Give Up, Mr. Lawyer! This is Not Your Child-Chapter 146: He Doesn’t Know

She stared into Leah Sutton’s eyes: "The doctor said it’s likely impossible to save, possibly disabled, is that right? That is to say, it’s not a hundred percent certain."

Leah nodded.

"Then there’s still hope," Zoe Holden said, "as long as there’s a sliver of hope, we can’t give up. This child is the bloodline of the Holden family, without a doubt; as long as he’s of the Holden lineage, the family won’t turn its back."

"Money? The Holden family lacks everything but money. With medical technology so advanced today, if it doesn’t work here, we’ll go abroad, to the United States, Syland, wherever the best technology is, we’ll go. No matter how much it costs, we must safely bring this child into the world."

"Once the child is born, even if there are some issues, as long as he’s Justin Holden’s son, the eldest grandson of the Holdens, your position will be secured."

"By then, even without a marriage certificate, in everyone’s eyes, you’d be the woman the Holden family acknowledges, who gave birth to their heir, truly Mrs. Holden. Who would dare say otherwise?"

"Those aunts gossiping today will come to flatter you by then."

Listening to Zoe’s words, Leah felt as if she saw a ray of light in the darkness, but her heart was still uneasy.

"But, what if the child really can’t be saved?"

Zoe’s expression darkened, and her voice lowered.

"Then it’s down to your luck. The priority now is to reassure my mother; she absolutely cannot know there’s a problem with the baby. You must do well, speak positively about everything. I’ll help cover for you. Meanwhile, I’ll contact the best hospitals and specialists to do everything in our power to preserve the pregnancy, even one more day matters."

She patted Leah’s hand; after all, Leah was her best friend, with so many years of friendship, she couldn’t just ignore her.

"Leah, pull yourself together. We have no way back. You chose this path yourself, and I helped pave it. Now, even if we have to crawl, we must see it through. Remember, your goal is to become Mrs. Holden, and this child is currently your biggest, possibly your only card. You absolutely can’t give up easily."

Leah wiped her tears, nodded vigorously, and looked at Zoe gratefully.

She indeed picked the right friend; Zoe would help her, as long as she said the person she loved was Justin Holden, she wouldn’t change her heart. Zoe would continue to see her as the best candidate for a sister-in-law.

Meanwhile, Jean Ellison and Jesse lived in an old residential building, with many things not brought over from Justin Holden’s apartment. She planned to buy them new in Gresten.

Jean held Jesse’s hand, walking on the way to the nearby supermarket.

Jesse bounced along, curious about the roadside flowers and dogs.

Jean’s mood was unusually light, as her mother’s condition stabilized, temporarily settled in the old house provided by Philip Paxton, simple but peaceful.

They stopped at a crosswalk, waiting for the light to change.

At that moment, a familiar black sedan approached from the opposite lane, moving at a slow speed.

Jean’s peripheral vision caught the license plate, her heart clenched—Justin Holden’s car.

Almost instinctively, she quickly turned around, back to the road, pulling Jesse behind her to shield the child’s line of sight.

Her movements were swift, driven by subconscious avoidance.

Yet Jesse’s sharp eyes caught sight.

She excitedly pointed her little finger at the passing car: "Mom, that’s Uncle Holden’s car."

Jean immediately squatted down, gently grasped Jesse’s finger, shook her head, and spoke softly.

"Jesse, dear, Uncle Holden doesn’t live with us anymore. He has his own life. Even if we see him in the future, we shouldn’t bother him, okay?"

Jesse looked at her mother’s serious expression, half-understanding, but obediently nodded.

She withdrew her little hand, yet her big eyes couldn’t resist glancing toward the direction the car disappeared.

The intersection was busy with pedestrians, and traffic was dense.

Sitting in the car, Justin Holden was focused on the road ahead, not immediately noticing the familiar mother-daughter figure by the roadside.

But as the car passed the intersection, something seemed to flash across his mind.

The silhouette of the woman holding the child by the roadside, and the child’s height.

It looked like Jean and Jesse.

The thought made his heart skip.

He immediately looked in the rearview mirror, but the bustling crowd at the intersection made it hard to find the figures again.

Was it an illusion? Was Simon Sterling deceiving him?

With a mix of expectation and anxiety, he barely hesitated, signaling a turn at the next intersection, quickly doubling back to the previous crosswalk.

