CHAPTER 142: CHAPTER 142: FLORENCE LYNCH HAS BEEN KIDNAPPED

The next day at work.

Poppy Hale felt uneasy.

Headache, heart racing, dizziness, as if something was about to happen.

She thought it was her low blood sugar.

She drank half a cup of warm water, ate a few candies to slightly alleviate the discomfort.

She called Truth Hale and opened the surveillance connected to parents’ phones in Florence’s class.

To make sure nothing was wrong.

Poppy Hale pressed her temples.

The last time she felt this way was the day Connor Lynch was taken to the ICU due to illness.

Finished handling the resignation handover documents on her desk.

Poppy Hale stood up and took the documents to the director’s office.

Justin Hawthorne signed it swiftly and handed Poppy Hale a card.

Based on Poppy Hale’s work record, it offered a compensation that wasn’t typical for a voluntary resignation.

The figure was quite substantial.

On the card, there was a sentence.

"Thank you for your hard work and dedication to the Hawthorne Group. We look forward to being partners again in the future."

The Hawthorne Group has always been good at humanistic care.

Poppy Hale began to feel the reality of leaving.

She had a good impression of Justin Hawthorne.

Upon first meeting, there might have been some misunderstandings between them.

Upon parting, only adults’ decorum remained.

Poppy Hale lowered her eyes and smiled slightly, "To be honest, I hope I’ll never have the chance to return."

Justin Hawthorne propped his chin and looked at Poppy Hale.

To be honest, when she first received the overseas call from Declan Hawthorne, Justin thought it was something as serious as the old man’s passing.

Unexpectedly, her brother was troubled by emotions.

With someone like Declan Hawthorne, being troubled by emotions, even made Justin feel less troubled.

Hearing that her brother brought a woman to the dinner, it was quite a surprise.

Wondering what kind of woman could make her brother break his routine.

After meeting Poppy Hale, Justin couldn’t help but marvel.

Poppy Hale’s appearance was like a fleeting blossom, mesmerizing at first glance, and further drawn by her cool demeanor, making one want to explore more.

But Justin had seen many beautiful women.

Women like Poppy Hale were rare.

After all, there was only one woman in the world who could break up with Declan Hawthorne.

Justin also laughed a little.

Raising her eyebrows, she said, "My grandpa was sent away by my big brother yesterday, I should be fired too."

Originally, Declan sent her here to keep an eye on Serena Sutton.

Now that Poppy is leaving, she seems to have no reason to continue working at the Hawthorne Group.

Serena and Justin shared an office.

Upon hearing this, she looked up and asked, "What happened to Grandpa Hawthorne?"

Justin shrugged.

"Said he wanted to introduce a new match to my big brother, and my brother told him to marry himself. Speaking of which, my brother, being so filial, arranged a professional medical team to care for the old man."

Serena stared blankly at her computer.

Calmly she said, "Whatever President Hawthorne decides, Grandpa Hawthorne can’t interfere."

"That’s true, but there are also many things my big brother can’t decide."

Justin winked at Poppy Hale.

Playful and mischievous.

Almost written on her face, the person Declan couldn’t decide was Poppy Hale.

Justin deliberately asked, "Serena, don’t you like my big brother?"

Serena had just sipped her coffee, and she spit it all over the computer screen.

Poppy Hale stepped forward, holding a tissue to wipe the coffee stains off the computer screen.

Serena hurriedly wiped the desk and screen, "Thank you."

"You better stop joking. I’m terrified of your big brother. I can’t imagine any woman daring to truly love him."

Speaking of Declan Hawthorne.

Serena’s whole body couldn’t help but tremble.

Her face was even paler.

While wiping the desk, she muttered to herself, in a volume only Poppy Hale and she could hear, she whispered.

"Perhaps, the woman who kissed him that night would like him."

Poppy Hale’s fingers paused.

Gripping the tissue, she wiped the screen hard.

The slim computer monitor wobbled slightly.

That night, did Serena see her with Declan Hawthorne together?

At that time, Declan had been holding her.

Serena probably didn’t see her face either.

Inexplicably, Poppy Hale felt an illusion that she was having an affair with Declan that night.

Even knowing Serena didn’t see her, Poppy felt a little nervous.

When leaving, Poppy Hale kept feeling an eyelid twitching.

That bad feeling surfaced again in her mind.

At once, she felt somewhat anxious.

A call came on her phone.

It was from Florence’s kindergarten teacher.

Poppy Hale’s hand trembled a bit.

Answering the call, the teacher’s panicked voice came through.

"Florence’s Mom, Florence is missing!"

Poppy Hale’s knees went weak.

Leaning against the wall, she barely managed to stand up, cold sweat broke out all over her body, forcing herself to stay calm, "Teacher, please explain clearly, what happened?"

"Just now, Florence said she was going to another class to find her brother. I watched the two kids playing on the swing together. When I went to get Florence’s water bottle, I couldn’t find her anymore."

"Was she with Anya Archer? Where is Anya?"

The teacher’s voice was almost crying, "Also missing, Florence’s Mom, don’t worry. We’re already retrieving the surveillance footage here, and you should contact someone to see if someone picked up the two kids."

"Okay."

Poppy Hale’s voice shook.

But in her heart she knew.

Florence and Anya had definitely been taken by someone.

The kindergarten has very strict rules, if the teacher doesn’t recognize who comes to pick up the children, they’ll confirm the identity repeatedly.

This kind of situation, where the children were picked up and neither the teachers nor the parents know, wouldn’t happen.

Poppy Hale took a deep breath to calm herself, but her hands wouldn’t stop shaking, tears uncontrollably flowed from her eyes.

As she ran outside to catch a taxi, she was continuously dialing Chloe Archer’s number.

Upon getting into the car, when Chloe answered, she had also just heard that the two kids were missing, assuming it was Eugene Lynch’s couple playing tricks again.

Immediately, she cursed them.

"Poppy, hold on, I’ll call Sean first."

The call ended.

The phone slipped from Poppy Hale’s hand onto her lap.

She had just called Sean, with no answer.

From the Hawthorne Group to the kindergarten where Florence was, it wasn’t too far, but all the way, Poppy Hale’s heart was tied up.

If anything truly happened to Florence.

Poppy Hale covered her face with her hand, tears slipping through her fingers.

She couldn’t imagine it.

Stepping out of the taxi, Poppy Hale almost stumbled, nearly dropping the money several times while paying.

After paying.

She received a text from an unknown number.

"I have your daughter and that bitch’s son. Give me all the money from selling your house before, or I’ll kill them."

"Don’t call the police."

Followed by an address.

It was a café near Arvum University.

Seeing this message, Poppy Hale felt a strange sense of calm.

The teacher hurriedly came out, holding a tablet with a screen capture from the surveillance.

"Florence’s mom, Florence and Anya were taken by this woman, do you know her?"

"She called them to the door, and while the security wasn’t paying attention, took them away in her arms!"

In the photo, Stella Hollis was holding the two children, hurriedly getting into a van.

With her big belly, she could still manage two kids.

The lure of money was indeed irresistible for Stella Hollis.

Poppy Hale felt the blood in her veins turn cold.

She closed her eyes, rage and fear boiling over.

Opening her eyes, redness flooded them.

"Call the police, my daughter and my nephew have both been kidnapped."

"The kidnapper’s name is Stella Hollis."