CHAPTER 103: CHAPTER 103: PAPER CUP

Mrs. Holden looked at Jesse, who was so well-behaved, sensible, yet principled, and liked him even more. Not only was she not displeased by the refusal, but she also admired Jean Ellison’s way of upbringing.

She took back the bracelet and couldn’t help but praise, "Miss Ellison, you’ve taught your child exceptionally well. So well-behaved, clever, and principled—truly a rarity."

Mr. Holden also nodded in agreement from the side, his gaze towards Jean Ellison filled with genuine admiration.

Mrs. Holden put the bracelet back on her wrist, still feeling a little guilty.

She took out a few beautifully packaged imported chocolates from her bag, bent down, and lovingly handed them to Jesse with a smile.

"Alright, alright, if you don’t want the bracelet, so be it."

"But surely you can accept the candies Grandma gave you? They’re sweet and delicious."

Jesse looked up, seeking approval from his mom with his eyes.

Jean Ellison, seeing Mrs. Holden’s sincere and loving gaze, knew it would be too socially awkward to refuse again, so she gave a slight nod.

Only then did Jesse extend his small hand to accept the candies, showing a sweet smile and saying crisply, "Thank you, Grandma."

"Oh, such a good child."

"I wish our family could have such a lovely granddaughter someday. But my son’s mind is all on work and he doesn’t even think about marriage."

Mrs. Holden was overjoyed and couldn’t help but touch Jesse’s cheek again.

Mr. Holden, watching this touching scene, also stroked his beard and smiled.

Leah Sutton stood by, her smile still perfect, but her fingertips slightly pinched her palm.

The words "doesn’t think about marriage" made her feel extremely uncomfortable.

If this drags on, she’d be thirty.

She hadn’t expected that Jean Ellison, a woman with a "baggage," not only didn’t get rejected by the Holden elders but even gained so much affection because of the child’s good behavior and an inexplicable connection.

This was completely contrary to her expectations.

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Mr. and Mrs. Holden reluctantly left with Leah Sutton accompanying them, repeatedly urging Jean Ellison to stay in touch before they left.

Watching their figures fade into the distance, Jean Ellison finally relaxed her tense nerves, her back already damp with cold sweat.

She looked down at her daughter, who was carefully peeling off the candy wrapper, feeling a mix of fear and indescribably complex emotions.

Jesse stood on tiptoe to hand the first peeled chocolate to her mom: "Mom, have it. It’s really sweet."

Jean Ellison took the candy, put it in her mouth, and as the rich sweetness melted, it couldn’t wash away the heavy bitterness and worry deep in her heart.

Today, she barely got through.

But Mrs. Holden’s inquisitive gaze, and their remark about Jesse resembling Justin Holden, made her have to be cautious.

Meanwhile, Leah Sutton, who was leaving with Mrs. Holden, wore a smile, but her heart was filled with greater waves of turmoil and unwillingness.

She had to quickly figure out what was really going on between Jean Ellison and Justin Holden.

A bold thought suddenly struck Leah Sutton.

Why would even Uncle and Aunt think that child looked like Justin Holden?

Was it really just a coincidence?

She refused to believe Justin Holden could have any deep relations with Jean Ellison, let alone have such a big child.

But Uncle and Aunt’s words were like a thorn in her heart.

What if? What if there were some entanglements she didn’t know about? This child...

Her gaze involuntarily drifted back to young Jesse holding her mom’s hand not far away, her eyes sharp with inquiry.

She needed an answer, a definitive answer.

The opportunity came quickly.

Jean Ellison probably felt that the recent scene made Jesse a bit nervous, so she took him to a nearby drink shop to buy a cup of freshly squeezed juice.

Jesse held the cartoon plastic cup with a straw, sipping it in small mouthfuls.

Mr. and Mrs. Holden were looking at a set of porcelain at the counter, Leah accompanying them, but her mind was entirely on the mother and daughter behind her.

She saw that after Jesse took a few sips, he seemed distracted by a display in a nearby toy store. He casually put the half-finished juice on the low table in the lounge area, pulling his mom’s hand to go take a look.

Jean Ellison, pulled by her daughter, smiled helplessly as she followed, momentarily ignoring the cup of juice.

It was now or never.

Leah Sutton’s heartbeat suddenly sped up.

She quickly gave Mrs. Holden an apologetic smile: "Aunt, you and Uncle take your time. I think I left my phone in that last shop, let me quickly go check."

"Make it quick," Mrs. Holden nodded, suspecting nothing.

Leah Sutton immediately turned around, walking toward the lounge area with steps that seemed composed but were actually urgent.

Her gaze was tightly locked onto the plastic cup with cartoon designs on the low table, its walls still beaded with tiny droplets of water, the straw clearly marked with bite marks and little residue of orange juice.

With people bustling around, no one particularly noticed the pretty woman walking by in a hurry.

Leah reached the edge of the low table, her pace didn’t break, appearing simply as if she were passing by.

But as she passed the table, her hand casually and swiftly flicked, her wide sleeve precisely sweeping the cup into her sleeve to hide it, her movement smooth and subtle, producing hardly any sound.

Without even looking back, she maintained her pace, walking directly towards the restroom, her heart pounding with a sense of guilt over her misdeed.

As soon as she entered an empty stall in the restroom, Leah immediately locked the door.

Taking out the plastic cup from her sleeve, she saw the residual saliva marks clearly visible on the straw and the cup’s rim.

From the inner layer of her expensive handbag, she carefully took out a small sterile sealing bag, previously prepared for temporary biological sample storage.

She’d kept it somewhat impulsively after engaging with a genetic testing facility for an interview project, never expecting it would actually come in handy.

Holding her breath, she carefully pinched the top of the straw with her fingertips and smoothly snapped off the entire straw along with the cup rim that held the most saliva, quickly placing them in the sealed bag and closing it.

After completing the task, she exhaled a long breath, her palms slightly sweaty.

Looking at the cup in the sealed bag, her gaze turned icy.

She had to know the truth.

Why did that child look like Justin Holden, and what was hidden between Jean Ellison and Justin Holden?

She carefully tucked the sealed bag back into her handbag, adjusted her breath and expression, and with a perfect smile again, exited the stall as if she’d only retouched her makeup.

Returning to Mr. and Mrs. Holden, she spoke with perfectly timed sincerity, "Found it, it was in the bag, just didn’t notice earlier. A false alarm."

Mrs. Holden laughed and shook her head, "You young folks are always so forgetful."

Meanwhile, Jean Ellison returned from the toy store with Jesse, noticing the half-finished juice was gone, assuming the cleaning staff had taken it away, without thinking much of it.

Leah’s gaze passed over Jean Ellison, who knew nothing, and then at the kindly Mr. and Mrs. Holden, forcing a smile.

She took Mrs. Holden’s arm, her smile even sweeter.

"Aunt, let’s go back to that store we saw earlier, shall we? I remember you liked the fragrance of their aroma products..."