CHAPTER 133: CHAPTER 133: SLAPPED DECLAN HAWTHORNE

Outside the hotel, there was a very small bar.

It was right next to the hotel’s restaurant.

The sky had completely darkened.

After the sunset faded, stars densely filled the sky, and the stars that were scattered everywhere seemed within reach.

Poppy Hale pulled her shawl closer around her.

On the way there, it was a little cold.

In the palm grove next to the bar, there was the sound of a lighter being flicked.

Poppy Hale turned her head to look.

Declan Hawthorne was standing there with just a pair of snug swim trunks on.

His hair was still dripping with water.

All of it streamed over the muscles on his body.

Pecs and abs, all marked by traces of seawater.

There was also some water flowing down where he stood.

His fingers flickered red in the dark.

When he looked at Poppy Hale, he took a deep breath and stubbed out the cigarette at his feet.

Then he bent down to pick it up and threw it into the bar’s trash can nearby.

"How long do you plan to stand there?"

Poppy Hale made a noise of surprise.

"I thought President Hawthorne wanted to discuss work, shouldn’t we be in the bar?"

"Right here."

Poppy Hale took a few steps toward where Declan Hawthorne was standing.

Under the palm grove, his expression was almost completely obscured, as if he was standing in the darkness.

For some reason, it made Poppy Hale’s heartbeat quicken by a beat.

She wanted to open her mouth to ask why he called her over.

Her wrist was suddenly grabbed, pulling her into his arms.

The water on his body also soaked a lot onto Poppy Hale’s shawl.

Originally, the shawl was just a thin piece.

After getting wet, it clung to her skin.

The outline of her bikini could be clearly seen.

Declan Hawthorne glanced downward for a moment, and where his eyes landed made Poppy Hale’s face flush crimson.

"Don’t, don’t look."

"The one you bought earlier?"

"Yeah. What exactly do you want?"

Declan Hawthorne had, of course, seen this outfit before.

Not only had he seen it, he had also taken it off himself.

Declan Hawthorne’s arm tightened, his breath brushing against Poppy Hale’s ear.

"I helped you out during the day, now it’s time for you to help me out once."

Poppy Hale bit her lip.

Didn’t he help her and then nominally ask for her to repay him?

It was as if he had seen through Poppy Hale’s current thought.

Declan Hawthorne lowered his voice.

"I said, I haven’t finished kissing you, you want to break it up in installments."

Poppy Hale: "..."

This man, does he have no shame?

She even thought he must have been possessed by something.

The words he was saying now, one after another, were more terrifying.

Poppy Hale wanted to leave.

But Declan Hawthorne held her tightly, gripping her waist so that she was placed securely on the wooden railing outside the bar.

"Don’t move."

Poppy Hale didn’t know what was beneath the railing, and certainly didn’t dare move.

What if there were some bugs on the island.

Just thinking about it, her body went stiff.

Outside the bar.

Allen Shaw, coming out of the restaurant, immediately saw the familiar silhouette at the edge of the bar.

Clearing his throat, he said, "Miss Sutton, would you like to grab a drink? You can have juice. I’m buying, as a thank you for the meal earlier."

Over at the bar, a few resident singers were holding microphones and singing some obscure tune.

Sea breeze blowing, the coconut trees and palm trees on the island swayed in unison.

Serena Sutton nodded.

"Alright."

It was during dinner she learned that the man who had inadvertently rescued her from embarrassment years ago was Allen Shaw.

The Shaw Family was a leading food enterprise in Arvum.

After sitting at the bar, Allen Shaw deliberately chose a spot where Serena Sutton could see Declan Hawthorne and Poppy Hale.

He ordered a drink and a juice.

Serena Sutton’s fingers pinched the hem of her dress.

After some hesitation, she recounted that incident from high school.

Indeed, Allen Shaw paused in surprise.

Then laughed: "I forgot, were you that person from back then? What a coincidence! Do you remember the person next to me? It was Declan Hawthorne, the cold-faced King Yama."

At the time, Serena Sutton hadn’t noticed Declan Hawthorne.

Now listening to Allen Shaw mention it, she hesitated and said, "Ah... was it Declan? What a coincidence. I still have that school uniform, when should I return it to you!"

Allen Shaw chuckled.

He felt the Miss Sutton in front of him was so pure it was a bit intimidating.

"Miss Sutton, what do you think I’d do with a high school uniform now?"

Of course, it’s useless now.

Even back then, based on the standard of the school they attended.

If you lost a uniform, just go to the admin office and get one.

And during high school, everyone might not even know who the uniforms they were wearing belonged to.

They often just grabbed one and wore it.

Serena Sutton realized as much.

Her face turned somewhat red.

She had an introverted demeanor, always speaking softly, making Allen Shaw feel embarrassed to speak loudly as well.

Wanting to find an excuse for Serena Sutton to look over there.

Serena Sutton raised her eyes, her gaze landing at the edge of the bar.

She could clearly see Declan Hawthorne’s face.

He lowered his eyes, speaking to the woman in front of him, with a gentle smile that was softer than the moonlight.

She couldn’t see the woman’s face.

Could only see her fair back and the single sapphire blue string of a bikini.

The shawl on her shoulders slipped down, revealing most of a rounded shoulder.

Declan Hawthorne leaned down and kissed her shoulder.

That sort of devotion made even an outsider like Serena Sutton’s heart skip a beat.

And she couldn’t help but be mesmerized.

The woman seemed displeased, reaching out to slap Declan Hawthorne.

Serena Sutton’s pupils widened.

Thinking Declan Hawthorne would be angry.

Who would have thought that he would hold the woman’s hand, rub it, and then press his other cheek forward.

The woman didn’t move, so he embraced her, pulling up her shawl, and held her in his arms.

Serena Sutton blinked.

Allen Shaw followed her gaze, just in time to see Poppy Hale slap Declan Hawthorne.

Thinking, serves him right.

It was almost enough.

Casually blocking Serena Sutton’s view, Allen Shaw smiled and said, "Don’t watch. You’ll get a sty in your eye."

Serena Sutton only heard the sound of her own heartbeat.

Thumping.

She instinctively opened her mouth: "Declan, is he, in love with that girl?"

"Yes, says he’s chasing after her, but the girl doesn’t want to pay him any mind."

Serena Sutton turned her face away, looking down at her juice glass in front of her.

The ice floated on top, the straw submerged in a colorful drink.

Like the sunset earlier, it resembled her fluctuating mood.

She exhaled, seemingly relieved, with a soft smile gracing her lips.

"Then I wish Declan success in his pursuit."

Her eyes showed no reluctance, only a great relief.

That’s wonderful.

As long as Declan Hawthorne has a woman he likes, this engagement won’t go through.

She really didn’t want to marry Declan Hawthorne.

That would be too frightening.

Allen Shaw noticed it.

He raised his glass, clinking it with her juice.

Glass clinking, juice and alcohol swayed together.

-

At the seaside.

Poppy Hale returned, and the barbecue over there was drawing to a close.

After thanking Amber Yates and the others, she took Florence Lynch back to the hotel room.

Just after bathing the child, there was a knock on Poppy Hale’s room door.

Standing outside.

Was a male colleague who had just asked Poppy Hale for her contact info on the beach.