When the Contract Marriage Ended, He Stayed

###Chapter 4: Raina Lowell’s Deliberate Provocation

Hazel Hawthorne gritted her teeth. She unclenched her fist, and her expression changed in a flash. Forcing a wide smile, she looked at Aiden Xavier. "Of course I can’t pay it back. Thank you for going to all that trouble for my father, husband."

"You’re welcome," Aiden Xavier replied with a smirk.

Not only had Hazel Hawthorne failed to get a divorce, but she had also become Aiden Xavier and Raina Lowell’s glorified nanny. She was beyond pissed, so she drank a little that night to drown her sorrows.

The next day, Hazel Hawthorne woke up with a groggy head.

She had had a bit to drink the night before and forgotten to close the window. She hadn’t slept well and, having been exposed to the cold draft all night, was now suffering from a slight cold and a headache.

After washing up, she went downstairs to find Raina Lowell ordering the villa’s maids to replace the living room furniture and curtains.

Seeing that Hazel Hawthorne was up, Raina Lowell put on an apologetic expression. "Oh, I’m so sorry, Ms. Hawthorne..."

"I’m not too fond of the furniture and curtains you picked out! Could we change them to blue? It’s my favorite color," she asked in a soft, delicate voice.

Hazel Hawthorne smiled, completely unbothered. "You’re too kind, Ms. Lowell," she replied. "But my husband personally picked out all this furniture and these curtains. I had no say in it. If you don’t like them, feel free to change them to any color you want."

Raina Lowell was instantly thwarted. She bit her lip, but when she saw a maid bringing breakfast out from the kitchen, she immediately found a new line of attack.

"Ms. Hawthorne, Aiden works so hard every day, so I personally made him some soup this morning."

Raina Lowell lowered her head shyly and said softly, "Perhaps I overstepped. I hope you don’t mind?"

Hazel Hawthorne yawned and replied nonchalantly, "Someone else is looking out for my husband’s health for me? I couldn’t be happier. Why would I mind?"

She descended the stairs, sat right down at the dining table, and started to eat. She ladled some soup into her bowl, took a few sips, and then looked up at Raina Lowell. "You’re very skilled, Ms. Lowell. This soup is delicious. Would you mind making a portion for me every morning from now on, too?"

Raina Lowell subconsciously clenched her fists. She never imagined this woman would be so resilient.

’Even after all this, she can still keep her cool.’

Just then, Aiden Xavier came down from the second-floor study. He was dressed in a clean, sharp suit—a true wolf in sheep’s clothing.

Raina Lowell immediately rushed to greet him, her posture like that of a servant waiting on customers in a Japanese restaurant.

"Aiden, I’ve prepared breakfast. You have to finish it all before you go to the office, okay?"

Right in front of Hazel Hawthorne, Raina Lowell reached out to straighten Aiden Xavier’s suit and tie, just like a newlywed couple.

Aiden Xavier stood still, subconsciously glancing over at Hazel Hawthorne. He cleared his throat with a light cough. "Let’s eat first."

Hazel Hawthorne acted as if the two of them didn’t even exist. She continued to eat her breakfast with relish, completely oblivious to the scene that had just unfolded.

Halfway through her meal, she suddenly felt unwell. She sneezed and rubbed her nose uncomfortably, her eyes and cheeks turning red.

Aiden Xavier glanced at her and frowned. "A cold?"

Hazel Hawthorne looked up and smiled. "I forgot to close the window last night and caught a bit of a chill."

Raina Lowell glanced tentatively at Aiden Xavier, then began to speak in a passive-aggressive tone. "Ms. Hawthorne, you’re so careless."

She put on a breathy, delicate voice, the kind that would make any man go weak in the knees—

"Before I went abroad, I couldn’t fall asleep unless Aiden was with me. He’s so thoughtful. He would always check the doors and windows for me before he left. Since you’re all alone, Ms. Hawthorne... you should probably be more careful and take better care of yourself!"

’This woman... is she deliberately trying to provoke me?’

Hazel Hawthorne rolled her eyes internally, but since Aiden Xavier was there, she couldn’t say much.

All she could do was force a smile and reply, "Thank you for the reminder, Ms. Lowell."

Raina Lowell’s repeated provocations were like punching a ball of cotton; she was getting a little frustrated that none of them landed.

She glanced at Aiden Xavier tentatively one more time and started again. "But it wouldn’t matter even if I did get sick. Aiden is an expert at taking care of people who are ill. Once, when I had a fever from a cold, Aiden stayed up with me all night without even closing his eyes."