Chapter 66
Aiden stopped eating and looked at Ella.
"Go ahead, Ella."
Ella knew her news would hit Aiden hard.
But she really couldn't wait any longer.
Joshua wouldn't let her leave, so she could only turn to Aiden.
Lowering her head, Ella took a deep breath and confessed. "I'm sorry, Grandpa. Actually, when I was abroad, I already gave birth to two children. Their names are Aurora and Dorian."
"Last time when I got into trouble, it was because I went to save my daughter."
"Now my son needs me. Can I go out for a few days?"
After speaking, Ella didn't dare look at Aiden's disappointed and hurt expression.
She sat there stiffly, fingers tightly clasped together, so nervous she could barely breathe.
Aiden froze, unable to react for a long moment.
He put down his utensils and said weakly, "I didn't quite understand. Tell me again."
Ella's heart jumped to her throat. Not daring to lift her head, she repeated everything with guilt and shame.
Aiden finally understood.
Four years ago, when Ella said she wanted to go abroad, he had arranged everything for her to study there.
During those three years of studying, she had given birth to a son and daughter whose father was unknown.
After returning home, afraid of shocking him, she never dared to tell him, and even went ahead and married Joshua.
Now her daughter was missing, her son was with someone else, and she wanted to leave to see her son.
Aiden could hardly believe it. Ella, whom he had always cherished and protected, whom he had hoped would give the Thomas family an heir.
She had children out of wedlock and kept it from everyone.
To say he wasn't disappointed would be a lie.
Aiden was deeply disappointed, almost unable to catch his breath.
When Ella looked up at him, she saw Aiden's face flushed red, wanting to cough but unable to.
She quickly went to support him, patting his back.
"I'm sorry, Grandpa. I know I was wrong. I shouldn't have kept it from you. I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"
Besides apologizing, Ella didn't know what else to say.
Seeing Aiden in such distress, Ella's eyes reddened with anxiety.
It took Aiden a long time to catch his breath.
He waved his hand, signaling Ella to sit back down.
After a long while, he asked weakly, "Does Joshua know about this?"
Ella nodded. "He knows."
"And he doesn't blame you?"
Ella thought about Joshua's attitude toward this matter. As her husband, Joshua had actually handled it quite well.
He had even said he would help raise Aurora and Dorian.
It was just that Aurora was missing, and Dorian was with Michael.
She believed Joshua meant what he said. Facing Aiden's question, she could only tell the truth, "He doesn't blame me."
Aiden leaned against the headboard, sighing, "This is between you two as husband and wife. Since Joshua doesn't blame you, as an elder, I shouldn't say much."
"You said your daughter is missing. Have you reported it to the police? Is there really no clue at all?"
What had happened had happened. What good would blaming Ella do?
Joshua didn't even care that Ella had given birth to someone else's children. As the grandfather, how could he interfere?
Ella shook her head.
Aiden looked at her and asked again, "So when you go see your son, are you bringing him back?"
Ella nodded.
She had to bring Dorian back.
There was no way she could leave him with Michael.
As for how to escape when the time came, she wasn't actually sure.
Aiden agreed. "Alright, I'll allow you to go bring the child back. Let me see what the child looks like too."
He was Ella's biological child. Even if he wasn't a biological great-grandson, as long as the child was willing to stay with the Thomas family, the Thomas family would accept him.
Not only accept him, but raise him well.
Hearing Aiden's words, Ella felt a warm surge in her chest, so moved she wanted to cry.
Ella really hadn't expected that Aiden wouldn't blame her at all.
He wasn't even angry.
She was terrible. Why hadn't she been honest with Aiden earlier?
Maybe if she had spoken up sooner, she could have divorced Joshua earlier, and maybe Aurora and Dorian wouldn't have gotten into trouble.
Just as Ella was filled with guilt and self-blame, Aiden said in a deep voice, "Go call Joshua for me. I'll talk to him properly, and he'll let you go."
Ella stood up and nodded. "Okay, thank you, Grandpa."
She turned and left the room, heading to the study to find Joshua.
Pushing open the door, she saw Joshua in casual home clothes sitting at the computer working. Ella walked over with her head down and said softly, "Grandpa wants you to go to his room."
Joshua looked up at her. "What does he want me for?"
"You'll know when you get there."
Ella felt a bit guilty.
After all, Joshua had kept warning her not to tell anyone about the children.
But she had told anyway.
Fortunately, Aiden hadn't been deeply affected by it.
Joshua didn't think much of it. He closed his computer and got up to leave.
Ella returned to her room.
She waited for Joshua to come tell her she could leave.
Aiden had agreed, so Joshua definitely wouldn't stop her anymore.
But her confession would surely anger Joshua.
