When the Contract Marriage Ended, He Stayed

Chapter 23: He’s Your Best Medicine

When Hazel Hawthorne woke, Aiden Xavier was nowhere to be seen. A maid appeared with a glass of warm milk. She rubbed her temples; her whole body ached so much she almost thought someone had given her a brutal beating in her dreams last night.

Or maybe Aiden Xavier had snuck into her room while she was asleep and beaten her up for real.

"Young Madam, you’re finally awake. The Young Master took care of you all night. He only left a little after seven this morning."

Hazel Hawthorne was still groggy and didn’t quite catch what the maid was saying. She asked subconsciously, "What did you just say?"

"You suddenly fainted last night. Thankfully, the Young Master found you in time, carried you back to your room, and had the family doctor rush over. Then he stayed by your side and looked after you all night, only leaving this morning."

Hazel Hawthorne couldn’t believe the maid’s words. She rubbed her ears, suspecting she’d misheard. "I didn’t hear you wrong, did I?" she asked doubtfully. "You’re saying Aiden Xavier took care of me all night?"

’It’s a great act of mercy that he hasn’t killed me yet, so why would he take care of me?’

Hazel Hawthorne couldn’t figure it out for the life of her. "And I don’t remember any of it. I just remember being really thirsty, so I went downstairs for some water. After that..." She really couldn’t recall what happened. You could say she was completely clueless.

"Young Madam, I’m not lying. The Young Master really did take care of you all night." The maid also thought, ’I need to tell the Madam this news right away. She’ll be so happy when she finds out.’ "Young Madam, the Young Master is actually very concerned about you."

"Alright, alright, that’s enough," Hazel Hawthorne said. The corner of her eye caught the wall clock—it was already ten in the morning. She was definitely late for work. Her intern salary wasn’t high to begin with, and being late meant a deduction.

’I don’t have that much pay to be docked.’

Ignoring her headache, Hazel Hawthorne threw off the covers and got up swiftly. The outfits in her wardrobe were all pre-coordinated, which saved her time. She randomly picked one and, under the maid’s astonished gaze, rushed into the bathroom to get ready.

Hazel Hawthorne arrived at the Sterling Group in a great hurry. Being late for work was a major taboo, especially since she had only been there for a few days and hadn’t even finished her probation period, yet she was already being so undisciplined.

She parked her car and jogged all the way to her desk. Seeing her covered in sweat, Sharon Winters quickly grabbed a tissue for her. "What are you in such a rush for? Didn’t you take the day off today?"

"Took the day off?" Hazel Hawthorne asked, confused, as she wiped the sweat from her face. "When did I take the day off?"

’A lightbulb went off in her head. It must have been Aiden Xavier who called in sick for her.’

’I didn’t think Aiden Xavier could be so thoughtful.’

Sharon Winters was puzzled. "Are you so sick you’ve gotten confused? I went to the director’s office to deliver some files this morning and heard her say you called in sick today. Your work has been temporarily assigned to me."

Hazel Hawthorne gave a dry laugh. She was already certain that Aiden Xavier had called in for her, so she had to play dumb. "Maybe I just remembered it wrong. I really thought I hadn’t taken the day off."

Hearing this, Sharon Winters said casually, "You live alone, so it must be inconvenient when you’re sick with no one to look after you. Since you’ve already taken the day off, you should go home and get some proper rest."

Hazel Hawthorne’s workload wasn’t heavy, just a bit tedious. Sharon Winters had started three months before her, and these tasks used to be her responsibility anyway. That’s why the director had temporarily assigned Hazel’s work to Sharon after she called in sick.

Having inexplicably gotten a day off, Hazel Hawthorne walked out of the Sterling Group building. Gazing at the bustling streets, she had no idea where to go.

’Go back to the Hawthorne Family estate? I don’t want to see the looks on the Hawthornes’ faces. Besides, ever since my mother passed away, I’ve never willingly gone back. It isn’t my home anymore; it’s that bitch’s home.’

The thought that every trip to the Hawthorne Family estate only brought her trouble made Hazel Hawthorne push the idea out of her mind entirely.

In this vast city, she couldn’t even find a few friends to talk to or go shopping with. Hazel Hawthorne suddenly felt like her life was a bit of a failure. She walked aimlessly down the street.

An image of Aiden Xavier surfaced in her mind. She wasn’t going to look for him. It didn’t take a genius to figure out he was with Raina Lowell right now. Why would she go looking for trouble?

Hazel Hawthorne wandered around a shopping mall for a while but didn’t find anything she liked. She decided to retreat and head home.

She had just stepped out of the mall when two people appeared right in front of her.

She froze on the spot, her eyes meeting Aiden Xavier’s cold gaze. The maid’s words from that morning suddenly echoed in her ears.

"*The Young Master personally took care of you all night, only leaving this morning.*"

Before running into Aiden Xavier, Hazel Hawthorne had actually chosen to believe the maid. She had even come to the mall to pick out a gift for him as a way of thanking him for his care last night.

But now, seeing Aiden Xavier and Raina Lowell standing side-by-side before her, any thoughts of gifts or gratitude were just nonsense.

’Taking care of me was probably just a minor effort for Aiden Xavier,’ she reasoned. ’He couldn’t just watch me faint in the living room and do nothing. Besides, I’m his wife and the only daughter-in-law Fiona Forrest approves of. If something happened to me, he would surely be reprimanded by her.’

Thinking it over, Hazel Hawthorne decided this explanation was the only one that made sense.

Raina Lowell gazed lovingly at Aiden Xavier, her fair hand linked through his arm. Her slender, exposed fingers gently clutched his clothes. The two of them truly looked like a perfect match, a pair made in heaven.

Aiden Xavier was handsome, noble, and aloof.

Raina Lowell was beautiful and elegant, with a gentle, scholarly air about her.

Hazel Hawthorne clicked her tongue. She walked forward on her own accord, glanced at Aiden Xavier, and said with poised grace, "What a coincidence. I never expected to run into you two here. It seems Ms. Lowell is all better. You’re already out of the hospital."

"Ms. Hawthorne, it was just a small cold. Aiden was worried, so he insisted I stay in the hospital." As she spoke, Raina Lowell kept her large, innocent eyes fixed on Aiden Xavier.

Hazel Hawthorne had grown immune to such scenes. She smiled. "It’s only natural for Aiden Xavier to be worried about you. But in my opinion, he’s your best medicine. As long as he’s by your side, even a terminal illness could be cured."

Hazel Hawthorne was all smiles, her tone deceptively friendly. Raina Lowell shot her a subtle glare, but Hazel acted as if she hadn’t seen it. She walked over, got close to Aiden Xavier, and suddenly stood on her tiptoes to speak in a voice only the two of them could hear.

"Don’t be so brazen in public. You have plenty of scandals, sure, but if news about you and Raina Lowell gets reported and Mom sees it, I can’t cover for you."

Raina Lowell couldn’t hear what Hazel Hawthorne and Aiden Xavier were saying, and she instantly grew nervous. She hated how brazenly Hazel got close to Aiden, and seeing that he didn’t reject her in the slightest made her expression turn even uglier.

"Aiden," Raina Lowell said, gently tugging on Aiden Xavier’s sleeve.

As Hazel Hawthorne drew near, Aiden Xavier caught the faint scent of her hair, and the image of her from the previous night uncontrollably surfaced in his mind.

* * *