When the Contract Marriage Ended, He Stayed

###Chapter 61: Why Not Tell Her?

The Xavier Group, CEO’s Office.

Although Hazel Hawthorne and Aiden Xavier had been married for years, she rarely visited him at the office. That didn’t stop the long-time employees from recognizing her, however.

Hazel Hawthorne had an unforgettable face. On the strength of her looks alone, getting through the front doors of the Xavier Group was relatively easy.

Just as she and Sharon Winters stepped out of the elevator, they ran into Aiden Xavier’s trusted secretary. The secretary was quite surprised by Hazel Hawthorne’s sudden appearance and quickly moved to block her path.

He bowed respectfully and said, "Mrs. Xavier, why didn’t you let us know you were coming?"

Hazel Hawthorne beamed. "I wanted to give Aiden Xavier a surprise. He should be in his office now. There’s no need to announce me. I’ll take full responsibility for any issues."

The secretary couldn’t possibly let her just barge in like that. He naturally moved to grab her arm, but was stopped by a single glare from Hazel Hawthorne.

In that instant, the secretary swore he could see a glimpse of Aiden Xavier in her. Though Hazel Hawthorne had only warned him with a look, he felt an invisible, oppressive aura. He stared at her in silence, and in that brief moment of distraction...

Hazel Hawthorne pushed open the office door. Aiden Xavier was standing by the floor-to-ceiling windows, on the phone, his voice especially gentle.

He had assumed some audacious employee had burst in unannounced.

Aiden Xavier turned around, annoyed. But when he saw it was Hazel Hawthorne, he was stunned.

He thought the matter with Shawn Bennett would drive a wedge between him and Hazel Hawthorne, and that she would surely be ignoring him for the time being. So, he had tactfully decided not to contact her.

He never expected Hazel Hawthorne would suddenly show up at the company looking for him.

Aiden Xavier shot his incompetent secretary a glare, then waved him out of the room.

Before leaving, the secretary also pulled Sharon Winters out with him, leaving the office for Aiden Xavier and Hazel Hawthorne to speak privately.

Hazel Hawthorne wasted no words. First, she showed Aiden Xavier the video of Raina Lowell and Shawn Bennett together. Then, she showed him the photos that had been taken of Raina Lowell secretly contacting the media and paparazzi.

The office was completely silent. Hazel Hawthorne watched Aiden Xavier with a blank expression. ’On the way here, I imagined all sorts of reactions Aiden might have after finding all this out.’

Aiden Xavier finished looking through everything calmly, then raised his head and asked Hazel Hawthorne, "What do you want from me by showing me this?"

Hazel Hawthorne pointed at the video of Raina Lowell and Shawn Bennett speaking. "I told you before that Shawn Bennett was acting on Raina Lowell’s orders. You wanted proof, and this is it. It proves that Raina Lowell and Shawn Bennett do, in fact, know each other."

Then, she spread the photos of Raina Lowell contacting the media and paparazzi out on the desk before him. "And these are a little bonus, just so you know who’s really pulling the strings."

’I thought Aiden would fly into a rage. To be schemed against by the woman he loves... with his personality, he’d never be able to stand it.’ But contrary to Hazel Hawthorne’s expectations, Aiden Xavier had no reaction at all. He was even serene.

Hazel Hawthorne mulled it over for a few seconds. There were only two possible explanations for Aiden Xavier’s calm reaction to what Raina Lowell had done.

One: Aiden Xavier already knew, but he loved Raina Lowell so much that he chose to turn a blind eye to her actions. Two: He knew, but for some reason, he was unable to move against her.

Between the two, Hazel Hawthorne felt the first explanation was the one most in line with Aiden Xavier’s character.

’He loves Raina Lowell so desperately that even knowing she’s a two-faced woman, his love remains deep, inescapable, and blind...’

Hazel Hawthorne stared at Aiden Xavier intently. "It seems you already knew about all this," she said coolly.

