CHAPTER 106: CHAPTER 106: HE IS HER LANDLORD

I want to expel the stale air in my heart.

But no matter how hard I tried, it was to no avail.

He put the phone aside, his brow furrowed as he looked at Tristan Hawthorne.

"What’s the current situation with the Hale Family’s company?"

"Assets are frozen, and the family members are constantly pestering and unwilling to relent. Some partners suffered losses because of this incident, and Miss Hale should still be repaying that part of the debt."

Tristan Hawthorne glanced at Declan Hawthorne’s expression, then cautiously said, "One of them is a subsidiary of the Hawthorne Group..."

Feeling the air around Declan Hawthorne grow colder, Tristan Hawthorne braced himself and finished his sentence.

"Our group’s orders are quite large, and we were significantly impacted at the time, so..."

Tristan Hawthorne swallowed hard.

"What it means is, big brother, you... are actually Miss Hale’s biggest creditor at the moment."

The debts Poppy Hale repaid to cooperative partners included a company under the Hawthorne Group.

Indeed, indirectly, it was like paying Declan Hawthorne.

Declan Hawthorne bent down to pick up the pen on the ground, but his hand trembled a bit.

In his mind, it was filled with all her frugal appearances from the last time they met.

Not willing to buy clothes for herself, even Florence’s clothes were ones Amber Yates discarded, unwilling to take a taxi, willing to live in a faraway run-down old place to save money.

Even when ordering takeout, she had to compare prices across several platforms to save a few bucks.

When had she ever endured such grievances?

Before, he thought Poppy Hale endured such a harsh life because of another incapable man.

He was angry, thinking she’d rather live like this than smile at him.

Clearly, if only she would beckon him, he would gladly come to her.

But most of these grievances were actually because of him.

Declan Hawthorne covered his face with his hand, rubbed it vigorously, and when he removed it, his eyes were red.

Tristan Hawthorne watched, scared witless.

This Miss Hale was incredibly powerful indeed.

Tristan Hawthorne spoke, "Big brother, should I contact the subsidiary and tell them not to ask Miss Hale for money anymore?"

Declan Hawthorne shook his head.

His brows and eyes carried a hint of icy determination.

"Tell them to return all the money they had previously collected from her and say it was a misunderstanding. Contact the PR Department and have them handle this matter; we must investigate thoroughly and restore the Hale Family’s reputation."

As long as this matter could be clarified, it would be right to return the money to vindicate the Hale Family’s enterprise.

With the intervention of the Hawthorne Group’s PR Department, the matter would be dealt with more swiftly.

Tristan Hawthorne looked at Declan Hawthorne in admiration.

Big brother is truly big brother, always making the coolest and most reliable decisions at times like this.

Then he heard Declan Hawthorne speak.

"I remember you have a very good lawyer on your side, pass him to me."

"Okay, big brother, are you going to help Miss Hale?"

Declan Hawthorne shook his head.

The sound of the cap being taken off the pen and it gliding across the paper was clear, and his face was hidden in darkness, making it impossible to discern his true intentions.

His voice was hoarse, suppressed to the limit.

"I want to make a will."

Tristan Hawthorne was taken aback.

"Big brother? You’re not even thirty yet, why are you making a will? If Uncle and Aunt hear about this, won’t they be furious?"

Declan Hawthorne calmly said, "Just make sure they don’t find out. I’ve already decided on my sole heir, it has nothing to do with my current age."

This will, whether it comes into effect sooner or later, its contents would remain unchanged.

He had already made up his mind, and no one could change it.

Tristan Hawthorne holds his wildly beating heart.

"Are you planning to leave it to Miss Hale?"

Declan Hawthorne shook his head with a bitter smile, "No, she won’t accept it."

He intended to leave it to his daughter, their daughter.

Poppy Hale wouldn’t want anything from him, but she wouldn’t stop Florence from accepting all his assets.

Everything of his would go to Florence, it was only natural.

But Poppy Hale would be the sole guardian.

-

It rained continuously for a week.

Truth Hale, after being discharged, visited the apartment Poppy Hale newly rented for the first time.

After entering, she looked around.

Her face expressed satisfaction.

But hearing the price, Truth Hale became a bit skeptical, "So cheap? This neighborhood should at least cost tens of thousands, right?"

This neighborhood is in a central urban area, and renting such a large apartment should cost at least tens of thousands.

Poppy Hale sipped water through a straw.

"The landlord said he’s not short on money; he just wants a tenant who will take good care of the house."

"Never seen someone ’not short on money’ giving things away for free. Look, the fridge is new, doesn’t seem cheap."

Truth Hale pointed to the dryer on the balcony.

"A few years ago, I bought your grandma a dryer of that brand, and it wasn’t as high-end as the one on the balcony, and it cost me 35,000 back then."

Poppy Hale also felt something was off.

Took out her phone to look up the price of the same model fridge.

The numbers that popped up, Poppy Hale counted three times before she saw clearly.

A fridge worth hundreds of thousands.

And that day, the agent said the landlord didn’t hesitate and directly ordered the new fridge.

The fact that there was no fridge before indicated that no one had ever lived in this apartment.

A place that hadn’t been lived in, leaving it empty is one thing, but there’s no need to rent it out at such a low price.

Let alone buy such an expensive fridge.

Poppy Hale opened the agent’s profile picture.

Sent a message.

"I realized I forgot to add the landlord as a friend before, could you send his contact to me? It’ll be convenient for paying rent in the future."

Last time the rent was paid directly to the agent.

Half an hour passed and the agent hadn’t replied.

Poppy Hale got her draft to a decent point when the agent finally sent over an account.

Poppy Hale’s pupils slightly enlarged.

A dark profile picture with the nickname H, simple and low-key, yet exuding a bit of mystery.

Poppy Hale laughed in exasperation.

After replying to the agent, she tossed the phone aside and continued her drawing.

The owner of this apartment, it was Declan Hawthorne, which Poppy Hale actually wasn’t surprised by.

But thinking how he previously, wanting to play a charade to lure Florence to tell him the new home address, acted as if he had never been there, made Poppy Hale wonder why he doesn’t pursue a career in acting.

Declan Hawthorne could easily win an Oscar.

Indeed.

After all, in college he pretended to be a poor kid for four years without arousing any suspicion from even her as his girlfriend.

It’s a pity Declan the Great Actor never pursued acting, a true waste of talent.

The phone notifications kept lighting up.

After finishing her draft, Poppy Hale casually picked it up.

First, she opened the background, an official account of the Hawthorne Group sent her a private message, asking if she could take on some drawing commissions.

The offered price was far below the usual rates for the Finn Young account, let alone considering it was for commercial use for the Hawthorne Group, which should be three to five times more.

Poppy Hale frowned, replied with a message declining the commission.

Even if it’s the Hawthorne Group, she couldn’t accept that price; business is business.

After exiting, she opened WeChat.

The dark profile picture had sent her a message.

"The agent said you were looking for me? Is the house missing something?"

Not even bothering to act anymore.

Poppy Hale poked at the screen.

"Why aren’t you continuing your act?"

Followed by a smiling emoji.

It seemed she was a bit angry.

The phone lit up again.

Declan Hawthorne replied to her.

"I’d like to, but I don’t dare to deceive you again."