Chapter 184
Inside the car, the heat in Ella's body spread like wildfire. Her skin was burning hot, and every breath carried a scorching temperature.
She couldn't bear it anymore and frantically tugged at her clothes.
It was Joshua's jacket.
Seeing that she was about to pull it off again, Joshua quickly raised his hand to stop her, trying to calm her down. "Ella, hang in there. We'll get to a safe place and have a doctor give you a shot."
Hearing his voice, Ella grabbed onto it like a lifeline and lunged forward, kissing wildly without caring who it was.
When Joshua tried to resist, she grabbed his head to hold him in place and climbed right onto him.
Watching her actions, seeing Ella's flushed cheeks and alluring dazed expression, Joshua's Adam's apple bobbed as he said with great restraint, "Ella, don't do this. I won't be able to control myself."
"I need it, I need it so bad." Ella had completely lost her mind, her whole body craving release.
She had no idea who the man beneath her was and grabbed him for a fierce kiss.
At first, Joshua was quite resistant.
After all, Ella wasn't conscious. If she woke up and found out who she'd been with, she'd definitely be angry.
But the car was only so big—he couldn't avoid her.
Brian, who was driving, told him that cars were chasing them from behind.
At this moment, they had no chance to get to a hospital.
If they stopped the car, the people behind might catch up and they wouldn't be able to leave.
Left with no choice, Joshua pressed the button to raise the partition, blocking the view between the back and front seats.
After that, he let Ella have her way with him.
Megan was still sitting in the passenger seat.
Continuously hearing the heavy breathing sounds of a man and woman from the back seat, she felt awkward and nervous, occasionally glancing at the rearview mirror.
Seeing cars still chasing them, she could only temporarily put Ella out of her mind and remind Brian to focus on driving.
She hoped Ms. Garcia wouldn't blame her when she woke up.
They were being chased right now, and Ms. Garcia was drugged and out of her mind.
That drug was so strong—if she didn't get relief, her body would suffer.
So when Joshua raised the partition, Megan knew what he was going to do.
But as a mere assistant, she had no right to stop it.
For Ella's sake, Megan could only turn a blind eye.
After it was over, Ella was satisfied, lying on Joshua in a disheveled and limp state, breathing heavily as she fell asleep.
Joshua still had to clean her up.
Fortunately, he had prepared clothes for Ella in the car beforehand.
After tidying Ella up and dressing her properly, holding her in his arms so she could sleep peacefully, Joshua finally asked the people in front.
"Did we lose those people? How much longer until we get to the airport?"
Brian told the truth, "Not yet, and there's more than one car chasing us—there are many. To avoid their tracking, I've moved away from the airport route. Mr. Thomas, I'm afraid we can't make it to the airport now."
Joshua hadn't expected Zachary to be so capable, dispatching so many people to track them down so quickly.
Michael's people must be involved too!
He reminded Brian, "Find a place to avoid them and drop Ella and me off. You and Megan go ahead. We'll split up."
This was the only way both parties would be safe.
If they fell into Michael's hands in Eldoria, the outcome would definitely be worse than last time.
He had witnessed Michael's methods firsthand.
Brian understood.
The SUV quickly turned onto a country road, and after avoiding surveillance cameras, it immediately stopped by the roadside.
After Joshua got out with Ella in his arms, Brian tossed them a bag.
"Mr. Thomas, take this, just in case."
Joshua took it and put it on his back. As he was about to leave, Megan, sitting in the passenger seat, reminded him, "Mr. Thomas, please take good care of Ms. Garcia. If anything happens to her, I won't have the face to go back."
Joshua acknowledged her words and reminded them to stay safe, then disappeared into the night with Ella.
Brian quickly drove off to lead away the vehicles still relentlessly pursuing them.
Joshua wasn't familiar with this area and had no idea where they had gotten off.
He could only follow his instincts, carrying Ella and walking into the darkness.
After walking all night, when dawn broke, he realized he had walked into the mountains, with no one around.
Joshua put Ella on the ground, using his jacket as a cushion for her to sleep on.
He took out some dry food and water from the bag, ate a little, then turned on his phone.
