CHAPTER 110: CHAPTER 110: HE REALLY DOES CARE

On the bed, the little one’s face was still pale, but her breathing was much steadier, sleeping soundly, her chest rising and falling gently with each breath.

Jean Ellison sat in the chair next to the hospital bed, not leaving her side.

One of her hands gently held her daughter’s small hand, the one not connected to the IV, while the other hand rested wearily on her forehead.

Seeing her daughter temporarily out of danger, she finally felt half a weight lift off her heart.

It was then that she suddenly remembered what had happened in the hall moments ago, when Justin Holden unexpectedly appeared and hugged her.

Why was he here?

And so coincidentally, appearing just when she was at her most desperate.

She lifted her head, her eyes filled with confusion and a trace of a complex emotion that was hard to detect, looking toward the man standing by the window at that moment.

Justin Holden had his back to her, staring at the pitch-black night outside the window. His stance was still upright and aloof, his profile appearing somewhat detached under the cold white lights of the hospital room.

He seemed to be standing there by coincidence, keeping an invisible distance from everything in the room.

Jean Ellison opened her mouth, wanting to ask, but didn’t know how to begin.

Their relationship didn’t seem to have reached a point where she could naturally inquire about his whereabouts.

Just then, a soft knock came at the door, followed by it slowly opening.

A young doctor in a white coat peeked in, his eyes quickly scanning the room before landing on Justin Holden, a look of relief washing over his face: "Mr. Holden, finally found you."

Justin Holden turned around at the sound, eyebrows slightly furrowed, looking at the unfamiliar doctor.

The young doctor walked in briskly, holding a small bag of medicine, handing it to Justin Holden, his tone polite.

"Miss Sutton, whom you brought in, left in a hurry earlier and forgot this anti-allergy medicine in my office. Please find a moment to give it to her and remind her not to forget to take it on time. Seafood allergies are no small matter, luck was on her side this time, next time be more careful, she mustn’t touch it again."

Jean Ellison instantly understood.

So he was at the hospital, not because of her, much less because of Jesse.

He had brought Leah Sutton to the hospital for her allergy. Meeting her in the hall was just a coincidence.

He didn’t know what happened to Jesse at all, nor did he... care.

Any slight emotional wavering caused by his sudden hug was utterly shattered now, leaving only ridicule and utter disappointment.

She silently lowered her head, watching her daughter’s sleeping face, no longer looking at the man by the window as if he didn’t exist.

Having heard the doctor’s words, Justin Holden showed no expression and very naturally reached out to take the small medicine bag, responding in a flat tone.

"Alright. Thank you, doctor."

"It’s no trouble at all." The young doctor, having completed his task, breathed a sigh of relief, glanced at the child on the bed, "Good that the little one’s condition is stable, you’ve worked hard too."

With that, he turned and left the room.

The door gently closed.

Justin Holden held the small bag of anti-allergy medicine for a moment, then casually tucked it into his trousers pocket.

He turned back to the window, seemingly uninterested in the events that just occurred.

Just then, the door opened again.

This time, Simon Sterling came in. He still wore his crisp white coat, but his expression was a mix of haste and concern.

He first quickly glanced at Jesse on the bed and the monitoring data, confirming that everything was stable, before turning his gaze to Jean Ellison.

"Jean," Simon Sterling’s voice was gentle, bearing reassuring strength, "rest assured, the surgery was successful, as long as there’s proper recovery, she’ll be fine."

Jean Ellison raised her head, seeing Simon Sterling, her eyes immediately filled with sincere gratitude.

She hurried to her feet, standing up too quickly, causing her to sway. Simon Sterling instinctively reached out to steady her,

but she had already regained her balance.

"Doctor Sterling, thank you so much this time.

Jean’s voice was still hoarse from crying, but her emotions were much more stable.

"If you hadn’t promptly contacted Director Lawson and arranged for the surgery, I really don’t know what would have happened."

As she spoke, her eyes reddened again, the rest of her words caught in her throat.

"Don’t mention it, it’s what I should do."

Simon Sterling gently interrupted her, his gaze focused intently on her.

"The child’s well-being is most important."

Their conversation was polite yet familiar.

Having stood by the window, seemingly detached from everything, Justin Holden suddenly turned around.

His gaze swept over Simon Sterling’s eyes resting on Jean Ellison, then took two steps forward.

He looked at Simon Sterling, still without much expression on his face.

He actually spoke, his voice deep and steady, without betraying any emotion: "Doctor Sterling, thank you for everything."

The gratitude came abruptly, even rather inexplicably.

After all, it was Simon Sterling who contacted the doctor and arranged the surgery, matters that hadn’t involved Justin Holden directly.

Doctor Sterling obviously didn’t expect to receive thanks from Justin Holden.

