Chapter 63
Ella remembered that she had indeed said before that Joshua was too old, not as good as Michael.
As for looks, each had their own merits!
She pulled the blanket over her head, not wanting to answer.
That crazy Michael - she wondered if he had done anything to Dorian.
Thinking back to what Michael had said when they parted ways, Ella still felt scared.
"Ella."
Joshua reached out to pull the blanket off her head. "Answer my question."
Sometimes the things Ella said made him lose confidence in himself.
He was a bit older than her.
But what was wrong with being older? He knew how to care for people, was understanding, and capable.
Damn Ella, she had no taste.
Ella pushed away his touch. "Don't touch me. I'm tired and want to sleep."
She turned over with her back to Joshua. Lying in the same bed with him, she couldn't help but think of what she saw that night.
It made her sick, and she didn't want to face him.
Joshua saw that Ella truly found him disgusting. He pressed his lips tightly, his handsome face darkening.
His chest felt blocked, extremely uncomfortable.
What right did Ella have to find him disgusting?
She had children for someone else and was living with the children's father while married.
As her husband, he didn't hold it against her and was willing to forgive her, to live well with her.
Not only was she ungrateful, she even had the nerve to find him disgusting.
Unable to indulge Ella like this any longer, Joshua yanked the blanket off her, grabbed both her wrists and pinned them above her head, leaning down to restrain her.
"Ella, what exactly are you being so proud about?"
Ella was startled by Joshua's sudden roughness. She tried to stay calm, meeting his gaze defiantly.
"Aurora is missing. I'm worried about her and not in the mood to do this with you - is that being proud?"
Aurora wasn't Joshua's child, so of course he wouldn't consider things from her perspective.
Perhaps he even hoped Aurora would never come back.
"I can understand you're not in the mood, but what's with your attitude toward me? Haven't I done enough for you?"
Joshua felt wronged.
Because of what happened to Ella, he had realized how important she was to him.
So he unconditionally forgave all the wrong things she had done.
Yet Ella didn't know how to be grateful at all, not even letting him touch her when they were in the same bed.
What kind of wife wouldn't let her husband touch her?
"This is just my personality. You know that."
Ella thought of Dorian still in Joshua's hands and had to soften her attitude.
Joshua looked at her with gloomy eyes.
"Your personality? Don't I know what you're like? Were you like this before? Or are you just trying to take your children and leave me to find their father?"
If Ella really thought that way, he would definitely break her legs.
And she could forget about seeing Dorian again.
"Joshua, what exactly do you want from me?"
Ella was getting angry.
She wrinkled her face in grievance, her beautiful eyes welling up with tears.
Joshua saw that she felt wronged.
Holding back the bitterness in his heart, though it was hard to say, he made his difficult request.
"Kiss me."
Joshua looked at Ella with deep, melancholic eyes.
Somehow, even though they had been husband and wife for a year and he knew every inch of her body.
But at this moment, seeing Ella's touching appearance, he felt an impulse to possess her, to merge her deeply into his bones.
Ella's face flushed bright red.
Her heart inexplicably started beating faster.
Ella blinked at Joshua, breathing rapidly. "I already told you, I'm not..."
Before she could finish, her mouth was blocked.
Ella struggled, trying to resist.
But Joshua on top of her was too forceful and strong. He pinned her hands above her head, and she had no strength to fight back.
She gave up resisting. As she closed her eyes, a tear rolled down from the corner of her eye.
This Joshua was truly terrible.
If he was with Scarlett, why did he still treat her this way?
If he didn't feel dirty, she still felt disgusted.
If Joshua couldn't find Aurora within three months, she would definitely take Dorian and leave far away.
For the rest of her life, she never wanted to see him again.
The next day, morning.
Ella removed Joshua's hand from her waist, got up and dressed.
Seeing that Joshua was awake too, she suppressed the disgust in her heart and demanded, "I want to talk to Dorian on the phone."
Joshua looked at her.
Thinking of her shy gasps beneath him last night.
Joshua finally softened and got out of bed, telling her, "I'll have Samuel bring him over later."
Hearing that Samuel would bring him, Ella asked, "So Dorian has been with Samuel these past two days?"
Joshua didn't deny it.
Ella suddenly raised her voice.
"I told you, I hate Samuel. Don't let him near my child. Why won't you listen?"
Samuel was a doctor and must have known long ago that Dorian was his child.
He didn't want to confront her about it, probably afraid of offending Joshua.
But if Samuel kept spending time with his child, once Dorian developed feelings for him, he would definitely trick Dorian away.
So she absolutely couldn't let Dorian spend time with him anymore.
"What did Samuel do to you that you hate him so much?"
