CHAPTER 136: CHAPTER 136: DISPENSABLE

Saturday noon, the sun was shining brightly.

The private restaurant, known for its relaxed atmosphere and healthy dishes, was packed.

Philip Paxton had reserved a window seat in advance, where the lighting was ample.

When Jean Ellison arrived with Jesse on time, Philip Paxton was already waiting there.

He wasn’t in uniform today; his light gray casual outfit made him seem less authoritative and more approachable.

"Uncle Paxton."

Jesse ran happily towards him upon seeing him.

Philip Paxton smiled, bent down, and picked her up securely, placing her in a specially prepared children’s chair. He then naturally turned to pull out a chair for Jean Ellison.

"Was there traffic?" Philip Paxton pushed the menu in front of Jean Ellison, his tone gentle, "Take a look at what you’d like. Their shrimp and vegetable rolls and mushroom chicken soup seem pretty good."

Jean Ellison forced a smile. The emotional weight left her with little appetite, but she took the menu anyway: "Anything’s fine, you order." Her gaze was somewhat unfocused.

Jesse, on the other hand, was excitedly poring over the menu, her little finger pointing at the colorful children’s meal pictures.

"Mom, I want the one with the toy car plate."

Philip Paxton affectionately patted her head, "Alright, let’s order this for Jesse."

At that moment, a slight stir came from the restaurant entrance, indicating the arrival of noticeable guests.

Jean Ellison instinctively looked up, and upon seeing who it was, her face instantly lost color, her fingers slightly tightening around the menu.

Justin Holden and Leah Sutton were walking in side by side.

Justin Holden, as always, wore a finely tailored dark suit, his stature tall, his expression stern, an aura of unapproachability about him.

Leah Sutton, walking beside him, however, was unlike her usual self, usually the image of a precise and competent editor.

She wore soft flat shoes and a loose, comfortable light-colored maternity dress, her long hair smoothly draped over her shoulders.

Her face bore a gentle, even slightly shy smile, one hand lightly wrapped around Justin Holden’s arm, exuding a well-cared, blissful demeanor.

But what caught the most attention was Justin Holden’s other hand carrying several large shopping bags.

The bags bore the prominent logo of a high-end mother and baby brand. Through the semi-transparent covers, one could clearly see soft newborn onesies, exquisite comfort toys, and even a small can of high-end formula.

Leah Sutton’s eyes swept over the restaurant, quickly spotting the three people seated in a corner.

Jean Ellison and Jesse, along with a man.

This man looked somewhat familiar, like she had seen him somewhere before. She quickly realized who he was—the captain of Kingswell City’s criminal police team, frequently appearing in the media.

Rumors had it that he would become the youngest precinct chief, possibly working at the provincial level.

She immediately lifted her face, her voice at just the right volume for Justin Holden beside her and nearby people to hear.

"Justin, look, Reporter Ellison and Captain Paxton are here too. They brought Jesse along and seem to get along wonderfully, like a happy family of three."

Justin Holden’s gaze followed, first landing on Jean Ellison’s suddenly pale face, then slowly shifting to Philip Paxton, who was attentively adjusting Jesse’s napkin.

His eyes were deep as a well, outwardly calm, but his jawline was taut.

The server quickly approached with an apologetic smile: "Mr. Holden, Miss Sutton, I’m very sorry, there are no available tables at the moment, and you might need to wait for a bit."

Justin Holden heard this and, almost without hesitation, turned to Leah Sutton: "It’s too crowded, let’s pick another place."

But Leah Sutton refused, gently slipping out of Justin Holden’s arm, her voice taking on a hint of playful protest.

"Waiting is such a hassle, and I’m tired from walking. I see Reporter Ellison’s table is quite large, we can just join them. We all know each other, and it would be livelier with more people."

Before finishing her words, she did not give Justin Holden any chance to object and gracefully sashayed towards Jean Ellison’s table.

Jean Ellison watched Leah Sutton approach step by step, her heart clenched by an invisible hand, making even breathing difficult.

She instinctively straightened her back.

Leah Sutton arrived at the table, her face adorned with a flawless friendly smile as her gaze flickered between Jean Ellison and Philip Paxton.

"Reporter Ellison, Captain Paxton, what a coincidence. I didn’t expect this place to be so busy; there’s no seating left. You wouldn’t mind if we join your table, right?"

Though her words were phrased as a question, her actions indicated otherwise.

Without waiting for any response from Jean Ellison or Philip Paxton, she casually pulled out the chair next to Jean Ellison and sat down elegantly, as if she were the hostess here.

Justin Holden’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly, but seeing Leah Sutton seated and settled, he paused for two seconds, then stepped forward with his long strides.

He placed the heavy shopping bags, signifying his "father-to-be" status, casually on the empty chair next to him, causing a slight sound, and then sat down beside Miss Sutton.

His presence instantly made the air around the table become thin and oppressive.

