Chapter 139
Ella returned to the Lewis Villa.
She found that both Dorian and Zachary were gone.
She called to ask, and Zachary told her, "Dorian and I are at Tranquil Villa."
When Ella heard this, she got a bit angry, "What are you doing at Tranquil Villa for no reason?"
Even though Joshua had given her that property.
She didn't care about it.
And she would never live there again.
She didn't know why Zachary had taken Dorian there.
Zachary said, "Someone begged us to come over, so I thought I'd come see what was going on. Turns out Joshua grabbed Dorian and won't let go."
Ella realized something and quickly drove over after hanging up.
Samuel had contacted her before, saying Joshua was sick, but she'd ignored it.
But Samuel himself was a doctor—why would he call Dorian and Zachary over?
Could Joshua have found out that Dorian was his child?
Thinking it was very likely, Ella felt inexplicably anxious.
She was afraid Joshua would fight her for Dorian.
Afraid the Thomas family wouldn't let her take Dorian away.
Ella drove her car fast.
When she arrived at Tranquil Villa and walked into the living room, she didn't see Dorian—only Samuel and Zachary sitting there.
She was really angry now, unable to hide the fury on her face, "Where's Dorian?"
Zachary quickly stood up and pointed upstairs, "Still in the room being held by Joshua."
Samuel had pulled him aside separately, saying he had something to discuss with him.
They'd barely talked when Ella rushed over.
Seeing that Ella was clearly unhappy, he knew he'd done the wrong thing.
He shouldn't have softened and brought Dorian over with Samuel.
Just as Zachary was about to go upstairs, Samuel stopped him again, "Let them solve their own problems. What's yours, no one can take away."
Zachary hesitated, then sat back down.
Actually, he had some suspicions about Joshua's reasons for seeing Dorian.
He just didn't want to admit it.
At that moment, upstairs in the master bedroom.
Dorian glared fiercely at Joshua, whose head was covered in bandages, and said angrily, "It's no use begging me. I hate you and would never let Mom get back together with you. Besides, Mom and I are going abroad with Mr. Baker soon, and we'll never see you again in this lifetime."
Joshua hadn't told Dorian that he was his father.
He leaned weakly against the headboard, his forehead wrapped in white gauze. Hearing his own biological son say he hated him, his heart felt like it was soaking in a pool of sulfuric acid.
That burning pain was so unbearable it made him feel suffocated.
He still held onto Dorian, reluctant to let go, his voice hoarse when he spoke, "You and your mom are going abroad?"
Dorian pouted proudly, "Yeah, Mom likes Mr. Baker, and Mr. Baker wants to marry Mom. When we go back, we'll be a family. We'll be so happy."
"Let go of me quickly. I hate you so much. If it weren't for you, my sister wouldn't have left us back then."
Unable to pull his hand free, Dorian got very angry and bit down hard on the back of Joshua's hand.
Just then, Ella pushed the door open and walked in.
When he saw her, Joshua released Dorian.
Dorian turned and saw it was Ella, immediately rushing over to hug her, "Mom, this bad guy is so annoying. He kept holding me and wouldn't let me go. So disgusting."
Ella took Dorian's hand and looked at Joshua, who was indeed injured, his eyes and face looking so miserable.
He looked like he'd suffered some major blow, appearing very haggard and in pain.
She didn't care and felt not a ripple of emotion in her heart. She turned to leave with Dorian.
Joshua weakly called out to her, "Ella, let the child go out. I have something to say to you."
Ella wouldn't listen. She felt they had nothing to talk about.
She didn't want to spend another second with him.
But Joshua threatened, "If you don't listen to me, I absolutely won't let you take Dorian and leave with Zachary."
That was his child.
He was almost 35 years old.
And still had no children.
Dorian was his only son.
How could Joshua bear to let them go?
Before, he had no right to interfere, but now, he would work hard to fulfill a father's duties.
Ella stopped in her tracks. Though angry, she still agreed, letting go of Dorian and saying, "Dorian, go wait for Mom downstairs."
Dorian sighed, "Mom, don't listen to him. He definitely wants to beg you to forgive him and get back together. We can't give this kind of person a chance."
If Zachary hadn't brought him here, he wouldn't have come.
Thinking of Aurora's death, he really hated this bad guy.
Ella touched Dorian's head, nodded in agreement, and told him to go out first.
After closing the door and approaching Joshua, she said nothing but raised her hand and slapped him.
That slap made Joshua's head turn to the side.
Five finger marks immediately appeared on his pale, handsome face.
Joshua knew he deserved it, so he had no complaints. His moist eyes met Ella's, his Adam's apple moving with difficulty, "Why didn't you tell me the truth?"
