Poppy sat stiffly on the edge of the couch, locking eyes with Florence who sat across from her. The Langford name alone made her stomach churn in the most unpleasant way. And the way Florence stared at her wasn't helping at all.
The woman hadn't blinked since she took that position!
Thankfully, Chloe finally returned with a tray of tea. She placed it carefully on the coffee table between them and handed a cup to Florence.
"Thank you," Florence said. Still, her eyes never left Poppy.
Chloe sat beside her friend and squeezed her hand gently when she noticed how tensed she was.
After a minute's silence, "Locating this place would've been nearly impossible today," Florence finally spoke. "We were told you left your apartment today. Fortunately, we found Miss Chloe wandering around the building."
Poppy's body stiffened.
They followed her?
Noticing her reaction, Chloe shook her head slightly, silently telling her to remain calm. But Poppy was far too enraged for that. She didn't know why she was this mad, but she fought hard to keep her emotions in check.
"How did you find my apartment, Mrs. Langford?" Poppy asked coldly.
Florence smiled faintly. "I expected a warmer welcome, but I suppose the day hasn't been kind to you."
Poppy didn't answer.
"I'll be honest. Getting your information wasn't difficult. I hired a private investigator. That's a standard procedure for our family. We don't like surprises."
"You call that standard? It sounds more like stalking."
"Semantics," Florence said with a smile still on her face. "And don't you think you're being hard on me? Didn't you do same? I heard you visited the estate today."
Poppy sighed. "Briefly. I went to get his signature on the divorce paper."
"And?"
"I never got past the gate. Your guards were too busy chasing your mad son to notice me."
That should've hurt Florence, but she didn't react.
"After a very unpleasant sight, he nearly ran me over. If they hadn't pulled him back, I'd have been in the hospital right now."
The corner of Florence's lips twitched. She found that amusing and at the same time, she was ashamed of his behavior. "That sounds like Alaric."
"I wasn't laughing."
"I didn't mean to make light of it. I apologize," Florence said genuinely.
Poppy exhaled sharply. "Why are you here, Mrs. Langford?"
Florence paused for a while. "My son has challenges, Miss Poppy. I won't deny it. And his condition worsens by the day—"
"No offense, Mrs. Langford, but what does that have to do with me?"
Florence didn't seem offended by her rudeness. In fact, she looked rather pleased. "I won't pretend to know your story. I don't even know why you married my son, or how it happened. But I know you getting a divorce is not what we want."
"You're the only woman who's come close to Alaric in years. Believe me when I say we've tried searching for brides, but Alaric has chased every one of them away. Since you're already married to him, I want to make you an offer. You can even call it a partnership, if you will."
Poppy didn't hide her displeasure from showing on her face, but she said nothing.
"Stay married to Alaric. You don't have to love him. You don't even have to talk to him if you want. All we ask, is that you just give the Langford's an heir. And in return, we'll give you our name, our protection, and..." She took in a deep breath. "...fifty million dollars every month. And after the child is born, you're free to go."
While Chloe's mouth dropped, Poppy's rage flared. "No disrespect, Mrs. Langford, but are you out of your mind? Do I look like a surrogate?!"
Florence didn't blink at her outburst. "I'm a mother, Miss Poppy. A desperate one. You don't understand what it's like to watch your child become more and more unrecognizable—"
"How is any of that my problem?!" Poppy felt her self control slip by with passing seconds. "You don't just want me to live with a mad man, you want me to produce an heir for him?! What kind of sick offer is that?"
"It's an offer that can change your life," Florence said calmly.
Poppy couldn't believe her ears.
"I think it's time you leave, Mrs. Langford," Chloe shot to her feet. "It was a mistake letting you in here."
Florence smiled but it didn't quite reach her eyes. She pulled a white card from her bag and placed it on the coffee table.
"Think about it, Miss Sinclair," she said, standing as well. "And call me when you've made a decision."
With that, she left the apartment.
The moment the door shut behind Florence, Poppy's legs gave out. She dropped to the couch like her bones had vanished. Just when she thought the day couldn't possibly get worse… it did.
It always did.
Chloe rushed to her side. "Poppy… are you okay?"
Poppy didn't answer. She just stared at the door, stunned, before suddenly laughing bitterly.
"She said I don't have to talk to him as if that makes it better. As if silence makes insanity easier to live with."
Chloe winced and looked away. "I'm so sorry, Poppy. This is my fault. I should never have let her in. I should've slammed the door in her face."
"It's not your fault, Chloe. If anything… I should be the one apologizing. For dragging you into all of this." She sighed deeply, and her shoulders slumped like a woman carrying too much.
"Speaking of dragging people into things…" Poppy looked around hesitantly. "Do you mind if I stay here for a few days?"
Chloe blinked. "Do you even have to ask?! I already had your things moved here."
Poppy's eyes widened. "Wait… what? How did you know?"
"David told me everything. And I knew you'd need somewhere safe and clean. With your own personal chef," she gestured to herself.
Poppy's heart swelled. Her hands shook slightly as she reached out and squeezed Chloe's. "What will I ever do without you?"
"Nothing." She leaned her head against hers. "We'll figure this out. We'll make them pay. Every single one of them. But for now..."
She stood up and pulled Poppy gently to her feet. "You need rest. You've been through hell today. Tomorrow, we fight."
Poppy nodded slowly with a faint smile as she let Chloe lead her out of the living room.
...
Poppy groaned and writhed under the covers as her phone rang sharply beside her. She buried her head deeper into the pillow, desperate to shut it out, but the phone wouldn't stop screaming.
With an angry sigh, she yanked the pillow off her head and grabbed the phone from the nightstand.
"What?!" she snapped, not even checking the caller ID. But the moment she pressed the phone to her ear, her eyes flew open.
"Miss Poppy! I've been trying to reach you!"
She recognized the voice instantly. It was Sophie, her assistant. But she sounded panicked and breathless.
Poppy sat up straight in bed. "I'm sorry. I must've—what happened? Is everything okay?"
There was a brief pause on the other end, then Sophie's voice dropped, almost like she didn't know how to say it.
"Why is Dale getting married to Layla?"
Poppy frowned. "How do you know about that?"
"It's everywhere, Miss Poppy. Social media is on fire. They posted photos, videos… it's trending. They even showed up at the office together. With your father."
Poppy's fingers curled around the phone. Her blood boiled.
"But that's not the worst part," Sophia added quickly. "There's an emergency board meeting happening right now. Why didn't you show up?"
Poppy's brows drew together. "What board meeting…? I wasn't informed."
Dead silence followed, before Sophie said in a whisper. "Miss Poppy… I think they're trying to push you out!"