Chapter 70
Ella still couldn't just wait at Tranquil Villa.
Even if Jasper and Ava wouldn't let her through the gates of the Thomas Manor, even if Joshua wouldn't allow her to mourn Aiden, she had to go.
After Samuel left, Ella still dragged her feverish body and took a taxi to the Thomas Manor.
This time, she didn't shout or make a scene.
Wearing a mourning flower, she knelt quietly beside the gate of the Thomas Manor.
The guard saw her and still had a servant notify Joshua.
Joshua had stayed up for two nights without closing his eyes once.
Still kneeling in the mourning room, no matter how strong he was, he could barely hold on anymore.
A servant came to Joshua's side and said softly, "Mr. Thomas, Mrs. Thomas is here again, kneeling at the gate."
Hearing this, Joshua raised his eyes and got up to leave.
Seeing him finally stand up, Ava said with concern, "Joshua, you've kept watch for two days and nights. Go back to your room and rest properly. We're here."
Joshua made a sound of acknowledgment, and after leaving the mourning room, went straight to the gate.
Sure enough, he saw Ella kneeling not far away, as if repenting.
Joshua snorted coldly. What's the use? Aiden would never come back.
He strode over and stood straight in front of Ella, looking down at her.
"Ella, how do you have the nerve to come back? To leave, you upset Grandpa when he was seriously ill. Now he's gone, so you can run off with Michael without any worries, right?"
This Ella had no heart at all.
If he couldn't keep her, he didn't want her anymore either.
Let her go!
Ella looked up and saw it was Joshua. Her swollen, tired eyes filled with tears.
"Did Grandpa really die because of me?"
When she confessed to Aiden, he hadn't been angry at all.
And when she left, Aiden had smiled and told her to bring Dorian to see him.
She didn't believe Aiden had really died from being upset by her.
If that were true, Ella would never forgive herself for the rest of her life.
"What else?"
Joshua looked equally tired. Having not groomed himself for two days, he looked extremely haggard.
"If you hadn't confessed to Grandpa and made him completely disappointed in you, how could he have died of grief?"
"Ella, you killed Grandpa. I won't forgive you, and don't even think about mourning him. Leave. After Grandpa's funeral, I'll divorce you."
Joshua really didn't want to look at her anymore. He turned and walked away.
Ella refused to leave. She quickly crawled forward on her knees and grabbed Joshua's pant leg.
"No, Joshua, please, let me see Grandpa one last time. As long as you let me mourn Grandpa, I'll do anything you ask."
"Joshua, please, I know I was wrong. I'm sorry!"
Ella was overcome with grief, crying her heart out.
Her piercing cries would make anyone feel pity.
But Joshua remained unmoved, looking down at her.
"You don't deserve it."
Joshua coldly kicked her away, ordered the guard not to let her in, and then left.
"Joshua..."
Ella lay on the ground, crying loudly.
Still running a high fever, no amount of crying would get her one step into the Thomas family.
Ella didn't know what to do. All she could do was continue kneeling at the gate like before.
When Aiden's funeral procession left, they would have to open the gate.
Actually, Joshua didn't feel good about it either as he walked away.
Now everyone knew that Ella had a child out of wedlock and married him while hiding it from everyone.
She had angered Aiden to death, and the Thomas family hated her to the bone.
He couldn't accept that Ella kept going to Michael's place for the child's sake either.
He would divorce her.
Not wanting to delay any further, Joshua went to the study without resting, planning to print out the divorce agreement and have Ella sign it first.
But just as he got to the study, before he could even turn on the computer, Brian called.
The other person said excitedly, "Mr. Thomas, there's news about Aurora."
For some reason, Joshua felt his heart tug.
Even though it wasn't his child, he still inexplicably asked with concern, "Where is she? Is she okay?"
Brian said, "I'm on my way to where Aurora is now. I'll update you after I pick up Aurora."
Joshua hung up the phone.
Sitting in front of the computer, he was no longer thinking about the divorce agreement, but about what he had promised Ella.
He had said that as long as Ella stayed and continued to be his wife, he would help her find Aurora.
He hadn't expected news to come so quickly.
But now, he didn't want Ella to be his wife anymore.
That Ella was heartless and cold-blooded.
To leave, she would do anything.
