When the Contract Marriage Ended, He Stayed

###Chapter 15: You’re Acting Really Strange

Fiona Forrest was incredibly perceptive. From the moment she called Hazel Hawthorne, she already knew her son’s predictable ways. Now that Raina Lowell was back, he was definitely fooling around with her.

So, when Aiden Xavier answered Fiona Forrest’s call, he hadn’t even said a word before she stated with certainty that he was with Raina Lowell. Any chance he had to argue was nipped in the bud.

"Don’t force me to send Raina Lowell abroad."

Fiona Forrest’s voice was just loud enough for Raina Lowell, standing beside Aiden Xavier, to hear. Her expression changed drastically. She stared at Aiden, her eyes welling with tears, terrified he would obey Fiona’s command and leave her.

’He’s the only one I can rely on here.’

’If even Aiden Xavier doesn’t take my side, I’ll have no way to stand up to Fiona Forrest.’

Aiden Xavier rubbed the bridge of his nose. He caught a glimpse of Raina Lowell’s pitiful expression out of the corner of his eye, but his own face remained impassive, leaving Raina unable to guess what he was thinking.

’Aiden Xavier should be stepping up to form a united front with me right now.’

As Aiden Xavier remained silent, Fiona Forrest let out a cold laugh. "I suggest you put your mind to proper things instead of resorting to crooked tricks. The only daughter-in-law for the Xavier Family is Hazel Hawthorne."

Every word out of Fiona Forrest’s mouth was aimed at Raina Lowell.

Aiden Xavier was a filial son, so he didn’t speak up for Raina Lowell. Instead, he waited in silence for Fiona Forrest to finish her warnings and hang up.

Raina Lowell could no longer hold back her tears. She threw her arms around Aiden Xavier and began to sob. "Aiden, why does your mother hate me so much?"

Aiden Xavier offered Raina Lowell some token comfort. "Don’t worry, I’ll handle my mom. Have you forgotten what the doctor told you?"

Raina Lowell had a congenital heart condition. After lengthy treatment abroad, her condition was only stabilized, not cured. She couldn’t get too worked up or handle any agitation. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

Seeing Aiden Xavier remain silent as a stone made Raina Lowell even more upset.

’She wasn’t confident she could make Aiden Xavier fall out with his family for her sake.’

Raina Lowell’s crying slowly subsided. She gripped Aiden Xavier’s hand tightly, looked up with tears still glistening in her eyes, and asked weakly, her lips trembling, "How did your mother find out we were together so quickly?"

"Was it Ms. Hawthorne who...?"

She didn’t need to finish her sentence. Her meaning was clear—she believed Hazel Hawthorne had tattled to Fiona Forrest.

’It made sense, after all. Aiden Xavier had been with her ever since she returned. How could Hazel Hawthorne possibly accept that?’

Besides, Aiden Xavier had sworn up and down that Hazel Hawthorne would never betray them.

’Didn’t that prove him wrong a little too quickly?’

"Are you saying Hazel Hawthorne told my mom?" Aiden Xavier’s cold voice made him even more unreadable to Raina Lowell, who was trying in vain to decipher his thoughts from his expression.

Aiden Xavier calmly pushed Raina Lowell out of his embrace and said with absolute certainty, "Hazel Hawthorne wouldn’t do that."

’This was the second time Aiden Xavier had shown such trust in Hazel Hawthorne in front of her.’

Raina Lowell’s heart skipped a beat. She was shocked. ’Why does Aiden Xavier trust Hazel Hawthorne so much? Are they really just a couple for show?’

’After all, she had no idea what had happened between Aiden Xavier and Hazel Hawthorne during the three years she was away.’

She said pitifully, "Of course I trust your judgment of people, Aiden. But Hazel Hawthorne knew you were with me. She’s the only one with a logical reason to tell your mother about us."

Aiden Xavier didn’t get it. Raina Lowell’s words made no sense to him.

