When the Contract Marriage Ended, He Stayed

###Chapter 16: I Have No Feelings For You

Downstairs at Sterling Group.

The bustling crowd of pedestrians couldn’t help but stop and stare at the limited-edition Maybach parked by the roadside, wondering which big shot was inside.

Hazel Hawthorne came downstairs as soon as she got Aiden Xavier’s call. She smoothed her hair as she walked out. She didn’t need to look for Aiden in the crowd; she just had to find the most expensive or eye-catching car on the street, and she’d know where he was.

Sure enough, the moment she saw the Maybach parked at the entrance, she couldn’t help but silently roast Aiden Xavier. ’He really loves attracting attention, always making such a high-profile entrance. Every time I see it, I get the urge to run and hide.’

Hazel was about to call out for Aiden to drive the car forward, but he opened the door and strode directly toward her.

Hazel instinctively covered her face with her hands as all the intense stares that followed Aiden now flooded toward her.

Aiden Xavier was truly high-profile and loved to flaunt his wealth.

"What took you so long?"

Hazel lifted her hand and glanced at her watch. Aiden had called five minutes ago to say he’d arrived, and she had come down immediately. He had waited five minutes at most, and he called that ’long’?!

Hazel was speechless and couldn’t be bothered to argue. She dodged Aiden’s outstretched hand, hurried past him, and said quickly, "Let’s go. My colleagues are about to come out."

Aiden’s empty, outstretched hand and the sight of Hazel’s rapidly retreating back made him look like a heartbroken man trying to win back the woman leaving him.

The scene was almost picturesque, yet tinged with awkwardness.

It was mainly because Aiden had a devilishly handsome face; no matter where he went, he was always the center of attention.

"Hurry up!" Hazel urged.

It was her first day of work, and she didn’t want everyone to know about her relationship with Aiden Xavier. She just wanted to live a quiet life, not one surrounded by strange looks or envious gazes.

Hazel knew very well that if her relationship with Aiden was discovered by people at the company, her life there would be anything but peaceful.

Aiden dawdled as he got into the car. Hazel was buckling her seatbelt. "Didn’t you say you’ve been waiting for a long time? Why aren’t you leaving yet?"

"You seem pretty eager for your colleagues not to see me," Aiden said nonchalantly, his tone as casual as if he were making small talk.

In their three years of marriage, Aiden and Hazel’s conversations had never been like this—so dull, yet tinged with a strange quality.

It was... as if Aiden actually *wanted* her colleagues to see him.

"Aren’t you aware of our relationship? Your status will easily cause trouble for me. Besides, if you pick me up, they’ll misunderstand and think we have a good relationship, which won’t be helpful when we get divorced later."

She couldn’t go half a sentence without mentioning a divorce.

Aiden’s expression darkened uncontrollably. "It seems you’re very eager to divorce me."

"And you’re not? Your ’white moonlight’ is finally back by your side. It’s time for me to abdicate my title. Besides, aren’t I just saying what’s on your mind?" 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

Looking through the car window, Hazel saw her colleagues coming out and nervously slapped Aiden’s hand. "Stop dawdling and let’s go! Your car is flashy enough just sitting here."

Aiden shook off Hazel’s hand. "You’re my lawfully wedded wife, not my mistress." After a pause, he suddenly added, "Or did you do something you feel guilty about that you can’t let me know?"

Hazel rolled her eyes, speechless, and retorted righteously, "My life is an open book. What secrets could I possibly have to hide?"

’Even if I did have a secret, it would be that marrying Aiden Xavier is the one thing I can’t bring into the light.’

Hazel didn’t want to get into a pointless argument with Aiden, so she decided that silence was golden.

The sudden quiet plunged them into an awkward atmosphere.

With a blank expression, Aiden drove away from the gates of the Sterling Group.

At the entrance to Sterling Group, "Mr. Sterling, that car just now looked like Mr. Xavier’s."

Julian Sterling glanced in the direction the car had disappeared. ’I haven’t told Aiden I’m back yet,’ he thought.

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「The Xavier Estate.」

On the drive back from Sterling Group, Aiden and Hazel didn’t exchange another word. Hazel had slept for the whole ride, treating Aiden as if he were invisible. But after getting out of the car, she was all smiles, looking just short of intimately linking her arm with his as they walked inside.

When Fiona Forrest saw Hazel, the corners of her lips lifted into a smile. But when she looked at her own son, Aiden Xavier, with his "stay away from me" expression, her smile instantly vanished.

’How is Aiden’s personality nothing like mine?’

"Aiden, how are you handling the matter with Raina Lowell?" Fiona was direct, asking this right in front of Hazel. "I’ve overlooked the other women you’ve attracted in the past, but that vixen Raina is absolutely not to have anything to do with our family."

"Mom, I know what to do. Just give me some time."

"How long does it take to deal with one woman? If it’s inconvenient for you to handle it, you might as well leave it to me."

Hazel was standing beside Fiona. Though Fiona’s words were merciless, she warmly took Hazel’s hand. "Hazel is already being generous by helping you deal with your tabloid scandals. Are you really going to let Raina walk all over her?"

A flash of shock flickered in Hazel’s eyes before she quickly composed herself. Fiona’s metaphors were certainly over-the-top.

’Even if Raina were pregnant with Aiden’s child, she wouldn’t be able to walk all over me.’

’I’m no lamb to the slaughter, after all.’

She didn’t argue with Fiona because she knew her mother-in-law had always treated her very well.

"Mom, Raina isn’t that kind of person. She just got back from abroad and hasn’t fully recovered yet. It won’t be too late to make things clear with her once she’s feeling better."

"Stalling tactics? Did I say I’d give you time to handle this slowly? You just promised me a few days ago that you’d have a child with Hazel. Have you forgotten?"

A child...

Hazel was stunned. She had already put the matter of having a child out of her mind. Hearing Fiona bring it up again, she was just about to speak when Aiden cut her off. "Mom, I’ll definitely do what I promised you."

"Making a baby takes time. It’s not something that can happen overnight."

Hazel blinked at Aiden repeatedly. ’Does he have any idea what he’s saying? Given that we’re living separately, forget one year—even in ten years, I couldn’t pop out an egg, let alone a child!’

"How can you focus on having a child with Hazel if you don’t cut off contact with Raina?" Fiona delivered her ultimatum. "You have six months. If Hazel isn’t pregnant by then, you’ll have me to answer to."

Six months!

This was beyond anything Hazel could accept. She looked at Aiden, expecting him to change the subject, but she never imagined he would actually agree!

He agreed!

’If Aiden’s brain is working properly, then I’ll write my name backward!’

It wasn’t until they had left the Xavier Estate that Hazel found a chance to question Aiden about the child. "Even if you’re trying to stall, you can’t use having a baby to buy time for you and Raina."

"It’s just a stopgap measure."

"I know, but Mom has taken it seriously. I may not have feelings for you, but she’s very good to me, and I don’t want to disappoint her."

*****