When the Contract Marriage Ended, He Stayed

###Chapter 28: A Baseless Accusation

Hazel Hawthorne returned to her desk, completely baffled by Holly Shaw’s earlier behavior.

"What did the director want with you? How come you look so troubled now that you’re back? Don’t tell me she gave you a hard time?" Sharon Winters glanced around, saw that everyone was busy, and leaned in close, lowering her voice. "Director Shaw is really strict, but she’s a good person."

"If Director Shaw said something to you, don’t take it to heart. After a while, you’ll see that she’s someone who really values talent."

"How do you know?" Hazel Hawthorne asked, puzzled. Sharon Winters seemed to idolize Holly Shaw; Hazel had noticed it since her first day sitting next to her.

"Because Director Shaw is the reason I interviewed at Sterling Group." Sharon Winters’s eyes lit up when she mentioned Holly Shaw, looking even happier than when she saw her own boyfriend. "If I could be personally mentored by Director Shaw, I’d be so happy I’d wake up laughing in my sleep."

’Is it really that amazing?’

Hazel Hawthorne didn’t really know Holly Shaw, so after Sharon Winters’s little primer, she looked up information on her online.

Holly Shaw was an internationally renowned jewelry designer. She had won first place in a global jewelry design competition for three consecutive years and was now a top talent that major companies were vying for. But no one knew why Holly Shaw had come to work for the Sterling Group.

At any other company, she would undoubtedly be the chief designer, yet she had come to the Sterling Group to be a mere design director.

Hazel Hawthorne realized she couldn’t see through Holly Shaw, couldn’t figure her out at all. But Holly Shaw’s résumé truly left her in awe.

"Don’t overthink it. Director Shaw is just a bit strict. It’s a blessing to be taught by her," Sharon Winters said, still assuming Hazel Hawthorne had been scolded by the director and that was why she was so troubled. She patted Hazel’s shoulder comfortingly. "It’s okay. Don’t take it to heart."

Hazel Hawthorne nodded and went back to looking at the design sketches Holly Shaw had given her. When she saw the signature at the bottom, she froze.

The signature read: Holly Shaw.

No wonder Hazel Hawthorne’s eyes had lit up the moment she first saw this set of design sketches. They were on a completely different level from the ones she had been organizing before. This was the first time she had ever seen Holly Shaw’s work.

"Hazel Hawthorne, why are you spacing out again?" Sharon Winters, taking a break to drink some water, noticed she was staring into space again. She waved a hand in front of Hazel’s eyes a few times. When Hazel still didn’t react, Sharon leaned in closer and caught a glimpse of the design sketches in her hand—Holly Shaw’s design sketches.

Sharon Winters was so shocked her jaw dropped. She pointed excitedly at the sketches in Hazel’s hand. "You... you... how do you have Director Shaw’s designs from last year?"

"You’ve never seen them before?"

"I only saw them once at the competition. After that, Director Shaw’s designs were put into a collection, and no one could see them." Sharon Winters desperately wanted to take the sketches and look, but she felt too embarrassed. She could only stare at Hazel Hawthorne with envy. "You’re so lucky, getting to see Director Shaw’s work."

Hazel Hawthorne wasn’t an idiot. She instantly understood that Director Shaw must have intentionally given her these designs to look at. Otherwise, how could she have gotten them when Sharon Winters, who previously did the same job, had never seen them?

’Could it be that Director Shaw intends to mentor me?’

The bold thought surfaced in Hazel Hawthorne’s mind for a moment, but she quickly nipped it in the bud. She was just a designer who had only ever won awards in school. How could she have gained Director Shaw’s favor so quickly?

She hadn’t even had a chance to show her abilities. ’Could it be Aiden Xavier pulling strings behind the scenes again?’

Otherwise, why would someone as unremarkable and without connections as her receive Holly Shaw’s deliberate cultivation?

With that thought, Hazel Hawthorne put Holly Shaw’s manuscript away safely, took out her phone, and walked to the second-floor balcony. She deliberately looked around to make sure no one else was there before dialing Aiden Xavier’s number.

The phone rang for a long time before it was answered. The other end was unusually quiet. Hazel Hawthorne assumed he was with Raina Lowell, so she cut to the chase. "Aiden Xavier, did you interfere in my business again?"

Aiden Xavier looked confused. His secretary immediately signaled for the person giving a report to leave temporarily. Once he was alone in the office, he slowly stood up and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window. "I don’t know what you’re talking about."

"If you didn’t use your power to interfere with my job, then why are they paying attention to me?" Hazel Hawthorne was slightly annoyed. "Was I not clear enough last night? I told you that not interfering with each other is the best way for us to get along."

Hearing the slight agitation in Hazel Hawthorne’s voice, he couldn’t help but rub the bridge of his nose. "I haven’t interfered with your work. Besides calling in sick for you on the day you were ill, I haven’t meddled in anything else. So what on earth happened to make you come and question me so angrily?"

"You didn’t just call in sick for me, you also took away my opportunity to go on a business trip!" Hazel Hawthorne said angrily.

"Those are the only two things I’ve done," Aiden Xavier said in a low voice. "I won’t accept a baseless accusation."

"If it wasn’t you, I really can’t think of anyone else with enough power to interfere with my work. And given your track record, who else could it be? Name one person."

Aiden Xavier suddenly felt like he couldn’t defend himself even if he had a hundred mouths. He didn’t even know what had happened, yet here was Hazel Hawthorne interrogating him. "Hazel Hawthorne, a brain is a good thing. I hope you remember to bring yours with you every day."

"You..."

"I’m very busy. I’m not as idle as you seem to think, and I don’t have time to manage your affairs. Why they’re paying attention to you, or whatever is happening at your company, you should reflect on yourself first. Don’t just come questioning me every time there’s a problem."

Hazel Hawthorne was retorted into silence. She wanted to say something more, but Aiden Xavier hung up on her.

’How ridiculous!’

Aiden Xavier’s face was dark. His secretary came in, cautiously observing his expression, and said tentatively, "Mr. Xavier, the project manager is still outside waiting to give you his report."

"Let him in." There was no discernible emotion in Aiden Xavier’s cold, sharp voice. After a pause, he added, "Go and find out what happened to Hazel Hawthorne at the Sterling Group."

’In Hazel Hawthorne’s eyes, he was apparently just an idle man with nothing better to do than meddle in her affairs.’

"Mr. Xavier, the Sterling Group is Mr. Sterling’s territory. Is it appropriate for us to investigate?"

"Investigate discreetly. Can’t you do that?"

The secretary was startled and quickly exited the office. He wiped the sweat from his forehead. The terrified project manager standing nearby tugged on his sleeve. "What’s the situation in there?"

"All I can tell you is be careful. Mr. Xavier is in a bad mood."

Aiden Xavier was in a bad mood, so the people who came to report to him were walking on thin ice, terrified. They didn’t even dare to make eye contact. The slightest movement from Aiden Xavier was enough to frighten them.

Hazel Hawthorne stood on the balcony, the cold wind blowing against her. Aiden Xavier’s words made her question her own judgment. ’Did I really misunderstand Aiden Xavier? He didn’t interfere with my work?’

’So Holly Shaw really does want to mentor me?’

Hazel Hawthorne sighed, feeling a little lost. She took a moment to compose herself before silently returning to her desk. As she did, she caught a glimpse of a cold, sinister gaze from Holly Shaw’s secretary in the distance, and a chill ran down her spine.

*****