Chapter 162
After the two were sent to Michael's estate, no one noticed the sudden bang from ahead.
Joshua instantly felt a sharp pain in his leg. Looking down, he saw a bullet tear through his flesh, blood oozing out.
His face twisted in pain as he dropped to one knee.
Ella heard the gunshot too and trembled all over in fright.
Seeing Joshua beside her, kneeling down, actually shot in the leg.
Just as she was about to help him up, another gunshot rang through the air.
The next second, Joshua's other leg was shot too.
He fell to both knees, his face showing pain, blood continuously flowing from where the bullets hit his legs.
These two shots came so suddenly that there was no chance to dodge at all.
Seeing things going badly, Ella hurriedly stepped in front of him, shouting at the empty air ahead where only gunshots could be heard but no person seen, "Michael, what are you doing? Murder is illegal."
Although she didn't wish Joshua well either, Joshua had come along because of Aurora.
If Joshua died here because of her, she would be haunted by guilt.
The bodyguards scattered to both sides. Michael walked out from that magnificent villa, dressed casually, carelessly playing with a still-smoking pistol in his hand.
He wore a chilling smile on his face, his eyes cold. "Here, I am the law. Ella, long time no see."
Seeing him still holding and wiping the gun, afraid he really meant to kill Joshua, Ella quickly blocked Joshua's front.
"Michael, you asked us to come, and we came. Where's Aurora?"
Michael smiled wickedly, striding forward to stand before Joshua, looking down from above.
At this moment, Joshua had been shot in both legs.
The bullets embedded in his flesh left him unable to maintain even a kneeling position. He collapsed powerlessly to the side, the pain making him break out in sweat all over, his breathing becoming rapid.
He looked up at Michael, using all his strength to speak, "I know you want my life. I can give you my life, but give Aurora to Ella."
As long as Aurora was really okay.
As long as Aurora could return alive to Ella's side, even if he gave his own life, it would be worth it.
Michael chuckled lightly, his shiny leather boot stomping hard on Joshua's wounded leg, his eyes full of bloodthirsty madness.
"Back in Emerald City, I had no power to fight you. Now that you've fallen into my hands, tell me, how do you want to die?"
Joshua gritted his teeth, trying hard to endure that pain invading his bones and blood.
His eyes looked at Michael cold as knives, not furrowing his brow even once.
But the sweat covering his head still betrayed him.
Proving he couldn't hold on much longer and would eventually submit.
Watching this made Ella's scalp tingle, the sight was shocking.
She quickly pulled at Michael, pleading softly, "Michael, don't do this, let him go. He never hurt you like this before."
Watching Joshua's legs continuously bleeding, his face gradually turning pale, and even his speech trembling badly.
She knew that without timely medical treatment, he would die from excessive blood loss.
His legs would be ruined too.
"Ella, are you feeling sorry for him?" Michael grabbed Ella and held her against his chest, squinting at her, his expression vicious, "I heard your two children are both his?"
Ella struggled in his arms, "Let him go, give Aurora back to me, and I'll do whatever you want."
As long as Aurora could return alive to her side.
She really wouldn't care about anything else.
Of course, she also didn't want Joshua to never return.
"Do whatever I want?" Michael laughed again, one arm holding Ella in his embrace, the other hand raising the gun to Joshua's head. Though his actions were brutal, his expression seemed so calm and indifferent.
"You're in my hands now. Of course, I can make you do whatever I want. But Joshua must die."
As he finished speaking, his expression changed instantly, and he shot Joshua again without hesitation.
Bang—the sound shocked Ella into a daze.
She also watched helplessly as Joshua, on the ground, was shot once more in the waist, collapsing on the ground with no strength left at all.
She was scared stiff, suddenly pushing Michael away and dropping to her knees to help Joshua.
"Joshua, Joshua..."
Joshua used his last bit of consciousness to open his eyes, looking at Ella's eyes reddening for him.
No matter how much pain he felt, it couldn't affect the ripple stirred in his heart when Ella came close to him.
He knew he wouldn't survive.
Both legs and his waist were shot.