Yet he was still going to great lengths to find her child with another man.
Joshua felt he was the biggest fool in the world.
If Aurora was found and handed over to Ella, just letting her go be with Michael—wouldn't that be too easy on her?
And he would have gotten nothing, while becoming a divorcé.
Joshua felt it wasn't worth it.
Several hours passed, and Ella was still kneeling at the gate of the Thomas Manor.
Still running a fever and having eaten nothing, she could barely hold on anymore.
When Scarlett and Mason came to the Thomas Manor to pay their respects, they saw her.
The siblings stopped in front of her.
Scarlett looked at Mason, "Mason, you go in first. I have a few words for Ella."
Mason glanced at Ella.
Knowing she definitely couldn't get into the Thomas Manor and was kneeling here because of it.
Thinking about what Ella had done, Mason felt she deserved it and had no sympathy. He went into the Thomas Manor first.
After watching Mason leave, Scarlett squatted down and moved closer to Ella, her carefully made-up face full of mockery.
"Ella, why are you kneeling here? Why don't you go in? Is Joshua not letting you in?"
Ella knew Scarlett was mocking her.
She ignored her, keeping her head down and struggling to support herself on her legs.
She really couldn't hold on much longer and felt like she could pass out again at any moment.
Seeing Ella ignore her, Scarlett got a bit angry. Her expression changed instantly as she lifted Ella's chin.
"Ella, you're just asking for it. Since you had a child with someone else abroad, why didn't you just stay abroad forever?"
"You and your child should have died abroad and never come back."
Scarlett showed the attitude of a victor, smiling smugly at Ella.
Ella looked at her with somewhat unfocused eyes.
Holding onto her last bit of consciousness, she questioned, "Last time when my child and I had that accident, you arranged it, didn't you?"
Besides this Scarlett, who else could it be?
In this world, Scarlett probably hated her the most.
If she found evidence, she would kill her with her own hands.
Scarlett's expression changed slightly. But she showed no guilt or fear. She stood up and looked at her.
"What are you talking about? A shameless woman like you, messing around with men, getting pregnant and having a child, making Joshua look like a fool—you're not even worth my effort to deal with."
Scarlett felt that staying with her for even one more second would pollute her eyes.
Scarlett walked arrogantly into the Thomas Manor with her head held high.
Just as she left, a car came speeding up and stopped.
Right before Ella couldn't hold on anymore and fainted, a young man flashed out of the car and caught her instantly.
Seeing this, Scarlett quickly pulled out her phone to take photos.
Michael picked up the unconscious Ella. When he glared coldly at Scarlett, his presence was overwhelming, his eyes like knives, as if he wanted to kill someone.
Scarlett was so scared she immediately put away her phone.
Michael didn't linger either. He got in the car with Ella in his arms.
The car quickly drove away from the gate of the Thomas Manor.
Coming to her senses, Scarlett was still shaken.
That man just now looked so scary.
She shivered all over and hurried inside.
After asking a servant and learning that Joshua was resting in his room, Scarlett went straight to his room to find him.
Even though he hadn't closed his eyes for two days, Joshua couldn't sleep as he leaned against the headboard.
Brian had called him back, saying Aurora had been rescued by a fisherman. She was badly injured and still being treated in the hospital.
He was hesitating, not knowing whether to tell Ella about this.
If he told her, he felt it would be too easy on her.
If he didn't, he couldn't get past the shadow in his heart.
Hearing movement at the door, Joshua looked up.
Seeing it was Scarlett, he didn't have a pleasant expression and said tiredly, "What are you doing here?"
Scarlett resumed her gentle and refined expression. She came to stand by the bed, pretending to be sympathetic.
"Joshua, when Mason and I came over, we saw Ella kneeling at the gate. Are you not letting her in?"
Joshua lowered his eyes. Just mentioning that Ella made him angry.
If she liked kneeling, let her kneel.
See how long she could last.
Scarlett continued, "I know Ella was wrong, but you can't let her kneel at the gate. You know what? She probably couldn't hold on anymore and called someone to pick her up."
Joshua's expression darkened further as he stared at Scarlett. "Who picked her up?"
Scarlett took out her phone and showed him the photo she had just taken.
With just one glance, Joshua recognized the person.
It was Michael.
