Chapter 44
Seeing Dorian crying so sadly, Joshua felt a tug at his heart and stepped forward to ask Patricia, "What's going on?"
Patricia quickly explained, "Aurora was playing hide-and-seek with us this afternoon. She hid somewhere and then disappeared. We couldn't find her anywhere."
"Later I told Ms. Garcia. I don't know if Ms. Garcia went to report it to the police, but she hasn't come back yet."
Dorian cried out, "Mr. Thomas, something must have happened to Aurora and Mom. Can you please help me find them?"
If Ella was okay, she would definitely call him back.
But it had been so long, not a single call back, and they couldn't reach Ella either.
So something must have happened to Ella.
Joshua pulled out his phone and looked at the call Ella had made to him an hour ago. He called back.
The phone rang, but no one answered.
He was really afraid something had happened to Ella—he wouldn't be able to explain it to Aiden.
Joshua looked at Brian and ordered, "She went out in my car. Send someone to look for it."
Joshua figured Ella was 24 years old, not stupid. If something happened, she would handle it.
Maybe she went to the police station.
Brian nodded and left.
Joshua looked at Dorian, who was still insisting on going out, his voice much gentler now.
"You're just a kid. Going out won't help. Be good and go inside with Patricia. My people will bring your mom and Aurora back soon."
Dorian's eyes were still full of tears, sobbing sadly.
"I want Aurora and Mom to be safe. They'll come back safely, right?"
Joshua nodded, "Yes, they will."
He didn't know why, but on the way back, he'd felt uneasy.
Even now, he felt sharp pains in his chest.
After watching Patricia take Dorian inside, Joshua also went in and sat in the living room waiting.
When Samuel arrived, he was cursing.
"Can you two stop dragging me into your marital problems? I have my dignity too."
Before, Ella had warned him with hostility not to come over again.
And now late at night, Joshua was calling him over.
Treating him like a slave—completely disrespectful.
Joshua's face was grave as he held out his hand, "Check me. My chest feels uncomfortable."
Samuel could see that Joshua's complexion was indeed poor.
Despite his annoyance, he sat down and carefully took Joshua's pulse.
After a moment, he looked at Joshua and asked, "What are you so anxious about?"
His heartbeat was way too fast.
"I'm not anxious. My chest just feels tight and painful."
Joshua denied it. As he spoke, his mind was still on Ella.
He didn't understand why Ella had called him an hour ago.
Didn't understand why she wasn't answering when he called back now.
Could something really have happened to her?
Withdrawing his hand, Joshua took out his phone, opened an app, and entered Ella's phone number to locate her.
When he saw the location, he could hardly believe his eyes.
Ella's location was in the forest near the coast in the suburbs.
The phone's location showed she was at a cliff edge.
Joshua suddenly panicked.
He stood up abruptly and called Brian.
When the other answered, he ordered, "I've located Ella on the west coast. Drive over there immediately and see what's going on."
After hanging up, Joshua still couldn't sit still.
He asked Samuel, "Do you think Ella would do something stupid if she was angry?"
He was thinking—could it be that because he went to take care of Scarlett, Ella got jealous and drove out alone to clear her head?
Maybe Aurora was taken by her.
"What happened between you and Ella now?"
Seeing Joshua's worry, Samuel asked casually.
He really didn't want to care about their marital issues.
Late at night—couldn't people get some rest?
Joshua naturally wouldn't blame himself.
He didn't explain the reason, answering indirectly, "Am I okay or not? If you think I'm fine, then you can go back."
"You're sick."
Samuel cursed under his breath, stood up, and left.
After he left, Joshua remained restless.
He returned to his room alone but never received news from Brian about finding Ella.
Until early the next morning.
Brian's call finally came.
After a whole night, Joshua's mindset had gradually stabilized. He spoke first, "Tell me, did she hide with Aurora on purpose to make me worry?"
That had to be it.
Women all like seeking attention. Maybe Ella wanted to do something extreme to make him worry, so he'd focus all his attention on her.
Given that she'd had children with someone else, he couldn't treat her the same way as before.
Brian was silent, finally choking out, "Mr. Thomas, we found Mrs. Thomas's phone at the cliff edge. It looks like she drove off the cliff. My people and the police are searching underwater."
Joshua gripped his phone, standing in his room in his loungewear, not reacting for a long time.
When he finally did, his voice had become hoarse. "What did you say?"
Brian repeated, "I said, Mrs. Thomas drove off the cliff. The chances look bad."
This time Joshua heard clearly.
Ella drove off the cliff?
How could she possibly drive off a cliff?
She had two children to take care of, Aiden backing her up, her whole life ahead of her. She was healthy. Why would she drive off a cliff?
Joshua tried to stay calm, analyzing coolly, "Listen to me. Ella couldn't possibly want to end it all. Driving off a cliff? If she accidentally fell off, you wouldn't have found her phone."
"This must be a trick she's playing. She's definitely hiding somewhere."
Anyway, Joshua didn't believe Ella would want to end her life.
The reason she drove to the west coast was to create the illusion that she wanted to kill herself.
Right now, Ella was probably somewhere enjoying herself with Aurora.
On the phone, Brian said, "We'll salvage the car first and see. I'll also continue sending people to search for Mrs. Thomas and Aurora."
Joshua hung up.
He still refused to believe Ella could have had an accident.
Just then, a child's crying came from outside the window again.
Joshua knew it was Dorian.
He changed clothes and went downstairs.
In the villa's courtyard, Dorian had waited all night without seeing Ella and Aurora return. He couldn't wait anymore and was demanding to go out and search.
Patricia and Karen held him back, trying to persuade him.
But Dorian wouldn't listen. He bit them, demanding they let him go.
Joshua came out and scolded, "Dorian, can't you behave? Your mom will probably bring Aurora back later."
Hearing this, Dorian turned to look at Joshua on the steps, saying angrily, "You're lying! Last night you said they'd come back. Where are they?"
"You don't have the ability to help me find Mom and Aurora at all. You don't deserve to be my dad, and I don't want you as my dad. I'll go find them myself."
With that, Dorian forcefully pulled away from Patricia's hand and ran out.