Chapter 100
Hearing the sound, Joshua pulled himself back to his senses, pulled the blanket over Ella, and got up to straighten his somewhat disheveled clothes.
Before he could respond, Scarlett completely lost her previous gentleness. Her face twisted with rage as she screamed at Joshua, "This is what you call handling important business? Joshua, we just got engaged today, and you ran here to have sex with her. What do you take me for?"
This was too much.
Even if Joshua didn't love her, he didn't need to humiliate her like this!
She should have let Ella go to jail. Otherwise, even if Joshua married her, he'd still be tangled up with Ella.
Then what was the point of marrying him?
Glaring at Ella on the bed, Scarlett was seething with hatred.
Joshua was afraid of disturbing Ella's rest, so he turned to pull Scarlett away.
Ella sat up and grabbed him, pretending to be clueless as she asked, "Joshua, you got engaged to her?"
Joshua wanted to explain, but Scarlett rushed forward and knocked Ella's hand away, unable to hold back her angry questioning, "You're telling me you didn't know today was our engagement day? Ella, since you're already divorced from him, you should have some self-awareness."
Ella continued pretending she knew nothing, staring at Joshua with a hurt look, also putting on an angry act.
"If you're engaged, why did you come looking for me?"
Ella got out of bed, barefoot, dragging her weak body as she swayed and started to leave.
Joshua couldn't bear to let her leave in the middle of the night, so he stepped forward to stop her.
But Scarlett blocked him again.
"Joshua, you're my fiancé now. You can't treat me like this."
Joshua had no choice but to stop, watching Ella leave the room. Only then did he turn his gaze to Scarlett, fury shooting straight to his brows.
"Ella just lost Aurora. She needs someone with her. Scarlett, I did what I promised you. Even though I'm divorced from Ella, she's still my family. Move aside."
"No, you're mine now. You can't be involved with her anymore."
Truly afraid of losing Joshua, Scarlett threw herself into his arms and held him tight.
Stopping him from going after Ella.
That bitch Ella, even with her daughter dead, she still won't settle down and has to seduce Joshua.
If she pushed her too far, she was capable of doing anything.
"Scarlett, move."
Hearing Karen's worried shouts from downstairs, Joshua really couldn't rest easy about Ella. He roughly pushed Scarlett aside and rushed out of the room.
As he hurried downstairs, Karen anxiously came up to him.
"Mr. Thomas, please go get Mrs. Thomas back. She ran out barefoot and barely dressed."
Joshua rushed out the door and saw Ella had already left the courtyard. He quickly ran over, grabbed her, and scooped her up in his arms.
"Ella, can you stop this? You're already weak, where can you go alone in the middle of the night?"
Ella played crazy, hitting him and shouting, "Let me go! Aurora came to get me. I need to go with her. She's scared over there alone."
She deliberately reached out into the dark night, crying hoarsely, "Aurora, don't go! Mommy's coming to be with you right away. Aurora, wait for Mommy."
After shouting, she struggled in Joshua's arms again.
Joshua held her tight and carried her back to the villa.
Just as they reached the living room, Scarlett chased down and blocked them again. Looking at Ella in Joshua's arms, she was so angry her face contorted.
"Ella, he's my fiancé now. Can you please—"
"Scarlett."
Joshua cut her off with a sharp rebuke, "Even though I'm divorced from her, she's still my sister. Don't yell at her anymore, or you can forget about me ever marrying you."
He was really afraid Scarlett would upset Ella further, causing her to have a mental breakdown and become suicidal.
He pushed past Scarlett with Ella in his arms and strode upstairs.
"Joshua!"
Scarlett screamed, stomping her feet in rage.
Damn Ella, she would make her die just like Aurora.
Seeing Karen standing to the side watching the show, Scarlett angrily shouted at her, "Listen up, I'm Joshua's fiancée now. From now on, you call me Mrs. Thomas. And her, Ella, she's not Joshua's wife anymore. Don't call her Mrs. Thomas anymore."
Karen pretended not to hear and turned to go back to her room to rest.
In all her decades, this was the first time she'd seen a mistress become so arrogant after taking the wife's position.
She hoped Joshua would see clearly. This kind of woman was no good.
Upstairs.
Ella was still acting.
After being placed on the bed, she raised her hand and slapped Joshua hard across the face.
"Let me go find my Aurora. I need to be with her."
While Joshua was stunned from the slap, Ella jumped off the bed and tried to jump out the window.
Joshua thought she wanted to end it all and went over to hold her again.
Despite the burning pain on his face, he didn't care. He lowered his voice and gently coaxed her.
"Ella, Ella, don't do this. Aurora is gone. She's probably already met Grandpa in heaven. With Grandpa taking care of her, she won't be scared."
"Ella, be good. Calm down. Don't do this, okay?"
Ella knew Scarlett wouldn't leave—she was probably guarding the door right now.
Maybe as soon as she calmed down, Joshua would go to Scarlett.
How could she let the two of them have a good time?
To provoke Scarlett into showing her true colors, Ella stared at Joshua with questioning eyes.
"You got engaged to Scarlett? You're going to marry her, so why do you still care about me?"
"Joshua, I've lost Grandpa, I've lost Aurora, and now even you're not mine anymore. Tell me, what's the point of me living?"
Ella continued struggling, trying to end her life.
"Let me go. I want to be with my Aurora."
Joshua carried her back to the bed and held her down to keep her still.
"You still have Dorian. And I haven't abandoned you. I got engaged to Scarlett not because I like her, but because you hurt her and she wanted to send you to jail. I had no choice but to agree."
"But Ella, as long as you don't want me to marry her, I won't, okay?"
This was Joshua's honest truth.
As long as Ella was willing to stay by his side and needed him, he would definitely be there.
As for Scarlett, he would make things clear with her.
Ella settled down and threw herself into his arms, crying sadly.
"Joshua, I can't live without you. Don't leave me. I really, really love you."
Joshua believed her and held Ella even tighter, involuntarily speaking what was in his heart.
"I won't leave you. I love you too. As long as you don't leave, I'll always be with you."
However, these words reached Scarlett's ears as she stood unguarded at the door.
So Mason was right—Joshua didn't love her. He loved Ella.
Even if she married Joshua, it didn't mean she'd have a happy marriage.
So what was the point of keeping a man like this?
Scarlett suppressed the jealousy and hatred in her heart and turned to leave.
After leaving Tranquil Villa, she dialed Mason's number.
"Mason, can you come to my apartment? I miss you."