When the Contract Marriage Ended, He Stayed

### Chapter 21: Am I Not Beautiful?

When Raina Lowell was hospitalized, Aiden Xavier wrapped up his business in Freyburg within a day and rushed back, leaving the follow-up work for his secretary.

Hazel Hawthorne left the hospital and went straight home. Now that Aiden Xavier was back, she was no longer needed to look after Raina Lowell. Besides, she was terrible at taking care of people, so it was a welcome break.

If she’d really had to stay with Raina Lowell for three days, one of them would have gone insane.

Nothing was more pleasant or relaxing than being in her own home. Hazel returned and drew a hot bath, placing her phone on the small side table and pouring herself a glass of red wine.

Watching her laptop and sipping her wine, she was as comfortable as could be, completely unaffected by the image of a lovey-dovey Aiden Xavier and Raina Lowell.

However, as she closed her eyes to meditate, she suddenly recalled a very strange and uncharacteristic detail.

Raina Lowell had gotten sick, and Aiden Xavier had rushed back overnight. Logically, no matter what Raina said, Aiden should have blamed Hazel. After all, he had entrusted Raina to her care.

From what she knew of Aiden Xavier, the man was vindictive and sought immediate revenge. Anyone who crossed him met a terrible end, and touching his things was the same as crossing him personally.

’And wasn’t Raina Lowell just one of Aiden Xavier’s possessions?’

Hazel Hawthorne was so lost in thought that she nearly passed out from soaking in the bathtub for too long.

When she stood up, she felt light-headed and nearly collapsed. Thankfully, she grabbed the nearby sink to steady herself, standing there for a long moment until she recovered.

Aiden Xavier wouldn’t come looking for her at night without a reason. In their three years of marriage, Hazel Hawthorne had rarely seen him at home.

But tonight, when she walked out of the bathroom, she saw an uninvited guest sitting in her room. The shock almost made her hand slip and loosen the bath towel wrapped around her body.

"Aiden Xavier, what are you doing here?" Hazel Hawthorne clutched the towel tightly, terrified it would fall and expose her.

Her expression was wary. She didn’t know why Aiden Xavier had shown up so late at night. Her dark eyes stared at him, unblinking, as she deliberately kept a safe distance.

Even though she knew Aiden Xavier wouldn’t do anything to her, Hazel Hawthorne still had to be on her guard.

’Men are animals who think with their lower halves, after all.’

Seeing how cautious and vigilant she was, Aiden Xavier snorted coldly and immediately turned his back to her. "Get dressed. You’re built like a runway. Who would be interested in you?"

’A runway? Not interested?’

Hazel Hawthorne’s face flushed red. She looked down at her own magnificent figure. "If I’m a runway, then what are you? A chick pecking at rice?"

’A chick pecking at rice?!’ Aiden Xavier’s face turned ashen. No one had ever dared to say that to him before.

The moment the words left her mouth, Hazel snatched her clothes from the bed and scurried back into the bathroom. She quickly changed, then stood before the mirror for a long time, staring at her face and figure. ’That Aiden Xavier... a dog’s mouth will never produce ivory tusks.’

’What a waste of a handsome face. If his eyes are that useless, he should donate them to someone in need.’

Hazel Hawthorne stayed in the bathroom for a long time before casually walking out. Aiden Xavier was still in the room; he hadn’t left.

He couldn’t deny it; he was starting to understand how the outside world described Hazel Hawthorne.

The sight of Hazel suddenly emerging in a bath towel had struck him deep in his core. He couldn’t deny that he was attracted to her; his body had even reacted.

He acknowledged Hazel Hawthorne’s beauty, but he refused to admit his physical reaction was because of her. ’It’s perfectly normal for a man to have a physical reaction upon seeing a woman.’

However, the image of Hazel from moments ago kept flashing through his mind. Aiden Xavier felt his mouth go dry, and the air in the room seemed to thicken.

As Hazel came out, a sudden blast of cold air from the open window made her sneeze several times in a row. She snapped angrily, "Aiden Xavier, why did you open the window in the middle of the night?"

Her cold still hadn’t healed. Was he trying to torture her?

"The air is stale. The room reeks of perfume. It’s unpleasant."

"Did I ask you to smell it? You barge in here without a word and just stand around in my room. What are you trying to do?"

"Shouldn’t you be at the hospital with Raina Lowell? Don’t tell me you came here to settle the score with me?"

"Hazel Hawthorne."

Hazel quickly waved her hands and took two steps back, her voice cold. "You saying my name so seriously is kind of terrifying."

She had assumed Aiden Xavier didn’t want to ruin his image in Raina Lowell’s eyes, which was why he hadn’t made trouble for her at the hospital.

She had been wondering how, given how much he adored Raina, he could have let things go so easily if she had truly hurt her.

’So he was just waiting for me here, where Raina couldn’t see his cruel methods?’

The chill from the earlier draft made her already bad cold even worse. She wrapped her clothes tighter around herself, covered her mouth, and sneezed several more times.

Hazel Hawthorne rubbed her nose and looked up, her expression blank. "Are you here because of Raina Lowell?"

In just a few moments, Hazel’s throat began to burn, and it was painful even to speak. She coughed uncomfortably. She felt incredibly light-headed, and her cheeks were starting to feel hot.

She subconsciously reached up to touch her forehead and cheeks. Even though she felt awful, she had to hold on until Aiden Xavier left.

She couldn’t let him see that something was wrong, lest he think she was copying Raina Lowell’s tricks—playing the victim and acting weak in front of him.

She saw Aiden Xavier stand up, and Hazel subconsciously took another two steps back. She thought he was going to hit her, but he only walked to the window and closed it.

His tone was still flat and indifferent, without a trace of concern or any discernible emotion. "Your cold isn’t better yet?"

’Strange. This is strange. Incredibly strange.’

Hazel Hawthorne smiled, a devastatingly beautiful and captivating smile. Her voice rose slightly at the end of her words as if in provocation. "Shouldn’t you be asking me about Raina Lowell? Why the sudden concern for me?"

No longer feeling Aiden Xavier’s oppressive aura, Hazel grew bolder. She sauntered toward him, her walk full of graceful charm, and said flirtatiously, "You’ve been acting very strange lately. Could it be that you’ve fallen in love with me?"

Hazel Hawthorne was an expert at maintaining distance. Although she drew near to Aiden Xavier, an almost imperceptible gap remained between them. Aiden was tall and broad, a full head taller than Hazel. He lowered his head slightly, his gaze unwavering as he stared at her.

Hazel Hawthorne was beautiful, with an oval face, large eyes, and thin, sexy, rosy lips. Her skin was fair and so delicate it looked like it could break at a touch. On top of that, with her cold, her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were misty, lending her a kind of fragile beauty.

Aiden Xavier couldn’t help but stare, dumbfounded. Hazel, however, didn’t notice the change in him. She fearlessly leaned in closer, her voice lilting upwards. "Aiden Xavier, am I not beautiful?"

A fragrant scent drifted over, touching the tip of Aiden Xavier’s nose. As the aroma filled his senses, he couldn’t help but take a deep breath. He suddenly grabbed Hazel Hawthorne’s wrist and roughly pulled her into his arms.

The move stunned Hazel completely.

When her wrist was caught in Aiden Xavier’s grip, leaving her unable to move, she saw her own panicked reflection clearly in his eyes. Only then did she realize she had taken things too far.

"Aiden Xavier!" Hazel shrieked. "Let me go."

The corners of Aiden Xavier’s mouth lifted into a smirk. His gaze on Hazel held a devilish glint. The closer he was to her, the more intense his physical desire became.

*****