The rise of a cab driver son-in-law to a billionaire.

08

Chapter 08:

"And my sisters?" Ethan finally asked, after a while.

"Christie and Alessia," Carl replied. "They were devastated by your supposed death. Alessia, the eldest, has taken on a leadership role in the company in your absence."

"Alessia?" Ethan asked, the name doesn't sound familiar to him by any means.

He had no memories of his sisters, that is if Mr Carl is saying the truth.

Carl's next words confirmed how his elder sister could looks like.

"However, Alessia… well, let's just say she wasn't overly enthusiastic with your reappearance, Ethan."

Ethan's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

John leaned forward, he looks serious this time around. "Alessia has groomed herself for years to take control of the company. Your return… it disrupts her plans."

Ethan felt a loads of anger rise within him.

"My plans? After all this time, I don't have any plans. I just want answers, some semblance of a family." Ethan said.

"Mr. Joel is eager to see you, Ethan. He's… well, he's not in the best of health, but he's been waiting for this day for a long time." Mr carl replies.

Ethan hesitated, a storm of emotions warring within him. The idea of meeting his biological father, the man who should have been a constant in his life, held both a flicker of hope and a wave of apprehension.

"Where is he?" Ethan asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"He's at the private residence outside the city," Carl replied. "We have a car waiting to take you there if you're ready."

Ethan glanced at the envelope in Carl's hand, a tangible reminder of the years stolen from him. "I need a moment," he finally said, needing a chance to absorb the weight of everything he had just learned.

Carl nodded in understanding. "Of course. Take all the time you need." He and his colleagues stepped away, their hushed conversations resuming.

Ethan sat alone, the sterile environment of the corporate office suddenly suffocating. He closed his eyes, desperately trying to piece together the fragments of his life. Memories flickered at the edges of his mind – Mr. Allen's unwavering kindness, a fleeting image of two young girls with bright smiles, the gnawing sense of a missing piece.

A wave of guilt washed over him. Mr. Allen, the man who raised him, had lied to protect him, living a lie for years. Ethan had resented the older man for failing to provide a better life, for the constant struggle. Now, he understood the sacrifice Mr. Allen had made, the fear that had driven him.

Ethan knew he had a decision to make. He could walk away, retreat back to the life he had known, a life of hardship and loneliness. Or he could embrace this unexpected opportunity, confront the past and the fractured family that awaited him.

"I'm ready,"

Carl, noticing the change in Ethan's looks, smiled faintly.

"Good. Let's go meet your father."

They got out of the cooperation and got inside the SUV waiting outside. The car took to speed immediately they sits.

The SUV speeds past skyscrapers, cityscape and entering a world of sprawling estates and manicured lawns. Ethan stared out the window, a million questions booming in his head. What would his father be like? Would he recognize him? How would his sisters react to his sudden arrival?

The car pulled up to a grand, big beautiful mansion that seemed to speak of a life far removed from his own.

As Ethan stepped out, its grandeur weighed heavily on him. Carl offered a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

"Mr. Joel has been waiting for this day for a long time, Ethan. Just be yourself."

Taking a deep breath, Ethan followed Carl through the massive oak doors. The interior was opulent, with glistening marble floors, sweeping staircases, and priceless artwork adorning the walls. A heavy breeze fell over Ethan as he entered, a slight air runs down his hairs.

They were led to a spacious living room flooded with natural light by a maid. In the center, upfront up on pillows, sat old young man with streaks of silver in his once-dark hair. His face, filled with lines of worry and sadness, lit up at the sight of Ethan.

"Ethan?" the man asked, his voice compiled with illness.

Ethan approached fastly, vastly unsure of whom he is seeing right now. "Mr. Joel?" he asked, unsure.

The man smiled weakly, a single tear rolling down his cheek. "My son," he whispered, his voice filled with a thick emotions. "You've finally come home."

Ethan felt a lump rise in his throat. This man, a stranger for most of his life, was his father.

He knelt beside the bed, unsure of what to say.

Carl placed a hand on Ethan's shoulder, offering brief support. Mr. Joel reached out a trembling hand, his touch sending a message tokens into Ethan's heart. It was different here. The man he been called father to so many years wasn't his actual father. He has another father. Rich and affluent.

"There's so much to explain," Mr. Joel rasped, his voice trying to be above a mere whispering. "But first, let me see your face properly."

Ethan held his breath as his father studied him closely. A happy tears coming and running down from his father's, Mr Joel's face.

"You have your mother's eyes," he finally said, a smile gracing his lips. "And your… stubbornness."

Ethan chuckled, a nervous sound. "I guess that runs in the family, then."

A heavy silence followed, broken only by the soft beeping of a nearby medical machine. And this is the moment more unbelievable to him. He met his real father. He wasn't Mr Allen. His father is this man sitting down with pale looks. Unbelievable.

The silence was broken by the arrival of a young woman, her tailored suit and sharp features announcing her presence before she even spoke.

"Father," she greeted, her voice comes with a cool efficiency. "Who is this?"

Ethan turned to see a pair of icy blue eyes staring down at him. This, he realized with a familiarity running between his father and the new lady then realised that this is Alessia, his eldest sister. Her expression, shows no signs of warmth welcoming, confirmed Carl's earlier warnings. Giving him the fucking warnings he needed.

Mr. Joel forced himself to speak, his breaths shallow and forceful with tasky looks. "Alessia," he wheezed, "this is your brother, Ethan."

Alessia's eayes moves from her father to Ethan, her face failing her. A huge disappointment were filling her eyes. She couldn't believe that one day her missing brother would come back and likely take over everything she thinks she would own.

"Ethan?" she said, a hint of disbelief in her voice. "But… that's impossible."

Ethan looked from his father's figure to Alessia's cold attitude, a terrified fears tightening in his stomach. This homecoming, he realized, was far from the warm reunion he had imagined.

It could be more than what he had faced with his ex-wife and that motherfucker boyfriend she's dating now; But promised himself to deal with them first.

"How could he just wander into our house now after so many years and think he could have everything in easy way? Everything we have worked for, dad? Everything I leaves University for, to take care of?" Alessia asked with anger. "He better be ready to beaten out of here."