CHAPTER 62: CHAPTER 62: REFUSING DECLAN HAWTHORNE

There was no response from Poppy Hale for a while.

Mrs. Hawthorne toned down a bit.

Afraid of scaring the young girl on the other end.

Moreover, she wasn’t even sure if it was really a young girl on the other side.

"Young lady? What do you think?"

The voice was cautious.

Poppy Hale braced herself and said softly, "...Auntie, you might have misunderstood. I have no relationship with President Hawthorne."

Declan Hawthorne chuckled lightly.

A bit out of place, but genuine.

"Just held hands with me for a few hours, and now says there’s no relationship?"

Poppy Hale’s toes were curling on the floor.

Mrs. Hawthorne over there even had her hands in her mouth.

Did she hear wrong?

She was arranging blind dates for Declan at home.

Her son, meanwhile, was already holding hands?

Hearing Mrs. Hawthorne’s gasp on the other end.

Poppy Hale felt awkward and a little annoyed.

Was he doing this on purpose to embarrass her?

"Declan Hawthorne, don’t go too far."

As soon as she spoke, Poppy regretted it.

She forgot how much Declan enjoyed seeing her angry.

Her losing her temper only made him the happiest.

Sure enough, upon hearing her call his name, Declan laughed freely.

"So you do remember my name? I thought you preferred calling me President Hawthorne, like you’ve forgotten we even dated."

"You promised not to bring up the past..."

That day, she asked him not to mention their former relationship.

He promised.

But now he was going back on his word.

Poppy Hale looked at Declan with a bit more annoyance.

Yet she couldn’t see how captivating she looked at the moment.

Her fair face was flushed with anger, her eyes wide with a misty layer of tears, vague, making her seem distant.

He wanted to see clearly.

And wished that mist would carry his shadow.

Declan picked up his phone and casually said, "Mom, I’ll hang up now, I’ve got something to do."

Mrs. Hawthorne quickly hung up.

She didn’t want to disturb her son’s romance!

The girl’s voice on the other end was lovely.

Soft, yet sounded quite spirited.

Seemed local, which is great for future visits to her parents’ home after marriage.

If not, she could just move them in together.

Mrs. Hawthorne was already envisioning this, chuckling alone at the dining table.

Mr. Hawthorne passing by glanced over and came up, touching her forehead.

"Sick? Laughing to yourself here?"

"Our son might be in a relationship now."

Mr. Hawthorne: "..."

"I think you’re delusional, having hallucinations."

Mrs. Hawthorne paid no mind.

Suddenly stood up, tapping her forehead.

"Oh no, our son said to go on a blind date with that girl, but she hasn’t agreed yet! What if our son can’t win her over?"

Mrs. Hawthorne was full of regret.

Why didn’t she ask for the girl’s contact information earlier?

At the hospital.

Declan casually put away his phone.

He leaned closer to Poppy, noticing her frown.

Realizing he had smoked earlier and probably still had the smell of it on him.

So he didn’t get too close, just stood a step or two away.

"What did I promise? You said not to talk about it at the company."

This isn’t the company.

Poppy Hale was at a loss for words.

Was he just being unreasonable?

She tried to walk away, but Declan nonchalantly said, "This is the first time I’ve heard of a married woman going on a blind date."

Poppy Hale’s palms were getting clammy.

Mumbling, "Didn’t President Hawthorne say that such a marriage isn’t good for the child, so we divorced."

"Divorcing so quickly, that’s rare, at which civil affairs bureau was it done? Don’t get me wrong, I just think I could recommend it to Iris Quill’s parents."

Poppy Hale also remembered.

Declan’s cousin was stuck in a divorce deadlock.

"...I forgot, I don’t want to recall unhappy things. President Hawthorne, may I leave now?"

"You haven’t answered me yet."

Out of context.

Poppy Hale didn’t get it.

Meeting Declan’s gaze, she quickly looked away as if shocked.

His hand blocked the exit door, not letting her leave.

"Would you like to go on a blind date with me?"

Poppy Hale’s heartbeat accelerated even more.

Her palms involuntarily sweaty, even the tightly clenched hands felt slippery.

Declan’s voice struck every sensitive nerve ending of hers.

"President Hawthorne, are you joking?"

She wasn’t sure if he was just being spontaneous.

Declan awkwardly stared at the floor.

Trying to hide a hint of suspicious redness.

"My family is rushing me, and I’m familiar with you."

Because he was familiar?

In the empty, desolate place in Poppy Hale’s heart, a sigh echoed.

She should have known.

Not knowing why she still harbored hope deep down.

"President Hawthorne can get familiar with other women, I have things to do, I’ll take my leave."

The hand still on the door.

Not letting her leave.

Poppy Hale looked up, a sharp gaze falling on Declan.

The words she spoke were no longer cautiously flattering, but sharp and defiant.

"If you need a direct answer, then I refuse."

"I don’t agree to go on a blind date with you, Declan Hawthorne."

She pried off Declan’s hand with her fingers, leaving the fire exit without turning back.

With no intention of looking back.

-

The next day, Mrs. Hale was transferred to a double room.

The old professor came by for rounds, cheerfully asked a few questions.

Carefully explained the postoperative precautions.

Poppy Hale was very grateful.

"I couldn’t find a place to pay your surgical fees."

The old professor regularly consulted in the Capital, came to Arvum for specialty surgery, requiring extra fees.

The elderly man waved his hand, dismissively said, "Just give a thousand bucks, and buy a boxed meal for each doctor on my team, they still have a surgery and are hungry."

They were used to this kind of situation.

Besides, the main surgical fees were covered by the young man from the Hawthorne Family.

Poppy Hale immediately took out her phone and ordered the meals.

After some thought, she also arranged for a banner of appreciation.

When she delivered the banner in the afternoon, she indeed saw a smile on the old professor’s face.

"Ah! Yes, that’s great!"

Poppy Hale smiled along.

"Dr. Silver, about my mom’s surgical fees..."

"Paid by young Hawthorne, you should ask him."

The old professor was quite open-minded.

Since confirming no future possibility between his daughter and Declan Hawthorne, he let it go.

Now even looking at Poppy Hale with a bit of teasing.

"What, you’re checking how much he has in his hands? In a couple’s affairs, isn’t it all just money going from one pocket to another?"

Poppy Hale thought of explaining but stopped upon seeing the "I understand everything" look on the professor’s face.

She simply gave up.

Exited the room, headed to the ward downstairs.

Opening the door, Morgan Sloan was reporting work, and upon seeing Poppy Hale standing there, he stepped aside.

"You two talk, I’m heading back to the company, Young Hale, I’ll leave President Hawthorne to you."

Before Poppy Hale could speak.

Morgan Sloan disappeared without a trace.

Leaving just Poppy Hale and Declan Hawthorne in the room.

She stood at the door, with no intention of going in.

"President Hawthorne. How should I transfer the surgical fees to you? Give me a bank account number."