When the Contract Marriage Ended, He Stayed

###Chapter 54: Who Leaked It?

-------------------------------------

When the sun rose again, Hazel Hawthorne was back to her old self. Her attitude toward Aiden Xavier had returned to one of polite detachment, and they treated each other with the distance of courteous strangers.

Hazel Hawthorne appeared in the living room, fully dressed. Aiden Xavier was already up and ready, sitting at the dining table with a newspaper. He gave Hazel a brief glance and asked casually, "Did you sleep well last night?"

"Not bad." Hazel Hawthorne sat down and began to eat the sandwich in front of her with gusto. Since Aiden Xavier didn’t bring up the news about them circulating online, she didn’t ask about it either.

"I’m off to the office." Hazel Hawthorne pushed her chair back, stood up slowly, and walked to the door without so much as a glance at Aiden Xavier. Just as she reached it, she suddenly spoke again. "Have you figured out how you’re going to handle the situation with Raina Lowell?"

"Mmm." Aiden Xavier watched her retreating back. She hadn’t even looked back. This was a world away from the Hazel he’d seen last night; it was as if the previous night had been nothing more than a delusion of his.

It only proved that she was still the same Hazel Hawthorne he had always known.

Not long after Hazel Hawthorne left, Aiden Xavier headed out as well. He was currently at the center of a media storm, and every reporter and paparazzo wanted to get the scoop from him, but his whereabouts were not so easily tracked.

When Aiden Xavier arrived at the office, his secretary quickly handed him the file that had been compiled overnight. "Mr. Xavier." He glanced at Aiden cautiously, as if afraid he would fly into a rage upon seeing the documents.

To the secretary’s surprise, Aiden Xavier flipped through the file, his eyes scanning it rapidly. But upon seeing a familiar name, he immediately snapped the folder shut and said coldly, "You can leave now."

The secretary didn’t dare to linger. With Aiden Xavier, the calmer he appeared, the more serious the situation.

After the secretary left, Aiden Xavier opened the file again. He stared intently at the two words on the page, his expression blank. It was as if he had been transported back in time, as if this very name had once been deeply seared into his mind.

Aiden Xavier stayed in his office for a long time, refusing to see anyone.

Even when Fiona Forrest came to the company looking for him, Aiden Xavier still refused to see her.

When Aiden Xavier came out with his coat, he ran right into Fiona Forrest, who was still waiting by the door.

Fiona Forrest’s face was livid. "Aiden Xavier, do I even exist in your eyes as your mother?"

"Mother."

Fiona Forrest hadn’t slept a wink since she heard the news about Aiden Xavier and Raina Lowell last night. She grabbed him forcefully, dragged him back into the office, her face red with rage, and snarled, "Have you forgotten how your father died?"

"Mother, of course I haven’t forgotten how Father died," Aiden Xavier said in a low voice.

"If you haven’t forgotten, then why are you still with Raina Lowell? As long as I’m alive, that girl will never set foot in the Xavier Family home."

"Mother, Raina Lowell’s brother saved my life. Both for his sake and as a matter of principle, it’s only right that I help Raina now that she needs it."

"Pah! No one knows the truth of what happened when your life was in danger. It could very well have been a plot orchestrated by the Lowell Family themselves, one where they ended up losing their son and gaining nothing!"

Fiona Forrest harbored a deep-seated hatred for the Lowell Family, which extended to anyone associated with them. She glared at Aiden Xavier, utterly grief-stricken. "You are the son I was so proud of. Why must you insist on getting tangled up with that bitch, Raina Lowell?"

Aiden Xavier tried to calm the agitated Fiona Forrest while glancing at his phone, which was vibrating nonstop.

Fiona Forrest caught his subtle movement and followed his gaze to the vibrating phone nearby. She snatched it first and saw it was a call from Raina Lowell. Just as Fiona was about to answer, Aiden grabbed the phone back.

He walked straight out of the office and instructed his secretary, "Personally escort my mother back to the family estate. I have to go take care of something."

By the time Fiona Forrest chased after him, Aiden Xavier’s figure had already vanished as the elevator doors closed. Fiona’s furious eyes were fixed on the doors. The secretary followed behind, terrified and not daring to breathe too loudly.

"Do you know where your Mr. Xavier has hidden Raina Lowell?" Fiona Forrest spun around suddenly, startling the secretary.

"Madam, I don’t know."

"You’re by Aiden Xavier’s side every day. How could you not know where he’s hiding Raina Lowell?" Fiona Forrest took a step forward, and the secretary instinctively backed away.

"Madam, I really don’t know. Mr. Xavier doesn’t let any of us get involved in Raina Lowell’s affairs."

’Raina Lowell is Aiden’s treasure; it’s only natural he wouldn’t let others interfere.’ Fiona Forrest figured she wouldn’t get any information out of the secretary, so she turned and strode quickly out of the company in her high heels.

In the car, Fiona Forrest closed her eyes and gave an order to the butler sitting in the front passenger seat. "I want to know where Raina Lowell is within twenty-four hours."

-------------------------------------

Evercrest Estates was one of the Xavier Group’s most exclusive real estate developments. It was a high-end residential area where, regardless of the price per square foot, you weren’t even qualified to purchase a property unless your family assets were in the hundreds of millions.

An understated black Mercedes drove into the underground garage.

Aiden Xavier, wearing a trench coat, got out of the car. Raina Lowell, who was standing by the elevator doors, immediately rushed over in excitement and threw her arms around him.

"Aiden, I was so scared. I thought you weren’t coming for me." Raina Lowell leaned against Aiden’s chest, slowly lifting her head, her eyes glistening with tears. "I don’t know why things turned out like this. Who on earth exposed our relationship?"

"Let’s go up first," Aiden Xavier said, stroking Raina Lowell’s head.

Evercrest Estates wasn’t necessarily the most hidden place to keep someone, but paparazzi and the media had absolutely no way of getting inside. Even if they camped out at the entrance, they wouldn’t be able to get a single picture of Raina Lowell. That was why Aiden Xavier was so confident in letting her stay here.

Back in the apartment, Raina Lowell clung to Aiden Xavier, unwilling to be apart from him for even a moment. She held his hand, constantly stealing glances at his expression. "Aiden, have you found the person who took our picture?"

"Not yet."

"What about the paparazzi who exposed our relationship? Do you know who they are? They’re just too much, doing something so despicable just to get attention. My relationship with you..." Raina Lowell trailed off, looking at Aiden Xavier.

"They know this will cause a misunderstanding. My relationship with you, Aiden, isn’t what they say it is at all." Raina Lowell sat beside Aiden Xavier and suddenly asked, "What about Ms. Hawthorne? She must be very upset about all this, right?"

Aiden Xavier stared intently at Raina Lowell, pondering for a long time before finally speaking slowly. "What does she have to be upset about? She’s used to it. Our marriage is just a contract. She has no right to question anything I do."

"Aiden, then... if that’s the case, why do you keep up this sham marriage with Ms. Hawthorne?"

*****