He drove faster than before, his eyes scanning each pedestrian eagerly.

His heart raced wildly out of tune.

Soon, he was back at the intersection.

The car glided slowly as he searched carefully.

Finally, he saw a woman in light-colored clothing holding a little girl of similar age, standing at the entrance of a convenience store.

Justin Holden’s heart leapt to his throat.

He abruptly pulled the car over, barely waiting to stop completely before pushing the door open to stride towards the mother and daughter.

His steps quickened with urgency.

However, just a few steps away, the woman seemed to hear his footsteps and turned around.

A completely unfamiliar face.

The little girl looked at him curiously, also a stranger.

Justin Holden’s steps halted abruptly, frowning where he stood.

Again.

Just like the time at the hospital.

She wasn’t there.

He stared blankly as the unfamiliar mother and daughter walked into the convenience store, disappearing among the shelves.

The street continued bustling and noisy, only he stood foolishly in place, heart sinking from its previous wild beats.

An illusion?

Was it because he longed to see them so much, he repeatedly mistook others for them?

Or had insomnia and stress affected his judgment?

He raised a hand, pressing hard on his aching temple.

At that moment, his cell phone rang in his trouser pocket.

Justin Holden took a deep breath, wiping all emotions from his face, reverting to his usual sternness.

He returned to his car, closed the door, and answered the call.

"Professor."

His voice sounded calm and steady.

Professor Thorne’s concerned voice came from the other end.

"Justin, I heard you returned to the country suddenly. Why haven’t you come back yet? The project’s just started here in the United States, and many areas require your involvement."

Justin Holden watched the bustling street outside the window, the unfamiliar woman holding a child walked out of the convenience store, slowly walking away.

He paused for a few seconds, then spoke: "Professor, I don’t plan to return to the United States for the time being."

Professor Thorne was clearly surprised.

"Not coming back? Why? Is there an issue with the project, or..."

"The project’s fine."

Justin interrupted him, his tone indifferent.

"It’s personal reasons. Moreover,

He paused, finding a seemingly reasonable excuse.

"The student under your supervision, Joanne, seems to be a bit restless. I don’t want any unnecessary trouble outside of work."

Professor Thorne paused, as if digesting this news, then said,

"Joanne? If she has disturbed you, I can reassign her from this project team or send her to another branch in South America."

"No need." Justin Holden’s voice remained flat, "There’s no need to specially transfer her. I’m just informing you of my decision. If there’s any part of the subsequent project that requires my involvement, you can contact me via video conference. Important documents can be transmitted securely."

His attitude was firm.

Professor Thorne knew his personality well, understanding that saying more would be futile, so he sighed.

"Alright, since you’ve decided, take care of yourself at home, and contact me anytime if needed."

"Mm, thank you, Professor."

After hanging up, Justin Holden tossed the phone onto the passenger seat.

He leaned back against the seat, closing his eyes. Joanne was just an insignificant part of the reason for not returning.

The real reason was that after that ambiguous figure appeared and disappeared, he realized he could no longer stay comfortably on the distant other side of the ocean.

Even if it was a hallucination, even if she was really gone, he wanted to stay in this city that might still have a trace of her presence.

Even if it was just futile waiting or repeatedly mistaking others for her, it was better than being in that cold apartment in New York.

He started the car, merging back into traffic.

The direction was no longer the airport, nor the old Holden residence, but his apartment in the city center.

Meanwhile, in the supermarket, Jean Ellison was pushing a shopping cart, with Jesse sitting inside, curiously looking at the array of products on the shelves.

It felt as if her relationship with Justin Holden had returned to a balanced point.

Suddenly, a familiar female voice sounded nearby.

"Jean?"

Jean turned her head and saw Jules Ellison standing near the fresh produce section, holding a shopping basket, looking at her and Jesse.

"Cousin?" Jean was also a bit surprised.

She didn’t expect to meet Jules here.

They hadn’t seen each other since the second trial ended.

Jules stepped closer, her gaze lingering on Jesse’s face for a moment before returning to Jean.

"Do you have time? Let’s talk."

Jean looked at Jesse and nodded.

"Okay."

She pushed the cart, following Jules to the children’s play area near the supermarket entrance.

Jean knelt down, softly speaking to Jesse, "Jesse, you can play in here for a while. Mom and Aunt are going to talk for a bit, we’ll be watching you from outside, alright?"