Michael probably wouldn't spare him either.
Besides, this was abroad, and Samuel wasn't by his side.
But he didn't regret coming on this trip with her.
Using all his strength, he weakly forced out his voice, "Ella, if... if Aurora is really still alive, will you forgive me?"
Ella's heart suddenly stabbed with pain, tears flowing uncontrollably.
She wanted to help him up, but looking at the blood all over him, looking at his wounds, she didn't know where to start, choking up and unable to say anything.
Joshua couldn't wait for Ella's answer.
The pain in his body could no longer support what little consciousness he had left.
He closed his eyes and passed out without any sign of life.
"Joshua." Ella called out with a trembling voice, reaching out to support him, "Joshua, wake up, wake up."
No matter how she called, Joshua showed no response.
Michael stood beside them, ordering indifferently, "Someone, put him in a sack and throw him in the sea to feed the fish."
Then he grabbed Ella's hand and dragged her toward the house.
"No." Ella struggled, watching those bodyguards roughly stuff the blood-covered Joshua into a sack and drag him away like garbage.
She cried and shouted hysterically, "Don't do this, Michael, I'm begging you, let him go. He never treated you this cruelly before. How can you be so ruthless?"
"Please, let him go. My children can't be without a father."
Really afraid Joshua would die without a trace, Ella dropped to her knees on the ground, hugging Michael's legs and begging.
Michael looked down at her.
He bent down and grabbed her chin, his eyes filled with bloodlust.
"Leaving him a whole body is already the greatest mercy to him. Ella, if you plead for him again, I'll have him torn apart by five horses."
Who was Michael? The devil in everyone's mouth.
A devil naturally had to do things differently from normal people, to live up to that title.
If Joshua hadn't treated him that way back then, why would he go to such great lengths to call him over and take his life?
Ella suddenly stopped crying.
What kind of person Michael was, she understood better than anyone.
This man was a complete lunatic. He had no heart and wouldn't soften because of her pleas.
But was Joshua really going to die like this?
She didn't know why, but Ella suddenly felt so full of regret.
She shouldn't have called Joshua over.
She shouldn't have listened to everything Michael said.
Joshua was dead. The Thomas family's only son was gone. How could she face the grandfather who had treasured her like a gem?
Ella knelt there, her heart twisting like a knife, tears streaming down.
Just then, a soft, familiar voice came from not far away, "Mommy."
Ella looked up.
She saw a little girl running over and throwing herself into her arms.
"Mommy, I missed you so much. Mommy, why did it take you so long to come get me? Where's Daddy? Why are you alone?"
Aurora hugged Ella's neck, blinking her big eyes and looking around.
Ella looked at her too, raising her hand to gently touch her tender little face, examining her, carefully observing her.
This child really was Aurora.
Aurora really hadn't died.
She was actually still alive. Ella wept with joy, suddenly embracing Aurora in her arms, wishing she could merge Aurora into her very bones.
"Aurora, it's really you. You're really here. Mommy missed you so much too."
Aurora saw someone dealing with blood on the ground not far away.
Thinking Ella was injured, Aurora pulled away from her embrace to check her body.
"Mommy, are you bleeding? Why is there so much blood over there?"
"Mommy, are you okay?"
Ella shook her head.
Thinking that Joshua definitely wouldn't survive.
But Aurora was still alive.
All the disgust and hatred she had felt toward Joshua vanished completely in this moment.
What replaced it was guilt, sadness, and heartache.
She was willing to forgive him.
But he would never hear it again.
Ella held Aurora tightly in her arms, sobbing uncontrollably.
Michael couldn't stand watching this and said unhappily, "Get inside. From now on, you two will stay here and keep me company."
Aurora looked up at him, pouting her little mouth and saying fiercely, "No, I want to go home with Mommy. I want to see my daddy."
Michael grabbed her by the collar with one hand, lifting her into the air, warning coldly while she hung there, "Your daddy was just killed by me. He's been thrown into the sea to feed the fish. You'll never see him again in this life."
Aurora didn't believe it, kicking her two little short legs in the air struggling, glaring viciously at Michael.
