CHAPTER 3: CHAPTER 3: NOT AN EX-GIRLFRIEND

"Not an ex-girlfriend."

Justin Holden’s voice was very distinctive, low and deep, rich in magnetism, and penetrating among a crowd of unremarkable voices.

No matter how noisy it was around, his words reached Jean Ellison’s ears clearly.

"Miss Ellison, are you suffering from heatstroke? Why is your face so pale?"

"I’m fine, please continue."

She sniffed, a thin mist in her eyes, suppressing the sour feeling in her heart.

So, in his heart, she wasn’t even considered an ex-girlfriend.

Their relationship could completely be described as her forcing him.

The two families were neighbors, and she had secretly had a crush on him since middle school, but didn’t dare say a word to him for three years in high school.

When she went to college and heard Justin Holden was about to be with the campus beauty, she panicked.

She begged her dad to ask Uncle Adler for help, even though she would be labeled as unselfaware and disrespectful, she wanted to be with Justin Holden.

At that time, her family was well-off, she was an only child, her father was a local businessman, and her mother was a university professor.

The Adler family was eager to ally with them and agreed immediately.

To her surprise, Justin Holden did not refuse either; they could date, but he had three conditions.

First, she couldn’t contact him proactively; second, their relationship had to remain private; and third, they would break up upon graduation.

She did well, never actively seeking Justin Holden, and she kept their clandestine relationship tightly under wraps.

Out of everyone, he did even better than her—what was said to be a breakup upon graduation turned into sending her to prison, and this relationship was ended more decisively.

If he just broke up with her, she might have resorted to drama and threats, but being sent to prison left her with no options for refusal.

"How could Lawyer Holden date a fat girl? You haven’t seen Claire Caldwell, but I have."

"Must be around two hundred pounds, can’t imagine what kind of stench she has in the summer."

The man speaking was named Daniel, his father was also a member of the school board.

Before the Caldwell family went under, his family had eagerly sought connections, sweetened their words as much as they could.

He suddenly stopped talking, locking eyes with a pair of cold and profound eyes, sharp and severe.

Darkness surged in the depths of Justin Holden’s eyes, his long fingers holding the high glass elegantly, the knuckles subtly reddening without a sound, maintaining a calm, professional smile on his face.

Seeing Justin Holden’s empty glass, he assumed it was dissatisfaction with the hospitality, and quickly called over the waiter to refill it.

Another man’s quick words didn’t let his remark fall to the ground.

"What of two hundred pounds? It’s all the same with the lights off."

"I heard some prison guards in women’s prisons are so desperate, they prey on female prisoners without visitors, practically playing them to death. Claire Caldwell might have already died in there."

"Even if she got out alive, she’d be riddled with STD, disgusting to even think of, fat and filthy."

Justin Holden paused momentarily, downed the high-proof mixed drink in the glass, the alcohol swelling his mind, numbing his nerves from head to toe.

He looked around in the distance, scanning as if searching for someone.

Conversations continued around him, a few classmates sighed in feigned sympathy, declaring how pitiful she was, yet their eyes showed scorn and disdain.

"The crime she committed can never be forgiven in a lifetime; the sentence was too light, she deserved the death penalty."

"Lawyer Holden, don’t you agree?"

In this crowd, Justin Holden was the only lawyer, so naturally, they sought his opinion on things they didn’t understand.

Ah—

The two men speaking most fervently about Claire Caldwell for some reason collided, spilling two glasses of red wine over one another, neither dodged it, both soaked to the skin.

"You blind bastard."

"Who are you cursing, you dog? Which idiot pushed me?"

...

The crowd busily stepped in to mediate and persuade, while Justin Holden remained silent, using his thumb and index finger to adjust his frameless glasses, the back of his hand pale as he glanced at the watch on his wrist.

He found her slender figure not far away, small frame, a light apricot fitted business suit tightly outlining her figure, slim but not flat.

Jean Ellison met his eyes and awkwardly lowered the microphone in her hand.

A man stood in front of her, her uneasy gaze slipped over his shoulder, landing precisely in Justin Holden’s eyes.

He walked towards Jean Ellison.

"Think it over again, the salary as Chief Assistant is much higher than as a reporter, and you don’t have to endure the elements, just have dinner with me."

