Chapter 99
Ella deliberately held her breath.
It wasn't until Joshua laid her on the ground and gave her CPR that she pretended to wake up, coughing up water from her mouth and saying groggily, "Aurora, Aurora don't be scared, Mommy's coming to get you."
"Ella."
Seeing her wake up, Joshua suddenly pulled her tightly into his arms, as if he'd recovered something precious he'd lost. He nuzzled her small face, his voice trembling.
"How could you be so foolish? You lost Aurora, but you still have Dorian. Doesn't Dorian matter to you at all?"
He'd been terrified. When he pulled Ella out of the water and saw her deathly pale face, not even breathing.
Joshua thought she was dead.
Just like last time, she would leave his world.
Joshua couldn't suppress his feelings for her. He wanted nothing more than to merge her completely into his very bones.
Ella slowly opened her eyes.
Looking at Joshua above her, his jawline tense, his throat bobbing as he swallowed hard.
She deliberately burrowed into his neck, saying weakly, "Joshua, why won't you let me die? I need to be with Aurora, otherwise Aurora will be scared all alone over there."
"Will you let me go, please?"
"You fool."
Joshua's heart felt like it was being cut by knives. He looked down at her, his eyes reddening with heartache.
"If you go, what about Dorian? Don't you want him anymore?"
"How about I bring Dorian and Zachary here for you?"
Maybe with the father and son here, Ella would have the will to live.
After all, these past days, it had been the two of them keeping her company.
"I don't want that."
Ella shook her head in refusal. "Joshua, the person I love is you, not Zachary. Please don't push me toward him."
She turned to hug his waist, making it so he couldn't bear to push her away in this situation.
Joshua really couldn't bear to push her away.
Afraid that if he left, he'd never see Ella again.
He quickly picked up Ella, wrapped her in a bath towel, and carried her back to the big bed in her room.
Karen brought water, and he personally held it to feed her.
Ella deliberately pretended she couldn't drink it, shaking her head uncomfortably, unwilling to drink.
Joshua coaxed her like a child, patient and gentle.
His phone rang nearby - it was Scarlett calling, but he didn't want to answer.
Ella pretended to be angry. "You're about to marry Scarlett anyway, go find her. Don't worry about me."
Joshua picked up the phone, turned it off, and tossed it aside, not bothering with it.
He raised his hand to stroke Ella's pale, thin face, his eyes full of heartache.
"If I don't look after you, you really would be foolish enough to go with Aurora."
"You're still so young, and you have Dorian to take care of. You must live. If you still want children, I'll find the best doctors to treat you. You'll definitely be able to have children in the future."
How could Joshua not care about Ella?
The first time he lost her, he was devastated, wishing he were dead.
That feeling - he never wanted to experience it a second time.
No matter what, he hoped Ella could live well.
As long as Ella was okay, he could let go of everything she'd done in the past.
Even Aiden's death, he would come to terms with.
Ella leaned against the headboard, drinking the water Joshua brought to her lips with a blank expression.
She asked him weakly, "Can you stay with me more? I'm scared that when I close my eyes, I'll see Aurora and won't be able to stop myself from going with her."
She reached out to grab the corner of his clothes, not wanting to let him leave.
As long as she kept Joshua here, Scarlett would definitely come looking.
Seeing Joshua being good to her, there's no way Scarlett wouldn't show her true colors.
Joshua didn't dare leave Ella alone like this either.
What if she really died to be with Aurora?
He put down the bowl, helped her lie down, and tucked her in.
"Okay, I'll stay with you. Get some good rest!"
Ella asked him, "Once I fall asleep, will you go find Scarlett?"
Joshua held her hand tightly and reassured her, "No, I promise you, and I always keep my word. I guarantee I'll still be here when you wake up."
Ella knew Joshua didn't keep his word.
Before, he had clearly promised her that if she signed the equity transfer agreement, he would go be with her Aurora.
But did he? Until Aurora died, Joshua never even looked at her once.
Ella would always remember how she knelt and begged Joshua, but couldn't get even a bit of his mercy.
Someday, when he was the one kneeling and begging her, she wouldn't spare him a glance either.
If not for revenge, she wouldn't want to see him at this moment either.
Closing her eyes, Ella pretended to sleep.
Joshua really thought she needed him, so he couldn't bear to leave and sat by the bed watching over her.
Scarlett waited for Joshua all night at the Thomas Manor.
His phone was off, he didn't reply to messages.
She was so angry her face twisted, unwilling to believe Joshua disliked her this much.
The first day of their engagement, and he didn't come home.
Afraid he'd gone to find Ella, Scarlett drove straight to Tranquil Villa.
It was late at night when she arrived. She stood at the villa entrance frantically pressing the doorbell.
Karen got up and saw through the monitor that it was Scarlett. She didn't open the door, but went upstairs first.
Standing at the room door, Karen reported, "Mr. Thomas, Ms. Lewis is here."
Joshua glanced at the time - almost midnight.
Afraid Scarlett would come and disturb Ella's rest, he, who had been sitting by the bed watching over her, got up to leave.
Ella suddenly grabbed his hand, pretending to have a nightmare.
"No, don't leave me. Aurora, if you want Joshua to be your daddy, then I'll go find him, I'll beg him."
"Aurora don't leave me, Mommy can't live without you."
"Joshua, don't abandon me, don't leave me."
As Ella spoke, she cried, tears continuously rolling from the corners of her eyes.
Joshua's heart ached watching this. He quickly sat back down, leaned close to comfort her, "Okay, I won't leave you."
Then he said to Karen at the door, "Tell her I'm not here, make her leave."
Karen understood and hurried to send the person away.
Ella knew Scarlett wouldn't leave easily.
She continued pretending to have nightmares, uncomfortably leaning toward Joshua.
Joshua could see Ella was suffering. He leaned down to hold her, softly coaxing her, "Ella, I'm here. I won't leave you. Sleep peacefully!"
Ella hazily opened her eyes, looking at Joshua's handsome face so close to hers.
Even though she hated him thoroughly, to anger Scarlett, she still deliberately lifted her chin toward his face and kissed him.
Joshua froze for a moment.
When he wanted to refuse, Ella suddenly wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him even more passionately.
A man in his thirties couldn't withstand such temptation.
Especially when the Ella beneath him was his beloved.
Joshua knew Ella really needed emotional release right now. To help her forget her pain, he went along with her, responding to her kiss.
He completely forgot he already had a different fiancée.
Karen couldn't stop Scarlett.
To find Joshua, Scarlett stormed into the villa aggressively.
She'd lived here before and knew the villa's layout well. She went straight upstairs to the master bedroom.
When she pushed open the door and burst into the room, she happened to see the two people on the bed kissing passionately.
In that moment, Scarlett's world collapsed.
She couldn't help but lose control and shout, "What are you doing?"