"My daddy is super amazing. You can't kill him. Let me go. I want to go home with Mommy."
Michael was too lazy to explain to a child and carried her inside.
Aurora was very uncomfortable being held in the air, struggling while shouting.
No matter how much Ella hated Michael, seeing Aurora being taken away by him, she quickly got up and followed.
Thinking of something, she pulled out her phone, wanting to notify Brian first, but the bodyguard beside her saw it and snatched her phone away.
He also grabbed her bag.
When Ella tried to grab them back, she was suddenly pulled into the house by Michael and thrown onto the sofa in the luxurious living room.
"Ella, behave and stay here with Aurora to keep me company. I have the ability to save her life, and I also have the ability to take it. Understand?"
Ella hurriedly held Aurora in her arms, curling up on the sofa, not daring to resist anymore.
She had witnessed Michael's methods.
Even if her heart was full of grief and she couldn't accept Joshua's death, she had to do everything to protect Aurora and escort her home.
Seeing Ella being bullied, Aurora immediately spread her arms to protect her, shouting at Michael, "Don't be mean to my mommy."
Michael snorted, not caring about the child's fierce appearance toward him.
Thinking that Ella must be exhausted from rushing over, he instructed the butler beside him, "Prepare food for them, arrange my room, let the mother and daughter rest well."
The butler bowed and withdrew.
Michael looked at Ella, whose eyes were still red and lashes wet, and said, "I still have some things to handle. Eat and rest well. When I come back, I hope you can sign the divorce agreement with Zachary."
Ella ignored him, holding Aurora tightly in her arms.
Her mind was still full of the image from moments ago of Joshua shot and fallen, covered in blood.
Aurora had come back alive. What right did she have to blame Joshua anymore?
But now Joshua couldn't come back. How could she face the deceased grandfather?
Ella buried her head, unable to stop her tears.
Aurora wiped them for her heartbrokenly, hugging her, her voice soft and milky as she coaxed, "Mommy don't cry, Mommy hug hug."
Ella held Aurora tight, trying hard to calm herself.
She had to find a way to escape.
Dorian was still at home waiting for her to bring Aurora back.
Fortunately, Michael had gone to Eldoria to the Baker family these past few days and wasn't here.
But in the entire estate, no one was willing to give them communication devices, and no one was willing to help the mother and daughter.
There were many people monitoring them every day.
They didn't even dare step out the front door.
A few nights later.
In the dead of night, Ella was awakened by a deafening explosion.
She instinctively grabbed Aurora from beside her pillow and hurried to the window to see what was happening.
She saw another villa in the estate engulfed in flames, reaching the sky.
Realizing this was the best chance to escape, Ella quickly dressed Aurora, teaching her in a low voice, "Aurora, Mommy is taking you home right now. Can you not make a sound?"
Aurora obediently nodded her head, "Okay."
Ella carried Aurora out of the room.
But people were guarding the door. Two servants quickly came forward to ask, "Ms. Garcia, where are you taking Aurora so late at night?"
Ella hadn't expected these people to still be guarding her instead of fighting the fire.
She lied, "I saw the fire over there and wanted to ask what happened."
The servant said, "It won't burn over here anyway. Ms. Garcia, please go back and rest."
Ella knew these servants all had some martial arts skills.
She was no match for them at all.
Just as she was about to carry Aurora back to the room and think of another way, she heard a scream from the servant behind her.
When she turned around, the next second she saw them all fall down.
Then, from the end of the corridor opposite, Brian came running and grabbed her.
"Ms. Garcia, come with me." Ella was both delighted and sad to see Brian.
She didn't hesitate. After Aurora was taken from her, she quickly ran off with them.
Brian hadn't expected Aurora to still be alive.
He was happy for Joshua, quickly following his men to escort Ella and the child out of the estate. After getting into the car at the entrance, Brian turned to go back into the estate.
Ella quickly reached out to stop him, "Aren't you coming with us?"
Brian said, "Mr. Thomas should still be inside. I'm going to find him."
Ella shook her head and told him the truth, "He's not there. He was shot and thrown into the sea by Michael's people."