Give Up, Mr. Lawyer! This is Not Your Child-Chapter 152: Neighbors

He couldn’t sleep, perhaps because the aroma of the wontons lingered for too long. He finally picked up his phone and dialed Samual Pryce.

The phone rang a few times before it was answered. There was some background noise, and the faint cry of a baby, which soon faded as Samual Pryce presumably walked to a quieter place.

"Hello? It’s the middle of the night over there in New York, should be early morning, right? What’s happened?"

Justin Holden didn’t exchange pleasantries and got straight to the point.

"Help me find out exactly where Jean Ellison and Jesse are now."

There was silence on the other end for two seconds, followed by a somewhat troubled voice from Samual Pryce.

"Senior Counselor Holden, you’re asking me to find someone across borders? That’s quite difficult. I can’t reach all the way to Gresten."

Justin Holden’s tone was impassive, cold and distant.

"You can do it, I know you have a way. Money is not an issue."

Samual Pryce seemed a bit taken aback by his forthrightness, and then let out a light laugh, slightly teasing.

"I have to say, Justin, why go to such lengths to secretly investigate across the ocean? If you’re really that concerned, just buy a plane ticket and go see for yourself, you’ve got legs too."

Justin Holden’s fingers tightened slightly on the phone, his voice lowered.

"I said, I wouldn’t disturb their lives."

"Then why are you doing this?"

Samual Pryce was puzzled.

"I just want to know," Justin Holden paused, as if choosing his words, "how mother and daughter are doing over there."

Samual Pryce sighed on that end, his tone becoming practical.

"If you ask me, you’re worrying for nothing."

"Since they haven’t lived in the house you arranged, nor used your connections to enroll Jesse in the First Primary, it shows they’re well-established in Gresten, with reliable friends helping them settle."

"Everything’s arranged nicely and neatly, what are you worried about?"

Justin Holden remained silent, just listening to the faint static coming through the receiver.

Samual Pryce continued when he couldn’t get a response, with the frankness and even reproach that only an old friend would have in his tone.

"Justin, not to criticize you, you’ve been such a contradiction since childhood. You were like this before, and you’re still the same now!"

He seemed to have opened his heart.

"Let me ask you, since you started high school, your eyes were glued to Claire Caldwell, don’t think I didn’t see, but what did you do? You held out, pretended, acted as if nothing happened, and dragged it out until college when you awkwardly and reluctantly started dating."

"With your aloof and cold attitude, what girl could stand that?"

"Claire Caldwell had her heart entirely on you then, but how did you hurt her?"

Justin Holden was still silent, but his breathing seemed heavier.

His tense profile was vaguely reflected on the window glass.

Distant memories of Claire Caldwell’s bright yet timid gaze during high school, and later in college, her cautiousness and even resentment.

He was absorbed in his own world at the time, feeling those emotions were unnecessary burdens.

After a long silence, Justin Holden finally spoke, his voice hoarse.

"In the past, I wronged Claire Caldwell."

He paused for a long time, so long that Samual Pryce thought he wouldn’t say anything else.

He slowly spoke, "I’ll never marry."

Samual Pryce was momentarily stunned.

Justin Holden continued, "Even with Jean Ellison, I won’t marry her."

"My wife," his voice deep, "can only be Claire Caldwell."

Samual Pryce was at a loss for words; after a while, he managed to reply.

"Justin Holden, it’s the first time I’ve heard a man wanting to remain widowed, what’s all this about?"

He finally understood why Zoe Holden wanted to help outsiders against her brother; if he didn’t marry, the Holden family lineage would end. Uncle Holden and Aunt Holden didn’t take him in from the orphanage just because he was handsome and a boy.

Zoe Holden lets Leah Sutton bear a child, ultimately for the Holden family’s sake.

He could choose not to marry, remain celibate, but the Holden family bloodline cannot end.

Justin Holden ignored his assessment, or rather, he didn’t care what others thought.

He redirected the topic to the original point, his tone returning to its previous coldness.

"Enough of the nonsense, go investigate, find out where they are living now, and whether they’re facing any difficulties."

He took a deep breath, making a final decision.

"If you find they’re having any trouble in a foreign land, don’t tell me, just use your connections or money to help solve it. I’ll cover all expenses."

Having said this, he didn’t wait for a response from Samual Pryce and directly hung up.

He tossed the phone onto the sofa, walked to the liquor cabinet, poured a glass of whiskey, but didn’t drink it, just held it in his hand.

The cold glass pressed against his palm, and he felt his palm burning.

The next morning, just as Justin Holden was about to leave for the law firm, his phone rang.

It was Samual Pryce’s long-distance call.

"Justin, I found out."

Samual Pryce’s voice carried a trace of hoarseness and fatigue from staying up all night.

He hadn’t slept all night and had indeed found out about Jean Ellison and Jesse’s whereabouts.

