Chapter 28 Cleo, I'm Daddy
"Hayden brought you in?"
Ava clenched her jaw, her eyes extremely unfriendly, clearly looking at him like an enemy. She pressed her lips tightly together and said nothing, her look of stubborn defiance somehow amusing Joshua.
"Speak. Was it him or not?"
Ava replied, "Do whatever you want with me."
Maintaining intense focus for a long time was exhausting, and Ava was now too tired to have any energy left to match wits with him.
Joshua let out a cold laugh.
Just then, a phone ringtone interrupted the tense standoff between them.
Ava's heart jumped. Oh no, it was her phone. She'd been gone so long that Isabella and the two kids waiting outside must be worried and calling to check on her.
Ava was about to pull out her phone to turn it off, but Joshua beat her to it in the next second.
Ava's heart skipped a beat. "Joshua, give me back my phone."
Joshua looked at the caller display, his expression stern, brows furrowed, his magnetic voice murmuring, "My dear baby?"
"Joshua!" Ava said through gritted teeth. With Joshua's height, long legs, and strong build, plus the natural strength difference between men and women, Ava was easily restrained by just one of Joshua's hands.
Ava was desperate, glaring at Joshua with a dark expression.
Joshua remained unmoved, his eyes briefly sweeping over the struggling woman before he answered the call with a cold face.
A strong urge to take him down with her surged in Ava's chest.
"Mommy~" Cleo's voice came through the phone.
The air around them instantly fell silent.
"..." It was a girl.
Joshua's cold expression gradually warmed, and he couldn't help but smile slightly. Ava's daughter, his daughter.
Just as Ava was about to speak, Joshua's arm wrapped around the back of her neck, his large hand covering her mouth. Ava could only make muffled sounds of protest.
"Mommy, are you listening?" Not hearing Ava's voice, Cleo seemed puzzled, her voice growing weaker.
Ava trembled with anger and suddenly jumped up trying to grab the phone. Joshua's tall figure turned, easily dodging her, and Ava missed again.
"Mommy?"
"I'm your daddy." Joshua deliberately softened his voice, afraid of scaring Cleo.
...
The other party has hung up.
"Cleo, what did Mommy say?" Seeing Cleo's stunned little face, Finn asked worriedly.
Cleo blinked, looking at Finn and then at Isabella in front.
"Cleo, hurry up and tell us, you're killing me here."
"Mommy didn't say anything." Cleo frowned, her little head drooping. "The person who answered said he's my daddy!"
Finn was speechless.
Isabella, "..." This is bad!!
"Joshua!"
Joshua, "That's my daughter!"
Ava's small hands struggled to push away Joshua's restraint. Joshua still held the woman's restless hands, his voice somewhat urgent, "Stop it, answer me."
Ava was dying of anxiety inside, and combined with the nightmare from that night, fear spread throughout her entire body.
Every brain cell was telling her that Joshua now knew about Cleo's existence, and he would definitely take her children away. He would take the kids, and she'd never see Finn and Cleo again. At this thought, Ava felt like she was going crazy.
She was scared, truly scared.
"Joshua, do you even have a heart? What more do you want? You were the one who didn't want them back then. You forced me to run away for five years. What right do you have now to take them away? Don't even think about it, don't you dare take my children. I carried them for ten months and gave birth to them. They're more important than my own life. I won't let you get to them. Just give up on that idea. Let go of me, let go!"
Ava, usually so calm and composed, was rarely this agitated and out of control.
Joshua's brows furrowed tightly. Watching Ava inexplicably angry and saying these strange things, his heart inexplicably tightened.
An indescribable emotion spread through his chest.
What was she talking about? When did he ever say he would take the children away?
"Joshua, I'm begging you, please leave my children alone."
Joshua's narrow eyes narrowed, his heart sharply pierced.
Beneath Ava's usually indifferent eyes lay an untouchable bottom line, and that was her children.
Ever since five years ago when he forced her to abort the child, she'd been especially wary of him, especially sensitive when it came to the children.
Before the children were born, she was afraid he'd force her to abort them, so she ran away.
Now that the children were born, when he brought them up, she was afraid he'd take them away. So she racked her brains, and under long-term pressure, any mention of the children made her like a bomb without a fuse, ready to explode at the slightest touch.
She would fight with her life to protect her children.
Joshua's narrow eyes narrowed. He didn't know how to explain to her now that he didn't want to take the children away, but his image as a villain seemed already deeply rooted in her mind. Even if he explained, she probably wouldn't believe him. To stabilize Ava's emotions, he could only let her go.
As soon as the restraint loosened, afraid that Joshua would chase after her again, she left immediately without a moment's hesitation.
Joshua watched the woman's slender yet resolute retreating figure, a dark glint flashing in his eyes.
"Joshua, I came to check on Grandpa."
Mia stood at the door, her voice gentle. Looking at Joshua's gloomy expression, she bit her lower lip.
Joshua, "Okay."
Mia carefully watched Joshua's expression. She didn't know what had just happened in here, but she'd seen Ava leaving from here. Her heart panicked, afraid her secret would be discovered, so she hurried over to check.
Mia walked to Victor's side, pretending to examine him with a flurry of activity. Suddenly, her breathing stopped.
Her eyes fell on that prescription. She quickly grabbed it, crumpling it tightly in her hand, sneaking a glance at Joshua before stuffing it into her pocket.
That bitch Ava really was no good. Thank goodness she'd been careful and came to check.
Joshua, "How is Grandpa?"
"Joshua, don't worry. Grandpa is recovering well. I'll write a prescription in a bit. If Grandpa takes it on time, he'll gradually get better." Since she'd discovered Ava's prescription, it naturally became hers now.