Alex studied her, then glanced down at the hand he was holding. "Do you think I’m overstepping again?"

A flicker of something unreadable passed through his eyes, like stars dimming in the night sky.

Lily withdrew her hand, shaking her head. "No, it’s nothing. I was... talking."

Alex didn’t press further. He gave a slight nod and gestured toward the car. "Come on, I’ll take you home."

Back at the beachside villa, Lily pulled out her suitcase and rummaged through it until she found a USB drive. She plugged it into the TV and played the video stored inside.

On the screen, Ethan stood on a small T-shaped stage, wholly immersed in playing the saxophone. His sharp, refined features and confident posture—everything about him was mesmerizing.

Then, his voice rang out through the speakers:

"She’s my girlfriend! Anyone who dares call her a mistress is declaring war on me!"

"Lily, come here. Hold me."

The memory flashed before her eyes—the moment she had run into his arms, the way he had held her so tightly.

The video’s lighting, angles, and clarity all matched perfectly with the scandalous footage that had been exposed to the media.

If Alice had been telling the truth and she had recorded this video but never released it, then... who had leaked it?

How did Aiko Nakamura get her hands on it?

Could it have been... Alex?

No. That was impossible.

Alex would never do that to her. He had always been so kind, so protective. He would never expose her to the media like that, never let her become the target of public scrutiny.

Would he?

But then... what about the antidote?

How could his team have developed it so quickly?

And what about Aiko Nakamura?

Did Alex... know her?

No. That couldn’t be true. It shouldn’t be true.

Was she overthinking things?

Lily shut off the TV and collapsed onto the soft, dream-like bed. The sheets, the blankets—every detail in this room had been carefully prepared by Alex, tailored to her tastes.

He had done so much for her. So much more than she had ever done for him.

And now, she was doubting him.

She tried to shake the thoughts away, to convince herself she was being paranoid.

But the doubt kept growing.

Spreading.

Consuming.

A knock on the door broke her spiraling thoughts.

Knock, knock—

Lily sat up, her eyes darting toward the doorway.

Butler Aston stood there, holding out a phone. "Miss, you have a call."

Lily hesitated before taking it. She already had a feeling who it would be.

Alice.

She was probably calling to demand why Lily hadn’t left yet.

Lily glanced at Butler Aston, who immediately stepped back, allowing her privacy.

"I have a question for you," Lily said, skipping straight to the point. "That video from the celebration party—who else did you show it to?"

There was a brief silence before Alice responded, "Funny you should ask. That’s exactly what I wanted to talk about. The only copy of that video was at my house, locked in my safe. The footage that aired on the news? It came directly from that recording."

Lily’s breath caught in her throat. "And?"

"The only people who know the safe’s combination are me... and Alex," Alice said, pausing before adding, "Believe what you want, but I didn’t leak it. If I had planned to expose you, I would’ve done it when I hated you the most."

Lily’s grip on the phone tightened.

If Alice wasn’t the one who leaked it, then the only possibility left was—

Alex.

But... how?

How could that be possible?

"Why are you telling me this?" Lily asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Because you don’t love him, do you?" Alice replied bluntly. "If I tell you this, you’ll never love him. Isn’t that right?"

Lily was stunned into silence.

"You love Alex, don’t you?" she finally asked.

"Of course I do," Alice admitted without hesitation. "No matter what kind of man he is, I’ll love him with everything I have. I’m more devoted than you."

There was a pause. Then Alice added, "And there’s one more thing... something I’m not sure I should tell you."

Lily’s fingers curled around the phone. "What is it?"

"I’ve suspected for a while now... that the exposure of the suburban base was connected to Alex."

Lily’s heart stopped.

"What... did you just say?"

"My father became a high-ranking official, and ever since then, he and Alex have had frequent private meetings in his office. No interruptions allowed." Alice let out a bitter laugh. "Maybe I should be the more heartbroken one. If this is true, then my marriage to him was nothing more than a political move."