"Jean Ellison and Jesse never went to Gresten; there’s no entry information on them there."

Justin Holden’s hand paused on the door handle, his gaze suddenly sharp.

"What did you say?"

"Their final destination is the United States, New York. Moreover," Samual Pryce paused, emphasizing his tone, "the flight information shows that their arrival time at Kennedy Airport is almost the same as your return flight from home. Logically, you could have easily passed each other at the airport."

Justin Holden’s heart sank abruptly, as if struck by a heavy hammer.

The airport...

The Asian woman in a beige trench coat, with the figures of one big and one small, got into a taxi not far away.

It wasn’t a misconception; it was really them.

"Why New York in the United States?"

Justin Holden’s voice lowered.

This completely deviated from the information Simon Sterling had given him and exceeded all his expectations.

The sound of keyboard tapping came from Samual Pryce’s side.

"The reason is still unclear; the entry records show it’s a tourist visa, but it certainly isn’t that simple."

"Do you need me to continue investigating?"

"See where they’re staying specifically in New York and whom they come into contact with."

"No need." Justin Holden interrupted him, his tone resolute, "I will ask personally."

"Personally?" Samual Pryce thought he’d misheard, "Weren’t you the one who said you wouldn’t disturb them?"

Before he could finish speaking, the call was disconnected.

After hanging up the phone, Justin Holden stood at the entrance for a long time without moving.

In his mind, the vague silhouette at the airport and the scene of hurriedly getting into the car repeatedly appeared.

Why did they come to New York, why choose here?

He had countless questions he wanted to ask her.

But calming down, he took a deep breath; Samual Pryce was right, he had said he wouldn’t disturb them again.

After a moment’s thought, Justin Holden regained his outer composure, opened the door, and walked out.

Almost at the same moment, the door of the neighboring Apartment 75 made a slight sound.

Jean Ellison, holding a neatly dressed Jesse, was about to send her to a newly contacted small family-style kindergarten nearby.

Jean Ellison’s face showed anticipation for the new day’s life, as she checked Jesse’s backpack while naturally stepping out the door.

However, her gaze unintentionally swept to the entrance of the adjacent Apartment 77, and she froze.

The tall figure who had just stepped out of the neighboring door, turning his back to her and adjusting the sleeves of his suit, was someone she knew very well—it was Justin Holden.

Panic struck, and Jean Ellison’s face immediately turned ashen, her breath caught.

Almost using all her strength, she quickly pulled Jesse, who had already stepped out halfway, back inside the door, while her other hand slammed it shut with a loud "bang," quickly locking it.

The loud noise of the door closing echoed abruptly in the quiet corridor of the early morning.

Startled by her mother’s sudden action, Jesse stumbled a bit and looked up blankly, "Mom?"

Aunt Mason, who was preparing breakfast in the kitchen, was startled by the noise and came out quickly, wiping her hands.

Seeing Jean Ellison leaning against the door, her face pale as paper, her chest heaving violently, she asked worriedly, "Miss, what’s wrong? What happened, why do you look so pale?"

Jean Ellison, still in shock, pointed with trembling fingers toward the door, her voice somewhat dry.

"Aunt Mason, who lives in the house next door?"

Aunt Mason, startled by her reaction, walked over to the peephole and cautiously looked outside. The corridor was already empty.

She turned back, puzzled, "Number 76 is where a retired Wall Street gentleman lives, almost 80, and rarely goes out. Number 77 seems to have been empty and recently had a new neighbor move in. Did you see anything?"

Jean Ellison’s heart sank to the bottom.

Vacant, a newly moved-in neighbor.

No, she couldn’t possibly be mistaken.

That person was definitely Justin Holden.

How could he be here, and living right next door?

Was it a coincidence, or had he already found them?

She forced a smile more painful than crying at Aunt Mason, her voice hollow.

"Nothing, nothing, maybe I was seeing things, just a bit nervous."

She held on tightly to Jesse, who was clueless, her body still trembling slightly.

She had nowhere else to go and could only stay here with Jesse at Aunt Mason’s, not expecting Justin Holden to live in the next door apartment.

This place didn’t seem like somewhere he would rent, old, simple, and somewhat aged. The house was older than him; he should choose to live in an upscale apartment on the Upper East Side.

She held her breath behind the door, listening intently for any sounds outside.

Only after confirming that there were no footsteps in the corridor and after a long while had passed did she dare to inch back toward the peephole to look outside.

"Jesse, we’ll go to the kindergarten later."

Jean Ellison’s voice trembled; she needed time to calm down. She feared Justin Holden might still be downstairs, not far away.

Aunt Mason looked at Jean Ellison’s shell-shocked state, though full of questions, she knew now wasn’t the time to ask, just patting her back comfortingly.

"Okay, okay, there’s no rush, it’s still early."

Jean Ellison leaned against the door, her back rigid.