30 Days of Passion and Revenge-Chapter 326: Losing It All

Lily’s lips trembled as she spoke, her voice raw with emotion.

"I want to forget, Ethan. I really do. But I can’t."

Her breath hitched.

"I can’t just erase everything we’ve been through. I can’t pretend it didn’t happen. I’m sorry."

Ethan stared at her.

She looked so fragile, so breakable—like one wrong word could shatter her completely.

She had always been strong. But now, she looked like a woman who had carried too much for too long.

And suddenly, something inside him broke.

He pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly, desperately.

"Then don’t forget." His voice was hoarse, thick with something unspoken. "I won’t force you anymore, Lily. If you can’t forget, then just—don’t."

She froze.

His arms tightened around her.

"I was too impatient," he muttered, his voice filled with quiet regret. "I wanted to push you forward so badly, but I forgot that the person who hurt you the most was me."

Lily cried harder.

She pressed her face against his chest, her fingers clutching his shirt.

"Ethan, please... stop hurting yourself for me."

His grip around her tightened.

"Okay."

No hesitation. No argument.

"I’ll stop."

His voice was firm, resolute.

"We’ll take this slow. No more forcing things. No more pushing you before you’re ready."

No more breaking her to make her whole again.

Lily sobbed harder, her entire body shaking.

"I’m sorry," she kept whispering, over and over.

Ethan shut his eyes.

"You don’t have to be."

And for the first time in a long, long time—

They held each other.

No words. No more pain.

Just them.

Just this.

The morning sun spilled into the room, soft and golden.

The curtains swayed gently with the breeze, and the candles—burned out from the night before—left only melted wax in their wake.

Lily stirred, blinking against the sunlight.

The bed beside her was empty.

For a moment, panic clawed at her chest.

The sound of running water from the bathroom.

Her body relaxed.

He was still here.

She sat up slowly, pressing a hand to the mattress—

Only to collapse back down.

Her breath caught.

Her fingers trembled as she lifted her hand, staring at it.

It felt... weaker.

Less responsive.

Her heart sank.

Was this it?

Was her body finally giving out on her?

"Awake?"

Ethan’s voice pulled her from her thoughts.

She instantly tucked her hands under the blanket, hiding the truth before looking up.

He stood at the foot of the bed, a towel slung low around his waist, water droplets sliding down his toned chest.

For a moment, she forgot how to breathe.

He looked too perfect.

Too alive.

And she—She was falling apart.

"Yes," she murmured.

Ethan smirked and tossed the towel aside before climbing onto the bed.

Without warning, he pinned her beneath him.

Lily gasped.

"Ethan—"

His lips crashed against hers.

Hot. Possessive. Desperate.

She barely had time to push at his shoulders before he deepened the kiss, his tongue sweeping into her mouth, claiming her without hesitation.

Lily stiffened, a protest on the tip of her tongue—

"I haven’t brushed my teeth."

Ethan pulled back just enough to smirk down at her, his lips dangerously close.

"Morning."

Her breath hitched.

"Morning," she whispered back.

She tried to sit up, but Ethan didn’t let her.

"Where do you think you’re going?" His voice was husky, teasing.

"To brush my—"

He silenced her with another kiss.

His hands trailed lower.

And just like that—She forgot everything else.

Ethan’s grip was unyielding, keeping her locked beneath him, leaving her nowhere to run.

So Lily stopped resisting.

She let him consume her.

Time blurred.

Sunlight filtered through the gently swaying curtains, casting soft shadows across their tangled limbs.

Only then did Ethan finally pull away, reluctant, his bare torso still pressed against her through the sheets.

His lips parted. "What do you want to eat?"

Lily blinked.

Eat?

Her gaze flickered over his sharp brows, dark eyes, the perfect angles of his face.

"Something you cook."

Ethan stilled.

A flicker of regret crossed his features—probably for asking in the first place. But there was no escape now.

His fingers brushed over her cheek, pinching it lightly. "What do you want? And no spicy food."

Lily raised a brow. "You can cook anything other than spicy dishes?"

"Seafood?"

She considered. "Okay."

Ethan smirked.

"Good girl."

He kissed her forehead—a lingering, before murmuring, "I’ll be back soon."

"You’re going to buy ingredients?" Lily stretched beneath the sheets, warmth settling in her bones. The golden morning light made everything feel softer and lighter. "Do you want me to go with you?"

"No need."

Ethan was already sliding out of bed, reaching for his clothes.

A moment later, the door clicked shut.

Silence.

Lily sat up slowly.

She turned her palms upward, staring at them.

Her fingers trembled slightly.

The strength in her hands was fading.

Her breath hitched.

How much longer before she couldn’t move at all?

Her chest tightened.

She needed to start treatment.

Ethan was right. She had to fight.

"Every day, people die. Why are you still alive?!"

"Why didn’t you die, Lily?! If you had died, none of this would have happened! Alex wouldn’t have left me, and my baby would still be here!"

"Why wasn’t it you?! Why didn’t you die?!"

Lily’s body froze.

The echoes of Alice’s screams tore through her mind.

Her vision blurred.

She clutched her head, pressing her palms against her temples, trying to block it out—but it was useless.

