CHAPTER 169: CHAPTER 169: PRESIDENT HAWTHORNE, MAY I ASK IF YOU ARE MARRIED?

The Hawthorne Family’s house now stands four stories high.

From the third-floor window, you can see the distant horizon of Arvum, vast and tranquil.

The man embraced Poppy Hale from behind, his sweat dripping onto the back of her neck and sliding down her spine.

Her porcelain white skin was illuminated by the moonlight, and the bright hues refracted by the glass window were also cast upon it.

The sea level was rising, Poppy Hale’s cheek pressed against the glass, her breath fogging it up.

A faint blush spread across her skin, her black hair fell on both sides, accompanied by the red marks on her shoulders, resembling red plum blossoms blooming in winter.

Poppy Hale felt as though she was running out of breath.

Beside her ear was the sound of heavy breathing, merging with her own in rhythm.

A fog started to form in front of Poppy Hale’s eyes; she couldn’t see the scenery outside the window, only feeling her thoughts drifting away.

It finally ended, as the sky began to lighten.

Poppy Hale didn’t even have the strength to lift her finger and gave Declan Hawthorne a light push.

"You should sleep in a separate room from me in the future."

If this goes on, she felt like she was becoming a victim of a male ghost’s yin absorption to nourish yang practice.

Declan Hawthorne, however, was full of energy, showing no sign of the effort exerted earlier.

She still had to work during the day.

With him draining her completely, how could she possibly work?

Declan Hawthorne responded perfunctorily.

He bent down and kissed her forehead. "Elder Chambers called and asked us to visit the hospital tomorrow. He prepared some medicinal cuisines for Florence to try, and he wants your opinion on which would be suitable."

Ever since Elder Chambers returned, he had been concerned about Florence Lynch’s situation.

Born premature, she was difficult to care for.

But for a family like the Hawthorns, doting on a daughter was hardly a challenge.

Poppy Hale nodded.

She looked up at the man before her.

The tenderness in his eyes rippled, making Poppy Hale feel like she might drown in it.

The sweat at the front of her forehead lingered at his jawline; Poppy Hale reached out, wiping that drop of sweat with her fingertip.

"Do you need me to step out and clarify things about the game?"

Declan Hawthorne shook his head, taking her finger into his mouth, and replied indistinctly, "I’ll handle it."

"I will contact Finn Young’s side and invite her to attend the press conference to clarify matters for us."

Finn Young’s fans are considered relatively rational.

However, there were many paid trolls sent by the rival company who seized the opportunity to forcibly link two unrelated individuals, and there were many insulting Finn Young as well.

Poppy Hale didn’t care much.

The press conference was scheduled before Old Master Hawthorne’s birthday.

She pressed against Declan Hawthorne’s chest, "Have you been working overtime a lot lately?"

"Yes, so you should sleep first; I’ll go to the study in a moment."

"Since you have to work overtime, perhaps it’s really better if we sleep separately from now on."

That would benefit both his work and her waist.

Declan Hawthorne’s molars ground slightly, as he leaned closer to Poppy Hale, his large hand caressing her waist.

"Say that again?"

After all the effort to marry her, she was talking about sleeping separately.

Not a chance.

Poppy Hale struggled to keep her eyes open, negotiating with him, "Only three times a week, no more. I need my rest."

When in school, they had arguments over this sort of thing too.

Declan Hawthorne had always had quite the high demand in that regard.

Poppy Hale had no idea where all his energy came from.

Was this what being highly energetic truly meant?

She was exhausted just by working, but Declan Hawthorne still had the energy for work after that kind of exertion.

Declan Hawthorne chuckled softly, "Impossible, if you’re tired, go to sleep, I can manage on my own."

Poppy Hale didn’t want to deal with him at all.

"You’re sick."

"Haven’t you figured out yet whether I’m sick or not?"

Poppy Hale didn’t care to waste words with him any further, threw a pillow over, and went to sleep herself.

Declan Hawthorne caught the pillow she tossed his way with ease, a slight smile tugging at his lips as he put on his clothes and exited the room.

The study light burned brightly throughout the night.

-

Hawthorne Tower.

In keeping with Hawthorne Group’s tradition, leaving the lights on uses less energy than turning them off and on again, hence the building remained illuminated all night.

As soon as Declan Hawthorne entered the company, a crowd of media personnel rushed towards him.

Flashing lights and microphones surrounded him.

The topics they brought up were sharp and incisive.

"President Hawthorne, will the new romance game that was just released affect the game your company plans to release soon? The company claims Hawthorne’s game plagiarized their game; is that true?"

"President Hawthorne, earlier there were claims that Hawthorne’s data was leaked. Is that true?"

"President Hawthorne, may I inquire about your current relationship status? Previously, there were photographs of you on an island vacation with the Sutton Electronics heiress; does this mean good news is near?"

Each question seemed eager to dig out some juicy scoop from Declan Hawthorne’s mouth.

Bodyguards and a team of secretaries surrounded Declan Hawthorne, clearing a path for him.

Declan Hawthorne’s steps didn’t falter.

With a steely expression, he showed no intention of stopping.

Until a female reporter squeezed out from the crowd.

She loudly asked, "President Hawthorne, it’s said that the person who leaked the game data was your former employee, Poppy Hale. Is this true? What actions is Hawthorne Group taking in response to these reports?"

The hall fell suddenly silent.

Declan Hawthorne paused, his sharp gaze following the voice to focus on the female reporter who posed the question.

He naturally had prominent brow bones, which made his downward gaze even more intimidating and unsettling.

"When Poppy Hale left, the game wasn’t in its current state. Are you suggesting she went to great lengths to steal our already discarded data?"

Not a sound was heard.

Declan Hawthorne adjusted his tie, exuding the aura of a man in power.

"Our game will be released as planned. Although the other party stole our abandoned game version, we will still pursue legal action against them."

"We welcome everyone to attend the press conference."

"We also believe that our current version is naturally much better than the discarded one."

A reporter inquired, "If it was a discarded version, then why was the original release delayed for so long? Was it because it still involved core data that Hawthorne Group had to revise?"

The theft of core data would undoubtedly make Hawthorne Group’s game a laughingstock in the industry.

Declan Hawthorne remained tight-lipped.

He gestured for silence, and Morgan Sloan stepped forward.

"The PR department will address your questions; please move along."

Under the protection of his bodyguards, Declan Hawthorne exited through another path.

His only apparent reaction was to the female reporter’s unfounded attack on Poppy Hale, uninterested in answering any other questions.

The female reporter, vigilant, maximized her camera’s zoom to capture the shiny object on Declan Hawthorne’s finger.

It was a ring.

The female reporter excitedly asked, "President Hawthorne, are you married?"

Declan Hawthorne paused, slightly turned, and raised his hand for the media to capture, "Yes, I am married."

He even lingered for half a minute, seemingly just to let the media get a clear shot of his ring.

"What kind of person is your wife?"

"Is it the Sutton Family heiress? Are you reluctant to bring her out because she is not presentable?"

"President Hawthorne, say a few more words!"

These questions gradually cooled the warmth brought by the wedding ring on Declan Hawthorne’s face.

His gaze swept over the vests of the journalists who asked these questions.

"I will remember your companies, and you won’t need to attend the future press conferences."

After saying this, he ignored the commotion behind him and left the hall with large strides.

However, the news of Declan Hawthorne’s marriage quickly became the headline within the company.