CHAPTER 186: CHAPTER 186: THE CHILD IS DEVELOPING WELL

"What did you say?" Jean Ellison was surprised.

"I will make Jesse my only daughter, as compensation to you."

"What about Leah Sutton’s child? That child is..."

Jean was well aware that Leah had undergone IVF, and the child in her womb was Justin Holden’s.

"It won’t be born."

She looked at Justin, trying to see a trace of fatherly reluctance on his face, but there was none.

He was completely calm.

He had no feelings whatsoever for Leah’s child, his own flesh and blood.

Truly cold-hearted.

She took a deep breath, suppressing the complicated emotions in her heart, and firmly shook her head.

"There’s no need. Jesse doesn’t need this, and neither do I need your compensation."

Justin was not surprised by her rejection; he curled his lips into a self-mocking smile.

"Yes, I know, it’s just me being wishful."

He shifted the conversation, directing his gaze back to her, and insisted, "But no matter what, Jean, you have to take responsibility for me."

Jean was so irritated by his warped logic that she wanted to laugh.

"Responsibility?"

"Justin Holden, you’re exploiting the situation. I was drunk last night."

"Yes, I know."

Justin admitted calmly, even nodding, then turned the tables.

"But that’s not illegal, is it, Jean?"

He looked at her with deep eyes, conveying a sense of having her cornered.

"..."

Jean was at a loss for words.

Arguing with a lawyer, especially one like Justin Holden, she obviously couldn’t gain the upper hand.

She couldn’t get the upper hand before, nor could she now.

She glared at him for a while, finally giving up, angrily picking up her fork and fiercely stabbing the bacon on her plate, refusing to look at him, burying herself in her breakfast.

Justin stopped speaking, quietly continued eating.

After breakfast, Jean intended to clean up the dishes, but Justin stood up first, naturally placing all the tableware into the kitchen sink.

In her surprised gaze, he put on her apron, which was too small, and didn’t fit.

He rolled up his sleeves and started expertly scrubbing the dishes, wiping the stove, and mopping the floor...

He appeared to be a picture-perfect family man, and his efficiency was high, he tidied the kitchen and living room in no time.

Jean watched his busy back and couldn’t help but ask, "Justin Holden, what are you really up to?"

Justin had just finished mopping, straightened up, placed the mop back on the balcony, and casually said, "Tidying the room, the sheets got wet last night, need to be changed and washed."

He spoke naturally, without a hint of blush, like he was reviewing a case file in the office.

Jean’s face turned red, she was so embarrassed she almost steamed.

Justin seemingly overlooked her embarrassment, continued, "I’ll get a few new sets of bed sheets as backups."

"No need."

Jean immediately refused.

"Need." Justin’s tone was indisputable, "Anyway, I’ll be living here from now on."

Jean’s eyes widened in shock.

"Do you not have anywhere to live? Why do you have to live here, there are only two bedrooms."

Justin walked up to her, gazed down at her, calmly stating facts.

"Yes, I have properties, more than one."

"But I don’t want to live there. If I live here, I can help you take care of the child."

"I can take care of my own child." Jean emphasized.

"But you also have to work." Justin reasonably rebutted, "I’m different, as a partner at the law firm, my time is relatively flexible, I can work from home."

"You’ve been late picking up Jesse more than once or twice, how about from now on, I’ll be responsible for picking up Jesse from school, you can work more comfortably."

"Don’t you want to give Jesse a better living condition? So you must work seriously, don’t let the new editor-in-chief think you’re not diligent, right?"

His clear logic almost blocked all of Jean’s reasons for rebuttal.

But Jean astutely caught a point in his words, warily asked, "How do you know our magazine has a new editor-in-chief?"

Justin raised his eyebrows slightly, looked at her, his lips curved into a meaningfully profound arc.

"Jean, do you think there’s anything about you that I don’t know?"

Jean looked into his deep eyes, her heart thumped, a chill climbed up her spine.

She lowered her head silently, avoiding his gaze.

In her heart, she silently said.

Yes, at least one thing, you don’t know.

You don’t know that Jesse is actually your biological daughter.

Of course, you’ll never know.

Jesse heard the voices outside, ran out from her room, just in time to hear Justin say he would live here.

She clapped her little hands excitedly, jumping around as she said, "That’s great, Uncle Holden is going to stay here, which means he can play with me every day, right?"

