CHAPTER 143: CHAPTER 143: WANT TO SEE HIM

Café entrance.

Poppy Hale spotted Stella Hollis immediately, sitting there leisurely drinking coffee.

She didn’t see where the two children were.

Poppy walked in.

Meeting Stella’s inexplicable smile, she picked up the coffee and splashed it on Stella’s face!

"Where are my daughter and Anya?"

Stella wasn’t hurried.

She wiped the coffee off her face with a napkin, and said calmly, "Why the rush? They’re in a nearby hotel, my parents are watching them, they’re fine."

"I specially ordered this coffee for you, what a waste."

Stella touched her belly, her voice carrying the tone unique to a victor.

"Pregnant women can’t drink coffee, I specially ordered it for you. Where’s my money?"

Poppy looked at Stella in front of her.

She always felt like she was meeting her for the first time.

Every meeting, Stella would do something that refreshed Poppy’s lower limit of understanding.

But when she asked for money, Poppy became a bit calmer.

She needed to inform the police to find Florence and Anya at the nearby hotel.

But Stella couldn’t know she had already called the police.

She needed to stall for more time.

Without the money, Stella wouldn’t dare do anything to the children.

Poppy’s phone rang at that moment.

Stella warned, "If you dare call the police, I’ll reunite your daughter with your father right now."

"It’s a call from my mom. If I don’t pick up, she’ll worry. If she can’t find me, my mom will call the police too."

Stella rolled her eyes.

Poppy was as troublesome as ever.

She answered the call, it was Declan Hawthorne.

Poppy calmly said, "Hello, Mom, I’m going to pick up Florence; I’m eating out tonight, I’ll be back later."

Declan was first stunned.

Then realized something.

"What are you eating?"

"Oh, I can’t buy you pineapple buns, your heart just had surgery, don’t eat bread. Okay, I’m hanging up."

Poppy’s tone was impatient.

Stella didn’t hear anything unusual.

But under the table, Poppy’s hand was all cold sweat.

She didn’t know if Declan understood her meaning.

During college, Declan’s favorite pineapple bun was from this café.

But when they were in school, this café stopped selling pineapple buns.

Let alone would she call Declan ’Mom.’

Stella snatched Poppy’s phone, shut it off, and placed it on the table.

"Give me the money."

"How can I give you so much money? Even bank transfers take time."

Stella’s face wore a poisonous cold smile.

"Poppy Hale, don’t play tricks on me, originally, you could’ve split the money from selling your house with my son and it would’ve been settled, but you refused, and even gave money to that bastard’s son."

"If Sean Lynch hadn’t drunk too much, I’d have never known about this. You have only yourself to blame."

Stella stood up.

"Let’s go, we’re going to the bank together. When you transfer the money, that’s when I’ll let your daughter go!"

She tightly squeezed Poppy’s arm.

The nails dug deep into the flesh, her eyes filled with hatred.

Poppy spoke, "You’re hurting me."

"You know pain? Poppy Hale, why should someone like you have it better than me?"

This might have been Stella’s true feelings all along.

Even now.

Poppy stood before her, her eyes still carried an air of superiority, stabbing Stella’s heart deeply.

Stella reached out and slapped Poppy hard.

Red handprints marked Poppy’s fair face, finally adding to her noble face a touch of disarray.

Watching her, Stella finally felt a sense of pride.

"Poppy Hale, I hate you."

"Seeing you reduced to this state delights me, but it’s not enough, not at all!"

The face of the woman before her had become somewhat ferocious.

Poppy saw the bloodshot eyes below, always feeling she resembled a demon from hell.

The gaping mouth full of greed.

Poppy wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, "If we don’t go now, the bank will close."

Stella sneered.

Poppy’s biggest weakness was being overly sentimental.

Just a daughter, without even knowing who the father is, she insisted on cherishing her as a treasure.

That’ll come at a cost.

They exited the café.

Suddenly, out of nowhere in the bushes, someone rushed and crashed into pregnant Stella!

A sharp scream came from behind.

Poppy turned around, seeing a woman straddling Stella, disregarding her pregnancy, delivering a dozen slaps without a pause, the scene was tragic.

It was Mia Quinn.

"Poppy, go find your daughter quickly!"

"Mia? How are you here?"

Mia clutched Stella’s neck, ignoring her nails scratching and clawing bloody marks on her arm.

She raised her eyes, her face looking grim, yet squeezing out a slight smile for Poppy.

"Of course, catching up with Stella. Poppy, remember to call the cops on me."

Otherwise, Poppy would also be a witness, causing harm to Poppy.

"Poppy, quickly go find your daughter, she’s in Arvum Grand Hotel, fifth floor."

Mia’s eyes showed a determination viewing death unyieldingly.

She had been tracking Stella for a long time, just for this moment.

The hatred of those few years, she hadn’t forgotten for a second.

Her youthful memories with Poppy and Declan Hawthorne had ended.

With Stella, they’re just beginning.

-

Poppy stumbled all the way.

Standing by the elevator downstairs, she waited endlessly.

She rushed to the stairs and climbed to the fifth floor.

Poppy ran too fast, her legs had lost feeling, it was the thought in her mind driving her forward.

The hallway was covered in blood.

Poppy’s heart raced uncontrollably.

Florence, her Florence.

She ran toward the direction of the blood flow.

A door was ajar.

Declan Hawthorne lay in a pool of blood, his back covered in knife wounds, his arms cradling two still sleeping children.

Poppy’s blood instantly froze.

Cold sweat soaked her clothes.

The scene before her was horrifying, she collapsed, touching Declan and the two children.

Her hands were full of blood.

She trembled as she took Declan’s phone and dialed 120 and 110.

A fierce heartache swept through every nerve ending in Poppy, as if countless knives were stabbing into her own body, as something vital drained from her heart.

Poppy tried to rise and call for someone, but found she couldn’t make any sound.

The sounds of ambulance and police sirens finally echoed downstairs.

A flood of stimuli washed over Poppy’s adrenaline, she closed her eyes and passed out in the pool of blood.

-

In the hospital.

Poppy opened her eyes to find Truth Hale sitting beside her, wiping away tears.

"You, such a big deal, why didn’t you tell me?"

Poppy opened her mouth to speak, no sound came out.

Truth hurriedly said, "Florence and Anya are safe, in the children’s ward. Stella has been caught, her parents too; Young Hawthorne is still being operated on."

"Your heart inherited a bit from me, can’t handle shocks, this time the shock was too much, causing temporary voicelessness."

Poppy realized.

She couldn’t speak.

Her throat was like a whistle missing parts, completely silent.

Truth saw her looking around, put her phone in her hand once it was turned on.

Poppy opened the notepad, typing for Truth to see.

"I need to see Declan Hawthorne."

Truth hesitated, "Young Hawthorne’s condition isn’t great, Stella’s parents went mad, trying to kill Florence and Anya, Young Hawthorne shielded the children and took several stabs."

Poppy stared at Truth.

Tears uncontrollably streamed down.

Seeing her like this, Truth felt deeply pained.

"Alright, then go, he’s in the operating room upstairs."

Poppy lifted the blanket and got out of bed.

She sped all the way.

She must see Declan Hawthorne, even if she had to run.

She needs to tell him something very important.