Chapter 388

Chapter 388
She looked at her watch. It was almost ten o'clock at night.
“I wonder if Mom is already asleep?”
She decided to try. She called Juci, but no one answered. Worried, she dialed Ana's number.
“Hello? Miss Lilian!” Ana's voice sounded cheerful and vibrant on the other end of the line.
“Hi, Aunt Ana.” I'm glad to hear you're so happy. How are things?
“Miss, you finally called! Josh is already in surgery. They said it will take two or three hours, so they told us to rest in the room.
”I see.
“And, Miss...” Ana lowered her voice to an excited whisper. "This room is unbelievable! It's huge, like the presidential suite at that luxury hotel. I feel like we're on vacation at a resort, not in a hospital!“
Lilian smiled, amused by Ana's amazement. It was obvious that Ethan had pulled some strings to ensure that her family received VIP treatment from the Legrand hospital chain.
”I'm glad you're comfortable, Auntie." Lilian gently cut off her description of the decor. “But tell me: how are Mom and Grandpa?
” “Oh, sorry! I forgot the most important thing.” Ana laughed nervously. “Your mother is in the bathroom right now. She seems fine, much calmer than before. She spoke with the head doctor earlier.” It seems he knows Mr. Ethan and personally assured him that Josh would receive the best treatment in the country.
Lilian nodded, impressed. Ethan didn't leave any loose ends. He took care of everything without needing applause.
“And Grandpa?”
“The Old Master is fine. He's resting in the room next door, which is connected to ours.” Nick is with him.
“Is he spending the night there too?” Lilian was surprised. Carlos Arbex hated hospitals.
“Yes. He insisted on waiting for Josh to wake up from the anesthesia.”
“All right. Thank you, Auntie. Take care of them for me.”
Lilian hung up the phone, feeling a mixture of exhaustion and gratitude. She had a complicated family, a troubled brother, and a company to run. But for the first time in a long time, she felt like she wasn't carrying the world on her shoulders alone. Ethan was there, holding down the fort.
“Yes, I saw Nick come in with Grandpa's luggage,” Lilian said on the phone, finishing drying her hair with a towel.
“Okay. I need you to stay with your mother tonight. If anything happens, call me immediately.”
“Don't worry, miss. Everything will be fine.”
“I hope so. I'll be there tomorrow morning. Let me know as soon as Josh wakes up from the anesthesia.”
“You got it.”
Lilian hung up and let out a long sigh of relief. The day had been a battle, and the confrontation with her brother had drained her last ounce of energy. She went to the bathroom and took a hot shower, letting the water wash away the weight of the last few hours.
When she came out, dressed in a white silk nightgown that slid over her curves, she found Ethan entering the room.
“Is Theo asleep?” she asked, her voice soft.
“Like a log.” Ethan smiled, shaking his head. “He made me read an autobiography about explorers. He passed out before page one hundred.”
He stopped in the middle of the room, his gaze fixed on her. Lilian was sitting in front of the mirror, applying toner to her face. The soft light from the lamp reflected off the white silk and her loose black hair, giving her an almost ethereal aura.
Ethan felt his throat go dry. She was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen.
“Let me help you...” he murmured, approaching her as if drawn by a magnet.
“It's okay, I'm done.” Lilian turned and smiled, her eyes heavy with sleep. “Shall we go to bed? My body is begging for rest.”
Hearing the exhaustion in her voice, Ethan's expression softened, but a shadow of concern passed through his eyes. He remembered the blood test hidden in his jacket pocket. Pregnant.
Immediately, his protective instinct took over. He guided her to the bed as if she were made of porcelain and covered her with the comforter.
“Um... Let's go to sleep.”
Ethan didn't lie down right away. He sat on the edge of the bed, caressing her cheek with his thumb. He wanted to tell her. He wanted to shout to the world that they were going to be parents again. But he also had the weight of the mysterious hacker on his mind. If he told her now, the adrenaline would keep her from getting the sleep she so desperately needed.
“Why don't you lie down?” Lilian asked, opening one eye, confused.
“I'm just admiring you.” He smiled crookedly. “I've had a busy day, and this is my reward. Let me look at you for a few more minutes.”
She laughed softly, closing her eyes.
“Mr. Legrand, don't forget to turn off the light when you're done idolizing your wife.”
Ethan laughed and pinched her nose lightly.
“Ouch! Stop... I'm so sleepy...” She yawned, nestling into the pillows.
Ethan turned off the light and slid under the sheets, trying to move as little as possible so as not to disturb her. He lay on his back, listening to her breathing, trying to calm the storm in his mind.
“Honey...” Lilian's voice broke the silence in a guilty whisper. “I'm sorry. I... I can't make love tonight. I'm exhausted. But I promise I'll make it up to you tomorrow, if you want.”
Ethan opened his eyes in the darkness. A wry smile curved his lips. He turned, watching her back.
Just the mention of the possibility, coupled with the sight of that silk nightgown riding up her legs, was enough to awaken a fierce desire he had been trying to suppress.
“Lilian...” he whispered, moving closer. “How can you ignite everything in me, even when you're trying to sleep?”
Without another word, he slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her against his body, fitting them together perfectly in a spooning position.
“Ethan...” She sighed, surprised by the sudden contact.
He buried his face in her neck, inhaling the natural scent of his wife's skin.
“Shh... Don't worry, darling.”
His voice was hoarse, vibrating against her ear. “I won't do anything to tire you. But... you just woke up a problem down here. And now you'll have to take responsibility.”
His hand slid dangerously down her thigh, rising beneath the silk, caressing her soft skin with slow possessiveness.
Lilian held her breath. She felt his stiffness against her back and the warm touch on her belly. The blood, previously sluggish from exhaustion, began to pulse.
“Ethan...” she moaned, her body betraying her tired mind.
He kissed her earlobe, nibbling lightly.
“Sleep, my angel.” He stopped his hand, in an exercise of titanic self-control. “But don't tease me anymore. If you move too much, I won't be able to be a gentleman.”
“I promise!” Lilian said hastily, closing her eyes tightly and remaining still as a statue.