CHAPTER 6: CHAPTER 6: SO SHE’S POPPY HALE’S DAUGHTER

Declan Hawthorne pulled open the drawer, tore open the foil of the medication, and swallowed the loratadine in his hand, "Allergic."

Mrs. Hawthorne admitted that when she saw the marks on Declan’s neck, she thought Declan finally had a girlfriend and it was inconvenient to bring her home.

Who knew, it turned out to be an allergy.

...

Mrs. Hawthorne was a bit disappointed.

"Declan, Rachel said she wants to intern at the company, please make the arrangements."

"Let her go through the process, as long as she can pass the interview, that’s fine."

Mrs. Hawthorne was displeased and couldn’t help complaining, "Rachel is at least a graduate from a prestigious university, why does she still have to go through the process to intern at the company? Declan, can’t you make an exception?"

Declan Hawthorne lifted his eyelids, "No."

Rachel Rivers is quite attractive, her family background is well matched, not to mention she has liked Declan for several years now."

What’s wrong with her?

Mrs. Hawthorne looked at Declan, feeling more and more uneasy the longer she looked, and raised her voice, "Declan, you’re not... interested in men, are you?"

"..." Declan Hawthorne wearily pressed his eyebrows, holding back his emotions, "I’ve had a girlfriend before."

Mrs. Hawthorne’s heart, which had been raised, fell back into place, but before she could continue questioning, Declan added, "Homosexual tendencies are generally hereditary. If you suspect me, you might as well ask my dad."

Mrs. Hawthorne was at a loss for words.

What a mess!

With this, Mrs. Hawthorne was both angry and not angry, feeling as if she’d punched a pillow.

She simply decided to leave, taking Declan’s dinner plate with her.

Better than staying and potentially being angered to death by Declan.

-

The next day.

Declan Hawthorne promised his cousin to pick up her child today, and as soon as he parked the car, he attracted the attention of the surrounding parents.

With his striking looks, long legs leaning against a luxury car, elegant demeanor, and cool demeanor, he became the focal point of any crowd.

Someone even asked if there was a celebrity filming nearby.

While waiting for his nephew, he was approached by a shy kindergarten teacher with a flushed face, "Excuse me, are you the parent of Iris? There’s a bit of a conflict between him and our school’s pupils, and we need some parental cooperation."

Declan Hawthorne took off his sunglasses and followed the teacher into the school.

In the kindergarten, a little girl in a white dress sat on the ground, crying softly with small scratches on her fair arms.

His nephew stood nearby, his chubby face full of arrogance.

"Florence, I invited you to play with me because I think highly of you!"

"Why are you ignoring me? Stop crying, you look ugly when you cry."

Declan Hawthorne frowned and strode over, lifting the still ranting nephew, his deep-set eyes full of displeasure, "Iris Quill, what are you doing?"

Seeing Declan Hawthorne, the little chubby boy lost all his bravado and shivered like a quail in Declan’s hand.

As the only child of Declan Hawthorne’s cousin, Iris Quill was pampered but he was afraid of Declan Hawthorne.

When the uncle is angry, the whole family suffers.

From the teacher, he learned about the incident: the little troublemaker Iris Quill wanted to play with Florence Lynch, and when she refused, he pushed her after school, tearing her clothes.

Declan Hawthorne bent down, picked Florence up from the ground, and gazed at her soulful eyes, feeling a sudden softness in his heart.

This child, for some reason, looked familiar to Declan Hawthorne, with a certain sense of kinship.

His voice softened involuntarily.

"Does it hurt? Uncle will take you to the hospital."

"Please contact her parents and let them know that I will compensate for all the damages on my side."

A gust of wind blew, and the hurriedly arriving Poppy Hale did not notice the person holding Florence, which was Declan Hawthorne.

Her heart and eyes were solely focused on her crying daughter.

Florence, unaware of whom she resembled, had an introverted personality.

When she cried, it was not loud, and her tears fell like a string of broken pearls, pitiful and heartbreaking.

