CHAPTER 156: CHAPTER 156: CONGRATULATIONS, FLORENCE LYNCH’S DADDY

Leaving the cemetery.

After getting in the car, Poppy Hale looked at Morgan Sloan, "Could you please take me to the company? I have work scheduled today."

Morgan Sloan was already familiar with Poppy Hale.

Compared to the way he treated Declan Hawthorne’s new wife, he was more at ease with Poppy Hale.

"Working during your honeymoon? Doesn’t your company give you honeymoon leave? If it really doesn’t work, you could come back to the Hawthorne Group!"

If Poppy Hale could return to the Hawthorne Group,

Morgan Sloan couldn’t even imagine,

how much leave President Hawthorne would give them to meet more often.

Thinking about it made Morgan Sloan’s emotions surge with joy.

Poppy Hale smiled, "Now that I am my own boss, I’ll just skip the honeymoon leave."

"Besides, with Declan at the Hawthorne Group, a part of what the Hawthorne Group earns is already mine."

Morgan Sloan thought about it and realized it made sense.

With the way Poppy Hale worked before, it was clear she’d always be a workaholic.

Morgan Sloan, being close to Poppy Hale, couldn’t help but tease her a little.

"If not for the campus romance, it would have been hard for President Hawthorne to step into the halls of marriage with any woman."

He hadn’t worked with Declan Hawthorne for long,

but Morgan Sloan understood Declan Hawthorne’s personality.

Frankly, he was completely uninterested in romance.

Regarding those female colleagues in the office who eagerly showed affection to Declan Hawthorne, he would casually remark,

"If they spent that effort on work, they’d benefit more than from anything gained from me."

That simple line extinguished a lot of enthusiasm.

With his calm and abstinent demeanor, if Morgan Sloan hadn’t accidentally seen him embracing Poppy Hale, he wouldn’t have believed Declan Hawthorne could be moved.

Poppy Hale was also somewhat lost in thought.

But thankfully, this decision wasn’t sudden and during the time Declan Hawthorne healed, there was a buffer period.

Enough time for her to clearly think through her decision and realize it was serious.

Marriage, after reaching a certain age, requires weighing more than just love.

You must consider family, social relationships, and all the partner’s various aspects.

Choosing to marry Declan Hawthorne wasn’t just because she saw him willing to sacrifice everything to protect Florence Lynch.

She wanted her daughter to receive the complete parental love she had in her own childhood.

More importantly, Poppy Hale heard her inner voice.

She feared something might happen to Declan Hawthorne.

She still loved him.

If she could seize every possibility, she thought, then why not love one more time?

Poppy Hale looked at Declan Hawthorne beside her, her eyes shimmering with ripples, and her smile gentle.

"I’ve said before, when I no longer love Florence’s father, I’ll consider marriage."

Declan Hawthorne’s heartbeat skipped a beat.

Poppy Hale continued speaking calmly,

"Congratulations, Florence’s father."

Fortunately, the person she considered and the one she chose, from beginning to end, was him.

Declan Hawthorne took off the glasses on his nose.

A faint smile graced his lips, but his lowered eyes concealed a hint of watery ripples.

"Yes, congratulations to us both."

-

The Hale Group.

The assistant stood at the door, cold sweat on her forehead, "Our President Hale hasn’t arrived yet, please wait a moment."

Today was strange; a huge crowd had arrived, saying they wanted to work at the Hale Group’s factory.

The assistant didn’t recognize these people, and Poppy Hale hadn’t arrived yet.

The Hale Group had only just started business; the assistant remembered their HR only started today.

How did so many people suddenly come to apply?

The Wrangler parked at the entrance of the Hale Group.

Poppy Hale donned a coat as she got off the car, met by Declan Hawthorne’s reluctant gaze, and laughed.

"See you tonight, work hard; the money you earn is all mine now."

"Alright. I’ll come to pick you up tonight."

After getting off the car, Declan Hawthorne remained seated, his deep gaze fixed on her face.

She chuckled, leaned down to kiss him quickly on the face,

grabbed her bag before Declan Hawthorne could react, and walked into the Hale Group’s doors.

Declan Hawthorne touched his cheek, an irrepressible joy glinting in his eyes.

"Morgan, back to the company."

"Sure thing, President Hawthorne."

She hadn’t even entered the building when Poppy Hale heard a noisy commotion ahead.

The assistant brightened upon seeing Poppy Hale enter.

President Hale looked stunning today!

A long coat revealed the lower hem of a cheongsam, and as the wind blew, the coat opened, revealing a silk cheongsam that was both sexy and gentle, her walking strides swaying like a lily in full bloom in a porcelain vase.

The assistant seemed to see a savior.

"President Hale! Finally, you’re here! These people are here, saying they want to work in our factory. What’s going on?"

Poppy Hale’s assistant, Riley Thorne, was a recent graduate, her face youthful and innocent, but she was spirited and reliable.

But she had never seen such a situation.

Poppy Hale stepped forward, her gaze landing on the young man in front.

It was the one who had crashed into Mason Rivers’ car that day, the victim’s son, named Victor Walden.

Poppy Hale stood there, silent.

The workers behind Victor Walden also remained silent.

Poppy Hale chuckled lightly, "I’m not holding grudges over the past. Have you received the money?"

Victor Walden’s eyes reddened instantly.

With a thud, he kneeled down, ready to kowtow to Poppy Hale.

Startled, Poppy Hale quickly moved aside, instructing someone to help him up.

Victor Walden’s eyes were bloodshot.

"Five years ago, when my mom got sick, it was the factory that paid for her treatment. I thought it was supposed to be like that. Only recently did I find out that it was President Lynch who personally used his private account to pay for my mom’s treatment."

"Otherwise, I wouldn’t have had my mom five years ago."

"I received the compensation President Lynch provided my dad, but I can’t accept it. Can I work in the factory without pay?"

Several workers behind him also stepped forward.

"When my child was sick, President Lynch visited the hospital and even asked if he could match with my child—to donate bone marrow! Although it didn’t match, our whole family remembers this kindness!"

"When my mom passed away, President Lynch personally came and even kowtowed, something not even one’s own child might do. At the time, our family had some issues, and the villagers refused to let my mom be buried back home. President Lynch said my mom was like his and wouldn’t let her be restless. It’s a great kindness."

As they spoke, these workers wept.

They all said, because they knew Poppy Hale had returned, they wanted to come work at the factory for free, to be there with her through the toughest times for the company.

"Please let us stay. We don’t want anything, just to repay President Lynch!"

"Yes, President Hale, let us stay!"

"We don’t want money. If the factory struggles, I still have some savings I can put in!"

Poppy Hale’s eyes misted over.

Behind her, Riley Thorne held back her tears, almost crying.

No one noticed that President Hale’s voice had healed.

Poppy Hale blinked and calmly said, "Thank you all for coming. The factory does need people, but we’re still in the startup phase. How about registering first, and when we begin operations, we’ll call you back."

The workers nodded, registering and reminding Poppy Hale to remember them.

After sending off the last worker, Poppy Hale noticed someone still standing at the entrance of her office.

Mia Quinn was there with a cup of milk tea, smiling as she waited.