Jesse saw Justin Holden and quietly called out, "Uncle Holden."

Justin’s gaze swept over Jesse, and he barely acknowledged with a slight "Hmm," saying nothing more, his eyes seemed to rest on the glass of water on the table, or perhaps on nothing at all.

It was as if Miss Sutton had just noticed Jesse. She showed a delighted expression, took out a beautifully packaged and obviously expensive limited edition princess doll from her exquisite leather bag, and handed it to Jesse, with a voice as sweet as syrup.

"Jesse, look what Auntie brought you? Do you like this princess?"

Jesse looked at the shiny, beautiful doll with a visible liking in her big eyes, but she didn’t reach for it immediately; instead, she first looked up at Jean Ellison, asking for permission with her eyes.

Jean looked at the doll, then glanced at the new baby supplies filled with anticipation beside Justin, feeling as if countless needles were pricking her heart, causing a sharp sour pain.

He had never bought Jesse any decent gifts in the capacity of a father, not even spared a true moment of companionship, yet now, for another woman and an unborn child, he made such grand, meticulous gestures.

Philip Paxton caught all the subtle stiffness and disappointment in Jean’s expression.

His expression unchanged, he calmly picked up the public chopsticks, and took a piece of fresh shrimp roll that Jean seemed to have looked at a moment longer, naturally placing it on the plate in front of her, his voice as gentle as a spring breeze.

"Try this, you’ve not been eating well lately, lost weight, you need more nutrition."

This action was naturally intimate, with an unspoken care.

After doing this, Philip Paxton finally looked up, meeting Justin Holden’s unreadable gaze and Miss Sutton’s scrutinizing smile across the table, wearing a perfectly social smile.

"Lawyer Holden, Miss Sutton, what a coincidence, long time no see."

Justin’s gaze lingered on Philip Paxton’s face for a moment, nodding slightly as a greeting, still sparing with words.

Philip Paxton was unfazed by his coldness and continued in a casual conversation tone, his voice calm, yet each word distinctly reached everyone at the table.

"Speaking of which, Lawyer Holden, thank you for taking care of Jean and Jesse during this period, although this burden should soon be lifted. Once Jean and Jesse have settled in Gresten, you can truly relax and focus on taking good care of Miss Sutton and your soon-to-be-born child."

Miss Sutton’s smile froze instantly; she instinctively reached to protect her belly, a hint of malice flashed in her eyes but was quickly replaced by a deeper smugness.

After all, the one sitting beside Justin Holden, acknowledged by the Holden family and carrying their heir, was her.

Justin’s hand holding the glass turned pale around the knuckles from gripping too hard.

He raised his eyes, his gaze first sharp and cold towards Philip Paxton.

Then, his view slowly shifted to Jean, who had her head lowered the whole time, quietly eating the food Philip had placed for her, as if she was uninvolved.

He saw her compliance, her unspoken understanding with Philip, and Philip’s natural care for her.

Miss Sutton keenly caught the subtle change in air pressure around Justin and the undercurrent that flashed through his deep eyes.

She internally sneered but outwardly became more tender, leaning slightly towards Justin, her voice soft, carrying just the right amount of grievance and dependency.

"Justin, Captain Paxton is right, with you and the baby by my side in the future, I won’t be afraid of anything."

Her words were like adding fuel to the fire.

Justin’s jawline tightened severely, he did not respond to Miss Sutton, nor did he look at Jean again, only suddenly downed the glass of ice water.

The cold liquid passed down his throat, yet couldn’t extinguish the burning nameless fire inside him.

The atmosphere at the dining table dropped to freezing point, oppressive enough to make one suffocate.

The group took their seats in the elegant private room, the mahogany round table reflecting the warm yellow glows.

Miss Sutton playfully teased the little girl beside her with a radiant face.

"Jesse, look how cute you are," Miss Sutton reached out to gently pinch Jesse’s cheek, her voice syrupy sweet, "Tell Auntie, do you think Auntie has a little brother or a little sister in her belly?"

Jesse blinked her big round eyes, looked at Miss Sutton’s swollen belly, and then nervously glanced at her mother Jean sitting diagonally across.

Jean’s hand holding her cup paused, her gaze dropped to the bone china pattern before her.

Jesse hesitated for a moment, quietly murmured, "It’s a sister."

Miss Sutton’s smile faded slightly, her corners of her mouth still upturned, but the warmth in her eyes had vanished.

She picked up a napkin to wipe her lips, her voice not loud, yet clear enough for everyone at the table to hear.

"I don’t really mind either way, be it a boy or a girl. But Justin, as well as his father and mother, are all hoping for a grandson, you know. The Holden family is large and business is prospering, and Justin is the only son, the elders naturally value a grandson. As for a granddaughter..."

She dragged out the last word, her gaze seemingly unintentionally swept over Jean, "is only an afterthought."