When the Contract Marriage Ended, He Stayed

### Chapter 114: Answering the Phone for Him

Hazel Hawthorne spoke with conviction, her gaze sincere. Aiden Xavier remained expressionless and noncommittal, his eyes shifting away as he sank into thought. Just as Aiden was about to speak, Hazel suddenly cut in again.

"But there’s one thing I’m very curious about." Hazel carefully tested Aiden’s reaction. Seeing that his expression didn’t change, she continued in a low voice, "Do you think your father’s death has something to do with the Lowell family?"

The files hadn’t shown much related to the Lowell family, so Aiden didn’t know where Hazel had gotten that idea. Naturally, he didn’t answer her right away. Hazel, however, merely noticed that Aiden wasn’t angry and assumed she could keep asking, failing to register his continued silence at the mention of the Lowells.

"Honestly, the Xavier and Lowell families used to have a great relationship. Back then, I heard some rumors that the Xaviers were getting in the way of the Lowells’ business, and that’s why your father was killed by them. But in the end, the police concluded that your dad’s death was a suicide."

"Even though there’s no direct proof, I think where there’s smoke, there’s fire."

After a long silence, Aiden finally spoke. "Then what do you think happened? What are the facts as you see them?"

In all her years married to Aiden Xavier, Hazel had never taken the initiative to bring up matters concerning the Xavier family. She was especially aware that Marcus Xavier’s case was a taboo topic that couldn’t be casually mentioned, so she had tactfully avoided it. Today was the first time.

It was also because she had seen Aiden investigating the truth behind Marcus Xavier’s death, which had momentarily sparked her inner detective, prompting her to start analyzing her understanding of the facts with him.

Aiden focused on driving. His phone rang several times, but he ignored it, continuing to listen to Hazel’s analysis. He then asked, "You really believe my father didn’t have a cross-dressing fetish?"

Hazel nodded gravely. "Actually, I met Uncle Xavier several times when I was little. In my memory, Uncle Xavier was a very good person. He was gentle and a true gentleman—not at all like someone who would have a cross-dressing fetish."

Hearing this, Aiden fell silent for a few seconds before saying flatly, "Sometimes you can know a person’s face but not their heart. How do you know what he was thinking? You aren’t him, so how could you know whether he had that fetish or not?"

Hazel gazed at Aiden’s profile and asked in a low voice, "So you believe the media reports? You think your father had a cross-dressing fetish?"

Aiden didn’t answer. He also knew deep down that his father wasn’t a pervert, but he still hadn’t found a rational explanation for the bizarre scene or his father’s strange behavior at the time.

"I don’t know what you think about this, but in my heart, I’ve always felt that Uncle Xavier was a very good person. If you’re really investigating the truth of his death, I truly hope you can clear his name."

The feeling of being wrongly accused is terrible, especially for someone who’s already dead. To be slandered like that right before death... it’s a suffering you can’t even voice. You can’t defend yourself; you can only let others sling mud at you.

"Raina Lowell is calling you again. I heard from Finn Quinn that you haven’t been seeing her lately. Did you two have a fight? Because of Uncle Xavier’s case?" Hazel easily made the connection to the files she’d seen in the office and subconsciously assumed that Aiden and Raina were having problems because of Marcus Xavier.

After all, many people at the time had said the Lowell family was responsible for Marcus Xavier’s death.

Because of this, the Lowell and Xavier families eventually had a falling out. However, only those involved knew the specific reasons. Outsiders had no way of knowing.

Watching Aiden’s phone vibrate continuously, Hazel couldn’t help but point it out to him. To her surprise, Aiden casually handed the phone to her. "You answer it for me."

Hazel pointed to herself in disbelief. "You want me to answer it? This is Raina’s call! If she finds out you’re with me, isn’t she going to threaten you with suicide again?"

Aiden’s expression didn’t change as he drove. "You answer. I can’t take calls while driving."

’Can’t take calls while driving?’ Hazel couldn’t help but laugh internally. ’Is Aiden really the type to obey traffic laws?’

The corners of Hazel’s mouth curved up slightly. "Are you sure you want me to answer? Because I’m going to. When Raina comes looking for trouble, don’t you dare push the blame onto me."

With that, Hazel answered Raina Lowell’s call without a second thought. Her very first sentence left Raina completely stunned.

"Aiden Xavier is driving. If you have something to say, you can tell me directly, and I’ll pass on the message."

Raina was all too familiar with Hazel’s voice. She gripped her phone tightly, and for a long moment, there was only silence from her end of the line. After Hazel said a few more words, Raina finally managed to suppress her fury. "Where’s Aiden? Why isn’t he answering my call?"

"Your Aiden is driving. How do you expect him to answer the phone?" Hazel chuckled, which, in Raina’s eyes, was a blatant provocation.

Raina’s face turned ashen with rage. Not wanting to hear another word from Hazel, she hung up immediately and began to fly into a frenzy in her room. She grabbed anything she could find and hurled it to the floor. The cosmetics on her vanity table had long since become casualties of her wrath.

The maid heard the commotion but didn’t dare to enter, standing terrified at the door. She was afraid that if she went in, she would become Raina’s punching bag. Whenever Raina was upset about something outside, she would inevitably take out her anger on the household staff upon returning.

"Hazel Hawthorne!" Raina shrieked Hazel’s name hysterically. She imagined the object in her hand was Hazel herself, smashing it forcefully onto the ground. As it shattered into pieces, in Raina’s eyes, Hazel was shattering too.

Panting and exhausted, Raina sat on the edge of the bed. Surveying the wreckage in the room, she let out another furious roar. The maid at the door hurried inside. Before she could even get her footing in front of Raina, she was viciously kicked to the floor. She landed with her palms flat on the ground, right into a pile of glass shards.

Raina just watched coldly as the maid’s face contorted in pain. It seemed only this could improve her mood; torturing others gave her a sense of pleasure. A thought suddenly occurred to Raina, and she crouched down in front of the maid. In her vision, the maid’s face gradually morphed into Hazel’s...

Raina pulled a pack of cigarettes and a lighter from a nearby vanity drawer. She lit a cigarette and brought it close to the maid’s face, waving it back and forth before her eyes. The maid’s face was a mask of terror and fear. She tried to back away, pushing the glass deeper into her palms.

The maid’s blood stained the floor, and the sight only made Raina more excited. The maid’s expression turned to one of begging for mercy, but Raina, as if high on a stimulant, ignored her helplessness and pain. She pressed the burning cigarette butt directly onto the maid’s exposed arms and thighs...

The maid’s wretched screams echoed through the room. When she had had her fun, Raina slowly stood up. She looked down at the listless maid on the floor and said coldly, "Aren’t you going to clean this up? The sight of you is annoying."

*****