Chapter 15: Give Ava's Child to Mia to Raise
Joshua stepped out, and the oppressive atmosphere in the room left with him.
Ursa walked up to Ava, her eyes carrying the same disdain as always, looking down on her from above—a look Ava knew all too well.
She said nothing, acting as if she didn't notice Ursa's gaze at all.
Ursa said coldly, "Ava, our family is having dinner. I won't be keeping you."
Ava smiled slightly, meeting Ursa's eyes with neither humility nor arrogance.
Ursa froze for a moment. She couldn't shake the feeling that Ava was different from before—whether it was her eyes or her whole demeanor, everything gave her that impression.
Gone was that humble air from the past. Her eyes were cold, and her behavior showed confidence.
Ava glanced at Victor. His condition wouldn't flare up again in the short term, and with the medicine she'd prepared, he could hold on for a while. She also needed to go back and carefully work out the next treatment plan.
Since they'd told her to leave over and over again, Ava didn't want to overstay her welcome.
Besides, with Joshua not around, this was the perfect chance to leave.
Ava smoothly made it out of the Thomas Villa.
A Cadillac pulled up steadily in front of her.
The person inside rolled down the window and playfully snapped their fingers at her. "Ava, get in quick."
"How did you get here?" Ava was pleasantly surprised—she'd been worried about not being able to get a cab here.
"We never left. We've been following you the whole time, thinking that when you escaped, we could pick you up right away," Isabella said.
"Mommy!"
"Mommy, we came too!" The two kids in the back seat called out excitedly when they saw Ava.
Ava's gloomy mood instantly cleared. She quickly got in the car and pulled both children into her arms.
This wasn't a place to linger. Isabella drove off at high speed.
"Mommy, we missed you so much." Finn and Cleo snuggled in Ava's arms, happy and excited.
"My precious babies, I missed you too. You both did so well today. I'm proud of you." Ava held both children tightly.
"Got your real mom, forgot about me. Got your kids, forgot about me," Isabella said from the driver's seat, clutching her chest. "My heart is breaking."
"Isabella, if you got caught, we'd miss you too," Finn said seriously.
"No thanks, you two little rascals better not hope I get caught. I'm scared."
Finn and Cleo burst out laughing.
"Isabella, thanks for all your hard work today."
"It wasn't hard. I was just running errands. It's mainly these two kids—wherever you go, Finn's tracking can pinpoint your exact location."
Ava knew Finn had a gift for all things electronic. She ruffled Finn and Cleo's hair—these two children were truly the best gifts heaven had given her.
"Let's go eat. I'm starving." Isabella's stomach growled.
It was dinner time, and they'd been waiting for her this whole time without eating. Ava felt really bad about it.
"Okay, you pick the place. My treat."
Isabella didn't hold back at all. "Let's have home-style cooking. Is that okay with you guys? I know a pretty good place."
Ava nodded. "Sure."
The car drove all the way to the restaurant. When they got there, they were lucky—there were still seats available at this hour. A server led them to a private room.
Once the food arrived, you could tell the two little ones were really hungry—their cheeks were puffed out and they didn't stop eating.
Ava ate a little, then started serving food to the two kids.
"Ava, what's really going on between you and Joshua now?" Isabella asked worriedly. The two of them couldn't just keep playing this game of one running and one chasing forever.
Ava had eaten enough and put down her utensils. Her eyes showed some fatigue and helplessness. "He wants me to hand over Finn and Cleo."
"What? He wants to take the kids back?"
"Yes."
If the two children weren't there, Isabella would have been angry enough to throw her utensils. "How dare he! He was the one who didn't want the kids back then, and now he wants to take them back. This is outrageous."
Ava continued serving food to the two children. Finn and Cleo were absorbed in eating and didn't notice their conversation. Ava sighed, her eyes determined. "I will never give him the children."
These two children were her life now. No matter what, she would protect them.
She really wanted to send the kids abroad to avoid the storm, but she quickly dismissed that idea. The children were still young and couldn't be without her, and she couldn't be without them. At the same time, she couldn't leave this place—Victor's illness required her treatment.
So from now on, she could only be careful, careful, and more careful.
The study.
Xavier and Joshua sat facing each other at the tea table.
Bright lights silently fell on both of them, casting shadows of two people whose features were extremely similar.
Xavier kept his head slightly lowered, unhurriedly pouring freshly brewed tea from the teapot into the cups.
Joshua's expression was calm, his sharp eyes narrowing slightly.
The atmosphere between them didn't seem like father and son, but more like a match between two masters.
"What do you plan to do about the children?" Xavier placed a teacup in front of Joshua, his deep voice slowly breaking the silence.
Joshua looked up, not surprised that Xavier knew about Ava having children.
He picked up the teacup in front of him and took an elegant sip before saying calmly, "Let her keep them."
Xavier's brow furrowed, clearly disapproving of this answer. His voice was low with a hint of warning. "Those are the Thomas family's children."
The meaning was clear—the Thomas family's children couldn't be left outside.
"After you marry Mia, give the children to Mia to raise. She can see the children anytime. That's the most I'm willing to give her."
"Those are Ava's children." Joshua's eyes narrowed further, his expression extremely displeased.
"They are the Thomas family's descendants first." Xavier stood up and issued a final warning.
"I don't agree." Joshua's voice was calm but firm. Xavier's brow instantly furrowed.
"The children's mother can only be Ava." Joshua's clear, mellow voice was resolute, carrying an undeniable authority.