The driver imdiately stopped the car.
Turning to look at Poppy Hale, "We’re almost at the hospital. Would you mind walking from here? I’ll handle this first."
Poppy Hale nodded in understanding and agreed, letting the driver end the trip.
When she got out of the car, she saw that the electric bike owner was a middle-aged woman, sitting on the ground, holding her head.
It looked like her head was injured, but it shouldn’t be too serious.
After all, she wasn’t wearing a helt and ran a red light.
Poppy Hale was still shaken.
She hadn’t looked at her phone, focusing on the road instead.
So she witnessed the whole incident.
The hospital was very close, just a few minutes’ walk, and she could already see the lights of the hospital building.
Poppy Hale crossed the street.
A large crowd had gathered around the accident scene, all watching.
So people were shouting, asking if the woman had been killed in the collision.
Poppy Hale shook her head lightly.
She took a few deep breaths, planning to head to the hospital, but when she looked up, she saw a man in a suit standing at the hospital entrance, looking around.
To be honest, Declan Hawthorne was soone who stood out no matter where he was.
Especially with his bespoke suit, exuding an air of nobility that didn’t match with the surroundings.
It even made Poppy Hale inappropriately think of a joke she saw online about whether rich people actually visit hospitals in person.
He looked around, clearly in a panic.
Seeing the crowd at the intersection, his pupils dilated for a mont, and he quickly moved forward.
He didn’t notice Poppy Hale standing at another corner.
Poppy Hale frowned slightly.
She watched as Declan Hawthorne pushed through the crowd.
When he saw the middle-aged woman sitting on the ground, she visibly saw him take a breath of relief.
He then asked the driver, "Where did the passenger who took your car just now go? Is she okay?"
"She left after I ended the trip; she should be fine."
The driver wasn’t sure where Poppy Hale had gone.
Declan Hawthorne squeezed out of the crowd, stood under the streetlight at the corner, and held his phone.
He made a call; it seed no one answered, so he kept calling.
Poppy Hale watched as the call display on her phone kept flashing and saw Declan Hawthorne standing there, asking passersby if they had seen her.
In an instant, the frustration she felt after seeing the photos at Declan Hawthorne’s house resurfaced.
It made her nose sting with emotion.
Poppy Hale crossed the street and stood behind Declan Hawthorne.
From two or three ters away, she called out.
"Declan Hawthorne."
In that mont, it seed like everything around froze.
Declan Hawthorne turned around and saw Poppy Hale standing there, waving her phone at him.
The weather in Arvum had turned cool, and the temperature at night was a bit low. Poppy Hale wore a long, thin coat.
She didn’t fasten it, and the dress underneath fluttered in the wind, revealing a slender, dazzlingly white ankle.
Declan Hawthorne put away his phone and strode forward.
Poppy Hale had just started to speak, "My phone was on silent, is there sothing you wanted to find for..."
Before she could finish, she was pulled into a warm embrace.
Declan Hawthorne buried his head in Poppy Hale’s neck, and let out a breath.
"I just heard bystanders saying a young woman was in a taxi that got into an accident and I thought it was you."
His voice was hoarse.
"I was the one who took the taxi, but the person in the accident wasn’t , it was a pedestrian running a red light."
Did Declan Hawthorne search everywhere for her thinking she had been in an accident?
He held her arm, and even it was trembling slightly.
Poppy Hale thought for a mont, then patted Declan Hawthorne’s back.
"I’m all right, not hurt at all, let’s head back, Florence is still upstairs by herself."
After saying it a few tis, Declan Hawthorne finally released her.
As they crossed the street, he still held her hand.
His hand fit perfectly in hers, like a piece that couldn’t be detached from Poppy Hale’s hand.
In the hospital room, Florence was still asleep.
Declan Hawthorne still didn’t let go.
Poppy Hale pulled her hand back, stared at him, and whispered, "Declan Hawthorne, let go."
"Consider it compensation for scaring ."
Poppy Hale was at a loss for words: "..."
It wasn’t her spreading rumors about her being in an accident!
She realized that Declan Hawthorne was even thicker-skinned than she thought.
When Poppy Hale tried to pull her hand back, Declan Hawthorne looked at the bed where Florence was.
"Don’t wake Florence, be good."
Florence turned over in bed.
Poppy Hale’s heart suddenly tightened.
She inexplicably felt like she was secretly eting with her lover in front of a child.
Surely he couldn’t hold her hand all night.
In an annoyed tone, Poppy Hale said, "I need to use the bathroom, you can let go now."
"I’ll accompany you."
Poppy Hale’s eyes widened, with a face expressing three words.
You’re crazy.
Declan Hawthorne noticed, looked at her for a few seconds, then let go.
But he pinched her cheek lightly, "Then promise , if you ever want to curse , do it, don’t hold back."
That ti, Poppy Hale really couldn’t hold back.
She raised her foot and kicked Declan Hawthorne’s calf, not hard, but enough to make him let go.
She cursed quietly, "I think you’re really crazy!"
Then turned and went into the bathroom.
She closed the bathroom door, leaned against it, and her breathing was uneven.
That night, she actually had been a bit shaken.
So much had happened today, making it hard for Poppy Hale’s heart to settle.
It had been racing for a long ti.
Whether it was the earlier car accident or Declan Hawthorne’s panicked expression searching everywhere for her, they all made Poppy Hale’s heart beat uncontrollably.
She took several deep breaths to calm herself down.
Outside the bathroom.
Declan Hawthorne watched the shadow leaning against the door, waited for it to leave, and then looked away.
She was right.
He probably was crazy.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t keep approaching her despite being rejected and pushed away ti and again.
Knowing full well that she no longer liked him.
He still wanted her to look at him once more.
But once close, that look was not enough, and his desires grew.
He wanted her embrace, her forgiveness.
And her, with their daughter.
-
The next day, Professor Chambers ca to do rounds.
After asking so questions, he completed the examination.
"Once you finish this dication, you can be discharged today."
Returning a notebook to Poppy Hale, Professor Chambers said cheerfully, "You have a lot of notes, which are very helpful for my future research. Thank you!"
Poppy Hale shook her head, "You’re too kind. I’m not very smart and forget a lot of things, so this helps rember better."
Professor Chambers chuckled and shook his head in denial.
"Your notebook is from Arvum University; how could you not be smart if you got into Arvum?"
Poppy Hale pressed her lips and smiled gently, "I’m an art student, so the requirents aren’t as high."
Professor Chambers disagreed.
Even as an art student, it was still the art college of Arvum University, with high expectations for both specialized and academic courses.
Poppy Hale retrieved a stack of photocopied notebooks from her bag and handed them to Professor Chambers.
"These are records of all the dications Florence has taken since birth, both traditional and Western dicine. See if anything could be useful."
Professor Chambers’ smile grew more genuine.
He turned to Declan Hawthorne.
"Your wife is remarkable."
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