He discovered that in these mountains, there was no signal.
So where the hell were they?
He wondered if Brian and Megan were safe.
Thinking of Michael's bloody brutality and that Zachary was in league with him, Joshua was quite worried they wouldn't be able to return home smoothly.
He could only hope that heaven would favor them once more.
Ella groggily opened her eyes.
A morning breeze swept by, making her shiver from the chill.
Realizing her surroundings were wrong, with trees and grass all around, and a broad, familiar figure sitting ahead, Ella was startled. She sat up abruptly and called out in alarm, "Joshua."
Joshua turned to look at her, his handsome face showing undisguised gloom and disappointment. "You're awake."
Ella looked at her situation again—the unfamiliar clothes on her body and the uncomfortable feeling in her body.
Clearly...
She instantly became angry with embarrassment, her face darkening as she demanded, "What did you do to me? Why am I here with you? Where is this place?"
She remembered she was clearly at a party with Zachary.
Later Zachary took her back to the hotel.
She should have been at the hotel—how did she wake up in these mountains?
Ella was completely confused.
Joshua handed her bread and water, patiently explaining, "You were drugged by Zachary's scheme. I saved you, then we were chased by people he sent, so we hid in this place. I don't know where this is either. Let's just pray we can get home safely!"
Ella couldn't quite process it.
She was drugged by Zachary's scheme?
Zachary would scheme against her?
How was that possible?
Ella didn't believe it and immediately defended Zachary, "You think I'll believe you? I don't know why you followed me to Eldoria, but Zachary and I are innocent, and he would never do anything to hurt me."
Zachary had always been good in her mind.
A gentleman, considerate, refined and gentle.
Over the past two days, Zachary had been with her the whole time. Although he had told her his feelings and wanted to be with her.
But she had refused.
She believed Zachary couldn't be the type of person who would destroy what he couldn't have.
Joshua knew Ella would never believe him.
To prove he was telling the truth, he pulled out his phone and played a recording.
From the phone recording, a conversation between Joshua and Zachary immediately played.
"This is none of your business. Give me Ella."
"Zachary, don't make me call the police."
"Call the police? Where do you think you are? Emerald City?"
"Joshua, since you dared to come abroad, I'll make sure you never return. Believe it or not, I can notify Michael right now. He's dying to tear you to pieces."
"So you really did team up with Michael."
Zachary's laughter came through the recording. "What else? How do you think I got to where I am today?"
"I'll tell you straight—neither you nor Ella will be able to leave this hotel today. I have people surrounding it inside and out."
There were more sounds in the recording, but Ella couldn't listen anymore.
Her mind was like a thunderbolt had struck, it was a complete mess.
She never imagined Zachary would actually team up with Michael to scheme against her.
Why?
Zachary used to be so good.
How could four years of no contact turn him into a completely different person?
Ella was in a daze, unable to accept this reality for a moment.
Joshua reminded her, "Eat something first. After eating, we need to get moving. We're still in Eldoria, and Michael and Zachary's people are looking for us everywhere. We have to leave quickly."
Coming back to her senses, Ella took the food and started eating.
Realizing her body felt really uncomfortable, she looked at Joshua and asked, "You... touched me?"
Joshua didn't look at her and didn't deny it. "You started it."
Ella's cheeks burned, her eyes flickering, clearly not accepting this.
"How could I have forced you? Joshua, you're a jerk. You clearly took advantage of me being drugged and deliberately..."
"Don't worry, I have witnesses. Megan and Brian were both there. They can testify for me." Joshua explained calmly.
Given his current relationship with Ella, how would he dare to actively touch her drugged out of her mind?
Fortunately, Megan and Brian were in the car.
Hearing this, Ella's face turned even redder.
She seemed a bit guilty. "Megan and Brian were there? They both saw you doing that to me..."
"We were in the car. You kept pressing against me and kissing me. I couldn't push you away, so the two of them witnessed the whole thing."
Thinking back to that scene in the car, Joshua also felt quite embarrassed.
Although the partition was raised and they probably didn't see anything.
But judging by Ella's cries, you could tell how intense their actions were.