This was the third time Jean Ellison heard this sentence.

"Reporter Ellison, fancy seeing you again."

Justin Holden stood in front of her, his thin lips curled upward subtly, his dark, brooding eyes sweeping over the man beside her.

Jean Ellison’s fingers tightened around the microphone, lowering her eyes, she opened her mouth slightly and responded softly: "Mm..."

Her gaze dropped, it was still his body, narrow waist, long legs, the metal shirt buttons faintly visible under his suit trousers, he stood before her like a solid wall.

Her heart pounded.

The man who was chatting with Jean Ellison saw she knew Justin Holden, forced a smile, greeted, and quickly turned away.

Indeed, he fancied beauties but couldn’t afford to provoke Justin Holden.

"How did you get time to come out today?"

Justin Holden had asked her to meet yesterday, saying it was about the lawsuit, but she had declined, claiming she needed to write drafts at the office.

Jean Ellison swayed the microphone before him, her gaze falling on the camera behind her, standing sideways to say: "Reporting on the school anniversary."

Her voice was clear and cold, just like her current appearance—pale, slim, like a faint sliver of moonlight.

"Your daughter..."

"What about Jesse!"

Jean Ellison’s emotions became agitated, urgently interrupting him, she only ever became like this when it concerned her daughter.

It had been four years since she had seen the child; she only had a few photos from her daughter’s first month, brought into prison by a friend who visited her.

When giving birth to Jesse, it was difficult labor, coupled with limited medical facilities in the prison hospital, she fainted from the pain, only waking up the third night.

Upon waking, she was informed that her cousin had already taken the child away.

As for her, after massive hemorrhage, she barely survived, but could never have another child.

Jesse was more important than her own life.

"Your daughter’s adoptive parents have a strong background, your lawsuit is difficult to win."

Justin Holden’s voice paused, each word invitingly like winter’s ice cubes.

"Haven’t you never lost a case?"

Jean Ellison bit her lip, her voice trembling uncontrollably.

Capable of sending her to prison, but incapable of getting her daughter back, was this renowned lawyer really that convincing?

"It’s only difficult for other lawyers."

"As long as you do as I say, your daughter will definitely return to you."

Justin Holden hadn’t managed to meet the client yesterday, but he hadn’t been idle, spending an entire day reviewing legal codes and documents. He was already well-versed with Jesse’s foster parents.

Now what puzzled him was the woman who claimed to be Jesse’s biological mother standing before him.

He knew nothing about why she was imprisoned, her age, or who her family members were. The real challenge in this case lay here, not with Jesse.

"What do you need me to do?"

Jean Ellison had a sinking premonition; she knew Justin Holden too well, after all, she had loved this man for ten years.

Is this talkative demeanor what he adopted as a lawyer handling cases now?

"Very simple, first answer me a few questions."

Justin Holden queried her basic information, Jean Ellison answered instantly, without hesitation, matching exactly what she had submitted to the law firm’s registration form.

"What about your emotional status, do you currently have a boyfriend?" Justin Holden asked coldly.

"What does this have to do with my case?"

Jean Ellison’s heart was in her throat, her palms and eyes starting to brim with moisture, her voice unsteady and trembling.

Strictly speaking, she and Justin Holden hadn’t broken up yet.

The last time they met in court, he probably hadn’t had a chance to break up with her.

Moreover, she and Justin Holden had an agreement, they would break up after graduation, so there was no need to mention it—the relationship had a beginning and an end.

Justin Holden spoke word by word, his voice steady and solemn.

"If you have a boyfriend, that would imply Jesse has a prospective stepfather, which isn’t conducive to regaining custody of your daughter."

"When a judge makes a ruling, they not only rely on current laws but also comprehensively consider your personal situation."

"If you indeed want to win this case, it’s best not to hide anything from your lawyer."

"... Fine."

Involving her daughter Jesse, Jean Ellison was helpless, biting her lip, she truthfully admitted: "I don’t have a boyfriend."

Dark currents surged and then stilled in Justin Holden’s eyes, his voice heavy: "Final question, where is Jesse’s biological father?

"Dead." Jean Ellison dared not meet his eyes.

Justin Holden responded lightly, his tone flat: "Good, that’s easier."