Chapter 32
Ella felt dazed.
Samuel wanted to adopt her Dorian?
Why?
Her child had a mother, food, drink, and someone to care for him. What right did Samuel have to just adopt him like that?
Ella sat there and refused without hesitation. "Impossible. I'll take care of my own son. If he wants to teach my son skills, he can teach him. Why does it have to be adoption?"
Seeing Ella's strong resistance, Joshua got angry too.
"If we don't let him think the child is an orphan, do you want him to know the child is yours?"
Ella was speechless.
So Samuel still didn't know Dorian was hers?
He wanted to adopt him because he thought Dorian was an orphan?
Even so, to hand over her child to someone else for the sake of her own reputation - would she even deserve to be called a mother?
Looking at Joshua, Ella objected, "Anyway, I won't agree to give Dorian to anyone. He's my child, and always will be."
Joshua looked at her coldly.
He really wanted to use force to separate her from the two children.
But some things were too cruel, and he really couldn't bring himself to do it.
In the end, Joshua compromised and tried to reason with her.
"How about this - even if you won't let Samuel adopt him, you still can't admit the child is yours. Just say he's your best friend's child, and she passed away and asked you to take care of him."
Ella lowered her head, feeling terrible inside.
Her own child, and she couldn't admit he was hers.
All because she was Joshua's wife - saying so would have consequences, and Aiden might not be able to accept it.
Realizing she couldn't keep the child by her side forever anyway, Ella had no choice but to agree.
"Fine."
As long as the child stayed with her, what did it matter what role she played in caring for him?
Joshua didn't bother with her anymore and stormed out.
Going downstairs, he ran into Dorian carrying food upstairs.
Though Dorian was small, he was careful and serious about everything he did.
Carrying a tray bigger than himself, climbing up step by step - it was actually kind of cute.
Joshua looked down at him from above, waiting for him to greet him.
But Dorian didn't even glance at him. Looking at his long legs, he just walked around him.
Joshua stood there, suddenly feeling a sense of loss at being ignored.
He turned around.
Watching Dorian disappear with the tray, he didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
Could it be that just because he made Ella drink until she got alcohol poisoning last night, Dorian didn't like him anymore and didn't want him as a father?
Joshua went downstairs feeling frustrated.
Seeing Samuel in the living room preparing medicine for Ella, he walked over and sat down, expressionless.
"Ella won't agree to the adoption, but you can visit him often and teach him skills."
Samuel looked at him. "Where do I find him?"
"He has a sister. The siblings are twins. They live at my estate in the suburbs. Take the child there in a bit."
Joshua thought about how they weren't his children, and it hurt to even look at them.
They had to be sent away quickly.
Samuel agreed. "Alright, I'll go check on his sister while I'm at it."
He figured the children were Ella's best friend's.
Her friend passed away and entrusted the children to Ella, so Ella was the primary guardian.
It made sense that she wouldn't agree.
Samuel didn't think much of it. After all, teaching the child skills didn't necessarily require him to be his son.
He continued preparing Ella's medicine, then went upstairs to give her some instructions.
"Remember to eat light foods these days and rest well. I've prescribed medicine for you to take gradually. Remember to drink it before bed every night."
Then looking at Dorian lying by the bed, Samuel beckoned to him.
"Dorian, come on, take me to meet your sister."
Dorian looked at Ella, not wanting to leave yet.
Ella knew too that Dorian couldn't stay here all the time.
Otherwise Joshua would get upset.
And when Joshua got upset, he was capable of anything.
She looked at Dorian and said, "Go back and keep Aurora company first. When mommy feels better, I'll come see you both, okay?"
Dorian's little face looked worried and unhappy.
"Mommy, why do you have a home here? Can't you just come back with me?"
Aurora must miss Ella too.
If he went back without bringing Ella, Aurora would be so disappointed.
Ella's heart ached. For a moment she didn't know how to answer.
Thinking about how today's situation was all her own doing, she could only swallow the bitterness in her heart and brush off Dorian.
"Mommy is working here. Can you go with Samuel for now? Don't you still want to learn healing from Samuel?"
The more Ella spoke, the more guilty she felt.
The children having a mother like her was truly sad.
Dorian could see Ella's difficulty.
He didn't force her and obediently left with Samuel.
All day, Ella stayed in her room.
Thinking of the disappointment in Dorian's eyes when he left, she really couldn't sit still.
Plus she felt her body was fine now.
After changing clothes and preparing to return to the estate to be with the children, as she was leaving, Ella happened to run into Joshua coming home from work.
Joshua in his well-fitted classic suit blocked her path, his bearing proud.
"Where are you going?"
Ella told the truth. "I'm worried about the children. Going to check on them."
"You should see them less from now on. Grandpa asked me to come get you to go back for dinner."
Seeing Ella was already dressed and about to go out, Joshua went directly to open the car door for her.
Ella hesitated.
She knew Aiden rarely personally called them back.
Could he know about her and the children?
Samuel wouldn't have told Aiden, would he?
Knowing she couldn't refuse, Ella had to get in the car.
In the car, neither spoke the whole way.
Ella could tell too that Joshua was very unhappy, his handsome face incredibly grim.
Like he was going to his death.
Since he wasn't talking, Ella didn't want to speak either. She leaned against the passenger seat backrest, looking out the window.
After arriving, Ella felt the atmosphere was off.
Especially when stepping through the door - in the living room, Aiden in a suit, leaning on his cane, sat there with authority.
His stern face looked like he was about to get angry, truly making people nervous.
Beside him sat Jasper and Ava.
The couple also looked quite serious.
Ella followed Joshua over and greeted the elders.
Just as she finished greeting them, Aiden looked coldly at Joshua and commanded, "Kneel down."
Joshua didn't understand. "What's wrong?"
He was over thirty years old. Why was Aiden still treating him like a child?
Joshua felt it was embarrassing and didn't want to kneel.
Ava quickly reminded him, "If he tells you to kneel, then kneel. Don't defy your grandfather."
Joshua had always been filial.
Seeing Aiden was quite angry, he wisely got down on both knees.
When Ella fearfully prepared to kneel too, Aiden stopped her with his cane.
"Ella, you don't need to kneel. Come sit next to me."
Ella had to go over. After sitting down, she breathed a sigh of relief.
It probably wasn't about her and the children after all.
Or was it that Joshua had done something wrong again?
The next second, Ella saw Aiden raise his cane and strike Joshua's shoulder, demanding, "Did you get mixed up with Scarlett again and have someone make Ella drink until she vomited blood?"