CHAPTER 90: CHAPTER 90: LAWYER HOLDEN’S GIRLFRIEND IS JUST TOO NICE

The cold light of the meeting room shone on the long table, and the beam of the projector was cast on the screen, continuously switching data charts.

Justin Holden sat at the head of the table, holding a metal pen between his fingers, unconsciously drawing short, straight lines on the blank page of his notebook.

The leader of the second group of lawyers was presenting the quarterly report, with a voice full of modulation.

Justin’s gaze fell on the screen but seemed to penetrate beyond, unfocused.

"...So, based on the feedback from the cases mentioned, we suggest making adjustments to the next phase of the plan..."

The lawyer finished speaking and looked at Justin, waiting for instructions.

A few seconds of silence.

Samual Pryce softly reminded from the side, "Lawyer Holden?"

Justin’s pen paused for a moment.

He lifted his eyes, glanced over his subordinates, then looked back at the summary of the report in front of him, speaking in a steady voice that showed no sign of distraction.

"Send the budget details and risk assessment for the adjustments to my email before the end of the day. Next."

For the following reports, he continued to listen with little focus, occasionally posing questions that hit the mark, leaving no flaws to be seen.

Only he knew his thoughts kept drifting uncontrollably back to that breakfast table in the morning, back to Jean Ellison’s cold words and her pale face.

The meeting finally ended.

People gradually left the meeting room, chatting softly.

Justin remained seated, moving the pen unconsciously again.

Samual walked over leisurely, pulled over a chair next to him, and sat down, resting his arm on the backrest.

"Hey, are you back with us? I wanted to ask during the meeting, where did your mind wander off to?"

Justin didn’t look at him, closed his notebook, and gently placed the metal pen on the cover.

Samual was used to his aloofness and didn’t mind, his gaze casually sweeping over the table, landing on that cold gray metal cube ornament.

The lines were hard and reflected a kind of ascetic simplicity.

He picked it up casually, weighed it in his hands, and laughed, "This thing’s got some heft..."

Before he finished speaking, he felt a cold gaze fixed on his hands.

Justin was looking at him, or rather, at the ornament in his hands, with dark eyes swirling with emotions.

Samual’s smile stiffened, and he immediately remembered.

He carefully put the cold metal block back in place and mumbled.

"Forgot, forgot, your treasure, can’t be touched, can’t be touched."

It was a gift from Claire Caldwell, said to bring him victory in court, the only thing in Justin’s office that no one was allowed to touch.

Justin withdrew his gaze, saying nothing.

Samual looked at his profile, tentatively asking, "What’s going on? This isn’t like you."

Justin was silent for a few seconds, his well-defined fingers unconsciously rubbing the edge of the notebook’s hard cover.

Only the faint hum of the air conditioner remained in the meeting room.

He began to speak, his voice flat and untouched by emotion: "Last night, we slept together."

Samual raised his eyebrows, a clear look of surprise crossing his face, but it quickly turned into a sort of realization.

He knew exactly who he was talking about.

He leaned back, and the chair let out a slight creak, "You two, your relationship... it really is like you’re living as a married couple."

Samual paused and pulled at the corners of his mouth.

"It was inevitable you two would end up in bed, I just didn’t expect it to be so soon."

Both had been celibate for five years, living together, sparks were inevitable.

He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, his expression more serious.

"So what do you intend to do now? Move out? Keep a distance from that woman?"

He knew Justin initially had no intention of cohabiting with Jean, and he wasn’t particularly fond of her but looked at her differently only because she somewhat resembled Claire.

Justin’s gaze fixed on the empty wall ahead, his throat bobbing slightly.

A moment later, he answered, his voice clear.

"I don’t intend to move."

Samual was stunned: "Not moving?"

"Just like this,"

Justin said, in a tone that left no room for negotiation.

Samual stared at him, like he was trying to see something from his expressionless face.

He suddenly lowered his voice, with a hint of disbelief.

