hapter 78 Finished When Ethan arrived at his apartment, he rushed inside, his heart pounding. He found Mia
anxiously knocking on the bedroom door, repeatedly calling our Lily’s name. Her face lit up with relief as soon as
she saw him. “Ethan, thank goodness you're here,” Mia said, stepping aside. “Lily she won't open the door. I've
been trying for so long” Ethan nodded quickly, barely pausing to listen. “Lethandle it,” he said, his breath
coming in short gasps as he approached the door. He knocked gently. “Lily, it’s me. Please, open the door, love.”
Silence. He tried again, softening his tone further. “Lily, baby... please open the door for me.” Still, there was no
response. The eerie quiet on the other side of the door filled Ethan with a sense of dread. His chest tightened,
and his mind raced. The longer the silence dragged on, the more suffocating his worry became. “Lily!” he called,
his voice trembling with urgency. “Please, open the door!” Mia, observing the scene, suggested hesitantly,
“Ethan, do you have a spare key?” Ethan blinked, mentally chastising himself for not thinking of it sooner. “A
spare key... Yes!” he muttered, rushing to a nearby bookshelf. He grabbed the spare key, his hands trembling
slightly as he fumbled to unlock the door. When the door swung open, Ethan froze. The room was pitch dark, the
curtains drawn tightly shut, -blocking out any sunlight. He quickly flipped on the light switch, his eyes scanning
the room. His gaze landed on Lily sitting on the floor beside the bed. She was curled up tightly, her knees
hugged to her chest, and her face buried in her lap. Relief washed over him when he saw that she was physically
unharmed. He exhaled shakily, the weight on his chest easing just a little. “Sister Mia,” he said softly, turning to
her, “I'd like to talk to her alone.” Understanding the sensitivity of the situation, Mia gave him a reassuring nod.
“Of course,” she replied, stepping out of the room and closing the door behind her to give them privacy. Ethan
offered a faint smile of gratitude before turning his full attention back to Lily. He approached her carefully,
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtlowering himself to the floor to sit in front of her. “Lily,” he called gently, his voice tender. She didn’t respond, her
small frtrembling slightly. Ethan moved closer, his heart aching at the sight. Reaching out, he lightly placed
a hand on her head, his fingers brushing through her hair. “Lily, it’s me,” he whispered. At his touch, Lily startled,
jerking her head up in alarm. When her tear-filled eyes met his, Ethan felt a sharp pang in his chest. Her face
was streaked with tears, her eyes red and swollen, and an unmistakable fear lingered in her expression. Blinking
rapidly. Lily finally recognized him. “Ethan...” she stammered, her voice shaky and broken. In an instant, she
launched herself into his arms, clinging to him like he was her lifeline. The sudden movement nearly sent Ethan
toppling backward, but he caught himself, bracing one hand against the bed for support while his other arm
wrapped securely around her waist. He held her tightly, his Tmnt breaking at the sight of her en vulnerable and
afraid Chapter 78 “It's okay,” he murmured, his voice stenly despite the turmoil he felt insile. “Tin here now, Lily.
I've got you” Adjusting her gently on his lap to ensure they wouldn't ropple over, Ethan softly patted her head.
His voice was filled with worry as he asked. “Lily what's wrong, sweetheart? You frightenedso much. If you're
afraid of for your could have told them to cancel the scene. No one would have blamed you. Are you okay Her
body trembled as she clung tighter to him, burying her face in his chest Shaking her head, her voice cout
broken and fearful. “N-No. 1-than you don’t understand. They'll killagain. His heart sank at her words,
confusion clouding his mind. Kill her again? Who? Why? “I-1 don’t want to go back there the fire that huge fire.
No, | can’t go back. They'll killagain. 1-1 don’t want to die.. Her voice cracked as she sobbed uncontrollably.
Ethan’s mind raced as he tried to piece together what she was saying, Who were “they” What had happened to
her? Keeping his voice steady, he gently stroked her back. “Lily, who are they? Who is trying to hurt you?” “They
are horrible. I-I loved them, but they killed me,” she whimpered, her grip tightening around him. “They didn’t
care about me... | was nothing but a tool to them. They controlledlike a puppet, made ine work like a
slave.... Her pain was palpable, and Ethan's chest tightened with every word she spoke. “I gave them
everything. | trusted them blindly, without question. But what did | do wrong? Why did they kill me? Why did
they burnalive? Ethan. am | so unlovable?” “No, Lily! Don’t ever think that,” Ethan interrupted firmly, his
voice filled with emotion. “You are not unlovable. If you were, | wouldn't have fallen in love with you. You mean
everything to me. | swear to you, no one will ever hurt you again. You'll alwaveby your side.” Her tear-filled
eyes lifted to meet his, filled with doubt and pain. “Really?” she whispered, her voice fragile, like a child seeking
reassurance. Ethan's heart ached as he nodded earnestly. Her eyes reflected years of loneliness, fear, and
betrayal, and he wished he could take all of it away. “Promise me,” she pleaded, her voice trembling. “Promise
face gently, his thumbs wiping away her tears. Leaning in, he kissed her forehead tenderly. “I promise, Lily. I'll
always love you. I'll never leave you. | will never betray you, and | promise to spend the rest of my life by your
side.” A small, fragile smile broke through her tears, and she rested her head against his chest. Ethan held her
close, stroking her back as she let out all the anguish she had been carrying in her heart. For nearly an hour, he
stayed in that position, letting her cry until exhaustion overtook her. When her breathing steadied, Ethan glanced
down to find that she had fallen asleep in his arms. Gently, he carried her to the bed and laid her down.
Carefully, he wiped away the remaining tears from her cheeks and leaned in to place another kiss on her
forehead. Though her words had been fragmented and filled with pain, Ethan understood one thing clearly: her
fear of fire was deeply tied to the cruel Li family. Clenching his fists, he resolved to uncover the truth about what
they had done to her. 2/3 Sat, 8 Mar Chapter 78 Finished As he adjusted the duvet to ensure she was warm and
comfortable, his eyes lingered on her peaceful yet vulnerable face. With one final glance, he left the room.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmOutside. Mia paced anxiously. The guilt gnawed at her—the shouldnt have agreed to Lily's insistence. She
should have spoken to Director Young and insisted on canceling that scene. This was all her fault. The haunting
mage of Lily sitting alone in the darkness kept replaying in her mind, intensifying her regret. Suddenly. Ethan's
calm but firm voice interrupted her thoughts. “It’s not your fault, Sister Mia.. 528
word
word
mmMwWLIII0fiflo&1
mmMwWLIII0fiflo&1
mmMwWLHI0RAO&1
mmMwWLIII0fiflo&1
mmMwWL1i10f1ifl0&1
mmMwWLIiI0fiflO&1