"What did you say?" Ella was thunderstruck again. "In the car? Right in front of Brian and Megan?"
What kind of drug did she take? Why did she have no memory at all?
Why would she lose control to the point of doing that with Joshua in the car?
Ella realized Joshua wouldn't dare lie to her. Right now, she wanted to find a hole to crawl into.
Joshua turned to look at her. Seeing her blushing face, he couldn't help but want to laugh.
"You have no idea how helpless I was. Behind us were pursuers, in front were Megan and Brian, and you were so forceful, and you... were very enthusiastic."
But he felt quite satisfied inside.
After all these years, he finally had Ella completely again.
Ella was truly too embarrassed to face anyone, burying her head as she struggled to swallow the bread.
Thinking that she was drugged by Zachary's scheme, the drug must have been strong, otherwise how could she have no memory at all?
Rather than being touched by someone else, if it were Joshua, she didn't feel that disgusted.
Given that Joshua came all this way to save her, she wouldn't hold it against him.
After Ella finished eating, she got up and moved around.
Looking at the unfamiliar clothes she was wearing, she asked, "Did you change my clothes?"
Joshua didn't deny it. "I helped you change after we were done, but didn't have a chance to help you wash up. There's a small river ahead. Do you want to go clean up?"
Last night everything happened too suddenly, and the car wasn't a good place. Plus, he didn't use protection.
But thinking that Ella couldn't have children anymore, it should be fine.
She probably just needed to wash up.
Hearing this, Ella was both ashamed and mortified.
Before leaving, she kicked Joshua hard.
But Joshua didn't feel any pain.
He smiled as he watched Ella walk away, reminding her, "Don't go too far. Be quick. I'm afraid they'll find us."
Ella looked at their situation and knew that, unless necessary, Joshua would never have brought her to this place.
She quickly cleaned herself up by the river and returned to Joshua's side.
"So, where do we go now? How do we get back? What about Brian and Megan?"
Joshua put on his backpack and reached out to hold Ella's hand.
Ella didn't want him to hold it and wanted to walk by herself.
Joshua didn't force her and walked ahead to lead the way. "Last night, they kept chasing us. I had Brian and Megan lead them away while I got off with you first."
"I don't know how to get back either. Let's find a hidden place to hide first. After Michael and the others think we've returned home, we'll figure something out."
Anyway, they couldn't go to nearby hotels or stay with villagers right now - it would be too easy to expose themselves.
Ella listened to him.
If Zachary really was in league with Michael, then she knew Michael's methods.
If she fell into his hands, she might survive, but Joshua's fate would be uncertain.
After all, the injuries Joshua suffered last time left him paralyzed for three whole years.
They'd better be cautious.
The two walked and looked around. The mountain path was rugged and difficult to traverse.
After walking for several hours, Ella was exhausted.
She knew Joshua was quite uncomfortable too.
After all, he had carried her all night last night without any rest.
Now he was continuing to lead her.
Plus his leg injury could flare up at any time.
To prevent him from collapsing, Ella suggested, "Let's rest for a bit."
Joshua happened to see a cave ahead that could shelter them from wind and rain. He stopped and reached out to take Ella's hand.
"Let's rest over there. Give me your hand." Ella hesitated, but didn't refuse out of pride, and gave him her hand.
When Joshua's large palm wrapped around her hand, somehow, even though they were in a strange and harsh place, she felt quite secure at this moment.
It was as if with Joshua there, nothing bad would happen to her.
Especially looking at Joshua's profile, Ella clearly felt something rippling at the tip of her heart.
It seemed she wasn't so disgusted with Joshua anymore.
Ella was surprised by this thought.
Finally reaching the cave entrance, Joshua took off his backpack and handed it to Ella, reminding her, "You guard the entrance. I'll go in and check. Come in when it's safe."
He was fearless, moving forward bravely.
After making sure the cave was indeed habitable, he came back out to get the backpack and took Ella's hand again.
"This place is pretty good. It's safe inside, and there's even a small pool. We can rest here for a few days. Brian has my locator. Once they're safe, they'll come find us."
Ella nodded. This time, she chose complete trust.