Soft hands snatched Florence from Declan Hawthorne’s embrace, holding her softly and comforting her gently.

"Florence, be good, don’t cry, Mommy’s here."

Florence lay on Poppy Hale’s shoulder, reaching out her arms to circle her neck.

Poppy Hale panicked at the sight of her daughter’s injuries.

Florence’s immunity was much weaker than other children, with a congenital platelet deficiency and impaired coagulation function, making it very difficult for wounds to heal once injured.

Seeing her daughter hurt, Poppy Hale’s attitude was firm as she turned to the teacher, "What exactly is going on? I need an explanation from you!"

Off to the side, Declan Hawthorne spoke, "Iris is at fault, we will compensate."

Poppy Hale was tall but had grown thin, holding Florence like a doll in her arms.

This was her daughter, no wonder she looked familiar.

But there was another strange feeling, Declan Hawthorne always felt that this child seemed to have a connection with him.

Seeing Declan Hawthorne look at Florence, Poppy Hale’s heart skipped a beat.

Afraid of anyone trying to take her child from her, she shielded Florence securely.

Poppy Hale raised her eyes to meet a pair of deep, dark eyes; his eyebrows were sharp, his gaze fierce at first glance, yet every inch was exquisitely handsome, with an aura of aloof indifference.

The boy who always bullied her daughter, was he his child?

No, the child’s last name is Quill.

Or, is it that Declan Hawthorne loves the child’s mother so much that he doesn’t care about the child’s surname anymore?

Feeling a pang of bitterness, Poppy Hale’s hands involuntarily trembled, the anger of a protective mother burning within her, and she blurted out, "Compensation?"

"Iris Quill has bullied my daughter multiple times, how does President Hawthorne plan to compensate? He has caused my daughter serious psychological trauma!"

This wasn’t the first time Iris Quill had bullied Florence.

Declan Hawthorne glanced at his nephew next to him, who didn’t dare say a word, and then headed toward his parked car outside.

"Get in the car, we’re going to the hospital."

Knowing Iris Quill’s temperament, Declan understood, seeing Poppy Hale standing still holding Florence, he urged, "Hurry."

Florence, in her arms, stopped crying, breathing heavily, her face flushed.

Poppy Hale did not dare to delay, quickly getting into Declan Hawthorne’s car.

At the hospital, Poppy Hale said little, holding Florence and heading straight to the respiratory department for a series of check-ups.

She came out with a pile of medication.

Declan Hawthorne followed, paying for everything, and he became aware that Poppy Hale’s daughter indeed had health issues.

While paying, he glanced at the medical record, Florence Lynch.

Her husband’s last name, Lynch?

Iris Quill, astonished, hadn’t realized; he thought it was just playfulness in kindergarten with Florence, and her tears were due to being delicate, not because she was genuinely hurt.

Declan Hawthorne drove them home, during which Iris Quill hesitated repeatedly; during a stop at a red light, he apologized toward Poppy Hale and Florence.

"I’m sorry."

Poppy Hale turned her head away, not speaking.

Even though Iris Quill was just a child, she was still angry.

Declan Hawthorne’s son was precious, but her daughter was also a treasure.

Florence’s health was her meticulous concern, let alone getting hurt, even crying was rare.

Florence’s condition couldn’t handle extreme emotions, and thinking of how she found her in tears with swollen eyes, Poppy Hale’s heart ached.

Seeing Poppy Hale ignoring him, Iris Quill looked over at Florence.

Florence blinked at him.

She was beautiful, with delicate, doll-like features, the kind of looks that would attract talent scouts for child modeling. Her facial features carried a hint of mixed heritage.

Previously, Poppy Hale had wondered about Florence’s appearance, reflecting on what Declan had told her about Mrs. Hawthorne’s origins in The Western Expanse.

Perhaps, Florence had inherited certain traits from past generations, and her features appearing mixed was due to the genes from The Western Expanse.

She was often mistaken for having a foreign father.