CHAPTER 124: CHAPTER 124: TEST TUBE

Just after lunch break, the office of the magazine was still filled with a lingering sense of laziness.

Sunlight poured through the large floor-to-ceiling windows, and the air was filled with the scent of coffee and printer paper.

Leah Sutton walked in gracefully on her stiletto heels, holding a top luxury brand handbag with a conspicuous logo.

She wore a bright, joyful smile, seeming to be in an excellent mood.

"Oh, I finally got it back, waited so long."

She casually placed the expensive bag in the most conspicuous position on her desk, speaking with a voice neither too loud nor too soft, just enough for the nearby colleagues to hear.

Curious coworkers were immediately drawn in, peeking over to whisper envious exclamations.

"Wow! Editor-in-Chief Sutton, is it new? This style is super hard to get, it’s so beautiful."

Leah brushed her hair, her lips curling into a perfectly subtle, slightly sweet troubled smile.

"Isn’t it? I said no, it’s too extravagant, but my boyfriend insisted it suited me, and he had a friend bring it back from Europe, just arrived in my hands today."

Her tone was natural, as if merely complaining that her boyfriend was too enthusiastic.

"The editor’s boyfriend is too considerate."

Another female colleague approached, eyes shining at the bag.

"So handsome, so wealthy and generous, Editor Sutton, you’re truly blessed."

"Yes," Leah picked up the thermos on the table, gently blowing on it, her eyes seemingly inadvertently sweeping over Jean Ellison, who sat not far away, engrossed in the manuscript, apparently oblivious to the commotion, her voice gentle, "He seems cold normally, but he’s quite thoughtful. He knows I like this brand, so he remembered."

She paused as if suddenly remembering something, reaching out her left hand to casually arrange her hair, revealing an elegantly designed yet obviously priceless jade bracelet around her wrist, glowing softly in the sunlight.

"And this," she gently twirled her wrist, her tone carrying a few shy traces of being favored by an elder, "A few days ago, went to Justin’s home for dinner, Aunt Holden insisted I take it, said she wore it in her youth, wouldn’t let me refuse. Really... an elder’s kind intention, couldn’t say no."

"Gosh, the clarity and color, it’s definitely a family heirloom."

The knowledgeable colleague immediately gasped softly.

"The Holden family has clearly accepted you as their daughter-in-law."

The surrounding envy and compliments became more enthusiastic.

Leah smiled, enjoying the atmosphere she had so carefully constructed, basking in the deep affection and recognition from Justin Holden and his family.

Every glance, every gesture, every word she uttered unobtrusively solidified her image as the perfect girlfriend.

Jean Ellison kept her head down, unconsciously doodling on the draft paper with her pen, those words penetrating her ears like needles.

She knew Leah was doing it on purpose, deliberately saying it for her to hear.

Her boyfriend, in question, was Justin Holden.

That bag, that bracelet, those sweet details...

Real and fake, mixed together, like a meticulously staged play.

She forced herself to focus on the words in front of her, but her fingertips were slightly cold.

In the afternoon, Jean went to the break room to make coffee, and Leah just happened to follow.

Other colleagues were outside, Leah wearing a proper smile, chatting warmly about trivial work topics.

But as they stood side by side at the coffee machine, in the brief interval waiting for the coffee to filter, Leah’s smile instantly faded, her voice lowered so only Jean could hear, cold and direct:

"That night at the hotel, you messed it up."

Jean’s hand shook as she took the coffee, spilling a few drops of hot water that scalded the back of her hand.

She didn’t respond.

She stared at the coffee, a mixture of emotions storming inside her; she didn’t expect Justin Holden didn’t actually get intimate with Leah, his anger was purely from feeling manipulated.

Leah wasn’t his girlfriend, so why wouldn’t he?

Jean felt this whole situation was strange, suspecting Leah might be lying, that the relationship between her and Justin Holden wasn’t as loving as it seemed.

Her hand was burned, a red patch forming, pain made her frown.

Leah seemed not to notice, continuing to whisper with an indisputable forcefulness.

"Opportunities only come once, miss it and it’s gone, but I have to have a child, Jean, you need to help me again."

Jean turned her head abruptly to look at her, shock and resistance filled her eyes, her voice even lower.

"I can’t help you again, we agreed it would be just once, that was already risky, Justin Holden is very cautious, alert, the same method could never be used a second time, he’d definitely find out."

Her wrist still hurt now, Justin’s demeanor last night was something she had never seen before, he was really angry.

"I don’t care!" Leah’s eyes became sharp and obsessive, "I only want the result. No matter what it takes, if drugging doesn’t work, then create an accident, or..."

She leaned closer to Jean, her voice low as if whispering into her ear, yet carrying a mad resolution.

"...even if it’s artificially done? You know him best, right? You can get his stuff, can’t you? Just get it for me, I’ll handle the rest."

Artificially?

Jean gasped, nearly questioning her hearing.

Looking at Leah’s determined face, a chill crept up her spine.

"That’s impossible." She refused flatly, her voice quivering slightly from anger and shock, "It’s too... too absurd, I can’t do it."

"You must, only when I have a child will the Holden family let you and your daughter live together forever, if they have an eldest grandson, naturally they won’t care about a granddaughter."

Leah stared at her, eyes icy.

"You don’t have the right to say no, don’t forget, I got that report once, I can get it a second time. Do you want your daughter’s lineage exposed to everyone? Do you want Justin Holden to find out you’ve been hiding such a big secret from him?"

The coffee machine stopped working, emitting a soft "ding" sound.

It seemed the colleagues outside had finished chatting, footsteps approached the break room.

Leah instantly adorned a flawless smile, picked up her cup of coffee, her voice reverting to the usual warm and pleasant tone.

She pretended to be discussing work with Jean.

"Then that’s it for now, send me the meeting notes later."

She turned, elegantly leaving the break room, greeting the colleagues coming in with a smile.

Jean remained standing there alone, holding the steaming cup of coffee, but feeling no warmth, only a chilling cold and lingering fear.

The bitter aroma of the coffee filled her nostrils, unable to suppress the tumultuous waves surging within her heart.

Leah had completely lost it.

To achieve her goal, she was willing to do anything.

And she seemed truly cornered.

Artificially... she dared not even think.

Sneaking Justin Holden into a hotel was already incredibly risky, now Leah wanted to do it artificially, how could she possibly manage that without Justin’s knowledge, when he was already wary of her.