CHAPTER 71: CHAPTER 71: A FAMILY OF THREE SHARING ONE BED

The bedroom is not big.

Poppy Hale’s knee hit the end of the bed, and she staggered.

Declan Hawthorne reached out and grabbed her wrist.

"In such a hurry?"

Poppy Hale blushed and, after steadying herself, pushed Declan Hawthorne’s hand away.

"Not today, you see, I have to move."

The landlord had made it clear that no extension could be given.

These days, she had to move, so there was no time for painting.

The agreed time wasn’t today anyway.

Declan Hawthorne’s fingers tapped on Poppy Hale’s doodle book, "Then you can at least make a request, right?"

"Go ahead."

"I want a portrait, painted on site."

Poppy Hale frowned slightly, "President Hawthorne, I’m not good at drawing portraits."

"I know, I’ll pay more."

Well, money always talks.

Since the client had a request and was willing to pay more, Poppy Hale didn’t see why not to agree.

Previously, another client wanted her to draw a handmade illustration and had increased the price suitably.

It was not beyond Poppy Hale’s acceptable range.

She subconsciously looked at Declan Hawthorne.

"What kind of composition do you want?"

"We’ll talk about it when the time comes."

Poppy Hale’s floor was not low.

The landlord had installed screens, so the windows were open, and the wind blew in with a chill.

And a faint scent of soil.

It was raining.

The warm light in the room cast on them, and Florence was sleeping soundly on the bed, breathing evenly.

She held the Barbie doll that Heather Underwood had given her.

Holding the doll, she looked like a big doll herself, embracing a smaller doll.

Just the sight of it made one’s heart soft.

All fatigue vanished.

Declan Hawthorne propped his hand on the bed and carefully took the quilt to cover Florence.

He even considerately covered the doll she was holding, leaving only its head exposed.

The man gazed at the sleeping child on the bed, his eyes softened with a gentle smile.

Looking closely, Florence’s mouth was shaped like Poppy Hale’s.

Thinking of the time he spent with her today, Declan Hawthorne couldn’t help but feel his heart melt.

Somewhere in his heart, it seemed a place had collapsed.

This was a child born from Poppy Hale and another man.

What she held dear was this child.

Or was it that man, and that marriage, which had already been declared a failure.

Poppy Hale pursed her lips, watching as Declan Hawthorne covered Florence with the quilt.

She didn’t see the complex expression on the man’s face.

Poppy Hale reached to close the window, extending her hand outside, feeling the rain gently fall onto her palm.

"President Hawthorne, you can leave now."

Urging the man to leave.

Declan Hawthorne stood up, and just as he reached the door, the security door was knocked on.

A series of urgent knocking sounds followed.

Poppy Hale was startled.

She picked up her phone and opened the surveillance feed to take a look.

It was a stranger.

The man continued to knock on the security door, urging, "Open the door! Quick!"

"Quick, open the door!"

Initially, Poppy Hale wondered if it was the property management or a neighbor.

At this moment, her heart rose to her throat.

Cold sweat broke out on her palms and the back of her neck, soaking her.

She wanted to go forward to check, but her wrist was firmly held by a strong hand.

In an instant, that surge of fear significantly diminished.

Declan Hawthorne looked towards the door with a lazy tone, "Honey, who’s knocking at the door?"

Probably due to the man’s voice from inside the house, the knocking at the door paused.

Poppy Hale saw from the surveillance that the stranger actually pressed his face against the door, listening to the noise inside!

Goosebumps rose all over her body!

She wasn’t home these days, and the house was a bit messy. Some blocks were scattered on the floor, and Poppy Hale accidentally stepped on one, staggering.

Her knees weakened, and the man caught her steadily, pulling her into his embrace.

Declan Hawthorne whispered, "Speak up. If he’s not sure someone’s inside, he won’t leave."

Poppy Hale lived in a middle unit.