Lily felt the blood drain from her face.

Is the suburban base exposure... tied to Alex?

Is Alice’s father working closely with him?

Everything... was pointing in one direction.

Lily wanted to dismiss it as nonsense, to convince herself that Alice was trying to manipulate her.

But deep down, in the pit of her stomach, an unsettling feeling told her—

Alice was telling the truth.

Her hand trembled, and before she could process anything else, the phone slipped from her grasp, crashing onto the floor.

The sound echoed through the room.

Lily stared at it, her mind blank.

Her instincts screamed at her: Don’t believe Alice. Don’t trust someone who once tried to destroy you.

But her gut told her something else.

Alice isn’t lying this time.

Her mind was a tangled mess.

She remembered...

The day it all fell apart, Alex had called her father. But by the time she picked up the phone, the line had already gone dead.

She never got to hear her father speak one last time.

Desperate, she had begged Ethan to save him.

Ethan and his team had made it to the base. They could have escaped before the explosion.

But then—gunfire.

Somewhere, somehow, shots had been fired, triggering a clash between the military and Ethan’s bodyguards.

That was when everything spiraled out of control.

Why?

Why would Alex do this?

It didn’t make sense.

He had nothing to gain. His father was still in Ethan’s hands, so he had no reason to escalate the situation.

Then why?

Lily scrambled to her suitcase, pulling open every compartment and searching.

She had never thrown away her father’s belongings. She had packed them away carefully at the Blackwood estate.

Her fingers trembled as she unlocked a storage box.

Inside were neatly arranged documents—papers her father had been working on before his death.

Nanny had carefully preserved them, keeping everything just as it was.

Lily flipped through them.

Nothing seemed unusual at first.

Each document remained unsigned.

Her father had always been meticulous, prioritizing work above all else. His vendetta against the Carter Group had consumed him, driven him to pour everything he had into his plan.

So why would he have left important documents unfinished and suddenly run off?

Alex had told her that her father had gone to "handle something for her."

At the time, she had believed it.

But now...

Now she knew—her father would never abandon critical work.

Something wasn’t adding up.

Her breathing grew unsteady, panic clawing at her chest.

Everything was pointing in the same direction.

To Alex.

"If Alex loved Alice, I’d chop my head off!"

"Your father’s death was his doing! That way, he could take full control of the Carter Group!"

Ethan’s furious voice echoed in her mind.

No.

No, no, no.

This couldn’t be true.

There had to be a mistake.

There had to be.

"Lily—"

A gentle voice called her name.

Lily froze.

Alex stood at the doorway, dressed in a pristine white suit, exuding his usual warmth and elegance.

But for the first time, his presence sent a chill through her.

She flinched, her body instinctively recoiling.

She had never been afraid of Alex before.

But now?

Now, she wasn’t sure what to believe.

Alex frowned slightly, stepping forward. "What’s wrong?"

Lily scrambled back, losing her balance and falling to the floor. Her breath hitched as she stared at him, panic flickering in her eyes.

He hesitated momentarily before crouching down, reaching for her hand. "Lily?"

She instinctively tried to pull away, but his grip tightened—firm, yet gentle.

"You’re shaking." Alex chuckled softly, brushing his fingers against her forehead. "Did I scare you?"

Lily’s throat was dry.

She forced herself to shake her head. "No... I’m fine."

Alex helped and guided her to the white wicker chair by the window. Sunlight poured in, illuminating his face—his perfectly sculpted features, his long lashes casting delicate shadows.

His gaze was warm. Genuine.

It didn’t look like a lie.

But was it?

Lily’s fingers curled into her lap. She forced her voice to remain steady. "I was just... organizing some things."

Alex followed her gaze, his eyes landing on the open suitcase and scattered documents.

His expression remained unreadable.

But for the briefest second—his eyes darkened.

Then, just as quickly, the warmth returned.

A soft smile. A patient gaze.

"Why the sudden interest in these old files?" he asked lightly.