She waited and waited, but Joshua never came.
Ella had washed up and gotten into bed, about to go to sleep, when the door was violently kicked open.
She quickly sat up and saw Joshua storming toward her in anger. In the blink of an eye, he was in front of her, his hand gripping her throat.
"Ella, how dare you? You just ignored everything I said, didn't you?"
Damn Ella, she actually confessed to Aiden.
And Aiden told him to let her go.
At this moment, Joshua was so furious he really wanted to strangle Ella.
Ella was forced to tilt her neck back and meet his eyes, her own eyes seeming covered with a layer of mist.
"Who told you not to let me see Dorian? I just want to bring my Dorian back."
"Aren't you afraid this would upset Grandpa?"
Aiden looked fine on the surface.
But he must be heartbroken inside.
After all, Ella had always been his pride and joy.
Aiden had been counting on her to have children for the Thomas family.
But Ella had children with someone else, and now couldn't have more.
How could this not devastate Aiden?
Joshua was already worried about Aiden's condition. When he came over, he quickly told Samuel to keep a close eye on Aiden's health.
But Ella didn't realize the seriousness of the problem. She blinked at Joshua.
"Grandpa didn't blame me, and he's allowing me to leave to get Dorian."
Joshua let go of her, turned around and pressed his forehead, trying hard to suppress his anger.
Finally, he turned back to Ella, pointing at her, his heart cold with bitterness. "I think you just want to see the children's father. Ella, to leave, you completely disregard Grandpa's health. Fine, I'll grant your wish. I'll let you leave."
"But listen to me. If anything happens to Grandpa, I won't let you off."
Joshua really felt Ella was ungrateful.
Knowing that nothing he did could keep her anymore.
Joshua's hurt eyes glared at her fiercely. Not wanting to look at her anymore, he slammed the door and left.
Ella's heart trembled.
Thinking back to when she confessed to Aiden, his reaction seemed fine.
Joshua was probably just trying to scare her.
But still a bit worried, Ella got up and went to Aiden's room.
Aiden really did seem perfectly fine.
He sent Samuel away and took Ella's hand, saying, "Ella, I've already told Joshua to have someone take you away tomorrow. Go ahead and bring your child back."
Ella nodded.
Seeing that Aiden seemed fine, she went back to her room to rest.
Early the next morning, before leaving, Ella went to check on Aiden one more time.
After confirming Aiden was okay, she left.
Joshua stayed in his room the whole time.
Until he heard the sound of a car downstairs. He got up, walked to the window, pulled back the curtain and looked down.
He saw Ella getting into the car, really about to leave.
He was so anxious he wanted to go downstairs and stop her, but couldn't let go of that last bit of pride.
Especially since Aiden had given him strict orders not to stop Ella from doing what she wanted.
But Joshua knew that once Ella left, she might never come back.
After all, she was going to be with her child and the child's father.
The three of them reunited as a family, probably so happy. How could she ever return to the Thomas family?
Joshua suddenly felt his heart tearing apart. He clearly didn't want her to leave.
But watching the car taking Ella gradually drive out of the Thomas Manor, he didn't go downstairs to stop it.
He stood stiffly by the window, tears inexplicably welling up in his eyes.
Ella really left.
And before leaving, she didn't even come to say goodbye to him.
So what was he to her?
Joshua staggered, his body weakly sliding down along the window, his legs so weak he sat right down on the floor.
He leaned against the wall, looking at the half sky outside the window, tears blurring his vision, his heart suddenly feeling very empty.
Joshua's face was desolate, his voice hoarse. "Ella, will you ever come back?"
"In your heart, do you really not love me at all anymore?"
All day long, Joshua didn't step out of his room once.
The family thought he had left for work early, and no one noticed his presence.
At noon, Scarlett came with her adoptive mother Rhea Lewis to visit Aiden.
From Ava and Rhea's conversation, she learned that Ella had left to pick up Ella's adopted son.
So this family, and Ella, didn't know that Dorian belonged to the Thomas family.
And to maintain her position as Joshua's wife, Ella hadn't admitted that Dorian was her biological child.
Scarlett thought this was the perfect opportunity to make the Thomas family dislike Ella, so she deliberately revealed to Ava that Dorian was Ella's biological child.
After learning this, Ava confronted Joshua.
Getting Joshua's confirmation, she flew into a rage, forcing Joshua to divorce Ella no matter what.
That evening, Ella was sent to a forest castle in the countryside.
In the castle, servants were packing things.
Because Michael was to be deported in a week.
When Ella arrived at the castle entrance, the butler personally greeted her.
The butler bowed and scraped as he walked her into the castle. "Mrs. Johnson, you're finally here. Mr. Johnson has been going crazy missing you these past few days."