Chapter 141
Mason fell silent.
Ella's words left him speechless.
Even if the child really was his, what could he do now? Ella had indeed narrowly escaped death to return to them.
Heath and Rhea cared about her tremendously now.
If he drove Ella away, Heath and Rhea would kill him.
Besides, he couldn't fall out with Ella over this.
Mason could only get up and leave silently by himself, not daring to say another word.
Ella watched his retreating figure, feeling incredibly relieved.
If she hadn't gone to see Scarlett early, hadn't discovered she was pregnant, Scarlett might really have been released.
But now, once her injuries healed, she'd be sentenced to prison and never get out for the rest of her life.
Tonight, after Ava learned that the child Ella gave birth to belonged to the Thomas family, and that Rhea was hospitalized, she personally went to the hospital to visit Rhea.
She also told Rhea about the child.
Rhea clearly didn't believe it.
Though her injury hadn't fully recovered, she rushed home with Heath early the next morning.
When they arrived, Ella and Zachary were having a meal with Dorian.
Mason felt he had lost his son and was heartbroken, still staying in his room unwilling to come out.
Ella couldn't be bothered with him.
Seeing Heath and Rhea return from the hospital, she quickly got up to greet them, "Mom, you haven't recovered yet. Why did you suddenly come back?"
Rhea urgently wanted to come back and ask Ella clearly whether Dorian was really Joshua's child.
She grabbed Ella, her eyes full of hope, "Ella, yesterday Ava came to see me and said our Dorian is a child of the Thomas family. What's going on?"
She hadn't believed it at the time.
But Ava, such a proud person, had actually cried in front of her.
She even begged her to come back and help them talk to Ella, to let Dorian return to the Thomas family to acknowledge his ancestry.
Rhea had been very upset then.
If Dorian belonged to the Thomas family, they wanted Dorian to return to acknowledge his ancestry.
If he wasn't theirs, they forced Ella to leave with nothing.
Either way, no matter how Ella answered her, she would support Ella.
Ella was silent for a moment, then replied without denying it, "Dorian is indeed Joshua's child."
Rhea froze, finding it hard to believe, "Did you only find out later?"
She must have only found out later, otherwise Ella wouldn't have let the Thomas family humiliate her like that.
At this moment, Rhea felt even more sorry for Ella.
Felt it wasn't worth it for her.
Ella nodded and helped Rhea sit down on the sofa, "Actually, I'd rather Dorian had nothing to do with Joshua. I don't want any connection with that family anymore. Also, I've decided to take Dorian and Zachary back to Eldoria. Mom, Dad, when I'm gone, please take care of yourselves."
In Ella's heart, Heath and Rhea were very good parents.
During her time back at the Lewis family, they had been very good to her, letting her feel the security and warmth of having parents.
But staying by their side, she couldn't avoid being harassed by Joshua.
Ella really didn't want to look at Joshua for even one more second.
Only by leaving could she start a new life.
Hearing this, Rhea's heart jumped, and she hurriedly grabbed Ella's hand, shaking her head in refusal, "No, Ella, you can't leave. Mom and Dad finally got you back. Please don't leave us, okay?"
Heath also sat down beside them. Though angry that Dorian was the Thomas family's child, he was also afraid of Ella leaving.
He persuaded, "Ella, why leave? If you don't want to see the Thomas family, we won't let them disturb you and the child."
"Your mom really can't be without you. You don't know how much she suffered during the years you were gone. If you leave, she'll get sick. Dad can't bear to part with you either."
To keep Ella from leaving, Heath and Rhea surrounded her, earnestly trying to persuade her.
Ella remained silent.
She wasn't leaving right away either.
She would leave only after hearing Scarlett's sentencing with her own ears and watching her be taken to prison with her own eyes.
Finally, she used accompanying Dorian as an excuse and left with Dorian and Zachary.
She stopped managing company affairs too.
This really worried the Lewis family, afraid that Ella, who had finally come back, would leave them again.
When Ella took Dorian and Zachary to the mall, her expression was somewhat serious.
She didn't deny that during this time with Heath and Rhea, she had developed some feelings for them.
She might feel reluctant when leaving, but it probably wouldn't make her change her mind about leaving.
"Mommy, I have a way to make that big bad guy stop bothering you."
Sitting in the back seat of the car, Dorian suddenly raised his head and spoke with complete confidence.
Ella held him in her arms and patiently asked, "What way?"
Dorian glanced at Zachary, who was driving, then looked at Ella, "You and Mr. Baker should get married quickly. Once you're married, that big bad guy won't dare harass you anymore."
That way he could have a complete family too.
And peacefully do what he wanted to do.
Instead of being left with Rhea by Ella all the time, being monitored.
Only by staying with Zachary could he do whatever he wanted freely.
However, Dorian's words immediately put the two adults in an awkward situation.