"Hazel Hawthorne, stay out of Raina Lowell’s affairs." Aiden Xavier placed the materials she had given him directly into a cabinet.

Hazel Hawthorne didn’t seem to care. "I have plenty more of what I just gave you. Besides, I’ve already arranged to have it all posted online." She glanced at the time. "It goes live at two o’clock sharp."

It was five minutes to two.

Hazel Hawthorne looked at Aiden Xavier as if he were a stranger. "I’ll hand the video over to the police. But as for her secretly buying off the media and paparazzi to expose her relationship with you—staging this whole drama—I’ll be sure to repay her in kind."

"Hazel Hawthorne, stop this right now."

The corners of Hazel Hawthorne’s mouth lifted slightly as she averted her gaze from Aiden Xavier. "Sorry, I can’t stop. Just assume I’m doing this to get revenge on Raina Lowell."

With that, Hazel Hawthorne left Aiden Xavier’s office in high spirits, not once looking back. Outside, the secretary and Sharon Winters were arguing about something. Sharon’s face was flushed, but the moment she saw Hazel, she ran over as if her backup had arrived and shot Aiden’s secretary a vicious glare.

The secretary called out, "Mrs. Xavier," but Sharon Winters covertly flipped him the bird before following Hazel Hawthorne into the elevator and leaving.

The secretary turned and went back into the office. Aiden Xavier was sitting in his black leather chair, taking out the materials Hazel Hawthorne had given him to study them again. "They’re gone?"

"Yes. Mrs. Xavier didn’t look too happy when she left. I think she was very angry," the secretary said cautiously, not forgetting to observe Aiden Xavier’s expression.

Aiden Xavier put down the documents. "That fiery temper of hers... She really can’t stand being wronged in the slightest."

The secretary was puzzled. "Mr. Xavier, why don’t you let Mrs. Xavier know that you were the one who sent her the video?"

Aiden Xavier recalled the look on Hazel Hawthorne’s face when she’d accused him of hiding the connection between Shawn Bennett and Raina Lowell in order to protect Raina. He suddenly had no idea how to explain it to her.

After all, the situation between him and Raina Lowell was too complicated. It couldn’t be explained clearly in just a few words or a brief moment.

And sometimes, knowing too much isn’t necessarily a good thing.

"Even if you told her I was the one who sent it, she wouldn’t believe you. She would just think I’m up to some new scheme."

Aiden Xavier had realized long ago that ever since Raina Lowell’s return, the delicate trust between him and Hazel Hawthorne had vanished. No matter what he did, Hazel would instinctively assume he was doing it for Raina’s sake.

"But you can’t keep hiding it from Mrs. Xavier forever." The secretary was still worried that a misunderstanding would drive Aiden Xavier and Hazel Hawthorne apart. After all, he believed that in his boss’s heart, his feelings for Hazel were special.

It was just that his dear Mr. Xavier hadn’t realized it yet.

Aiden Xavier’s face was stern. He swept his gaze over the secretary, frightening him to his core. "As for Shawn Bennett, handle it according to Hazel Hawthorne’s wishes. And as for Raina Lowell, have someone keep a close eye on her."

"Mr. Xavier, aren’t you going to explain things about Raina Lowell to Mrs. Xavier?"

A sharp, cold glare shot his way, and the secretary immediately shut his mouth and retreated from the office.

The clock struck two. The internet immediately exploded. Photos of Raina Lowell’s dealings with the media and paparazzi were being reposted everywhere. Hazel Hawthorne had posted them directly from her own account, clearly laying out the relationship between Aiden Xavier and Raina Lowell, as well as all the recent events.

Hazel Hawthorne also contacted several powerful media companies to spread the news far and wide.

Sure enough, in less than half an hour, the tide of public opinion online completely turned. The same people who had been cursing Hazel Hawthorne were now crying foul on her behalf.

*****