CHAPTER 45: CHAPTER 45: TEMPTING HER

The next day at work.

Poppy Hale yawned several times.

After going back last night, she stayed up all night sketching and confirmed the modifications with the client, and then there was a mix-up.

She sent over the draft, and the other party directly confirmed the progress, settling all the remaining payments.

They thought the draft that Finn Young sent over was the final version.

They exclaimed it was a miracle.

Poppy Hale didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

Luckily, this wasn’t the first time such a thing happened. After communicating with the client, they confirmed the draft. Next steps were coloring and post-production.

Originally a bit sleepy, but after turning off the equipment, she couldn’t fall asleep.

At first, she was just thinking about the suit outline in the draft, which wasn’t very appealing, and later her thoughts were all over the place.

It wasn’t until the second half of the night that she started feeling sleepy, and she was groggy when she got to the office, so she had to go to the break room for coffee.

After brewing the coffee, Poppy Hale heard someone behind her and assumed it was a colleague wanting to use the coffee machine, so she stepped to the side.

Rachel Rivers stood behind her.

With a sullen face, her eyes filled with malice as she looked at Poppy Hale, sizing her up with a touch of unwillingness, and her gaze was full of disdain.

She tutted, "Poppy Hale, do you think you can rekindle your past romance with Declan at this point?"

Poppy Hale didn’t understand why Rachel Rivers always had to cause trouble. What was the point?

If she had the time, she might as well go find Declan Hawthorne.

Poppy Hale was no stranger to Rachel Rivers’ hostility.

While she was with Declan Hawthorne, she often encountered it.

Before, she would endure it, not wanting to cause trouble for Declan Hawthorne.

Now, as a "married woman," there was no need to endure.

Poppy Hale held the coffee in her hand, gripping the handle, and took a step toward Rachel Rivers.

Rachel Rivers, wearing high heels, was taller from her point of view, yet was forced to step back by Poppy Hale’s move.

Facing Poppy Hale’s gaze, Rachel Rivers actually felt a bit guilty.

Poppy Hale’s eyes were pure.

Clear and bright, as if they could see through all of Rachel Rivers’ hidden thoughts.

Rachel Rivers’ heart skipped a beat.

She even felt panicked and confused.

She mustered her spirit, "What are you going to do?"

Poppy Hale curved her lips in a flirtatious smile, brushed her fingers over Rachel Rivers’ collar, grazing the diamond necklace she wore.

The expression on her face was the same as always.

In terms of arrogance and willfulness, Rachel Rivers was no match for Poppy Hale.

She lowered her voice, "Rachel Rivers, if you want to win over a man, be a bit more useful yourself."

"Asking your sister won’t help you. Do you think Declan Hawthorne ignores you because of me?"

Rachel Rivers’ face turned ugly, staggering a step.

Poppy Hale reached out, propping herself up next to Rachel Rivers, and looked at her intently.

"I’m a married woman with kids, why would Declan Hawthorne look at me? Rachel, what do you think?"

Rachel Rivers’ pupils dilated.

They were filled with unwillingness.

"Of course, it’s because you’re trying to seduce Declan."

Poppy Hale smiled flirtatiously.

"Funny, aren’t you the one trying to seduce him? He’s just not interested in you, little girl."

"Stay away from me in the future, and don’t use those dirty assumptions in your head to slander me."

Poppy Hale reached out and touched Rachel Rivers’ face, smiling insincerely, then turned and left the break room.

As soon as she walked out, she saw the man standing at the door.

Why was Declan Hawthorne here when he had his own break room?

The man held a navy blue mug in his hand, not wearing his suit jacket, the cufflinks attached to his sleeves, the rubies gleaming brightly.

The sleeve tightly gripped his upper arm, smoothing out the wrinkles in his shirt, revealing the tailored suit pants underneath, even showing the outlines of the shirttail clips on his thighs.

Sexy, yet exuding a very proper elegance.

Poppy Hale couldn’t help but take another look.

If the person wasn’t Declan Hawthorne, she might have wanted to take a picture.

For another client’s draft modification reference.

Declan Hawthorne was a living mannequin, looking good and fitting in any clothing, rarely seen in formal wear during school.

Poppy Hale never mentioned it.

She loved seeing him in formal attire the most.

Unexpectedly, she didn’t get to see it then, but now she had a chance to feast her eyes.

But she didn’t dare look openly.

Declan Hawthorne caught her gaze, lowered his eyes, and raised an eyebrow, "What are you talking about?"

She hadn’t slept well, making her a bit irritable, and Rachel Rivers’ repeated provocations somewhat stirred Poppy Hale’s anger.

But when faced with Declan Hawthorne, all of Poppy Hale’s temper dissipated.

She didn’t have the guts to confront her superior.

Besides, what she said just now was all nonsense in the heat of the moment.

If Declan Hawthorne intended to stand up for Rachel Rivers,

She could only accept her fate.

When Rachel Rivers saw Declan Hawthorne, she burst into tears.

Pointing at Poppy Hale, she said pitifully, "Declan, she said I’m trying to seduce you, she’s spreading rumors about me!"

Poppy Hale’s temples throbbed from listening.

How did Declan Hawthorne endure Rachel Rivers?

Or did he actually like this kind of person?

With the coffee cup in hand, Poppy Hale took the opportunity to leave amidst the chaos.

Behind Declan Hawthorne, Morgan Sloan, who arrived late, listened to this and felt like hitting Rachel Rivers.

Face turning stern, Morgan Sloan quickly dragged Rachel Rivers away.

Leaving only Declan Hawthorne standing in the break room.

The thin sunlight seeped through the window, falling on the carpet.

The man’s well-structured hand picked up something from the counter.

A ceramic cat-shaped cup lid was left on the counter.

From the color, it matched the coffee cup Poppy Hale held.

Along the edge of the lid, there was a faint layer of red, likely her lipstick mark.

The lip patterns were visible.

Poppy Hale had a habit.

When she was focused on work, she would unconsciously bite something.

Probably while waiting for the water in the cup to cool, she bit the lid.

The ceramic lid left no traces.

Declan Hawthorne recalled hearing the things Poppy Hale said earlier.

There were traces of the past.

Now she seemed completely different from the past.

Perhaps it also had something to do with what she mentioned, her father’s passing.

Poppy Hale was very close to her father, Declan Hawthorne always knew that.

He never talked about it.

Although everyone said Poppy Hale had a bad personality, was arrogant and domineering.

But he liked it that way.

Light shone on Declan Hawthorne.

He took out his phone and snapped a photo of the cup lid in his hand, then turned the camera to take a selfie, sending it all to Poppy Hale on WeChat.

His mood, too, seemed like the sunlight.

From dark to bright.

-

At her workstation.

Poppy Hale had just sat down when she received a message from the man.

At first, it was a photo of her cup lid.

Looking down, she realized she had left the lid on the counter.

She had forgotten to take it back.

Just as she felt annoyed, she saw Declan Hawthorne send another picture.

It was a selfie, a photo of the man in his shirt.

It even looked like it was just taken.

From this angle, she could see Declan Hawthorne’s muscular contours, clearly defined pecs, his arm muscles perfectly outlined.

Simply the most qualified reference for drawing the human body!

Poppy Hale’s heart thudded louder with each beat.

Not only because it was a perfect human reference.

But also because it was him.