When the Contract Marriage Ended, He Stayed

###Chapter 31: I’m Drunk, Come Pick Me Up

Julian Sterling found himself swamped by women who had worked up the courage to approach them. It was all because Aiden was putting on his usual "stay away" act. Any woman who tried to hit on him was so intimidated by his cold demeanor that she would immediately pivot to Julian.

Aiden usually came to the bar to unwind when he had free time. Julian Sterling, on the other hand, was here to actually pick up women.

To Julian, these women were just a bit of fun; he never took any of them seriously. He and Aiden did have one thing in common, though: they were both incredibly generous with the women they spent time with.

The air was thick with the perfume of too many women, instantly enveloping them. Aiden wrinkled his nose. He suddenly recalled the simple, floral scent of Hazel’s body wash and felt a wave of relief.

He ruthlessly shooed away the women around him, then slumped back in his seat and started fiddling with his phone. He would occasionally open his messaging app or his contacts, tap on Hazel’s name, then decide it was pointless, put the phone down, and go back to his drink.

After he repeated the same sequence of actions several times, he caught Julian Sterling’s attention.

Possessing the admirable virtue of always helping out a bro, Julian Sterling assumed Aiden had gotten into a fight with Raina Lowell. So, he took the liberty of making a decision for him.

Perhaps it was the alcohol getting to his head, but Aiden finally made up his mind. He left Julian Sterling at the bar, found a quiet spot, and after a moment’s hesitation, dialed Hazel’s number.

He knew Hazel wouldn’t be asleep yet.

So when Hazel saw Aiden calling her this late, her first instinct was to hang up immediately. She then sent him a message: "I’m about to go to sleep. If you have something to say, text me. If not, don’t call and disturb me."

’Heartless!’

Aiden scoffed and texted back, "It’s important. Answer the phone."

Hazel thought about it for a long moment. She didn’t reply to his message, but his calls kept coming, one after another, to the point where it was interfering with her scrolling on her phone.

’Aiden calling this late could only mean trouble.’

Hazel really didn’t want to answer, but she knew Aiden wasn’t the type to give up easily. She was certain that if she didn’t pick up, he would either keep calling indefinitely or just show up at her door.

So, to prevent him from ruining her night, she finally decided to answer and see what kind of game he was playing this time.

"You finally answered." Aiden’s voice was hoarse and clearly not sober.

Hazel frowned slightly. ’Is he drunk?’

From the sound of it, he’d had a lot. She had never gone drinking with Aiden, nor had she ever seen him drunk. In the past, even if he did get drunk, he would never have sought her out, much less called her this late at night.

’Strange. And very weird.’

"Are you drunk?"

Aiden rubbed his temples. "Yeah," he said, his voice low. "I’m sending you my location. Come pick me up."

"What about your secretary?" Hazel asked, her immediate instinct to refuse.

Aiden was unfazed. "My secretary’s on a business trip." He knew getting Hazel to come get him would be next to impossible, but he enjoyed a challenge. "What’s the problem? Isn’t it perfectly normal for a wife to come pick up her husband?"

’Husband?’

Hazel laughed out loud. "Aiden, have you forgotten? Raina Lowell is back. If you’re drunk, you should call her. I’m sure she’d drop everything and rush over to get you. Besides, you’re Mr. Popular. There’s no shortage of women who’d love to take you home."

"I’ve already sent you my location. If you don’t show up, and the media snaps a picture of me going home with some other woman, you’ll be the one dealing with the fallout. So, what will it be? Do you want to clean up my mess later, or just come get me now? Your choice."

Aiden hung up and immediately sent Hazel the pin for the bar.

Hazel stared blankly at the location Aiden had sent. She knew of the bar but had never been. She did, however, know that it was one of Aiden’s regular haunts.

There were always paparazzi lurking by the entrance—not necessarily for Aiden, but because the bar was a frequent hotspot for celebrities. Any paparazzo camped out there was practically guaranteed to get a story.

Aiden himself had been spotted there by the paparazzi many times, so everyone knew he was a regular. As a result, the number of women frequenting the bar had also grown steadily.

Hazel hated dealing with Aiden’s scandals. The women who came to confront her all said the same things; she knew their speeches by heart. The smart ones would take her money and disappear. The clueless ones, usually some minor celebrity, would cling to the fantasy of marrying Aiden.

The minutes ticked by. As Hazel grabbed her car keys, left the house, and started driving to the bar, she still couldn’t fathom why Aiden had asked her to pick him up. She also felt she had to be out of her mind for actually listening to him and going.

When she arrived at the entrance to the bar, Hazel started to have second thoughts.

She stood awkwardly at the entrance in her loose-fitting clothes, without a trace of makeup.

The security guard at the door glanced at Hazel several times, assuming she was there to cause trouble. He watched her with such a wary expression that she started to feel self-conscious.

She was here to pick someone up, not to find a date, so she hadn’t bothered to get dolled up. Even so, her natural beauty was impossible to hide, even without makeup.

Quite a few men were already casting appreciative glances her way.

Hazel took a deep breath. ’Well, I’ve come this far,’ she thought. ’No point in giving up now. I’ll just grab Aiden and get out of here.’

Hazel strode toward the entrance but was stopped by the guard. "Miss, are you here for a good time, or are you here to cause trouble?"

Hazel pointed at herself, exasperated. ’Do I look like I’m here to cause trouble?’

’I’m perfectly friendly!’

"Excuse me, I’m here to find someone," Hazel said, straightening her clothes. "Don’t worry, I’m definitely not here to make a scene."

After a pause, she added, "And I’m not a paparazzo, either."

The guard was skeptical, but Hazel had a kind face, and her gentle smile was disarming.

Seeing he wasn’t going to give her any more trouble, Hazel quickly went inside.

The deafening music made Hazel extremely uncomfortable. The smells of smoke, alcohol, and perfume assaulted her nostrils. ’People who hang out in bars all the time are a special breed,’ she thought.

She hated the cloying mix of scents and this kind of hedonistic lifestyle. Right now, all she wanted was to find Aiden and drag him out.

And she hoped that he actually intended to leave with her and hadn’t just lured her here for some reason.

"Miss, is there anything I can help you with?"

Hazel had already done a full lap of the main floor but hadn’t seen any sign of Aiden.

A server sized her up. He’d noticed her looking for someone ever since she walked in.

"Where is K1?"

Upon hearing the name, the server’s attitude immediately became deferential. "This way, Miss. Please follow me."

"You have a second floor?"

"Yes, Miss. The second floor is reserved for our VIP clients."

The server pulled a keycard from his pocket, swiped it at a reader by the door, and the door slid open.

Hazel muttered under her breath, ’This bar is ridiculously high-tech. You’d think it was a summit for world leaders or something.’

"Miss, this is the area you were looking for."

*****