Heart Hunting novel Chapter 8

At night, the gorgeous neon lights the city. Various people fill the empty heart with the wonderful night life.

In Quinn residence-

The stage in the hall on the first floor is performing singing and dancing. The audience cheers one after another without stopping.

The semi open private room on the second floor is undoubtedly a resort for quiet in the noise. It is separated by a carved wooden door. People in the room can still watch the performance.

“Kenny, don't be cold faced when you come out to have fun. It's just 70 million, just take it as charity.” Noel looks at his friend's expressionless face. Kenny only perfunctorily talks about their chat topics, which is not quite like the normal arrogant Kenny.

Ives smiles, “Noel, you don't know. It's not about money, but prestige.”

Kenny takes a look at Ives with approving. He picks up the wine glass and drinks all.

“Kenny, you're really here.” When Kenny puts down the glass, he hears a familiar voice. Ethel comes in, her elaborate dress is obviously prepared.

Kenny doesn't pay attention to her. Probably she comes here on purpose to catch adultery in the act, he guesses.

In the past five years, he has known Ethel thoroughly. The reason why he indulges her misleading their relationship to others, is just to use her to prevent some unnecessary trouble, also just to off the blind dates arranged by his mother.

Coincidentally, two tall ladies also come over. They ignore Ethel in the center, and say to Noel, "Mr. Gilbert, is it convenient for us to stay for a drink tonight?”

Noel looks at Kenny in awkward. He coughs and asks, "Kenny, what do you think?”

Ethel looks at the two women in front of her. She is angry at the bottom of her heart, but she pretends to not care about it. She raises a gentle smile.

With her knowledge of Kenny's temperament, he would never share a table with a strange woman.

Kenny drinks the wine. He feels Ethel's eyes, and deliberately replies, "whatever!”

Ethel frowns. And the two ladies give each other a meaningful look. They deliberately go to the position near Kenny to sit down.

Kenny has no objection to this, which makes Ethel burn a fire in the bottom of her heart, and her elegant smile becomes a little stiff. The two ladies pour a glass of wine, and look at Ethel with a light of victory in their eyes.

Ethel doesn't give in and stares back sharply.

It seems the battle between the women is exploded, but the two ladies ignore her reaction, and start to talk with them.

Ethel holds back her anger, and turns her eyes to Kenny. But he doesn't even looks at her. He still drinks wine indifferently and regards her as an outsider.

...

"Oh my god, how could Ethel be so shameless. Kenny didn't even talk to her. And she still refuses to leave. So cheeky. What fiancee? I think it's all her own wishful thinking!"

After three rounds of drinking, the two ladies go to the restroom to refine the make-up. They think there is no one in the restroom. So they talk to each other loudly. However, their words are overheard by Poppy in the last compartment.

She came out from home to familiarize herself with the domestic environment. She didn't expect to hear anything interesting tonight.

"I know the background of her family. Her father used to be a small clerk, then he married into and live with his bride’s family, and makes a fortune with the help of his wife's family!”

“Oh, so that's the way it is. How great I thought it was...”

The two ladies look down on Ethel from the bottom of their hearts. Poppy leans against the wall of the cubicle and laughs quietly with pleasure.

After a while, the two women's voices outside gradually fade away. Poppy comes out with her head held high. The sound of high heels on the floor is loud and powerful.

She stands in front of the sink and looks at herself in the mirror. Her red lips curls into a smile, she thinks, since her so-called sister is so worried about Kenny being seduced by another woman, then... as she wished.

After rearranging her clothes, Poppy leaves the bathroom and follows the two women, pausing to watch them make their way to the second floor. Her eyes fell squarely on a private room, and she smiles with certainty.

Poppy goes to the front desk to borrow a pen and paper. She writes for less than a minute, and then stops a waiter.

"Miss, what can I do for you?” The waiter asks.

She takes two hundred-dollar bills out of her handbag and hands them to the waiter with the paper. Then she says with a sweet smile, "could you give this paper to Mr. Kenny for me? Here is your reward."

The waiter happily takes the bills and the paper, "no problem, I'll send it up.”

She looks meaningfully at the room on the second floor and twists her waist to leave.

...

"Mr. Murphy, a lady asked me to give this to you.” Money makes the world go round. As soon as Poppy leaves, the waiter walks into the second floor box and hands Kenny a half folded piece of paper.

Kenny opens it and looks at it carefully. The poppy in the paper is a stick figure, but it is vivid in a few strokes. At one glance, Kenny guesses out who the owner of the painting is.

Poppy, Poppy!

He picks up his coat and gets up. Ethel sees that he is going to leave. She asks nervously, "Kenny, where are you going?”

Kenny ignores her questions, leaves two friends behind and turns away.

"What happened? What makes him so responsive?” Noel asks, looking at Kenny's back as he leaves.

"I looked at it just now. It looks like a picture of a poppy flower!” Ives smiles and thinks, is there any story in it?

"What does a poppy flower represent?" Noel doesn't care that Ethel is still there, and he talks to Ives.

The two ladies look at each other and choose to keep silent.

Ethel is embarrassed, she doesn't want to sit there for any longer. After a few words of greetings, she immediately chases out. But it is too late, Kenny has already left.

She stamps her feet angrily, and the bottom of her heart rises a sense of hatred. Which damn woman dare to seduce her dreamlover?