Chapter 67
Ella's heart only had room for Dorian.
As the butler led her upstairs, she heard the beautiful, melodious sound of a piano.
The butler brought her to the piano room, nodded, and left.
Through the crack in the door, Ella saw Michael sitting with her child inside. The two were playing a duet together, perfectly in sync.
The sun was setting, its light filtering through the leaves outside the window, dappling gently on them.
A light breeze carried the faint fragrance of spring flowers and grass, accompanied by the pleasant piano music, creating a refreshing and comfortable feeling.
Watching them, Ella had the strange feeling she was looking at a father and son playing together.
But this beautiful moment was fleeting.
Ella snapped back to reality and pushed the door open. "Dorian."
Hearing her voice, Dorian turned around.
Seeing that Ella had returned, he immediately jumped off the bench and rushed toward her.
"Mom, you really came! I missed you so much."
Ella crouched down and pulled Dorian into her arms. "Mom missed you too."
She just didn't know how her Aurora was doing now, whether she was still alive in this world.
Holding Dorian in her arms, Ella deeply felt his presence, which calmed the anxious heart she'd had these past days.
Michael came over and stood in front of the mother and son, smiling warmly.
"Ella, you really are obedient."
Michael extended his hand like a gentleman, wanting to help her up.
But Ella ignored it, standing up with Dorian in her arms and asking him, "Have you been doing well these past few days?"
Dorian smiled. "Yes! At night I help Dad fall asleep, and during the day Dad teaches me piano, painting, calligraphy, and computers."
These past few days, he'd been so busy.
Michael had been good to him too.
He even had people prepare all kinds of delicious food for him.
Not only did he take him horseback riding, but he also taught him how to shoot.
He could use a gun now.
Ella could tell that Dorian was much more cheerful than before.
He was dressed nicely too, clean and handsome, and his clothes looked quite expensive.
She unconsciously looked at Michael, seeing him still smiling at her. Ella felt uncomfortable and turned to leave with Dorian.
Michael strode forward with his long legs, blocking her path in two steps, then lifted Dorian and set him on the ground.
"Dorian, go play. I need to talk to your mom."
Dorian nodded eagerly. "Okay, but Dad, don't bully Mom."
After saying this, he ran off on his own.
Ella tried to grab him, but Michael caught her wrist.
After Dorian had gone far enough, he looked at her with a spring-breeze smile.
But Ella's face darkened as she questioned him, "You sent people to kidnap Dorian?"
This Michael was really something.
He'd clearly been taken away by the police.
Joshua was such a powerful person, yet he still let him out. How strange.
"Yeah, if I didn't take your child, how would you come back on your own?"
Michael grabbed Ella, his handsome face instantly turning fierce, his eyes bloodshot.
"Ella, if you didn't have a child in my hands, you wouldn't have come back, would you?"
Michael leaned close to her, sniffing to see if she had any other man's scent on her.
The next second, his slender, beautiful fingers slid to Ella's neck, easily gripping her throat.
Ella didn't deny it. She'd rather die than escape this devil.
If it weren't for Dorian being in his hands, how could she possibly walk into this trap?
But she couldn't provoke Michael.
Once he got angry, both her and Dorian's lives would be at risk.
Smiling faintly, Ella denied it, "No, you need me, don't you? Since you need me, I'll stay by your side."
Michael laughed, his eyes like a cold pool staring at her. "Then will you come with me?"
Ella's nerves instantly tensed, her eyes flickering. "Where to?"
"To Novaria, back to my home."
Ella fell silent.
Go to Novaria?
What about Aurora?
Besides, Aiden wasn't in great shape right now. He'd just woken up, and she had to stay by his side.
But if she refused, would Michael get angry?
When he got angry, he was capable of anything.
After thinking it over, Ella could only try to calm him down first.
She looked at Michael.
"Okay, I'll go back with you, but my grandfather hasn't been well lately. I have to stay with him for a while. Once my grandfather is better, I'll take Dorian and go with you, okay?"
Michael snorted coldly.
He let go of Ella.
"Your grandfather's life or death has nothing to do with me. When the time comes, you'll go whether you want to or not."
Michael took her hand and left the room.
Ella didn't shake off his hand, staying by his side and trying to reason with him.
"Michael, my grandfather is the closest person I have in this world. If he's seriously ill, I can't possibly not stay by his side."
"As long as you let me take Dorian back to be with my grandfather, I promise you, once my grandfather gets better, I'll take Dorian and go back to Novaria with you."
She had to please Michael first.
Coax him into letting her take Dorian back to the Thomas family.
Then she'd figure out a way to hide, trying not to let Michael find her.
