In the evening, Justin Holden pushed open the door to his ho.
The light in the entryway was soft, and from the living room ca Jesse’s giggles along with Jean Ellison’s gentle voice.
He changed his shoes and walked in, seeing Jean sitting on the carpet, playing blocks with Jesse.
Jesse had built a crooked castle, eagerly showing it to his mom.
Hearing the door open, Jesse imdiately looked up with bright eyes and shouted, "Uncle Holden is back."
Jean also looked up at him, with a faint smile on her face, though her eyes held a complex and indistinct expression.
She softly said, "You’re back."
Justin nodded slightly and took off his suit jacket, hanging it up.
He walked to the sofa and sat down, loosening his tie, his gaze resting on the mother and son duo continuing to play with the blocks, his face expressionless though the cold, hard aura around him seed sowhat softened compared to usual.
Jesse played for a while, then suddenly put down the blocks and crawled to Justin’s leg, looking up with his innocent face, speaking in his childlike voice.
"Uncle Holden, Jesse wants a little sister. Can you ask mom to have a baby sister for ? I’ll share my food and toys with her."
Upon hearing this, Justin’s brow furrowed slightly, almost imperceptibly, as he looked at Jean.
Jean’s face briefly showed a trace of panic but she quickly covered it up.
She reached out to pull Jesse back to her side, her tone slightly hurried as she whispered, "Jesse, don’t say things like that..."
She paused, as if making so kind of decision, then raised her head to look at Justin, her voice much softer, tinged with an obvious apology.
"Lawyer Holden, I’m sorry. I misunderstood you before."
Justin’s gaze beca sharp as he looked at her, saying nothing, waiting for her to continue.
Jean lowered her lashes, her fingers unconsciously plucking at the carpet’s fibers, her voice dropping to a level that carried a sense of grievance and regret.
"I thought your relationship with Editor-in-Chief Sutton was not ordinary. That’s why I acted irrationally and said those unpleasant things."
She sneaked a peek at his expression and continued, "But now it seems, it was a misunderstanding on my part. I apologize to you, I’m sorry."
Justin silently watched her, his eyes deep, holding an assessing quality.
He leaned back into the sofa, his fingers gently tapping twice on his knee, his voice betraying no emotion.
"Jean Ellison, what are you up to again?"
He did not believe her sudden apology and lowering of pride. The change was too rapid, too abrupt.
"Just say it, what else do you want to do?"
Jean seed wounded by his words, her eyes slightly reddening.
She raised her head, with eyes carrying a trace of sadness from being misunderstood and stubbornness.
"I’m not up to anything, I just... just realized my mistake and wanted to apologize to you."
She sniffed, her voice carrying a hint of sob.
"Yes, I admit what I did before wasn’t right. But the reason I acted that way was because I was scared."
Her acting was impeccable, tears balancing perfectly in her eyes yet stubbornly refusing to fall.
"I don’t have a sense of security. I always feel like you might leave at any ti. Leave this ho, leave Jesse and . You’re so outstanding, surrounded by so many won like Editor-in-Chief Sutton who are beautiful and impressive. What am I? What do I have to keep you?"
She beca more emotional as she spoke, her voice trembling, carrying a genuine sense of fragility.
"That’s why I turned into a porcupine, prickling up at any mont and saying those hurtful things to push you away, I’m just too afraid of losing you."
Seeing her so vulnerable and helpless, with tears in her eyes, listening to her heartfelt revelation, Justin’s tightly clenched jawline seed to soften slightly.
The scrutiny and coldness in his eyes gradually beca replaced by a more intricate emotion.
He still remained silent, but the aura around him was no longer as oppressive.
Jean noticed the change and knew her words had made an impact.
She seized the mont, her voice soft and laden with tears, cautiously seeking confirmation.
"Lawyer Holden, you don’t like Editor-in-Chief Sutton, right? I can be at ease, right?"
Justin gazed at her red eyes and her careful deanor, as if he was her whole world, his adam’s apple moving slightly.
He remained silent for a few seconds then finally spoke, his voice deep but clear: "I don’t like her, have never liked her."
He paused, then added, as if giving her a definite assurance.
"I can tell you for certain, I won’t in the future either."
Jean seed to finally breathe a sigh of relief, her whole body relaxing, as the promise brought tears cascading down. She quickly wiped them away with the back of her hand, revealing a teary yet imnsely reliant and grateful smile.
"I understand, I’m sorry. I’m so foolish for overthinking things. I won’t do this anymore..."