’Hazel Hawthorne had no time to meddle in his affairs, and he couldn’t think of any motive for her to do so. Besides, considering Hazel’s well-intentioned warning from half an hour ago, he simply couldn’t see any basis for Raina Lowell’s claim.’

"Because Hazel Hawthorne wants to ruin our relationship."

"Why would she want to ruin our relationship?"

Raina Lowell looked at Aiden Xavier, her expression lost and confused. "Maybe because she likes you. Or maybe she just doesn’t like me."

Aiden Xavier would sooner believe that Hazel Hawthorne disliked Raina Lowell than believe she liked him.

’He and Hazel Hawthorne had been married for three years, and he had never seen her show him any affection. On the contrary, she seemed to enjoy the gossip about him and was even happy to help him manage his scandals.’

"You’re wrong. Hazel Hawthorne wasn’t the one who told my mother." Aiden Xavier offered no explanation, simply leaving her with those words as he turned and walked away.

Raina Lowell was like an abandoned porcelain doll. The tears she had just managed to stop began streaming down her face again, but Aiden Xavier didn’t spare her a single glance.

Aiden Xavier returned to the study and dialed Hazel Hawthorne’s number.

Considering they had just spoken half an hour ago, Hazel Hawthorne clearly didn’t want to answer Aiden Xavier’s call or even hear his voice.

’After all, Aiden Xavier was with Raina Lowell right now, and she had no desire to hear Raina’s cloyingly sweet voice again.’

After a long while, Hazel Hawthorne reluctantly answered the phone. "Aiden Xavier, don’t you have anything better to do?"

Aiden Xavier frowned. She was so impatient with him. "We’re having dinner at the family house tomorrow."

"I know. I’ll head over right after work."

"I’ll come get you."

The "family house" Aiden Xavier mentioned was Fiona Forrest’s home. They had to show up together, or Fiona would chew them out again.

Aiden Xavier could let it go in one ear and out the other, but she couldn’t.

"Are you starting work tomorrow? At Sterling Group?" Aiden Xavier asked casually.

Hazel Hawthorne’s reply was dismissive. "Shouldn’t you be with Raina Lowell instead of asking what I’m doing?"

Aiden Xavier hadn’t realized he had been paying too much attention to Hazel Hawthorne lately. But her next comment successfully reminded him that they were nothing more than familiar strangers.

"Aiden Xavier, you’re acting strange lately. So strange, I almost thought you’d fallen in love with me."

"You’re overthinking it," Aiden Xavier retorted without hesitation, the corner of his mouth twitching. "We’re still husband and wife, at least in name. I can’t be completely clueless about your life."

Hazel Hawthorne nibbled on her fingernails. "The most comfortable kind of marriage is being spouses on the surface and bros in private. Though we’re not exactly ’bros,’ minding our own business is a pretty good alternative."

"Are you telling me to watch what I say and do?"

Hazel Hawthorne smiled faintly. "If that’s how you want to take it, I can’t stop you."

Aiden Xavier scoffed, already familiar with Hazel Hawthorne’s sharp tongue. "I was just asking. Don’t take it to heart."

"That’s for the best. I’d rather not attract the attention of your precious Raina Lowell."

The name ’Raina Lowell’ pulled Aiden Xavier back to reality, just as her voice sounded from outside the door.

Raina Lowell pushed the door open and came in. Aiden Xavier had already hung up. She glanced around the room before her eyes landed on him. Her hands fidgeted nervously as a voice as faint as a mosquito’s buzz escaped her lips. "Aiden, are you mad at me?"

"I shouldn’t have suspected Ms. Hawthorne without any proof. I didn’t realize you and she were on such good terms. Can you please not be mad at me? I was just... I was just afraid you’d leave me."

Because of her illness, Raina Lowell’s face was perpetually pale, making her look fragile and pitiful. The tears in her eyes were especially effective at triggering a man’s protective instincts—this was the weapon she used to so easily control Aiden Xavier.

Playing the victim.

*****