CHAPTER 19: CHAPTER 19: SUSPICIONS

She sent an emoji.

The past account, and the emojis would remain in the past.

It was a gif of a cartoon bear sprinting over to hug and kiss another bear.

In the past, Declan Hawthorne received one every day.

She sent it by mistake and quickly retracted it.

Opening up her Moments feed, she saw Poppy Hale asking for a ride home.

He happened to be nearby, and since he had to pass by Pinegrove Road Station on his way home, he gave her a lift.

However, his home and the old rundown apartment on the outskirts of Arvum were in opposite corners of the city, practically worlds apart.

When Declan Hawthorne saw Poppy Hale, she was drenched and pitifully disheveled.

She looked like a stray dog, bullied and lost.

Her hair clung to her face, dripping water from the ends, and her dress, soaked, clung to her body. Once inside the car, she shivered from the air conditioning.

Declan Hawthorne quietly adjusted the AC temperature.

Throughout the ride, she seemed to fear him.

She didn’t want to speak a word to him, as if deliberately maintaining a distance between them.

Even while seated, she strained to move closer to the door, her posture defensive, as if ready to leap out at any moment.

Seeing her again, Declan Hawthorne had become a terrifying monster in Poppy Hale’s eyes.

Rain relentlessly battered the car windows, the wipers tirelessly swiped back and forth in vain, as water streamed down the glass. Cold wind seeped in from outside, growing a complex sense of irritability in Declan Hawthorne’s heart.

The pancake roll with fritters wasn’t authentic, and the taste was quite average.

At the gathering, Declan Hawthorne didn’t eat much and was indeed hungry.

In this area, at this hour, it was hard to find suitable food.

After quickly finishing the pancake roll, Declan Hawthorne headed home.

On the road, he got a call from Mrs. Hawthorne, who worriedly asked, "Declan, it’s pouring out there. Are you still outside?"

"On my way home. Almost there."

Mrs. Hawthorne reminded a few safety issues, then asked, "How are things going with Rachel?"

"Not very well. I’m not interested in Rachel Rivers."

Having said it so directly, Mrs. Hawthorne found all her prepared persuasive arguments useless.

But Mrs. Hawthorne really liked Rachel and, undeterred, asked, "Why don’t you like her? There must be a reason, right?"

Declan Hawthorne replied, "I like someone with a good figure, Rachel is too skinny. Mom, can’t you understand that?"

Mrs. Hawthorne was suddenly left speechless.

Declan’s taste was exactly like Mr. Hawthorne’s!

The saying "like father, like son" was truly apt!

"Didn’t you say before that you had a girlfriend? Why don’t you get back in touch with her?"

As Mrs. Hawthorne mentioned it, she began to feel hopeful and pressed on, "Since returning, have you met her?"

"I have."

"How did it go? If you upset her before, you should apologize! If needed, I can apologize on your behalf!"

Mrs. Hawthorne even planned that if there was any hope, she would personally apologize for Declan.

She knew what Declan’s temperament was like.

Their breakup was likely due to Declan’s shortcomings.

Declan Hawthorne nodded, "She has a two-year-old daughter. The other day Iris Quill picked on her daughter, and I also got scolded by her."

"If you go to apologize, make sure to make it up to Iris Quill too."

Mrs. Hawthorne: "..."

The small glimmer of hope quickly extinguished.

"Declan, at least find someone to bring home. Last time your dad asked me if you were dating Mason Rivers, and I didn’t know what to say!"

Declan Hawthorne furrowed his brow with intense disdain, "Mason Rivers? My taste isn’t that bad."

Mrs. Hawthorne let out a shrill cry!

"You mean... you really like men?!"

Declan Hawthorne tiredly replied, "I like women. Hanging up now, I’m driving."

And then he hung up.

Hearing the dial tone on the other end, Mrs. Hawthorne grew more uneasy, patting the nearby Mr. Hawthorne who was joyfully playing card games, "Do you think there’s something wrong with our son?"

Before Mr. Hawthorne could respond, Mrs. Hawthorne anxiously went to arrange a blind date for Declan Hawthorne.

On the side, she also called Mason Rivers.

-

Late at night, Poppy Hale finished her shower.

Her room was small, in contrast to the past Hale Family residence, this little bedroom was about the size of her previous bathroom.

With a bed, a wardrobe, and a desk from a second-hand store used as a dressing table, that’s the whole room.

Turning on her phone, there was news from the collaboration order that Poppy Hale had discussed last time. The other party accepted her price and wanted to schedule some illustrations.

Poppy Hale confirmed the illustration style and type with them, negotiated a timeline for the sketches, received a deposit, and went offline.

The requirements weren’t too difficult.

Poppy Hale, in the original illustration circle, was a rising star. She had worked on several game projects before, creating commercial illustrations for popular games.

When players opened the game, they would see illustrations by Poppy Hale, under the pseudonym Finn Young.

Players who initially didn’t know Finn Young were amazed by the art and searched online, only to find out it was a renowned master within the industry.

As a result, more people sought Poppy for commissions.

Later, a scandal erupted, alleging she charged a whopping 150,000 for that illustration order.

There were also many haters criticizing that Finn Young’s artwork wasn’t worth such a high price, sending numerous private messages to insult Poppy Hale.

The game company had to step in, clarifying the price wasn’t as high.

And they candidly stated that Finn Young’s work was worth the price.

When Poppy Hale went online, she disclosed her commission prices and announced a price increase.

If people wanted to hire her, they could. Those who wanted to discredit her wouldn’t faze her.

Consequently, Finn Young’s reputation soared, making her a major figure in the illustration community.

However, Poppy Hale didn’t have as much freedom as people thought.

She needed money but also cared about the quality of her work. If she lacked inspiration or was dissatisfied with the illustrations, she’d rather take fewer jobs.

Moreover, she had a job to keep up with.

There wasn’t much time left for drawing.

At one point, she considered pursuing illustration full-time, but the work drained creativity and was unstable.

She needed insurance, a pension, and the financial security of a regular paycheck.

Just after handling the commission order, a call came in from Mason Rivers.

"Poppy! Help! Declan’s mom just called asking if I’m his partner!"

Poppy Hale couldn’t hold back.

She burst out laughing.

"Then just say yes. I’ll gift you both a big red packet when you get married."

Her laugh, devoid of any sense of responsibility, reminded Mason of the lively, carefree Eldest Miss Hale from the past.

"Poppy, help! I’m really not into that. I lied to Auntie, saying I had a partner, and now she insists on meeting them!"

Mason Rivers pleaded, "Will you come with me for this meeting?"

Even he couldn’t believe Mrs. Hawthorne had such a wild imagination.

If Mrs. Hawthorne misunderstood, it might get so bad that even Rachel Rivers and the entire Rivers Family would be estranged.

Unable to back out, he had to agree to the meeting.

But after much contemplation, he realized the women around him were either minor celebrities or models, none suitable, all high-maintenance.

That’s when he thought of Poppy Hale.

"Mason, have you lost your mind? A task like this... even a dog wouldn’t..."

Mason River calmly responded, "Ten minutes, help me out, and I’ll give you a red packet of 8,888."

Poppy Hale instantly changed her tune.

"I’ll go. If dogs won’t, I will."