"You’re not planning to actually marry her, are you?"

He paused, considering a possibility, his brow furrowing.

"Did Jean ask you to take responsibility?"

"No," Justin replied quickly, almost blurting it out, "She didn’t mention it."

Samual visibly relaxed, easing his posture, "That’s a relief, I thought..."

His words were cut off by Justin’s next statement.

"But I will take responsibility," Justin said, his voice still void of any fluctuation.

Samual’s breath caught in his chest again, his eyes wide as if he hadn’t understood.

"What did you say, take responsibility? For what, how?"

He fired off questions, his tone urgent.

"She didn’t even ask for it, why are you offering to take responsibility just because of one night? What age do we live in?"

Justin turned towards Samual, his gaze deep and inscrutable.

"What else?"

He retorted, his tone calm, leaving Samual momentarily speechless.

Samual opened his mouth, finding his voice after some time, slightly agitated.

"What am I supposed to say? How do you take responsibility? Give her money or some kind of benefit to get rid of her?"

He tried to steer it towards the most worldly, simplest way.

He had run into Zoe Holden just a few days ago.

Zoe was shopping with a woman, the two walked arm-in-arm, their affection evident.

He and Wendy Wallace also entered the same store, overhearing the clerk say Miss Holden was very fond of this sister-in-law, even taking her to meet the family.

Sister-in-law...

Zoe only has Justin as a brother, and clearly, he doesn’t know when he got a fiancée.

Justin’s eyes moved away again, landing on the cold metal ornament, staring at it for a few seconds.

Then he spoke, his voice deep and clear: "First, I’ll help her handle the second trial."

Samual was stunned.

Justin continued, as if he were stating a predetermined work plan.

"The Jennings family keeps appealing, it’s an endless cycle, best to settle it thoroughly."

Samual was at a loss for words.

He looked at Justin, his gaze complex.

He understood what those words "handle it" implied coming from Justin.

It meant Justin planned to leverage his resources and connections, possibly using some less conventional methods, to intervene in a lawsuit that initially had nothing to do with him.

Ensuring the final outcome was as he desired, leaving the Jennings family unable to entangle further.

This was not merely a simple matter of "taking responsibility."

"You..." Samual struggled to speak, "Have you forgotten what Teacher Thorne said when he walked out of court, that you agreed to go to the United States."

Justin paused, "I haven’t forgotten."

He stood up, picking up his notebook and pen, his voice returning to its usual calm and decisive tone.

"The afternoon schedule stays unchanged. You go arrange it."

He stood up and walked out of the meeting room, his posture upright and decisive with no signs of hesitation.

Samual sat alone in the empty meeting room, looking in the direction Justin disappeared again, then turning to look at the rigid ornament on the table one last time, lifting his hand to rub his face, exhaling deeply.

He knew no one could ever change a decision Justin made.

Justin pushed open the office door and walked out, holding a file to be signed, ready to find another colleague next door.

A few people gathered down the corridor, near the public office area’s pantry, their voices lively.

It was a group of young lawyers and a new intern sharing fruit.

The fruit box was exquisite, full of plump mandarins, bright and orange-yellow.

"It’s really sweet." The intern girl peeled an orange, her eyes curved in a smile, "Lawyer Holden’s girlfriend is so thoughtful, even sending over so many specifically."

A male lawyer nearby took a bite of the fruit, nodding in agreement: "Yeah, I heard these mandarins aren’t cheap, they sell for over ten bucks each in the supermarket. Really generous."

"She’s really good to our Lawyer Holden, and we get to benefit too."

Justin walked on, as if he hadn’t heard the laughter and chatter over there, heading straight ahead.

The intern, sharp-eyed, saw him and immediately greeted him with a smile.

"Lawyer Holden!"

She picked up the biggest mandarin, quickly stepped over, a bit eager.

"Your girlfriend just sent over these fruits, they’re really sweet, would you like to try?"