She could still see Alice’s red-rimmed eyes, her grief-stricken face, her shaking hands.

Lily staggered toward the bathroom, turning on the shower.

Warm water cascaded over her skin, but it did nothing to wash away the memories. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

She remembered.

Every touch. Every betrayal.

Alex’s grip on her chin.

His lips against hers.

The suffocating feeling of drowning in something she couldn’t control.

Lily’s knees buckled.

She sank to the floor, letting the water pour over her, eyes empty.

She couldn’t forget.

No matter how much she tried.

No matter how much Ethan wanted her to.

Her past had taken root in her bones.

Would she ever be free of it?

By the time she emerged, Ethan still wasn’t back.

Lily sat at the foot of the bed, forcing herself to focus on something else.

She reached for the table, absently scraping off the hardened wax from last night’s candles.

Keep busy.

Don’t think.

She grabbed the remote and turned on the TV.

The first thing that flashed across the screen—

’The Best Future’ dominates entertainment headlines.

Lily froze.

Of course. The premiere was tomorrow.

Every news station was covering it—but not for the film itself.

She wasn’t just a director.

She was a scandal.

A female host smirked at the camera, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"No matter the quality of the film, it’s guaranteed to pull in audiences. After all, it’s not every day you see the mistress of the Blackwood Enterprise’s Asia-Pacific CEO making her directorial debut."

Lily’s stomach twisted.

They weren’t coming to see the movie.

They were coming to watch the spectacle.

To see her fail.

And suddenly, she wasn’t sure what terrified her more—

The world’s judgment.

Or the fact that, deep down, she agreed with them.

Lily let out a soft scoff.

She wasn’t even sure what she felt anymore.

The film she poured her heart into had become a cheap scandal.

She didn’t even dare to watch its trailer.

Sighing, she flipped the channel.

A live news interview flashed across the screen.

The male broadcaster, speaking in crisp, formal English, looked straight into the camera.

"Breaking news—Blackwood Enterprise has officially removed Ethan Blackwood as CEO of its Asia-Pacific division. His replacement? A distant cousin of the Blackwood family, Kenneth Blackwood. This sudden corporate shake-up has sent shockwaves through global markets."

Lily’s heart stopped.

"Removed?"

The remote slipped from her fingers.

She barely registered the sound of it hitting the floor.

The broadcaster continued, his tone analytical.

"It’s no secret that six years ago, Blackwood Enterprise struggled to gain a stronghold in the Asian market. However, under Ethan Blackwood’s leadership, the company saw unprecedented growth—"

Lily’s pulse pounded in her ears.

"So why remove him now?"

The screen cut to a group of aging corporate analysts, each offering their theories.

"Some speculate that recent scandals—kidnappings, bomb threats, and even personal controversies—have damaged Ethan Blackwood’s reputation beyond repair, forcing the family to act."

"Others believe the Blackwood family has long been preparing to shift focus back to their U.S. operations, bringing Ethan back into the fold for a larger strategy."

Lily couldn’t process it.

He built everything from nothing.

And just like that—they took it away?

"Lily!"

Ethan’s voice jolted her back to reality.

She turned.

He stood in the doorway, carrying a bag of fresh seafood, but his eyes were locked on the TV screen.

His expression darkened.

Without hesitation, he strode over and switched it off.

"Why are you even watching this?" he muttered, tossing the remote onto the bed.

Then, as if nothing had happened, he slung an arm around her shoulders.

"Come on," he said lightly. "Didn’t you say you wanted seafood?"

Lily didn’t move.

"Ethan."

His grip tightened.

"Why didn’t you tell me?"

He exhaled, eyes flickering with something unreadable. "Tell you what?"

"That you were—" She swallowed. "That you lost everything."

A slow smirk curled across his lips.

"Lost everything?" He gestured vaguely at the TV. "You believe them? A bunch of old men rambling about corporate politics?"

"I believe you."

Her words were instant.

Ethan stilled.

Lily turned to fully face him, her voice firm. "So tell me the truth."

For a moment, he just looked at her.

Then, with deliberate nonchalance, he shrugged.

"The old man wanted the company back. So I let him have it."

Lily’s stomach twisted.

"Don’t lie to me."

He was doing it again.

Hiding things. Keeping secrets.

He had lost everything—but instead of telling her, he acted like it didn’t matter.

"Ethan, why do you always do this? Why do you keep shutting me out like I’m some outsider?"

His jaw tensed.

"I’m not shutting you out—"

"Yes, you are!"

Her voice rose.

"You promised me three months. You said we’d get married. But ever since then, you’ve been keeping things from me! And now you just lost your entire career and still won’t tell me why!"

Ethan’s fingers curled against her shoulder.

"Lily—"

"Did your father force you out? Did he—" Her breath hitched. "Did he disown you?"

Ethan went utterly still.

Lily’s chest tightened.

"Is that why you won’t take me back to your house? Why do you keep avoiding it?"

She didn’t realize she was crying until he lifted a hand and gently brushed a tear from her cheek.

"Lily."

His voice was quiet.

"Let it go."

Her heart ached.

Because she knew—

He had given up everything.

And he wouldn’t let her carry even a single piece of that burden.