Chapter 392

Chapter 392
But Lilian and Ethan didn't go downstairs. They went to the inpatient ward, straight to Josh's room.
Standing at the door, Lilian took a deep breath.
“Would you mind coming in with me?” she asked Ethan.
She had made up her mind. Her brother needed a reality check to snap him out of his delusions of grandeur, and what better way than to introduce him to the man who was really in charge.
“Of course, honey.” A dangerous smile appeared on Ethan's lips. “I'm also looking forward to meeting my brother-in-law.”
“Guys...” Carlos interrupted, stopping at a safe distance. “If you don't mind, I'll stay out here. I'm allergic to family drama. And Lilian... please try not to break any more of his bones today, okay?”
He winked at her.
Lilian kept a serene expression, feigning innocence, but inside she cursed. “Carlos knows. Of course he knows.”
Ethan opened the door and let Lilian go in first.
Josh was in bed, pale and hooked up to monitors, but awake. When he saw his sister, his expression closed in hatred. But the hatred instantly turned to pure terror when Ethan Legrand entered right behind her, filling the room with his imposing presence.
Josh's eyes widened, his breathing quickened, and the heart monitor began to beep faster. He ignored Lilian completely, his gaze fixed on the giant in the expensive suit who stared at him with murderous coldness.
Lilian looked at her husband and had to stifle a laugh. Ethan was wearing his best “mafia boss face.”
She leaned over and whispered,
“Honey... please don't scare my brother to death. If he faints again, I won't be able to have the serious conversation I need to have.”
Ethan smiled, a smile that did not bode well for Josh.
“Sure, honey... whatever you say. But if he gives you one dirty look, the conversation is over.”
“Honey, can you wait on the couch?” Lilian asked, pointing to the corner of the VIP room. “I need to talk to him alone. If you stay up here, he won't be able to get a full sentence out.”
Ethan smiled, understanding perfectly, and walked to the couch with the elegance of a relaxed predator.
Lilian approached the bed. Josh followed her every move, but his eyes kept wandering to Ethan's imposing figure at the back of the room. The fear was palpable.
It was exactly what she wanted. She had already broken him physically; now, her husband's silent presence was finishing off his arrogant spirit.
“Little sister... you and...” Josh tried to speak, but his voice failed him. He swallowed hard, unable to utter the name “Ethan Legrand.” “Why are you together? Do you still...”
He stopped, frustrated and terrified.
Lilian crossed her arms, looking down at him.
“Why do you ask? He's my husband. It's only natural that he accompanies me.” She lowered her voice to a conspiratorial, cruel whisper. “He insisted on coming. He was afraid you'd try to hit me again. And believe me, Josh... you don't want to see Ethan angry.”
Josh turned pale, cowering against the pillows. He clutched the sheets, not daring to breathe loudly. If Lilian had already sent him to surgery, what would the most powerful man in the country do?
“Very well. I'm not going to waste my husband's time with your nonsense.” Lilian sat on the edge of the bed, invading his personal space. “Listen carefully, because I'm not going to repeat myself.”
Josh nodded frantically.
“First: Dad didn't disappear,” she fired. “He ran away. He isolated himself because the shame of his mistakes finally caught up with him.”
Josh's eyes widened, but he remained silent.
“Second: Mom divorced him. It's official. Dad signed the papers before he disappeared.”
“What?” Josh choked. “Are you kidding?”
“Do I look like I'm kidding?” Lilian laughed, a cold sound. “You think too much and observe too little, Josh. Our mother's life was miserable. She was stuck with an unfaithful husband and a rude, ungrateful, arrogant son.”
Josh felt the blow.
“Let me ask you two questions, brother.”
“Wh-what?”
“Did you know Mom had cancer?” Lilian dropped the bomb without warning. “And did you ever wonder why she ran away from home?”
Josh's world stopped.
“Cancer?” The word came out in a horrified whisper.
He tried to remember the last time he had really looked at his mother. She was thinner, yes... but he never asked. He never noticed.
“Yes. But I'm not going to go into details right now. What you need to know is that our old family is gone. Our parents are separated. And the Arbex Group... well, the Arbex Group is not what you think it is anymore.”
Josh stared at her, stunned, tears welling up in the corners of his eyes.
“Do you remember what Grandpa said about the new owner?”
“Yes...”
“I'm not going to hide it anymore.” Lilian leaned forward, her gray eyes shining with power. “I'm the majority shareholder. I own sixty percent of the shares.”
I own the Arbex Group, Josh.
She paused dramatically, savoring the utter shock on his face.
“And as the owner, I have the power to control everything. Including your career. I fired you.”
Josh's hand trembled.
“Why?” His voice broke. “Why, Lilian?” We're siblings... That's cruel.
“Cruel?” Lilian shook her head in disbelief. “Josh, you have the thickest skin I've ever seen. How could you not see it? You never turned a profit! Since you took over that branch, you've only brought loss and shame. You don't know how to work. You just used the Arbex name to play at being a businessman.”
The harsh truth hit Josh like a train. He wanted to argue, but he had no arguments. He was useless.
“But...” Lilian sighed, seeing the total defeat in his eyes. “Since you still have the family blood, I won't destroy you like I did our uncles. They were left in poverty. For you, I have a proposal.”
Josh looked up, a spark of hope mingling with fear.
“I'm going to give you a chance to become a decent person. Are you willing?”
“Yes... Yes!” Josh replied immediately, desperate. “I'll do anything. I want to change.”
“Great.” Lilian smiled, but it wasn't a sweet smile. It was a business smile. “You're going back to the company. But not as Josh Arbex. I'm sending you to a small branch in a remote region. No one will know who you are. You'll start from scratch, without the name, without the privileges. You'll have to prove your worth with sweat, not with Grandpa's surname.”
Josh froze. Work anonymously? In a remote branch? It was a dizzying fall for someone who thought he was the crown prince. But as he looked at his sister's determination and Ethan's dangerous shadow on the sofa, he knew it was take it or leave it.
“I accept,” he whispered.