Chapter 234

Chapter 234

Joshua and Ella never expected that their recent movements had been secretly monitored.

What was even more terrifying was that the target was Aurora, and someone was even trying to find an opportunity to take her away.

For Aurora's safety, they decided to return home to Emerald City immediately.

The atmosphere in the car on the way back was heavy, with Aurora crying the whole time softly.

She cried, saying she didn't want to drag down her mom and dad, didn't want them to worry about her, and didn't want mom to be separated from dad.

Her crying made both Joshua and Ella's hearts tighten.

Dorian took Aurora's hand and patiently comforted her, "Trust us, we won't let anything happen to you."

"Don't cry anymore, okay? As long as you eat a little more from now on, your body will definitely get better day by day, just like mine."

He coaxed her for a long time before Aurora's emotions gradually calmed down. Perhaps she was too tired from crying, she leaned against Ella's arms and soon fell asleep.

When the family of four returned home, it was already getting dark.

Joshua carefully carried the sleeping Aurora back to her room first, and only came downstairs after settling her in.

During dinner, the dining room was very quiet. Dorian put down his utensils, looked up, and asked in an unusually serious tone, "Is there really no other way to cure Aurora's illness?"

He couldn't find out what medicine Michael had used before, so he couldn't develop the special medicine Aurora needed at all.

What made him even more anxious was that Aurora's appetite was getting worse and worse recently, eating only a tiny bit each day. If they forced her, she would only say she couldn't eat. Food was the source of energy - without eating, how could her body possibly get better?

Dorian's worry was obvious.

Ella and Joshua exchanged glances, both somewhat surprised that Dorian would raise this question so directly. He clearly understood everything.

Ella tried to speak in an encouraging tone, "Dorian, don't overthink things like Aurora does. Samuel is a top doctor, he will definitely find a way to develop the special medicine for her."

"But what if he can't develop it?" Dorian pressed.

They were almost eight years old. He knew that without the special medicine, Aurora would...

He absolutely couldn't accept anything happening to Aurora.

This question left both Joshua and Ella silent.

What if it couldn't be developed? What should they do? Watch Aurora's life slip away bit by bit?

Ella felt dizzy. She mechanically put some vegetables on Dorian's plate and said, "You shouldn't be thinking about such heavy matters at your age. You just need to take care of Aurora and study hard. Your mom and dad will handle the rest."

Dorian said nothing more, just lowered his head and quietly ate the food on his plate.

Joshua added another sentence, his tone very serious, "Dorian, you absolutely cannot act on your own like Aurora and try to find Michael, do you hear me?"

Dorian reluctantly agreed.

After dinner, he went back to his room to wash up, then went to keep Aurora company.

Because of Aurora's condition, Ella was also extremely anxious and barely ate anything. That evening, she and Joshua left the children in the care of the household staff and personally drove to the hospital, wanting to ask Samuel about the progress of the drug research and also visit Megan, who was undergoing rehabilitation treatment.

In the hospital's rehabilitation center, when they arrived, they happened to see Samuel supporting Megan, trying to help her stand up and walk.

This scene surprised them both, and they quickly walked forward.

"Megan can already stand up?" Ella asked.

Hearing the voice, Samuel and Megan both turned their heads. They didn't yet know that Ella had returned to normal. Samuel answered, "Yes, but she still can't stand steady, can only last a few seconds at most."

He carefully helped Megan back into the wheelchair, then looked at Joshua, "You just got back today?"

"Yes."

"How did it go? Did you resolve that love curse thing you mentioned before?" Samuel walked closer to Joshua and asked in a lowered voice.

Joshua's gaze fell on Ella not far away, and he asked back, "Does her current state look normal to you?"

Samuel's eyes turned toward Ella.

She was walking over to Megan's side, asking with concern about her recovery.

Indeed, nothing seemed abnormal. He got a bit impatient, "Just tell me directly what happened."

"It's resolved." Joshua said calmly, "Ella has returned to normal now, she's no longer obsessed with finding Michael."

And this normalcy was something he had exchanged for with his three-day marriage.

Just thinking about how a few days ago he had held a ceremony with a complete stranger, and his name had even been written into that woman's family records, he felt like a mountain was pressing on his heart.

Even though he had already left that village, thinking about the high priest still made him deeply uneasy.

"Really?" Samuel was clearly skeptical. He walked forward and said directly to Ella, "You've been away for over ten days this time, how do you feel? Did you have fun outside?"

Ella looked at him and immediately understood the probing in his words, "What are you trying to say?"

"I mean, you went out with Joshua, you didn't contact Michael again, right? Do you still want to find him now?"

Samuel decided to stop beating around the bush.

He had heard of love curses before, but he hadn't expected them to affect a person's will, and he didn't believe such things could be easily broken. He needed to personally confirm whether Ella had truly recovered.

Hearing his words, Ella answered frankly, "I'm sorry for making you all worry before. I'll handle the issues between Michael and me properly."

