CHAPTER 10: CHAPTER 10: YOU CROSSED THE LINE

This sentence pulled Poppy Hale back to reality from her dizziness.

In his eyes, she was a married woman.

And he also had a family, even willing to give up the right to pass down his surname for the sake of his beloved.

Declan Hawthorne is a very traditional man.

The Hawthorne Group has been passed down for many years, and the surname also represents the legacy. Only children with the surname Hawthorne are recognized.

It’s imaginable how much pressure Declan Hawthorne has to bear to let his child take their mother’s surname.

Florence Lynch said Iris Quill is about the same age as her. Calculating the actual age, Iris Quill should be only a month younger than Florence Lynch.

A month.

Just after their breakup, Declan Hawthorne married another woman and had children, making Poppy Hale wonder whether she left at just the right time.

Was it the person who messaged him on the shopping app?

Or one of those girls who always went looking for him at the time?

To Declan Hawthorne, she was just a game, a joke.

Even now, she still is.

Poppy Hale felt bitter at heart.

All the strength seemed drained from her body, and Poppy Hale was powerless to push Declan Hawthorne away. The bitterness in her eyes was both sour and bitter, and large tears silently rolled down from her eyes, sliding into Declan Hawthorne’s lips and tongue along the side of her face.

Salty and wet, tasting like the sea.

Declan Hawthorne released his hand.

He reached out to wipe off the wet traces on his face, only to get slapped in the face by a woman.

In the storage room, the crisp sound was even more pronounced, echoing in the confined space.

After the slap, Poppy Hale regretted it a little.

After all, Declan Hawthorne is now her boss, the biggest boss of the company, who could decide her salary and job with just a casual remark.

Poppy Hale trembled as she spoke, "President Hawthorne, you’ve crossed the line."

"Crossed the line?"

In the darkness, Declan Hawthorne seemed to snicker.

His well-defined fingers brushed across the spot on his face where she had slapped, and a strong sense of fatigue and anger surged in Declan Hawthorne’s heart.

"Poppy Hale, I must be despicable to save you."

Poppy Hale bit her lower lip, feeling as though invisible hands were dragging her body from all directions in the closed space.

She didn’t want Declan Hawthorne to see that she was still afraid.

Once her eyes adapted to the darkness, Declan Hawthorne could discern the expression on Poppy Hale’s face.

Those watery eyes were misty at the moment.

Declan Hawthorne was somewhat annoyed.

Earlier, he didn’t know what got into him. Initially, when he kissed her, it was indeed meant as artificial respiration.

But later on, it changed.

The first time they kissed when they dated was in the school’s sports equipment storage room.

That room was smaller, darker, and more confined than this one.

In the dark, Poppy Hale clung to him, kissed him, and Declan Hawthorne didn’t push her away.

At that time, he thought it was her way of manipulation.

He later realized that she was simply scared and terrified.

But that kiss was her first kiss, as well as his.

Once they kissed, it was as if both caught some virus, inseparably close, until they heard another student’s footsteps outside, and only then did Declan Hawthorne release Poppy Hale.

Perhaps, because the situation was too similar to then.

Declan Hawthorne even felt somewhat dazed, hence crossed the boundary.

Likewise, footsteps could be heard outside.

The storage room door was opened from the outside, and the cleaning aunt questioned in confusion, "Who is so uncivilized to lock up the storage room... Eh? Is there someone inside?"

Poppy Hale seized the opportunity of the door opening to quickly leave.

The cleaning aunt, who didn’t recognize the newly parachuted big boss, saw a handsome man inside once the door opened, assuming it was a young couple sneaking in here for a rendezvous.

Couldn’t help but complain, "There’s a garden on the company’s rooftop, a café downstairs, why here? This young chap is handsome, being miserly with a friend like this! If it doesn’t work, go open a room after work!"

"Meeting here, what’s the point? It affects our work."

Declan Hawthorne, with a sullen face, didn’t explain anything and turned to leave.

-

In the afternoon, Rachel Rivers kept asking Morgan Sloan about Poppy Hale.

After learning she was married and had a child, Rachel Rivers was shocked.

Poppy Hale is married and already has a child?

Morgan Sloan said, "Young Hale and her husband have a good relationship, but their child takes after her husband physically and is in poor health. Right, Young Rivers, tomorrow night the marketing department is having a gathering, you go let everyone know."

Morgan Sloan kept it simple, thinking that even if Rachel Rivers couldn’t handle other tasks well, running errands shouldn’t be a problem.

Rachel Rivers originally wanted to get angry because she was here to get close to Declan Hawthorne, to develop a relationship with him, not to suffer as an intern.

But then she thought of it, Poppy Hale is also part of the marketing department, so Rachel Rivers agreed.

Wearing high heels that cost five figures, she walked over to the marketing department, stood unnoticed next to Poppy Hale’s desk, and glanced over her desk items.

Couldn’t help but sneer, "Our company’s salary is decent, why would you use such cheap things?"

Poppy Hale looked up inexplicably, feeling the girl seemed familiar, thought about it, but didn’t recognize her.

"Who are you?"

Rachel Rivers: "..."

Poppy Hale actually didn’t recognize her?

Amber Yates also glanced over and "oh"-ed, "Intern from the secretary team, I was the one who showed her around departments this morning. What’s the matter?"

Rachel Rivers smiled charmingly, brushed her hair back to reveal her diamond earrings.

"I came to inform everyone about the gathering of the marketing department tomorrow night. Everyone must be present."

After saying that, Rachel Rivers looked at Poppy Hale.

"Poppy, you might not recognize me, I am Mason Rivers’ sister."

No wonder she seemed familiar, she turned out to be Mason Rivers’ sister.

Poppy Hale nodded at her and then returned to looking at the screen, dealing with the data needed for the upcoming meeting’s report.

Rachel Rivers didn’t leave.

Standing there, she bent down close to Poppy Hale, speaking in a low voice that only Poppy Hale and she could hear, "Poppy, have you really broken up with Declan?"

Poppy Hale paused her fingertips, looking up at Rachel Rivers with confusion.

Rachel Rivers smiled innocently, "I like Declan a lot, you don’t mind, do you?"

Poppy Hale’s brow furrowed slightly.

Why should she mind, what should concern her now should be Declan Hawthorne’s wife’s feelings.

But Rachel Rivers’ address of Declan still pinched Poppy Hale’s heart slightly.

Declan.

Was Rachel Rivers the one secretly chatting with Declan Hawthorne on the shopping app back then?

Poppy Hale suppressed the stir in her heart, coldly shook her head, "It has nothing to do with me."

Rachel Rivers curled her lips in satisfaction, sneering, "Yes, Poppy is married, no longer related to Declan."

With that, she left the marketing department like a victor.

Amber Yates slid her chair over, "What did she say to you? Do you know her?"

Poppy Hale shook her head, casually saying, "I don’t know her, she asked me where the company bathroom is, said she got lost."

Amber Yates: "...Huh?"

Can’t even find the bathroom, this intern, is she brainless or something?

-

Just before getting off work, Rachel Rivers went to find Declan Hawthorne under the pretense of delivering materials.

Standing before Declan Hawthorne, Rachel Rivers with a smile said, "Declan, Aunt asked us to have dinner together after work and asked you to send me home."

Declan Hawthorne frowned, "I’m not going. Let Mason pick you up."

Rachel Rivers stood there pitifully, her smile turning strained.

She hesitated, "Declan, I met Poppy this afternoon, and she said she didn’t know you were also at the company."