Justin watched her with tears and laughter, utterly dependent on him, and seed to feel the last doubts in the depths of his heart being dispelled by a softer emotion.
He reached out, his movents sowhat stiff, yet still pulled her gently into his embrace.
Jean obediently nestled into his broad chest, her cheek against the cool fabric of his shirt, able to hear his steady, strong heartbeat.
She closed her eyes, hiding all the complex emotions in her gaze.
Thankfully, he didn’t suspect anything when she had Jesse say those words, it was just to take him to the hospital.
For so reason, the more he didn’t suspect, the more it pained her.
She hated being threatened and needed to take Jesse away as soon as possible.
Justin Holden’s arm encircled her thin shoulders, his palm gently patting her back twice, offering a clumsy yet clear comfort.
The person in his embrace was silent for a mont. Suddenly, she slightly raised her head, looking up at him with still teary eyes filled with a certain desperate expectation and plea.
Her voice was very soft, carrying a trace of shyness and uncertainty, yet it clearly reached his ears.
"Lawyer Holden, Jesse really wants a little sister."
She paused to observe his reaction, then as if mustering imnse courage, her voice softer, yet tinged with fatal allure and fragility.
"You said, if I had your child, wouldn’t I stop overthinking and feeling insecure all the ti? Wouldn’t I be able to fully trust you, believe that you won’t leave us?"
She clutched his shirt tightly, her gaze almost pleading.
"Is it possible?"
Justin Holden looked down at the woman in his arms, her clear eyes with teary light, filled with complete dependence and longing.
Her words were like the softest feather, gently scratching an unguarded place deep within his heart.
Silence spread between them.
Jesse played quietly with blocks beside them.
Justin Holden looked at her reddened eyes and that fragile expression, his fingers tapping on his knee paused for a mont.
His gaze lingered on her face for a few seconds before shifting away, landing on emptiness, his jawline seemingly softer than before.
He stood up, walked to her, extending his hand.
The movent was slightly awkward, yet direct in purpose.
His palm rested on her thin shoulder, gently pulling her into his arms.
He didn’t speak, just perford a simple yet secure action.
Jean Ellison submissively leaned into his embrace, her cheek touching the cool fabric of his shirt.
Justin Holden’s arm wrapped around her, his palm patting her back twice, the motion sowhat stiff, but the intention clear.
After a while, Jean slightly raised her head in his arms, looking at him with moist eyes, her voice light and probing.
"Justin Holden, let’s have a child." She paused, observing his reaction, then continued with an even softer but clear voice: "The doctor said I had a difficult labor and was severely damaged then, if I want more kids, I may need to go through IVF."
As soon as she finished speaking, Justin Holden’s arms tightened instantly around her.
He almost imdiately let her go, stepping back a half pace.
The minimal gentleness on his face disappeared completely, reverting to his usual sternness, even with an added chill.
"No." His voice was not loud, yet firm and without room for negotiation.
Jean was stunned for a mont, trying to move closer: "Why? I can..."
"No reason." Justin interrupted her, his tone hard, "No need for children."
He looked at her, his gaze sharp as if to dissect all her facades.
"IVF has severe harm to the female body, don’t you know?"
Jean flustered under his gaze, yet remained persistent: "I know the risks, but I’m not afraid, I..."
"You’re not afraid?" Justin repeated, with a trace of faint anger in his voice, "Egg retrieval needle puncture, hormone drug stimulation, repeated attempts after transplant failures, how many tis can you endure such pain?"
He stepped forward, looking down at her with overwhelming pressure in his gaze.
"I said, there’s no need, Jesse’s words were naive, you needn’t take them seriously."
Jean was forced to retreat by him, her voice lowered, but still stubborn: "But I want a child of ours, don’t you? If there were a child, they wouldn’t force you to leave Jesse and ."
Justin’s jawline tightened, silently looking at her for a few seconds. The air congealed, oppressively suffocating.
He finally looked away, his voice returning to being icy and unquestionable: "This matter ends here."
He no longer looked at her, turning to walk toward the study, his steps steady, yet his knuckles turned slightly white from grip when holding the doorknob.
The door opened and closed with a soft click, shutting the inside and outside apart.
Jean stood there alone, looking at the closed study door, her face pale.
Monts later, she silently picked up the already asleep Jesse, carrying them back to the children’s room.
Returning to the master bedroom, she collapsed onto the bed.
The phone screen lit up, a new ssage popped up.
She glanced at it, irritably turning the phone screen down.
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