CHAPTER 105: CHAPTER 105: BRAISED PRAWNS IN OIL

The implications of his words were so shocking that Mrs. Holden’s expression changed instantly, and she shook her head in disapproval.

"Nonsense, how can that be okay? You’re not even married, you don’t even have a proper girlfriend, how can you just casually acknowledge a goddaughter? What would people say if this gets out, how bad would it be for your reputation."

Mr. Holden furrowed his eyebrows tightly, clearly not agreeing with his son’s sudden outrageous proposal.

"Justin, this is no small matter, it’s not something you can joke about. No matter how much that child resembles you, it’s only a coincidence, how can you..."

Zoe Holden also put away her playful demeanor, carefully scrutinizing her brother.

She always felt there was something peculiar about Justin Holden’s words, that they didn’t sound like just a joke following her lead.

Unable to resist, she asked directly, "Justin, tell me the truth, that child... has nothing to do with you? It’s not a child you secretly had outside, is it?"

Her question was direct, which was also the deepest concern held by Mr. and Mrs. Holden, but they couldn’t bring themselves to ask.

Justin Holden met his sister’s probing gaze, then looked at his nervous parents, his lips curling into a self-deprecating smile.

He spoke with certainty, without any hesitation, and even with a deliberate indifference to distance himself.

"No."

He paused, as if to add credibility, and supplemented his statement in a voice as calm as if presenting evidence in court.

"I had someone look into it previously."

This statement caused the hearts of the three to skip a beat.

Justin Holden continued, every word coming out as clear as possible.

"Jesse’s genetic test sample was compared with mine, and the results showed no familial relationship between us."

The air seemed to freeze.

Upon hearing this, Mr. and Mrs. Holden obviously breathed a sigh of relief, but their faces still held some residual suspicion and disbelief.

So their son had already suspected and privately verified it.

Although the method seemed a bit... at least the result was reassuring.

Zoe Holden also let out a sigh of relief, patting her chest.

"Gave me a shock, I told you, how could it be possible, turns out it’s a coincidence, but this world is really small, able to have someone who looks so alike."

Mrs. Holden’s tense expression faded away, replaced by a gentle smile tinged with a bit of ruefulness.

"Yeah, it’s a wonderful coincidence, that child is indeed likable, obedient, and sensible. Her mother seems to be a good person too; raising a child alone isn’t easy."

Mr. Holden put his reading glasses back on and picked up the newspaper, as if the earlier interlude hadn’t happened.

"Since it’s been clarified, let’s not discuss it further. It’s not good for Miss Ellison and the child."

The topic seemed to be closed at that.

Justin Holden said nothing more, turning around with a blank expression and heading upstairs.

His back was upright and rigid, his steps steady, showing no sign of anomaly.

He ascended the stairs step by step, the hallway somewhat dimly lit, casting his cold and obscure profile.

The lack of relation with Jesse was something he learned in the morning, which meant Jean Ellison wasn’t Claire Caldwell.

If she were Claire Caldwell, the daughter she had, her biological father would definitely be him.

In the evening, the Sovera apartment felt somewhat silent.

Jean Ellison, wearing an apron, busied herself in the kitchen.

A pot of soup was simmering, steaming hot, and chopped vegetables were laid out on the cutting board.

Jesse was in her room, reading picture books.

Her phone vibrated slightly on the kitchen counter, and the screen lit up.

Jean wiped her hands and picked up the phone. It was a message from Justin Holden.

"Something came up tonight, won’t be back for dinner, you guys eat first."

The message was concise, without unnecessary explanations, just like him.

Jean looked at the line of text, her fingers lingering on the screen for a few seconds, then replied with two words.

"Alright."

She put down the phone and continued with her task, only her movements seemed a bit slower than before.

The kitchen still filled with the aroma of food, but it suddenly felt much emptier.

Meanwhile, the scene at the Holden family villa was quite different.

The lights were bright, and the long dining table was laden with exquisite dishes, with the maids shuttling about serving soup.

Mr. and Mrs. Holden sat at the main seats, Justin Holden sat to the side, his expression indifferent.

To his mild surprise, Leah Sutton was also there, seated beside him thanks to Zoe Holden’s enthusiastic invitation.

"Leah, don’t be a stranger, make yourself at home and eat more."

Zoe encouraged with a smile, then turned to Justin Holden.

"Justin, see how thoughtful Miss Sutton is, she specially came over to dine knowing Mom and Dad are back."

Today, Leah Sutton was evidently carefully dressed, in a tasteful yet feminine dress, smiling graciously at Mr. and Mrs. Holden.

"Uncle and Aunt are too polite, I’m the one intruding."

As she spoke, her gaze drifted subtly toward Justin Holden beside her.

Justin Holden merely nodded slightly in greeting, without saying more, picking up his chopsticks quietly to eat.

During the meal, Mr. and Mrs. Holden occasionally inquired about Justin Holden’s work. He answered succinctly in a few words.

Several times, Leah tried to join the conversation, steering the topic toward Justin.

"Justin, I heard the multinational acquisition case your firm recently took on is quite tricky? Must be tough on you."

Turning slightly, her voice softly addressed him.

Justin Holden’s gaze remained on his plate of food, only letting out a faint "Mm," without further engagement.

The atmosphere was a bit cold.

Noting this, Zoe gave Justin a gentle nudge under the table with her foot, putting on a smile to diffuse the tension.

"Oh dear, my brother is such a workaholic, once he talks about work, he gets carried away."

"Justin, don’t just think of yourself, serve Miss Sutton some dishes, it’s her first time dining here, she must feel a bit shy."

Justin paused his actions.

He lifted his eyes, glanced at Zoe, then at Leah, who seemed both hopeful and slightly embarrassed.

Without saying anything, he obliged, picking up the largest braised prawn with his chopsticks and placing it on Leah’s plate before her.

His movement was precise, maintaining perfect distance, not touching the edge of her plate.

"Thank you."

A faint blush appeared on Leah’s face as she softly expressed her thanks.

Justin Holden didn’t respond, continuing to eat his meal.

Leah looked at the prawn on her plate, and then at the man beside her with his cold, sharp profile who no longer spared her a glance, her smile gradually started to falter.

She could clearly feel the perceived polite gesture loaded with indifference and coldness.

The important part was, she was allergic to seafood...

He knew, during a previous date, she had mentioned it once, yet here he was, putting the prawn in her bowl, as if he had completely forgotten.

Zoe glanced at the braised prawn on Leah’s plate, catching onto her awkwardness, promptly filled in with an exaggerated, affectionate tone.

"Oh, our Justin, he may not speak much, but he understands, mainly he’s just too tired recently. I even heard he’ll be heading to the United States soon to handle some office matters over there. It’s a big project this time, and he’ll stay for about half a year; just thinking about it is exhausting."

Hearing this, Mrs. Holden’s attention was indeed diverted, turning to her son with concern.

"Gone for that long again, can your body handle it? The diet over there isn’t suitable..."

"No problem." Justin interrupted his mother’s words with the same calm tone, "I’ve gotten used to it."

With that, Leah raised her head, unable to stop herself from asking.

"That long? When are you leaving?"

As if not hearing, Justin didn’t answer.

The dining atmosphere fell back into a subtle awkwardness.

Leah’s hand holding the chopsticks tightened slightly, her fingertips becoming pale.

Lost in thought, she lowered her head, quietly picking up the braised prawn from her plate.

It was only after taking the last bite did she realize she had picked the wrong dish, she didn’t mean to eat that, instead wanted the crispy meat next to it.