CHAPTER 17: CHAPTER 17: EITHER A GAMBLER OR A CRIMINAL

At this moment, a message notification sounded from Justin Holden’s phone, which was tossed aside.

He frowned, his expression darkening, and straightened up.

Picking up the phone, he directly turned it off.

He opened another bottle of water, took a sip, and calmed the itch in his throat.

His tall body sank into the seat, finding a comfortable position, he closed his eyes, the lines on his eyelids were very shallow.

Hours later, it was daylight.

Jean Ellison was woken by the sound of someone knocking on the window, slowly opening her eyes, the morning sunlight wasn’t too glaring.

She looked down to see a blanket covering her, with one corner tucked under her thigh.

Her gaze moved upwards, and she saw the man sleeping beside her. Instinctively, her body shrank backward, and the blanket slipped to her feet.

Justin Holden’s eyes were tightly shut, his profile in the morning light seemed to be bathed in a layer of golden glow, exuding a sense of noble restraint.

His head lightly leaned against the seat, breathing steadily.

The jawline was strong, from the handsome face to the slender neck, the skin was fair without a single blemish.

Jean stared at him, not looking away.

His profile was even more chiseled and lean than five years ago, his features deeper, with a faint hint of worry between his brows, even asleep, his brow was slightly furrowed.

Wasn’t the work of a lawyer something he handled with ease?

Suddenly, he opened his eyes, his dark eyes were deep. Caught off guard, their eyes met, and she quickly averted her gaze.

Justin Holden sat up, pinched the acupoint between his eyebrows, he unexpectedly slept in the car last night.

His neck was a bit sore, but it was the best sleep he’d had in a while.

The person outside the car was getting impatient, as the two of them woke up but didn’t get out.

Jean only then remembered someone had been knocking on the car window, and Justin Holden also noticed the locksmith standing beside the car.

The two got out of the car, one after the other.

"Not answering calls, not replying to texts, how would anyone know which apartment you live in?"

The locksmith had arrived two hours ago, circled the building looking for them, even tried calling but their phones were off.

Just as he was about to leave, he saw two people sleeping in the nearby car and spent a long time knocking on the window to wake them up.

Justin Holden took out two red bills from his wallet and handed them to the locksmith.

"Second unit, sixth floor, west apartment, thank you."

The locksmith saw he’d been paid double, so he didn’t say anything more.

Jean yawned repeatedly, her long black hair turned fluffy and draped over her shoulders, no longer confined by the hair tie, which had disappeared who knows where.

Justin Holden stood beside her, tall and slender, his expression cool, the frameless lenses of his glasses were so clean they were nearly transparent.

His light blue shirt had not a single crease, his suit pants hung elegantly, with only a vertical pressing line in the middle.

He lowered his gaze and stared at her for a long while, but she never looked up, so she didn’t see.

The locksmith went upstairs and opened the lock, and in no time, it was done.

Justin Holden drove away, and Jean did a quick wash before changing her clothes and going to work.

Professor Zachary Thorne had returned from abroad, settled in Kingswell City, and Justin Holden, no matter what, had to pay him a visit.

The meeting place was a high-end tea room.

When Zachary Thorne saw him, he was full of joy, introducing him to his colleagues, saying Justin Holden was his proud student, the founder of Keystone Law.

The colleagues were all law professors from prestigious universities and star lawyers from renowned law firms in the United States.

As the meeting was nearing its end, Zachary Thorne mentioned the Jennings family’s case.

"It seems it won’t be long before I’ll have a chance to check on my outstanding student’s work."

"In court, you mustn’t be as courteous to your teacher as you are now."

Justin Holden smiled but said nothing, sipping tea.

He didn’t express his stance, and the professor soon shifted the topic.

When everyone left, only the two of them remained in the tea room.

"Recently, the Jennings family has been busy looking for the child’s biological father, using every connection they can."

Zachary Thorne’s expression was serious, taking a sip of tea, he looked at his student sitting across from him.

"Professor, what do you mean by this?"

Justin Holden sat upright, his demeanor respectful and humble.

The actions of the defendants shouldn’t typically be known to him as the plaintiff’s lawyer.

"Better plan ahead, their thinking is that Jesse Ellison’s biological father is likely a gambler or a criminal, in short, someone money can solve."

"They plan to have the child’s biological father testify in court, pointing out your client’s inability to raise the child."

Justin Holden’s expression didn’t change, but his brows creased slightly, his tone was a bit indifferent.

"To my knowledge, Jesse Ellison’s biological father is already dead."

Zachary Thorne adjusted his glasses, picked up a cane by his side, and stood up, Justin Holden immediately rose to assist him.

"Oh? But I’ve heard the man is still alive, and Jesse’s foster mother has even met him."

"I don’t know who’s told you otherwise, making you think Jesse’s biological father is dead."

"As a lawyer, you can’t just use your ears; everything needs evidence."

Justin Holden was silent for a few seconds, recalling when Jean Ellison talked about Jesse’s biological father, her expression seemed off.

"I will look into this matter, before the court convenes."

Zachary Thorne got into a Bentley, and before closing the door, he looked at Justin Holden standing outside, a hint of oddity in his eyes.

This student of his seemed to still hold a grudge against him.

If he hadn’t insisted on Justin Holden participating in the Caldwell family’s case back then, recommending him as the litigation lawyer, could he have become a renowned lawyer so quickly?

For ordinary people, it would take half a lifetime to go from an intern lawyer to the founder of a well-known law firm, no matter how talented.

The maintenance and operation of various relationships and connections required in this time was much harder than fighting a lawsuit.

Justin Holden did it in just five years, he should be grateful, instead of this lukewarm attitude.

As they politely say, respectful; bluntly, it’s distant.

He had already said all he could today. If Justin Holden pretended not to understand and insisted on fighting the Jennings family’s case, he couldn’t stop him.

Zachary Thorne was curious, after all, about the person worth such dedication from him.

The biological mother of Jesse, according to the Jennings family, was a recently released female prisoner, with some looks, but no ties.

His taste was a bit unique.

Meanwhile, Jean Ellison was at the office, busy writing submissions.

When she got off work and finally saw the missed call on her phone, three hours had passed, the contact labeled as Lawyer Holden.

She didn’t immediately call back, having slept in Justin Holden’s car last night, her whole body ached all day, and now she only wanted to go home and sleep well.

She was the last to leave the company, and as she walked out of the revolving door on the first floor, she immediately spotted the black Mercedes parked by the roadside.

It was Justin Holden’s car.

She lowered her head, walking along the wall towards the side path.

After walking some distance, she looked back, and the Mercedes on the side of the road was already gone.

He must have been just passing by.

She withdrew her gaze, turning her head back, unexpectedly meeting a pair of cold and deep black eyes.

Her breath momentarily stopped.

This expression on Justin Holden’s face, stern and indifferent with a tinge of grievance, she was too familiar with.

Even when she was plump before, she had received confessions, in high school no less.

On her way home from school, she encountered Justin Holden while still clutching a love letter handed to her by a male classmate in front of the whole class.