Jean Ellison’s emotions were complex, and she waved to Jesse to come over.

"Jesse, come to mommy. Do you want some snacks?"

Jesse shook his head and rubbed his round little belly.

"No, mom, I already ate. Aunt Dalton made me breakfast this morning, and I’m very full."

"What delicious things did Aunt Dalton make for you?"

Jean managed a smile, gently stroking her daughter’s soft hair.

"I had honey bread, milk, and cherry tomatoes."

Jesse counted on his fingers, his little face full of satisfaction.

"Aunt Dalton said I was good and ate everything."

"Yes, Jesse is really good." Jean felt a slight comfort in her heart.

At that moment, a series of urgent and forceful knocks broke the brief peace inside the house.

Justin Holden frowned and went over to open the door.

Standing outside was his mother, Mrs. Holden.

Her skin was well-maintained, making it hard to believe she was over fifty.

She saw Jean and Jesse inside, but her gaze finally landed on her son, her eyes filled with undisguised shock and anger.

"Mom, what brings you here?"

Justin shifted to block his mother’s line of sight, his tone calm, his posture clearly protective of the woman behind him.

Mrs. Holden snorted, trying to maintain her composure while suppressing her inner rage.

"It doesn’t matter how I found this place. Now, immediately, come home with me."

Her gaze passed by Justin, glancing disdainfully at Jean.

"A reputable lawyer like you, associating with a widow and her child, what kind of impression does it give?"

Justin’s expression darkened.

"They’re not a widow and orphan; I will take care of them."

"Take care? Just because you say you will?"

Mrs. Holden’s tone was mocking, curious to see what was going on in her son’s mind.

"The one you should be taking care of is Leah Sutton, the baby she’s carrying is yours, that’s your responsibility."

Justin’s gaze was unwavering, his tone even more composed.

"That child will not be born."

"You’re insane."

Mrs. Holden looked at him in disbelief, her voice shrill.

"How can you say such a thing? That’s your own flesh and blood, not some outsider’s child."

Her comment was clearly aimed at the quietly standing Jesse beside Jean.

Justin was ignoring his own child while caring about someone else’s.

She just couldn’t understand what was going on in her son’s head.

Facing his mother’s angry gaze, Justin spoke each word distinctly.

"What I’m saying is a fact."

"That fetus has a severe genetic defect; even if the pregnancy is sustained forcibly, it won’t survive after birth, or it will face an extremely painful and short life."

"This is a medical assessment, and if you don’t believe it, you can wait for the final results."

Mrs. Holden was taken aback by his almost brutally calm words, her expression changing several times.

She stared at her son for a few seconds, then suddenly pulled out her phone and quickly dialed a number, calling Zoe Holden, who had been taking care of Leah.

As soon as the call connected, Mrs. Holden impatiently inquired, her tone urgent.

"Zoe, tell me the truth, what’s really going on with Leah’s baby? Is there a problem?"

No one knew what Zoe said on the other end, but Mrs. Holden’s brow first furrowed with confusion, then slowly relaxed, and she even had a relieved smile on her face.

"Very well? Everything’s been great? The doctor also said the development’s good, the baby will be at least eight pounds when born?"

Mrs. Holden repeated the words over the phone, sounding more and more assured as she spoke into the phone.

"Good, good, I understand. If there’s an eight-pound big grandson to hold, your mother will be at ease."

She hung up the phone, her smile disappearing instantly, replaced with a stern expression as she addressed Justin, her tone bearing the certainty and command of a victor.

"Did you hear that? Zoe said it herself, the child is fine, developing very well. You need to return home immediately, go see your father right now, and cease entangling with unclear people in this place."

The "unclear people" she referred to was unmistakably Jean.

Justin stood firm, not showing any intention of moving.

He looked at his mother, his gaze profound, his tone calm.

"I am not leaving, I will be working from here and staying here for the foreseeable future."

"You!"

Mrs. Holden was so angry that her chest heaved dramatically, her finger trembled as she pointed at him.

"Justin Holden, you are going to drive your father and me to our graves, you can’t just watch yourself leap into a pit of fire, marrying a divorcee who even brings along a child from who knows where."

"Such a woman cannot enter the Holden family."

"If you really marry her, the Holden family will become the laughingstock of the entire circle and a subject of ridicule by everyone."