Going back to Novaria with him wasn't her home. What awaited her there would probably be like hell!
Michael said nothing more, leading Ella downstairs to the dining room.
The Thomas Manor.
Everyone knew that Ella had already had two children with someone else before her marriage.
Her previous troubles were because of her children.
Jasper and Ava were furious, pressuring Joshua to divorce.
Joshua was upset and confused.
He didn't even know if Ella would come back.
Feeling uncomfortable, he called a few friends to drink at a club.
In the private room sat Mason, Samuel, and Joshua.
All three were dressed expensively and strikingly handsome.
Mason had also learned about Ella having children out of wedlock. He poured himself a drink and mocked, "You really can't judge a book by its cover. After leaving you and the Thomas family, Ella did all sorts of things. Having children out of wedlock was one thing, but she hid it from you and married you anyway."
Who would have thought that the great Joshua, so wise and decisive in business, would be schemed against by a woman?
Joshua didn't know how this matter had spread so quickly.
Not only did the whole family know, but his friends knew too.
Now everyone was laughing at him.
Strangely, Joshua didn't care at all.
He just hoped Ella could leave that Michael and come back to him.
As long as she came back, he really could forgive everything.
Feeling suffocated, Joshua poured glass after glass of alcohol down his throat.
"Just stop talking."
Samuel glared at Mason and comforted Joshua.
"I know this is a huge blow to you, but what are you planning to do? Divorce and let Ella go?"
No wonder Ella hated him and wouldn't let him near Dorian.
Turns out that child was hers—she was afraid of having him taken away, afraid of being exposed.
Ella was really calculating.
"She probably won't come back."
Joshua said in a daze, downing several more glasses, his head already starting to spin.
He lazily leaned against the sofa, tilted his head back and closed his eyes, still thinking about Ella.
She was so bad, so unfaithful, so improper.
So why couldn't he let her go?
When exactly did he start being unable to live without Ella?
Joshua didn't know.
He only knew that right now, his heart felt empty, and he even hoped Ella could leave Michael and come back to him.
"What do you mean she won't come back?"
Samuel didn't understand.
Joshua didn't hide it from them anymore, didn't care about what little dignity he had left as a man, and confessed, "Ella went to the children's father. I've met Dorian's father—he's younger than me, quite wealthy. I could tell that Ella has feelings for him."
If Ella didn't have feelings for that person, why would she have children with him?
Just like how Ella didn't have feelings for him. Even if she did something wrong, even if he didn't care about what she did wrong.
As long as she was willing to stay, Joshua could forgive her and let her be his wife in peace.
But even if he forgave her, Ella wasn't willing to stay by his side.
She didn't care about being his wife.
Was this the difference between love and not loving?
When you love someone, even if being with him means having nothing, you're still willing.
When you don't love someone, even if he gives you endless wealth, endless luxury to enjoy, and unconditionally forgives everything you've done, you still won't stay.
Joshua felt like such a failure.
He couldn't even keep one woman.
Joshua leaned there, the dim light falling on his strong, handsome face. It wasn't hard to see that even his eyelashes were a bit wet.
"Is it that person who sent people to take Dorian from the hospital?" Samuel asked.
Joshua didn't deny it.
Thinking about how he'd sent people to expel Michael from the country.
If Ella left with Michael and the children together.
Would he and Ella never see each other again for the rest of their lives?
And what would be the point of that marriage certificate?
Joshua felt like his heart was breaking.
He bent over, holding his head, fingers threading through his hair, trying to use this curled-up position to ease the pain in his heart.
Mason and Samuel could see that Joshua was truly in pain and reached out to support him.
"Why don't you go home and rest? There are so many women in the world. If she won't come back, just let her go. Hasn't Scarlett always liked you? Get together with Scarlett."
To distract Joshua from his pain, Samuel brought up Scarlett.
But unexpectedly, Mason got angry.
"Samuel, if you can't say anything helpful, shut up. Is Scarlett the kind of person who'd debase herself, rushing to fill his wounds?"
Samuel was a bit confused and argued back, "What did I say wrong? Scarlett does love him. Maybe Scarlett doesn't even care."
"She doesn't need to care. My sister is my decision. Say one more word about her and I won't be nice to you."
Mason had completely lost his earlier gentleness, his face full of rage, looking like he wanted to hit someone.
Samuel muttered to himself, "She's not even your real sister. Being so against Scarlett and Joshua being together. You probably have feelings for Scarlett yourself!"
But he didn't say it out loud. Just as he was about to comfort Joshua some more, his phone rang.
Samuel answered, and the next second, his whole face turned grave. He immediately stood up and shouted at Joshua, "Joshua, your grandfather is dying."