There was a corridor outside the door, and it was possible to see that the lights in the house were on, indicating someone was there.

To be precise, to confirm whether there was a man in the house.

Poppy Hale composed herself and cleared her throat.

"I don’t know, why don’t you go and check who’s at the door?"

Declan Hawthorne curled his lips, his voice rising as his gaze remained on Poppy Hale.

"Alright."

Facing the door, Declan Hawthorne spoke, "Who is it? Knocking non-stop, you’d better have a good reason."

The tone was unfriendly.

As if disturbed from some pleasant scenery, an annoyed man.

The man at the door suddenly recoiled from the door and left without looking back.

Declan Hawthorne opened the door, standing at the doorway, looking towards the corridor.

His deep gaze locked eyes with a pair hidden in the dark stairwell.

As soon as the other party saw him, confirming the presence of an adult man in the house, they hurriedly left the stairwell.

The sound of hurried footsteps went from near to far.

The security door closed.

Locked from the inside.

Poppy Hale heard the noise, and slumped onto a chair.

She clutched a water cup and drank several gulps, trying to calm her nerves a little.

Declan Hawthorne walked out onto the balcony, taking a look downstairs.

A sneaky man disappeared into the night on a motorcycle.

"It’s okay now, first call the police, then move out."

Poppy Hale’s voice was a little shaky.

"I don’t know him. He doesn’t seem like someone from this building."

Reporting it to the police probably wouldn’t help.

The person hadn’t caused any actual harm, even if the police came, they could at most make a report.

Poppy Hale’s blood ran cold.

If tonight, Declan Hawthorne hadn’t happened to be here.

She dared not think further.

Declan Hawthorne withdrew his gaze, "Send me the video, I’ll handle it. Now, you go take a shower and sleep."

"What about you?"

She instinctively asked.

Declan Hawthorne’s lips curved slightly, "That guy might come back, are you sure you want me to leave?"

Poppy Hale wasn’t sure.

But she didn’t have a place for him to sleep here.

The sofa was small, and Declan Hawthorne would be cramped even sitting on it, let alone lying down.

The whole sofa wasn’t as long as he was tall.

Poppy Hale’s voice was as faint as a mosquito, "Can you sleep in my mom’s room?"

"I can’t."

Poppy Hale: "..."

Declan Hawthorne had a cleanliness obsession, she knew.

Besides, Mrs. Hale would mind a stranger sleeping in her room.

"Then you sleep in my room, and Florence and I will sleep in my mom’s room."

"Moving around, she will wake up."

Declan Hawthorne had already made a decision.

"Florence sleeps in the middle, that’s it. Otherwise, I’m leaving."

After struggling for a second.

In the face of fear, Poppy Hale chose to compromise.

She quickly grabbed her pajamas and went into the room.

"I’m going to take a shower."

Watching her enter the bathroom, Declan Hawthorne then entered the bedroom.

Florence didn’t know when she woke up, sitting on the bed looking at him.

She didn’t cry or fuss, just very well-behaved.

"Uncle Hawthorne, why are you here?"

"We were playing together all day, remember?"

Florence nodded.

She remembered.

Uncle Hawthorne was very tall, his shoulders were high, and sitting on them felt like flying.

Declan Hawthorne listened to the sound of water in the bathroom, looking at Florence, who looked like a little angel, staring at him in a daze.

He bent down, "Florence, last time you told Uncle, your dad was at home, why haven’t I seen him?"

Florence was a bit confused, thought for a moment, then shook her head, "I don’t know, I’ve never met my dad. That’s what mom told me to say."

Declan Hawthorne’s heart suddenly skipped a beat, his heartbeat becoming erratic.

He took out his phone and found the previous message from Allen Shaw, which had a picture of Sean Lynch.

"This person, do you recognize him?"

Florence nodded obediently, a look of surprise in her big eyes.

"I do, Uncle Hawthorne, do you know my uncle too?"