She then remembered the purpose of their visit and got straight to the point, "Dr. Harris, has there been any progress on Aurora's special medicine?"

Seeing Ella so rational and calm, Samuel finally believed she had truly recovered. This relieved him - at least Joshua wouldn't have to suffer like before.

But at the mention of Aurora's medicine, Samuel's expression immediately became grave. "I'm still trying my best, but honestly, I don't have much confidence."

"We still have time, don't put too much pressure on yourself, just do your best." Joshua said from the side.

Samuel nodded, then made a suggestion, "If Michael really has ready-made medicine there, and you have a chance to get it, I suggest you try. Otherwise, Aurora's condition will only get worse and worse."

"I'm worried that before I can develop it, Aurora's body might..."

He knew that with a child's situation, not a single moment could be wasted.

However, Samuel's words made Ella and Joshua's hearts sink instantly. They had placed almost all their hopes on Samuel, and now he was suggesting they try to find a way through Michael.

They knew very well that Michael's place was basically a trap with no return.

The two didn't make things difficult for Samuel. After leaving the rehabilitation center and getting in the car, the silence inside was suffocating. Finally, Ella broke it.

"How about I go find Michael." She knew Joshua would definitely object, so she immediately turned to look at him and quickly explained, "I'll pretend I'm still under the love curse, get the medicine from him, and then find a way to come back. He won't do anything to me."

Joshua rejected it without thinking, "No. You're pregnant now, you're not going anywhere."

"What about after I give birth?"

"Still no." Joshua looked at her and said word by word, "Ella, you know very well what Michael's intentions toward you are. Once you go, you'll never be able to come back. I don't want to finally have you back by my side, only to lose you again because of the medicine. Without you, my life would lose all meaning."

If anyone should go, it should be him. Even if it meant risking his life again, he wouldn't hesitate.

Ella didn't argue with him. She seemed to be able to guess Joshua's thoughts, so she said in a warning tone, "I can't go, and you shouldn't even think about going either. Joshua, Michael can't tolerate you. On his turf, he makes the rules, and hurting someone is easy for him. Just because you were lucky enough to survive last time doesn't mean you'll have the same luck next time. So you must promise me, without my permission, you're not allowed to go."

From her urgent tone, Joshua clearly caught her worry for him.

He suddenly smiled and gazed at her, asking, "You're also afraid of losing me, aren't you?"

Ella avoided his gaze and answered seriously, "I just don't want my child to be without a father."

"Then do you love me?" He turned back into that somewhat childish version of himself, like a young person just falling in love, urgently needing a positive answer from Ella to gain a sense of security.

The word "love" was something Ella found hard to say out loud. She didn't want to answer, just urged, "Drive, it's late, I'm a bit tired."

Not getting the answer he wanted, Joshua's eyes dimmed a bit, but he still stepped on the gas and drove back to the estate.

That night, after washing up together, they lay in bed. Joshua pulled Ella into his arms and lowered his head to kiss her.

But Ella, due to the discomfort from pregnancy and the anxiety in her heart, was somewhat resistant to intimacy. She pushed him uncomfortably, "Joshua, let's sleep, stop it."

Joshua just buried his head in her neck and nuzzled, his voice low and gentle, "Just kiss for a bit."

"Stop it."

Seeing she really didn't want to, Joshua didn't insist anymore, just held her tightly and suddenly brought up something from before. "Do you remember? Before, when you were under his control, you once punished me by making me kneel by the bed..."

Before he could finish, Ella felt her face burning up.

"How come now that you're back to normal, you don't like it anymore?"

It was better when Joshua didn't mention it - once he did, that sense of shame made her want to disappear. She immediately broke free from his arms and turned her back to him, "Stop talking, let's sleep."

Joshua hugged her from behind again, his chin resting on her shoulder, saying softly, "Ella, don't worry about Aurora. I promise I'll find a way to send someone to get the medicine from Michael."

He still had leverage over Zachary.

The next morning, while Ella was still asleep, Joshua quietly got up and walked to the balcony to call Zachary.

He ordered Zachary to use whatever method necessary to get the medicine from Michael. Otherwise, he would make the Baker Group disappear completely and let Zachary spend the rest of his life in prison.

Unexpectedly, Zachary on the other end of the phone laughed, "You want me to get medicine from Michael? You might as well just kill me. Do you understand what kind of person Michael is? He's basically a lunatic, a devil."

He had witnessed Michael's cruelty and brutality firsthand. Compared to being tortured there, he'd rather go to prison.

Joshua didn't want to waste words with him, "In that case, you can go stay in prison then."

It seemed keeping Zachary around was useless. After hanging up, he immediately ordered his people to handle Zachary's matter.

But Zachary felt his last chance might lie with Ella. He immediately called Ella's number.

Ella had just woken up and was sitting on the edge of the bed. Seeing the caller ID, she hesitated for a long time before finally answering.

On the other end of the phone, Zachary's voice came through, "Ella, I have evidence of how Joshua set us up back then. Do you want to see it?"