Jesse obediently nodded, took off his shoes, and ran into the soft play area.

Jean and Jules stood outside the play area’s fence, separated by a clear plastic panel from which they could see Jesse sliding down a slide.

Jules had her hands in her coat pockets, direct and straightforward.

"Why didn’t you go to Gresten? Weren’t you supposed to leave? You even booked the tickets."

Jean’s gaze followed Jesse, her tone calm.

"My mother’s condition isn’t stable. Doctor Sterling suggested observing for a while, waiting for it to stabilize before going to Gresten."

Jules frowned slightly, "Since you decided to stay and take care of Aunt, why change your name and follow your grandmother’s surname Ellison? Didn’t you always hate being told you weren’t part of the Caldwell family?"

Her tone carried a hint of confusion and inquiry.

Jean turned her head, looking at Jules with seriousness.

"I never thought being part of the Caldwell family was shameful. My father is my father, and I am me. I changed my name to avoid someone."

"Avoid someone?" Jules asked, puzzled, "Weren’t the families in Sudland Province already settled by the government?"

The Caldwell family had defrauded relief funds, resulting in the deaths of dozens in Sudland Province, and the families had vowed to take down all members of the Caldwell family. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

"Not them."

Jean interrupted her, her expression turning somber.

"It’s Jesse’s biological father, he’s in Kingswell City."

Jules’ eyes widened instantly, disbelief written all over her face.

"What? He’s in Kingswell? The Jennings family mobilized so many connections and searched for so long without finding any clues, and this scumbag was right under their noses?"

She absorbed this information, her expression becoming serious.

"Then you must take Jesse and leave quickly, go to Gresten soon, and don’t come back. Such a person must never know about Jesse."

Though she didn’t know who Jesse’s biological father was, she knew this man didn’t love Jean; he never visited her once she was imprisoned.

Wasn’t it because of the Caldwell family’s trouble that he was afraid of being implicated?

Jean looked at Jules, who was showing concern and indignation, and softly asked, "Aren’t you going to miss Jesse? If we leave, we might not see each other for a long time."

Jules waved her hand, her tone decisive.

"If I miss her, I’ll naturally buy a ticket to Gresten to visit her. I’m not short of money. The important thing is that Jesse stays safe and sound. Her irresponsible scoundrel of a biological father absolutely cannot take her away."

She paused, a look of intense curiosity appearing on her face, "But I am really curious, who is this man? Someone the Jennings family couldn’t trace, yet prompts you to hide so?"

Jean fell silent.

She watched Jesse play without a care in the world in the play area, thinking about the impending journey, and her cousin and she might never have the chance to see each other again in this life.

She took a deep breath, feeling it was time to reveal the truth.

"Cousin," Jean’s voice was light, yet exceptionally clear, "you have also met this person."

Jules leaned in a bit, "Who?"

Jean uttered three words, "Justin Holden."

Jules stood as if frozen in place, her entire body stiffened, her eyes wide and mouth slightly agape, enough to fit an egg.

She was stunned for several seconds, then sharply gasped, genuinely shocked.

"Justin Holden? The founder of Keystone Law? It’s him!"

She quickly turned her head, looking at Jesse in the play area, and then back at Jean, as if seeing her for the first time.

Her gaze swept between Jean’s face and Jesse’s figure, her mind rapidly flashing through the stern face of Justin Holden and the youthful features of Jesse.

"My God."

Jules muttered to herself, the shock on her face gradually replaced by a sense of sudden realization.

"No wonder I kept feeling that Jesse’s eyes looked like someone I knew. It wasn’t a coincidence; it’s genetics. She’s Justin Holden’s daughter. No wonder the Jennings family couldn’t trace it. Who would think the defense lawyer is the child’s biological father? It’s really a case of hiding in plain sight."

Fortunately, the Jennings family failed to trace Jean’s biological father, for if they had found out about Justin Holden, neither Jean nor the Jennings would have custody over the child; the Holden family would undoubtedly find a way to take Jesse away.

She grabbed Jean’s wrist with some force, urgently lowering her voice.

"When did it happen between you two, how could it be him? Does he know Jesse is his child?"

Jean’s wrist throbbed slightly from the grip, yet she didn’t pull away, only nodded with a bitter expression.

"He doesn’t know, and he must never find out."

"He already has a fiancée and a child now; Jesse cannot return to the Holden family."