When the Contract Marriage Ended, He Stayed

### Chapter 58: Let the Evidence Speak

Hazel Hawthorne had no desire to hear another word from Aiden Xavier. She squeezed her eyes shut, not even wanting to look at him. The moment Aiden opened his mouth, Hazel would cover her ears. Whenever he got close, she would back away relentlessly, deliberately putting distance between them.

Soon, the wail of police sirens sounded from outside. Only then did Aiden Xavier realize Hazel Hawthorne hadn’t been joking.

Sharon Winters went to open the door for the police. Pointing at Shawn Bennett on the floor, she told them to take him away. As the victim, Hazel Hawthorne was naturally taken away by the police as well. Before she left, Hazel gave Aiden Xavier a meaningful look.

She never intended to make enemies, but some people just insisted on making things difficult for her at every turn. She wasn’t one to be pushed around. Since the other party had made the first move, they couldn’t blame her for fighting back.

Her war with Raina Lowell had officially begun.

Worried about Hazel Hawthorne, Aiden Xavier followed them to the police station.

By the time Hazel Hawthorne finished giving her statement and came out of the police station, the sky was already beginning to lighten. She rubbed her eyes, utterly exhausted after the long night.

Shawn Bennett was already in police custody. Hazel Hawthorne saw Aiden Xavier waiting at the station entrance but didn’t spare him a second glance. She walked right past him and over to Sharon Winters. Thankfully, Sharon had driven, so she could catch a ride home with her.

Just as she was about to get in the car, Aiden Xavier strode over, grabbed her by the hand, and started dragging her away.

Hazel Hawthorne struggled hard, but she was no match for his strength. Losing her balance, she fell to the ground, scraping her knee. Sharon Winters wanted to go help Hazel, but one look from Aiden Xavier made her shrink back immediately.

Seeing this, Hazel Hawthorne sneered and said sharply, "Let go of me. I can walk on my own."

At her words, Aiden Xavier released his grip. He had already let go the moment he saw her fall and had even wanted to check her injuries, but Hazel’s cold, defiant gaze made it impossible for him to swallow his pride.

Hazel Hawthorne turned back and said softly to her worried friend, "Sharon, thank you for all your trouble today. You should head back first. I’ll go with him."

Sharon Winters desperately wanted to pull Hazel away, but she didn’t dare cross Aiden Xavier. Her career and her boyfriend’s could be ruined with a single word from him. She didn’t have that kind of courage, nor was she Hazel. All she could do was look at Hazel helplessly.

Hazel naturally understood her friend’s concerns and didn’t blame her. "It’s fine, you can go. I’ll be okay. Even if he wanted to do something to me, he’d have to consider my status as Mrs. Xavier. Don’t worry about me. I’ll protect myself."

Sharon Winters sighed. "Then do you need me to ask for time off from Director Shaw for you?"

"No need. I’ll go to work as usual." Hazel Hawthorne gave Sharon Winters a small smile, then turned and got into Aiden Xavier’s car.

Worry filled Sharon Winters’s eyes, terrified that Aiden Xavier might get violent with Hazel. She shot him a contemptuous look and, mustering her courage, said angrily, "Aiden Xavier, we live in a society governed by law! If you dare lay a hand on Hazel, I’ll definitely call the police!"

Aiden Xavier didn’t say a word. He just turned, got in the car, and shut the door.

Hazel Hawthorne sat in the passenger seat, buckled her seatbelt, and waved to Sharon Winters from inside the car. Sharon’s figure gradually disappeared from view.

The moon still hung in the brightening sky, its faint glow blending in with the twilight of dawn.

As he drove, Aiden Xavier glanced at Hazel Hawthorne and asked in a low voice, "You called the police. What do you think the final outcome will be?"

Hazel Hawthorne avoided the question.

Aiden Xavier didn’t get angry. He continued, "In the end, it will only conclude with Shawn Bennett being convicted of assault and attempted rape."

Hearing this, Hazel finally spoke, her voice laced with sarcasm. "I know. The great Mr. Xavier will definitely pull some strings to protect Raina Lowell. Or let me put it another way: Shawn Bennett is so scared of you that even if you gave him ten times the nerve, he wouldn’t dare mention Raina’s name."

"Hazel, why are you so sure Raina Lowell was the one who put Shawn Bennett up to this? I told you, if you’re going to insist she’s involved, you need to show me proof. You can’t just convict someone with words alone."

Hazel snapped, exasperated, "Proof? You probably destroyed it already! Where am I supposed to find proof? And even if I had it, so what? You’d still find a way to deal with me, to deal with Shawn Bennett."

Aiden Xavier looked at the agitated Hazel. He wanted to speak with her gently, but she was in no state to have a calm conversation with him.

"Aiden Xavier, you’d better shut up right now. I don’t want to hear your disgusting voice rattling on in my ear. Everything you say is just to protect Raina Lowell. You have no idea what I went through that night."

Ever since that night, Hazel had been having nightmares every night. Whenever she woke up from one, it would take her a long time to fall back asleep.

"I know you only have eyes for Raina Lowell. It’s understandable that you want to protect her. But I’m a living, breathing person too! If it were Raina who had been attacked that night, would you still be handling it like this? You’d probably have the person who hurt her skinned alive."

’In the end, it was because she wasn’t Raina Lowell. She could never make Aiden Xavier go to such lengths for her.’

Hazel Hawthorne slowly closed her eyes as two streams of clear tears trickled from the corners.

’Comparisons are truly cruel. No matter what heinous things Raina Lowell did, Aiden Xavier would only ever protect and defend her, even if it meant letting others get hurt.’

Aiden Xavier walked Hazel Hawthorne to her bedroom door. The moment she was inside, she shut it. Aiden stood outside the door, somewhat at a loss.

That night, he had seen Shawn Bennett assaulting Hazel and knew she had been drugged. He had immediately called a doctor to help her. Later, once Hazel had recovered, he went to interrogate Shawn Bennett.

From Shawn, he learned that a woman had put him up to it. Combined with the surveillance footage sent over from the bar, he had also clearly seen that the person talking to Shawn Bennett was Raina Lowell.

’He wasn’t trying to protect Raina Lowell.’

But Aiden Xavier couldn’t bring himself to say this to Hazel. In his mind, he could not forget Hazel waking up from nightmares over and over that night. He couldn’t forget the sight of her, covered in injuries, so helpless and fragile.

Aiden raised his hand, intending to knock and talk things over properly with Hazel, but in the end, he hesitated and lowered it.

When Hazel came out again after getting ready, Aiden Xavier was gone. The events of the previous night felt like a dream. It was as if Aiden had never been there; not even a trace of his scent lingered in the air.

Hazel felt a wave of melancholy. She knew perfectly well that without evidence, it would be nearly impossible to make Raina Lowell admit she had orchestrated the events of that night. And so, she also knew that everything Aiden had said was true.

’In the end, the only one who would be punished was Shawn Bennett.’

Hazel threw herself into her work all morning, trying to keep her mind from wandering. Sharon Winters watched her, her heart aching for her friend, wanting to offer comfort but not knowing what to say.

’Her own husband was letting the scoundrel who attacked his wife go free, all to protect his first love. Who could possibly stand for that? Before, she had just thought Aiden Xavier was a philanderer. Now, she thought he wasn’t just a philanderer—he was a total scumbag.’

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