Chapter 6

Seeing that Ella still wouldn't come clean,

Joshua felt his anger reach its peak.

But he held it back. He knew now wasn't the right time.

In less than two days, he would know the truth.

Joshua looked away and ate his meal elegantly, his composure perfectly intact, masking his anger.

He remained calm and composed, "Grandpa hasn't been feeling well lately," he said evenly. "Let's talk about the divorce later."

Ella hadjust returned from Thomas Manor, where she had spent the whole day with Aiden, so she knew exactly what condition Aiden was in.

But she still wanted to get divorced as soon as possible.

She looked at Joshua and pleaded, "Can we keep this from Grandpa? Handle it quietly without telling him?"

Joshua met her gaze.

"You don't have anyone on the outside, so what's the rush? Or has being my wife become such a burden?"

Joshua wanted to see how long Ella could keep hiding things.

Ella had better pray those two kids weren't her biological children, or even God couldn't save her.

Ella was left speechless, with nothing to say.

If she pushed for a divorce now, would Joshua investigate her?

But thinking about Joshua and Scarlett's situation, she couldn't simply pretend that it didn't affect her. Sharing a bed with him the way they once had felt impossible now.

Ella finished her meal in silence with her head down. She rose to leave without a word.

"It's late," Joshua said, watching her. "Where are you going?"

Ella stopped in her tracks and said coldly, "We're getting divorced sooner or later anyway. I've already taken my things out, so I'm going to stay outside."

She wanted to go back to her other home, back to her children.

Even if now wasn't the time for divorce, she couldn't go on living under the same roof with Joshua.

Joshua knew full well that Ella wanted to go back to that other home of hers.

He also knew Brian had found no signs of a man living there,

And they still hadn't found out who the children's father was.

But Ella kept hiding it from him, the fact that she wouldn't tell him grated on him. He stopped her before she could leave.

"Until we're divorced, you're still the lady of this house. You're not going anywhere without my permission."

Ella turned to face him, anger flickering in her eyes.

"Do you think the two of us can still live together peacefully?"

Joshua clearly loves Scarlett with all his heart. After she left, couldn't he just bring Scarlett over?

Ella didn't understand why he wouldn't let her go.

"Why not? Haven't we lived like this for a year?"

Joshua stared at her in silence.

He had been pressuring her with words, trying to get her to confess what she was hiding to him..

As long as she told him everything clearly, he might still be tolerant and understanding.

But Ella insisted on keeping it hidden.

Playing him for a fool.

For now, since things were still unclear, he could hold his anger in check and not question her.

But once the truth came out, she wouldn't have a chance to make excuses.

"That's because this past year, I didn't know you were still in contact with Scarlett."

Once again, Ella fell back on Scarlett as her excuse.

"You like her, so just be with her. Can't I just make it easy for you two?"

"I need you to make it easy for me?"

Ella's stubbornness finally snapped his patience.

Joshua stood and crossed the room towards her, his tall frame looming over her as he looked down.

"Ella, who I want to be married to is nobody's business. But you, being so eager to leave me—is there something wrong with you?"

Joshua's words were very clear: who he married wasn't something Aiden could interfere with.

And he didn't need her so-called blessing.

He hoped that each of his reminders would make Ella realize the seriousness of the problem and come clean with him soon.

But Ella still said nothing.

Nerves and guilt gnawed at her, yet she held firm the two children remained her secret

She also knew she couldn't leave tonight.

If she pushed, Joshua would start digging, and that was a risk she could not take.

To protect the two children she had outside, Ella had to compromise and stay.

"It's clearly your problem, but you always push it onto me."

She stepped around him and headed upstairs without looking back.

Joshua watched her go, his eyes tracing her thin figure, holding back the complex emotions that filled him.

He couldn't understand—had Ella been waiting since the day she got the marriage certificate with him for Aiden to die so she could divorce him?

After the divorce, she would take the kids abroad and cut all ties with him completely?

Is that why she kept hiding the children?

But from the moment he took Ella to get the marriage certificate, he never thought about getting divorced.

Joshua still felt those two children outside couldn't possibly be Ella's biological children.

Joshua decided to let it go and went upstairs to his study to work.

At ten o'clock at night.

He finally made his way to the master bedroom and found the bed empty.

When he checked the guest room, the door was locked from inside.

Ella clearly had no intention of sharing a bed with him anymore.

Joshua was frustrated, but he didn't push it.He turned and went back to the master bedroom alone..

Early in the morning, after washing up, Ella went downstairs, planning to return to Galaxy Bay Community to see the kids.

She didn't expect Joshua to be up even earlier than her, already sitting properly dressed in the dining room.

She tried to walk past him as though she hadn't noticed him, but Joshua called out to her, "Come have breakfast, and tell me where you work. I'll drive you there."

Ella didn't go to the dining room and replied coldly, "No need, I'll drive myself."

She still didn't want to eat breakfast and turned to leave.

But after just a few steps, Joshua's cool voice rang out again.

"Ella, don't make me angry, or you won't be able to handle the consequences."

Hearing this, Ella backed down a bit.

She had no choice but to turn around and make her way to the dining room. After sitting down, she still didn't dare look at Joshua and kept her head down, eating silently.

But Joshua stared at her.

Looking at Ella's delicate features and thin figure, at 24 years old, she still looked as youthful as a college student.

Besides, when they were in bed, he had seen clearly that her body showed no signs of having given birth.

So those two children absolutely couldn't be hers.

Still choosing to believe Ella, Joshua's voice became gentle again.

"What kind of work do you do?"

He could see now he had neglected her. He had been careless with her.

From now on, he would pay more attention to her, treat her well, and make her give up the idea of divorce.

Ella kept her head down eating.

Her mind raced, thinking about what to say to get Joshua off her back.

After a moment, she said perfunctorily, "I work in sales at a mall."

In fact, she didn't have a job outside at all.

Back then, abroad, she hadn't finished her studies because of the children.

But she had become a magazine writer, submitting two articles to the magazine each month, and the payment was enough to make ends meet.

Joshua asked again, "Which mall? I'll drive you there in a bit."

Ella immediately refused, "No need."

Joshua ignored her, and after breakfast, he personally drove her out.

Ella knew she couldn't refuse, so she randomly named a mall closest to Galaxy Bay Community.

Anyway, someone like Joshua probably wouldn't actually go to the mall to check.

Just as Joshua was personally driving Ella to the mall, Brian's call came in.

Joshua put on his Bluetooth earpiece, and the other party reported, "Mr. Thomas, the test results are in. Those two children are indeed Mrs. Thomas's biological children."