Joshua stared at Ella suspiciously. Her reaction was too abnormal.
He couldn't figure it out.
Ella felt guilty but tried to stay calm.
"I just instinctively detest him. If you want me to be a good wife to you, then don't let him near me or the children from now on."
Otherwise, when the truth came out one day, it would inevitably deal Joshua another heavy blow.
She didn't want to owe him anything more.
Even less did she want to do things that would hurt him.
"You stay here with Grandpa for now. If I get off work early this afternoon, I'll come pick you up."
Joshua put on his vest, grabbed his suit jacket and left.
Ella could only pray that Samuel wouldn't do anything excessive.
And wouldn't take her child away.
Right now, she only had Dorian.
Afternoon.
Joshua left work early and called Samuel.
Learning that Dorian was still at the hospital, he went there himself.
Seeing Samuel at the hospital, Joshua asked him, "If Dorian is fine, why didn't you send him back to Tranquil Villa? Why keep him at the hospital?"
Samuel, in his white coat, sat at the computer handling some documents, shaking his head and sighing.
"He keeps saying he doesn't feel well. It doesn't look like he's faking it. I'm planning to do another examination. What, you want to take him away?"
"Yes."
Joshua didn't deny it. "Ella wants to see him. I'll take him to the Thomas Manor first, see if he gets better. Maybe he really is faking it."
He was about to go to Dorian's room.
Thinking of something, Joshua stopped and stared at Samuel. "Have you done anything to Ella?"
Hearing this, Samuel looked up at him and smiled.
"What could I have done to Ella?"
"Then why does she hate you so much?"
Samuel was stunned. He thought about the last few times he'd seen Ella - each time she had been very hostile toward him.
He clearly hadn't done anything to Ella.
Not only had he not done anything, he had treated her pretty well in the past.
Recently Ella seemed cursed, inexplicably targeting him.
Samuel said irritably, "You'll have to ask Ella that. I swear, I really haven't done anything to her."
Joshua thought, with Ella being the kind of woman who lied constantly, was stubborn, and didn't know gratitude, which person who had been good to her didn't she hate?
Even him, her husband - she didn't respect him.
Let alone Samuel.
He didn't think much of it and left directly for the child's room.
Before reaching the room, he saw Karen and Patricia in the corridor, looking panicked, as if searching for something.
Realizing something, Joshua quickly stepped forward to stop Karen, asking urgently, "What's wrong? What happened?"
Karen looked anxious, out of breath, "Mr. Thomas, you're here. I just went downstairs to buy fruit for Dorian, and when I came back, Dorian was gone."
Patricia was also beside her, almost crying.
"Mr. Thomas, please send people to search. We've looked everywhere but can't find Dorian."
Hearing that Dorian was missing, Joshua's heart jumped.
No time to scold the two useless nannies, thinking that Dorian was Ella's treasure, he immediately rushed to the hospital's surveillance room.
In the surveillance footage, he saw two people in white coats working together from inside and outside to take the child away.
Joshua immediately copied the surveillance and went to find Samuel.
Samuel looked at the two people in the footage and said with certainty, "These aren't people from my hospital. They obviously disguised themselves as doctors to take the child."
Joshua pulled out his phone, wanting to call the police first to help search.
But before he could dial, a call came from an unknown number.
Afraid it might be related to Dorian, Joshua answered.
Sure enough, Michael's mocking laughter came through the phone, "The CEO of Thomas Group? Your people are really useless, can't even watch one child. If you want the child back, send my Ella to me."
Joshua clenched his fist, gritting his teeth.
He was so angry he almost smashed his phone.
Going to detention didn't teach him a lesson, as soon as he got out, he arranged this whole show.
Deliberately trying to destroy his marriage with Ella? In his dreams.
Thinking that Dorian was Michael's child anyway, and it was natural for a father to take his own child.
Joshua couldn't be bothered and laughed coldly, dropping his words, "You want Ella? Keep dreaming."
Michael laughed again. "Really? Then I'll wait for Ella to come to me herself. You better keep a close eye on her."
He hung up.
Joshua was so angry he almost crushed his phone.
He leaned against the desk, trying hard to calm his breathing.
Samuel asked, "Who took Dorian?"
"The child's father."
"What?"
Samuel looked confused. "Isn't Dorian an orphan? Where did a father come from?"
Joshua realized he had lied to this person before and couldn't explain so much, so he brushed it off casually, "Anyway, Dorian will be fine. You don't need to worry about it."
The problem was he didn't know how to explain this to Ella when he got back.
Tell her directly that Michael took Dorian?
Then wouldn't Ella go looking for Michael?
Joshua was very annoyed. He picked up his phone and turned to leave.