Especially Ella.
She glanced at Zachary through the rearview mirror, awkwardly looking away, and pinched Dorian's little face, "Coming up with such bad ideas."
Dorian pouted and frowned delicately, "Mommy, don't you like Mr. Baker?"
That one question stunned Ella again.
She didn't even dare look at Zachary anymore.
Instead, Zachary kept watching her reaction through the rearview mirror.
Seeing Ella hesitating and unwilling to answer Dorian's question directly.
An inexplicable sourness welled up in his heart, making him feel quite uncomfortable.
So Ella actually hadn't thought about marrying him?
Did she still have Joshua in her heart?
Thinking this, Zachary gripped the steering wheel even tighter.
"Mommy, why aren't you saying anything? If you like him, you like him. If you don't, you don't. Is it that hard to answer?"
Afraid Zachary would be hurt, Dorian sighed, looking at Ella quite helplessly.
Ella really didn't know how to answer the child. Her feelings were quite complicated right now.
She actually hadn't thought about entering another relationship.
But she didn't deny that she had a good impression of Zachary and trusted him very much.
It's just that once it came to marriage, that was another matter entirely.
She was divorced and had given birth to a child.
The Baker family was also a prestigious family.
How could they possibly allow Zachary to marry a woman like her?
Perhaps seeing Ella's concerns, Zachary told Dorian, "Dorian, don't make things difficult for Mommy. I like you both, and even without marriage, I'll always stay with you."
Dorian pressed his lips together, not understanding what the two adults were being so awkward about.
He stated his own view, "If you like each other, be together. If you're together, get married. That way it's proper and leaves no opportunity for others."
Dorian felt very insecure for Zachary and reminded him, "Mr. Baker, if you don't take some action, when that big bad guy's injury heals, he'll definitely come bother Mommy, and then you'll have even less chance."
Dorian just hoped Ella would find a good home soon.
Zachary was such a good person, he would definitely make Ella happy.
But if neither of them was in a hurry, he could only keep quiet.
The two adults still chose silence.
Until they went to the mall, shopped until noon, and went to a restaurant for a meal.
Leaving Dorian sitting alone at the table, outside the restroom, Zachary in a white shirt and black dress pants, his tall figure blocking Ella's path, looked at her with somber eyes, "I know what you're worried about. Actually, everything you're concerned about, I've already taken care of."
Zachary continued the topic Dorian had brought up earlier in the car.
But Ella didn't want to talk about it and tried to avoid him, "How can you leave Dorian alone out there? What if bad people take him away?"
She wanted to go out and check on Dorian.
But Zachary held her hand, dismissing her concerns, "Ella, are you afraid my family will object?"
"When I came back to Emerald City, I made it clear to my family that I want to stay here with you forever."
"Of course, if you want to go back to Eldoria, I'll take you back, but no one in the Baker family will stop us from being together."
Ella knew very well that her Dorian was smart and wouldn't run around by himself outside.
Taking this opportunity, she also wanted to make things clear with Zachary.
She took a step back to face Zachary and asked him, "Do you want children?"
Zachary paused, and though he didn't understand what Ella meant by asking this, he still nodded, "Yes, I do."
"But I can't have children anymore."
Hearing this, Zachary's heart jumped, and he immediately explained, "I mean I like children, not that you have to give birth for me. I've known for a long time that you can't have children. I only want you and Dorian."
He had followed her from Eldoria to Emerald City.
Ella should understand his feelings.
How could he possibly give up just because she couldn't have more children?
However, Zachary's words did move Ella somewhat.
She had met Zachary not long after going to Eldoria.
During those three years there, Zachary had helped her a lot.
It was also because of him that she had security when giving birth to Dorian.
This Zachary wasn't like Joshua who looked down on her for having a child out of wedlock.
From beginning to end, he unconditionally stood by her side, believed in her, and supported any decision she made.
If the Baker family didn't object, Zachary would indeed be a very good choice.
Ella lowered her head, not knowing what else she was worried about.
"Ella, to be honest, I came here with no intention of going back to Eldoria. I've even bought property here and decided to start a new business, to stay here with you and Dorian forever."
"But you said you want to leave, and I'll take you both away. I'm just afraid you'll have regrets later, since you have family now and they can't bear to see you go."
Zachary wasn't afraid of Joshua's existence.
He was only afraid Ella didn't have him in her heart.
As long as Ella chose him, there was nothing wrong with them staying here.
Ella kept her head lowered. After a long while, she took a deep breath and met Zachary's gaze, "Give me a little more time. Let me clear my head. I'll also think carefully about whether to leave or not."
Realizing he might have pressured Ella, Zachary felt somewhat guilty. He reached out to pat her head and took her hand, "Okay, take your time thinking. I'm not in a hurry. Let's go keep Dorian company for the meal."