He turned his head to look at Justin, a trace of surprise flashing in his eyes, but he quickly composed himself.

He nodded slightly, his tone courteous yet distant.

"Lawyer Holden, there’s no need for formalities. I’m a doctor; treating patients is my duty."

Justin Holden didn’t say anything further, just stood there, tall and straight, exuding an air of arrogance and indifference. Even while expressing gratitude, it felt as if he was bestowing a favor.

This attitude made Doctor Sterling frown slightly, a strong wave of displeasure rising in his heart.

He looked at Justin’s cold and detached demeanor, as if everything was under his control, and thought of Jean Ellison living with such a man, bearing the burden of caring for a sick child alone, possibly even managing all the household chores herself...

He felt that by the side of such a man, Jean would surely be bullied, hurt by his indifference and superiority.

He wanted to say something, but a nurse poked her head in at the door, quietly saying, "Doctor Sterling, the patient in bed 17 needs you."

"Alright, I’ll be right there."

Doctor Sterling glanced at Jean Ellison, his eyes full of unsaid words. Without saying anything more, he turned and quickly left the ward.

The ward was very quiet. Jesse was still asleep, but looked slightly better than before.

Jean Ellison carefully moistened her daughter’s lips with a cotton swab dipped in warm water.

Justin Holden stood by the bedside for a while, his eyebrows slightly furrowed.

He turned and spoke softly to Jean, "I’ll step out to talk in detail with the attending doctor about the next steps and precautions."

Jean looked up at him, nodded, and didn’t say anything.

Justin had just left when there was a gentle knock on the ward door.

Jean thought it was the nurse and said, "Come in."

But the door opened to reveal two unexpected faces.

Mrs. Holden and Zoe Holden. Mrs. Holden held several luxurious-looking boxes of health tonics, while Zoe followed with a bag of fruit.

Jean was taken aback, quickly stood up, and felt a bit flustered: "Auntie, Miss Holden, what brings you here?"

Mrs. Holden wore a warm, appropriate smile, quickly approached, and her gaze immediately landed on Jesse in bed, full of sincere concern and affection.

"Oh dear, such a poor child. Just hearing about it makes one feel distressed. We were worried and came to see. How is everything? What did the doctor say?"

As she spoke, she gently placed the supplements on the bedside table.

"Brought some things to help the child recover; illness takes a toll on one’s energy."

Zoe also put down the fruit, her expression somewhat complicated. Her gaze shifted between Jean and the bed, as if she wanted to say something, but her lips moved without making a sound, and she only managed a forced smile.

"Yes, is the child alright?"

Jean, taken aback by this unexpected visit, felt even more vigilant inside.

She tried to maintain her politeness and composure.

"Thanks for your concern, Auntie and Miss Holden. The surgery was successful, but we are still in the observation period and need time to recover."

"That’s good, that’s good."

Mrs. Holden nodded repeatedly, but her gaze didn’t leave Jesse’s face, becoming increasingly scrutinizing.

After a while, she suddenly turned to Jean, her smile still warm.

"Miss Ellison, it must have been exhausting working through the night and morning. This place seems quiet; why don’t we step out for a drink and leave Zoe to help watch for a while? I have something to discuss with you privately."

Jean’s heart sank heavily.

What was bound to happen had finally come.

She glanced at her daughter on the bed, then at Mrs. Holden’s seemingly gentle yet determined eyes, realizing she had no room to refuse.

She nodded, "Alright. Sorry to trouble Miss Holden."

Zoe quickly responded, "No trouble at all. You go ahead; I’ll watch over things."

Mrs. Holden warmly linked her arm with Jean’s, as if they were very familiar, and led her out of the ward.

In the corridor, Justin had just finished his talk with the attending doctor and was heading back.

As he approached the ward, he saw Zoe alone inside, sitting in a chair, head bowed over her phone, with no sign of Jean or his mother by the bedside.

Justin’s face darkened instantly, and he quickly stepped into the ward, his voice icy: "Where are they?"

Zoe, startled by the sudden voice, looked up to see her brother, pursed her lips, and spoke with a hint of jealousy and a tone that seemed to enjoy the drama.

"Mom took her out, saying she needed to talk privately. It seems they went to the café on the first floor. I must say, Mom was holding her arm so affectionately."

Justin’s brows tightened sharply, a clear thread of tension and worry flashing in his eyes.

Without any hesitation, he immediately turned, striding swiftly towards the exit, his pace urgent and fast.

"Hey? Where are you going?"

Zoe called out after him, but Justin seemed not to hear, his figure quickly disappearing at the end of the corridor.

Zoe watched her brother’s obviously anxious departure and muttered to herself.

"In such a hurry, he really does care."