The Michael who, in Ella's words, was more handsome than him, younger than him, and richer than him.
Great.
Wasn't it enough for Ella to anger Aiden to death? Did she want to anger him to death too?
Joshua couldn't hide his anger and violently threw Scarlett's phone.
Scarlett was startled. She picked up her phone and consoled him softly, "Joshua, don't be angry. Maybe they don't have that kind of relationship."
"Get out."
Joshua ordered. About to lose his rationality, he was afraid he couldn't help but hit someone.
Scarlett quit while she was ahead and quickly turned to leave.
Walking out of the room, she had a vicious smile on her face again.
Now she had to show these photos to the Thomas family.
After this, if Ella could still return to the Thomas family, she'd be impressive.
In the room, Joshua picked up his phone and called Brian.
When he answered, Joshua instructed, "Bring Aurora to Emerald City. Don't let Ella know that the child has been found."
He would make Ella come and kneel before him and beg.
If he wasn't doing well, she shouldn't expect to have it all either.
Forest Castle.
Ella was gently placed on the bed by Michael.
Dorian quickly grabbed Ella's wrist to check her pulse, then told the butler to prepare the needed medicine.
Michael watched from the side and asked Dorian, "Is your mom okay?"
Dorian looked worried. "Mom has a high fever and fainted from grief."
When Ella woke up again, it was three days later.
She was dazed, still calling out for Grandpa. When she got up, she accidentally fell off the bed.
"Mom."
Seeing this, Dorian quickly went to help her.
Ella was beside herself. She grabbed Dorian in confusion, her unfocused eyes wandering.
"Dorian, where am I? I need to see your great-grandfather. What time is it? I need to go back to the Thomas Manor."
As she spoke, she tried to get up, ignoring Dorian, and staggered toward the door.
Dorian quickly held her back. "Mom, you haven't recovered yet. You need to rest."
Ella wouldn't listen. She shook off Dorian's hand and walked toward the door.
When she opened the door, she happened to run into Michael.
Because her body was so weak, she couldn't stand steady and was about to fall again. Fortunately, Michael was quick and immediately caught Ella.
Ella struggled weakly in his arms, murmuring, "Let me go. I need to see Grandpa off on his last journey. Please."
Michael ignored her and picked her up to carry her back to bed.
He held Ella down, his voice low and commanding, "Ella, listen to me. Don't you dare step out of this room, or I'll chop off your legs."
Ella didn't know how long she had been unconscious or why she was back with Michael.
She wanted to go mourn Aiden.
Looking at Michael, she cried her eyes out.
"Grandpa raised me. He's dead, and I'm the one who angered him to death."
"Please, let me see Grandpa."
Dorian knew Ella wanted to escape from this unpredictable Michael. To help Ella, he ran over and tugged at Michael's clothes, pleading, "Dad, just take Mom there. Otherwise, Mom will be so sad she'll faint again."
Ella's body was too weak.
If she kept crying like this, it would only get worse.
He didn't want Ella to have any regrets either.
Michael had always been heartless and never empathized with others.
But seeing Ella cry so sadly, and considering that Dorian had helped him sleep at night, he agreed.
He immediately called the butler to prepare the car.
When Ella was sent back to Emerald City, she was a step too late.
Aiden had already been buried.
When they arrived at the cemetery, in the misty rain, after the funeral ended, the Thomas family and the guests who came to pay their respects had all dispersed.
In front of the grave, only Scarlett was holding an umbrella for Joshua.
Both of them looked solemn.
Seeing that everyone had left and it was getting dark, Scarlett spoke up, "Joshua, let's go back too."
Joshua suppressed the grief in his heart and turned to leave.
By sheer coincidence, he ran into Ella being carried by Michael.
The five of them came face to face.
In that second, Joshua's handsome face changed dramatically, burning with rage.
Standing there, he looked cold, distant, and intimidating.
Especially seeing Ella in Michael's arms, an inexplicable jealousy rose in his heart.
Ella's mind was only on Aiden.
When she saw Aiden's tombstone, she couldn't control her grief anymore.
She struggled down from Michael's arms and threw herself at the tombstone, overcome with sorrow, crying bitterly.
Dorian quickly ran after her.
Michael took two steps forward and stood in front of Joshua, arrogantly mocking him, "My condolences, Mr. Thomas."