CHAPTER 25: CHAPTER 25: ALL BODY, NO HEART?

There was a half-minute pause on the other side of the phone.

Declan Hawthorne was silent.

On the other side, Allen Shaw raised an eyebrow and said, "What, did your ex-girlfriend cheat on you?"

"No."

Declan Hawthorne instinctively refuted.

As someone who grew up with Declan Hawthorne, Allen Shaw didn’t know Poppy Hale and laughed even more at the response.

"I told you, there’s no woman in the world who would dare to dump you and cheat on you! So why are you calling?"

Declan Hawthorne avoided the question, "Do you think if you want to get back at her, it’s because you like her?"

"Well, in my case, that’s how it is. You know I’m a petty guy; if the woman I like, I can’t pursue, and she’s already my girlfriend, there’s no way she’d cheat on me, right?"

Allen Shaw chuckled, lazing on the edge of a sunny island in the southern hemisphere, "Wishful thinking."

"For the sake of my pride and my feelings, I wouldn’t let her have it easy."

Declan Hawthorne frowned.

He lit a cigarette.

After taking a drag, he spoke, "But what if you find out she’s already having a hard time, what would you do?"

Allen Shaw smiled suggestively.

Knowing each other for years, growing up together in the military compound, this topic was no stranger, and Allen Shaw wasn’t the brightest student; his studies abroad were in gold-edged psychology and philosophy.

He caught on that the woman Declan Hawthorne was talking about was likely someone he had ties with.

Allen Shaw whistled.

"You just said her husband cheated, her child is sick, and her family’s bankrupt?"

Declan Hawthorne murmured an acknowledgment.

Allen Shaw laughed, "Why does her having a tough time have anything to do with you?"

"It doesn’t."

"Well, then, unless you like her?"

Declan Hawthorne replied without hesitation, "How could that be possible?"

He definitely wouldn’t like Poppy Hale.

At least, not now.

Declan Hawthorne paused, "Before, I thought her child was mine."

"But I was mistaken."

It was probably because of that little girl that Declan Hawthorne kept wanting to know the truth.

That had to be it.

Allen Shaw raised an eyebrow, "So the Young Master Hawthorne is quite impressive, huh? Not interested, yet dated her, then slept with her, and guessed her kid might be yours? Physical, not emotional?"

Not necessarily, no emotions involved.

It’s just that Declan Hawthorne wouldn’t admit it.

Allen Shaw pursued, "Your girlfriend from university? You weren’t interested, so how did you end up together?"

The traffic ahead was still congested, the vehicles without room to move forward or backward, as if Declan Hawthorne was trapped in place.

He took a deep drag from the cigarette in his hand.

Exhaling the smoke, his mind temporarily cleared.

"Someone made a bet with me. Bet that she could get together with me. The stakes were six months’ access to the basketball court."

"Coincidentally, our dorm had a basketball game in the second semester, and we needed that court. The game was key, indirectly affecting our credits and GPA."

Allen Shaw really hadn’t expected it.

That Declan Hawthorne would get into a relationship with a woman for such a rash reason.

"Did she break up with you because she found out about this?"

Declan Hawthorne frowned deeply.

"I don’t know, maybe."

He wasn’t sure if Poppy Hale knew about this incident.

If she did, based on her usual well-behaved, understanding demeanor before him, she wouldn’t have gotten mad.

Over three years, nearly four.

Poppy Hale had never gotten angry or raised her voice to Declan Hawthorne.

She hardly ever made requests.

Only during his happy moods, did she act cute and coy, asking him to accompany her to do things.

But in retrospect, it was just taking ID photos and shopping for clothes a few times.

Shopping for clothes that he liked, clothes Poppy Hale never got the chance to wear out.

They mostly ended up discarded on the hotel’s big bed.

Declan Hawthorne naturally overlooked that, fundamentally, Poppy Hale was a very stubborn, feisty girl.

Mason Rivers always called her Eldest Miss Hale.

And she indeed had the temperament of a young lady.

But in front of him, she hid it all, like a hedgehog showing only its soft, warm belly.

The sharp quills facing others.

Poppy Hale’s sharpness only manifested when someone hurt Declan Hawthorne, a fellow student in college displeased with Declan Hawthorne, grumbling cynically several times.

Poppy Hale was angrier than him.

Hands on her hips, she’d confront them, leaving the other party red-faced.

It was the first time in his life, someone stood up for Declan Hawthorne.

Even though it was because of a bet that they ended up together, Declan Hawthorne admitted he was enchanted by the warmth Poppy Hale brought.

He craved her unwavering focus, her eyes, and heart filled only with him, those eyes full of stars, all lit up because of him, for him.

He couldn’t bear it, that after their breakup, Poppy Hale married and had a child.

Thinking that, while she liked him, she also liked someone else, planning to marry another, turned Declan Hawthorne’s lips bitter and inflamed his heart with a fierce fire.

Almost burning away his reason.

The burn traveled to his skin, the cigarette butt reaching its end, flames scorching Declan Hawthorne’s fingers.

He snapped back to reality, extinguished the cigarette, and tossed it away.

After the call, his thoughts seemed much clearer.

Traffic cleared up, and he drove away.

-

The weekend passed by in a flash.

As the workweek began, the office was filled with yawns.

Rachel Rivers walked into the office with a grim expression, her heels clicking.

She approached Poppy Hale, not bothering to hide her voice.

The concealer couldn’t even cover the dark circles on her face.

"Did you badmouth me in front of Declan?"

Poppy Hale looked completely baffled.

After Tessa Thorne went home, she slapped Rachel Rivers.

Said she was worthless, couldn’t even win over a man.

Spent so much time trying to win over Mrs. Hawthorne, and now look, Mrs. Hawthorne wants to set her up!

Rachel Rivers was stunned after the slap.

Thinking it over, the only person she could think of was Poppy Hale.

At that gathering, she saw Declan Hawthorne smoking outside, and Poppy Hale talked with him.

It had to be her.

Badmouthing her!

Otherwise, why on earth would Declan Hawthorne want her gone after her internship?

Why would Mrs. Hawthorne want to set her up with someone?

Who wouldn’t know she only liked Declan Hawthorne?

Poppy Hale scrutinized Rachel Rivers, suppressing her rising temper.

"Excuse me, are you out of your mind? Delusions need treatment, too."

"Since you’re here to work, handle the backlog from last week and send it to me before the end of the day."

Rachel Rivers looked furious.

Her voice sharp.

"You’re a married woman with a child, what right do you have to compete with me? Poppy Hale, you have no shame!"

Colleagues nearby glanced over.

But no one criticized Poppy Hale.

They all looked at Rachel Rivers with strange expressions.

Poppy Hale couldn’t be bothered to bicker with Rachel Rivers.

"If you’re not satisfied with President Hawthorne’s arrangements, take it up with him, no need to get me involved."

Rachel Rivers sneered.

"I’m going right now! I’ll make sure Declan fires you!"

With that, she stormed off in her thin heels.

Amber Yates watched her back with disdain, worriedly asking, "Poppy, what should we do? Her making a scene won’t do you any good."