He was referring to the fact that Dorian was his son.
But Ella pretended not to know and warned, "Joshua, I made things very clear to you before. I don't love you, and I never thought about getting back together with you. If you dare approach my child again, I won't let this go."
Ella really didn't want to look at him for even a second longer.
She turned to leave again.
But Joshua reached out and grabbed her wrist, asking directly, "I'm asking why you didn't tell me Dorian is my child. Ella, if I'd known earlier that they were my children, I never would have let Aurora die back then."
As soon as he finished speaking, another loud slap landed on his handsome face.
That slap stunned Joshua.
He was dazed for a long time, his face burning with pain.
But that pain was less than one-tenth of his heartache.
"Joshua, do you think you have the right to question me?"
Ella hadn't expected Joshua to really know that Dorian was his child.
Well, that was fine.
This way they had no right to blame her anymore, to say she gave birth to a bastard, or call her shameless.
Joshua realized that Ella might have only found out later that the child was his.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have kept it from Aiden back then.
His injured, bloodshot eyes looked at Ella, full of guilt and self-blame, "I'm sorry. If I'd known earlier that the person I was with four years ago was you, I never would have broken off our engagement or made you go abroad."
"It's my fault. I caused our daughter's death. You can punish me however you want, but please don't take Dorian away."
Joshua held Ella's arms with both hands, tears falling silently as he lowered his head.
His humble, pleading appearance was heartbreaking.
But Ella still felt her heart was like still water, without a ripple.
Maybe after experiencing Aurora's death, she'd become indifferent to everything.
She didn't shake off Joshua's hands, just looked down at him coldly, her face expressionless, "What right do you have to stop me from taking Dorian? Have you forgotten that you once called him a bastard, an illegitimate child?"
Ella could bear all of this.
What she couldn't bear was the hurt he caused her four years ago, forcing her to leave her homeland.
She couldn't accept that he refused to save Aurora.
He even accused her of causing Aiden's death, then turned around and married Scarlett.
What right did such a person have to be her child's father?
"I know I was wrong."
Joshua buried his head and cried out loud, "Ella, I really know I was wrong. If you give me one chance, I'll make it up to you."
Ella looked at him, listening to his trembling sobs.
She wanted to laugh.
This Joshua could actually cry?
How mighty and proud he used to be.
When she knelt before him and begged him, how cold he was then—he'd probably forgotten all about it.
Ella coldly shook off his hands and said, "Joshua, I told you, I won't forgive you. I am taking Dorian away, and you have no right to stop me."
Ella really didn't want to breathe the same air as him for another moment.
She turned and left without looking back.
Joshua tried to grab her again but caught only air.
He watched helplessly as Ella disappeared at the door, then fell from the bed to his knees and never got up again, finally lying there in a wretched state, crying his heart out with regret.
Ella left the room and could still faintly hear crying.
But she was unmoved. After going downstairs, she took Dorian's hand, "Dorian, let's go."
Mother and son headed out the door, with Zachary quickly following.
It was already evening.
The sky wasn't that dark yet.
As the three were about to get in the car in the courtyard, they happened to run into Ava, who had just arrived.
Unable to reach Dorian, Ava had come to find him herself.
As soon as she arrived, she saw Ella with Dorian and another man together.
Feeling upset, she stepped forward and cursed, "Ella, how can you be so shameless, bringing another man and your bastard to the house that used to be yours and Joshua's wedding home? How low can you get?"
Ella got in the car with Dorian in her arms.
Before she could curse back, Dorian angrily shouted, "Old witch, shut up. Don't talk about my mom like that."
Zachary also came over and said, "Ava, at your age, how can you talk so nastily?"
"You..."
Ava was furious but too lazy to argue with these three.
She glared hatefully at Ella and walked up the steps into the house.
She wanted to see what Ella was doing bringing Zachary and that little bastard here.
Ella didn't bother arguing with an elder and quickly drove away.
Ava walked into the house but didn't see anyone.
When she went upstairs to the master bedroom, she saw Samuel and Joshua inside.
Joshua was injured, his head wrapped in white gauze.
She went over worriedly to ask, "Joshua, what happened to you? Did that bitch Ella bring someone to beat you up?"
Joshua had just stabilized his emotions and was being helped by Samuel to sit against the headboard.
Seeing Ava come in, still as hostile toward Ella as before.
He angrily corrected her, "Mom, can you please not talk about Ella like that?"
Ava had completely lost her usual dignified elegance and said unhappily, "She's already gotten together with another man, bringing her bastard here to humiliate you, and you're still defending her?"
Joshua felt helpless and said weakly, telling the truth, "Dorian isn't a bastard. He's my child. Both he and Aurora are my own flesh and blood."