CHAPTER 116: CHAPTER 116: THE TRUTH BEHIND THE BANKRUPTCY

As the words fell.

Poppy Hale wanted to explain, but Declan Hawthorne nodded before she could.

"I’ll take Florence to visit the two elders another day."

"Alright, I’m waiting for you. My partner still remembers and wants to make sweet and sour ribs for you."

The simplest way the older generation treats the younger is by wanting to feed them.

Although Declan Hawthorne is now practically in charge of the Hawthorne Group, in Professor Chambers’ eyes, he often feels the same as when he was a child.

Probably because he has children of his own now, Declan understands this kind gesture.

He also always wants to take Florence to eat a lot of delicious food.

After standing up to see Professor Chambers off to another ward, Declan returned and had breakfast with Florence.

The breakfast had just been delivered by Heather Underwood.

She said Mrs. Hawthorne watched over the kitchen last night as the porridge simmered, the rice oil was all released, enticing Iris Quill, the little chubby one, to drink several bowls in the morning.

Mrs. Hawthorne was thinking about Florence, so she asked Heather to bring some food over.

Just watching that scene, Heather felt emotional in her heart.

If one day Mrs. Hawthorne knew Florence was her biological granddaughter, she’d probably be overjoyed.

But as a mother, she completely agreed with Poppy Hale’s decision.

So she didn’t say much more.

In the morning, Declan Hawthorne took his phone to an empty ward to hold a meeting.

Poppy Hale picked up her tablet to continue drawing.

The door of the ward was knocked, and Chloe Archer stood there holding a fruit basket and flowers. Seeing Poppy Hale look up, she confirmed a few times before walking in.

They hadn’t seen each other for years, so she wasn’t sure if the person in front of her was Poppy Hale.

Poppy Hale stood up, "Chloe, why are you here?"

"What do you think? That rascal Anya fed Florence and ended up making Florence hospitalized. How could I not come?"

She had just asked at the nurse’s station before finding Florence’s ward.

Chloe Archer had always felt guilty in her heart.

She took out a red envelope from her bag and handed it to Florence, "Here, Florence, this is from Mrs. Archer, take it."

Since she and Sean Lynch had divorced, calling herself an aunt felt inappropriate, and Chloe didn’t want to do that.

Florence looked at Poppy Hale and, seeing her nod, accepted the red envelope.

After taking it, she asked Chloe Archer, "Can I open it?"

"Of course you can, it’s yours now, so you can open it."

Florence opened the red envelope.

She wasn’t very good at counting, didn’t know how much money was inside, but she knew how to split it equally.

"Mrs. Archer, one for you, one for me, make sure to take it."

Chloe Archer nodded dumbfoundedly, not knowing what Florence was up to.

After dividing the money in her hand, Florence finally spoke: "I want half. The remaining half is for Anya brother. Anya brother is also sick, it must be very uncomfortable, right?"

Chloe Archer’s nose tingled with emotion.

What a little angel.

How can she be so sensible!

At the same age of two or three, Anya was always like an undeveloped monkey, constantly jumping around, or singing loudly at home.

Chloe Archer felt a subtle discontent toward her son.

Her gaze toward Florence was filled with tenderness and smiles.

"Ah, our Florence is just too adorable!"

Her voice unintentionally took on a higher pitch.

Poppy Hale pointed to the chair beside her, "Chloe, have a seat."

Chloe Archer didn’t act too polite. She was here to see Florence and didn’t intend to leave after just dropping off the items.

After sitting down, Chloe Archer started talking about last time’s issue.

"That bastard Eugene Lynch, I don’t even want to mention him! Why should my son have to take on their Lynch family name?"

"Anya hasn’t used a single penny from Sean Lynch since he was born!"

Poppy Hale exclaimed: "Didn’t Sean provide any child support?"

"Child support? What a joke! Every time I asked him, his little wife would pick up and tell me to go sell myself on the street if I was short of money, but not to ask them!"

Poppy Hale, for a moment, didn’t know what to say.

Stella Hollis actually said something like that?

Even though Anya is Sean Lynch’s son, he hasn’t provided any support in these past two years.

It really is excessive.

Chloe Archer said, "Eugene Lynch wanted Anya to change his name and only found out after that, even if divorced, changing a child’s surname requires both parents’ consent. I’m never letting my son change his surname. To have the surname Lynch is really unlucky!"

Florence raised her small, soft hand.

"I have the surname Lynch too."

Chloe Archer quickly put on a smile, "I wasn’t talking about you. Our little Florence has the most beautiful name in the world! And your grandfather is also a very good person."

Florence obediently nodded.

She knew her grandfather was a good person.

Grandma and Mom often said so.

This little interruption eased much of Chloe Archer’s anger.

"Have you met Sean Lynch’s little wife?"

Poppy Hale nodded.

"She was my college roommate. Her family situation wasn’t good."

Poppy Hale only knew Stella Hollis came from a rural family, her parents were farmers, her mother passed away early, and now her mother is her father’s second wife, who gave birth to her two sisters and a brother who is cherished.

After Poppy Hale finished speaking, Chloe Archer first expressed surprise, then laughed loudly.

"Serves him right!"

"Sean Lynch is getting what he deserves. What kind of peaceful life does he think he’s going to have with a wife like that? Divorcing me was simple, after hitting me twice, I left on my own. In such a family, even if the daughter is beaten to death, there’s no way she’d divorce him."

Poppy Hale thought the same in her heart.

Back then when Chloe Archer was domestically abused, it was Connor Lynch who heard the commotion, went to Eugene Lynch’s house to mediate, and took Chloe Archer away.

He asked Poppy Hale to stay with Chloe, to comfort her.

Chloe Archer had always been grateful to Connor Lynch and Poppy Hale.

She stood up, holding Poppy Hale’s wrist.

"Poppy, there’s something I have to tell you."

"Back then, when Uncle Connors’ company had issues, the money already transferred to the family members disappeared. It was taken by Eugene Lynch."

Poppy Hale’s eyes widened in shock.

"Didn’t they say the project leader embezzled that money?"

"Not entirely, do you think the person in charge would dare threaten the family without instructions from someone higher up? Eugene Lynch took most of that money, a small part was given to the person in charge."

This matter had been buried in Chloe Archer’s heart for a long time.

"I hadn’t found the opportunity to tell you, mainly because, first, I had no evidence, and second, I feared you wouldn’t believe me."

"I overheard Eugene Lynch saying this over the phone back then. I secretly tested Sean Lynch; he didn’t know about it."

Now, she finally had the chance to say it.

Chloe Archer felt as if a weight had been lifted from her heart.

Her phone rang, and Chloe received a call from Anya’s side, hurriedly getting up.

"Florence, Auntie will visit you next time."

"Goodbye, Mrs. Archer."

Chloe Archer left while Poppy Hale sat there, her palms covered in cold sweat.

Her mind was filled with thoughts about the past incident.

If the instigator of that matter was Eugene Lynch...

The more Poppy Hale thought about it, the more shocked she felt, something tugging at her thoughts, causing her temples to throb painfully.