When the Contract Marriage Ended, He Stayed

###Chapter 88: Putting a Lesson to Use

Hazel Hawthorne didn’t press him further. Since Aiden Xavier was going to answer her like that, she knew that no matter what she asked next, he would just throw her own words from yesterday back at her. Hazel wasn’t one to ask for trouble.

They say a smart woman would never bring up an ex or the "white moonlight" in her man’s heart. Hazel, however, didn’t consider herself a smart woman when it came to matters of the heart. She insisted on bringing it up, just to see how Aiden Xavier would react.

In fact, she took pleasure in it. "Why has Raina Lowell been so quiet lately? It’s like she’s vanished."

Hazel hadn’t forgotten that she had just seen Raina Lowell yesterday. She leaned one arm against the car window, propping her chin on her hand, and watched Aiden Xavier with a leisurely air. "Did you and Raina have a fight because of that night in Freyburg?" 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

"What do you think?" Aiden Xavier said coolly, refusing to give her a straight answer.

Hazel curved her lips into a slight smile. "How would I know? I’m not Raina Lowell."

"Didn’t you just see her yesterday? Forgotten so soon?" Aiden Xavier calmly called her bluff, the corner of his eye catching a glimpse of her perfectly composed expression.

Even though she was exposed, Hazel acted as if nothing had happened. "Ah, now that you mention it, I almost did forget." After a pause, she chuckled. "What, did Raina go crying to you?"

With Raina Lowell’s personality, even if she didn’t complain to Aiden Xavier directly, she would find a way to let him know how wronged she felt. Hazel knew that before she even went to see her. Raina would probably even use this opportunity to play the victim for all it was worth in front of Aiden Xavier.

"Let me guess. Raina definitely told you not to come looking for trouble with me."

Aiden Xavier looked at Hazel intently. Raina had indeed said that. "It seems you really do know her well."

Hazel leisurely flicked her hair back and even threw Aiden Xavier a flirtatious wink. "I’m a woman. Of course I know."

"You didn’t go looking for Raina just to ask her if she was involved with the Freyburg incident." After a moment, Hazel heard Aiden Xavier speak again. "You know her so well... is it because you like me, just like she does?"

The first part of his statement was fine, but the last sentence nearly shattered Hazel’s composure. ’She likes him, just like Raina does?’

But on second thought, it was perfectly normal for a sentence like that to come out of Aiden Xavier’s mouth. ’Who else could be as narcissistic as him, thinking every woman in the world was bound to fall for him?’

Hazel swore she had never met a man more narcissistic than Aiden Xavier.

She couldn’t help but roll her eyes at him. "It’s because I’m a woman, so I have a woman’s way of thinking. It was easy for me to guess what Raina would say to you. Besides, she’s so pure and innocent, a real white lotus in your eyes..."

Aiden Xavier didn’t say anything, so Hazel quickly corrected herself, "Not a white lotus, a ’white moonlight’."

Hazel wasn’t the least bit worried about whatever sob story Raina Lowell had spun for Aiden Xavier. If he had really wanted to stand up for Raina, he would have gotten angry with her long ago. But here he was, picking her up from work and even chatting with her normally.

But... Hazel couldn’t help but frown, a little puzzled. ’Why isn’t Aiden Xavier defending Raina? Isn’t he supposed to be madly in love with her? Isn’t she the only one he wants?’

"Aiden Xavier, I find you very strange. You always act like you’re so in love with Raina Lowell, but your actions don’t seem to reflect that at all."

Hazel looked at Aiden Xavier seriously. "As an outsider, even I’m starting to doubt your feelings for her. Or maybe you’re just naturally cold-blooded and lack emotional awareness, so you don’t know how to express your feelings?"

Aiden Xavier ignored her. The whole way, he just listened to Hazel chattering nonstop beside him, analyzing him one moment and Raina the next. Her analysis of Raina was reasonably accurate, but her analysis of him was pure fantasy.

So absorbed in her thoughts about Aiden Xavier and Raina Lowell, Hazel didn’t even notice that they weren’t on their usual route home, but were heading toward the Hawthorne Family estate.

By the time Hazel realized it, the car had already stopped at the entrance of the Hawthorne Family’s home.

Harrison Hawthorne was standing at the door to welcome them, his face wreathed in smiles. Hazel had a feeling that Harrison only wanted to see Aiden Xavier, and that she was only getting to see her own father by basking in Aiden’s reflected glory.

Because of this, she naturally didn’t have a pleasant expression for Harrison.

Standing beside Harrison Hawthorne was, of course, his current wife. Hazel didn’t even spare her a glance. She just stood silently beside Aiden Xavier, furious that he had brought her here without even asking if she was willing.

"You’re finally here! I had the kitchen prepare all your favorite dishes long ago. Hurry inside and rest for a bit."

Hearing this, Hazel didn’t even look at Harrison Hawthorne. She shot a glance at Aiden Xavier and walked straight into the house.

Before her mother passed away, this place had been her home. But now, everything had changed. After Harrison married that woman, the only thing that remained the same was her mother’s old room. There were no other traces of the past to be seen.

Yvette Hawthorne was standing on the second-floor landing, dressed in a pure white dress. It looked like she had taken great care in dressing up; the exquisite makeup on her face made her look even more youthful and vibrant.

Hazel’s eyes quickly swept over Yvette Hawthorne’s face and noticed that Yvette’s gaze was fixed on the people behind her. Behind Hazel were only Aiden Xavier and Harrison Hawthorne. ’She dressed up so beautifully... is she trying to seduce her brother-in-law?’

An uncontrollable, mocking smile touched Hazel’s lips.

’What an ugly duckling.’

"Aiden, I recently acquired a treasure. Come with me to the study and have a look." Harrison Hawthorne directly called Aiden Xavier away, not forgetting to instruct Yvette, "Your sister is finally back for a visit. You should keep her company and chat for a bit."

Hazel refused without a second thought. "When did my mother give birth to a sister for me? Don’t you go randomly assigning me sisters."

Having her identity denied on the spot by Hazel, Yvette Hawthorne’s expression turned ugly. The smile she had plastered on for Aiden Xavier was about to crumble. But she couldn’t get angry at Hazel in front of him; it would make her seem petty.

Yvette Hawthorne swallowed her anger and said obediently to Harrison Hawthorne, "I understand, Father. I’ll be sure to keep Sister company. She hasn’t been back in a long time, so there must be many things she’s not familiar with."

Hazel sneered. "I lived here for over twenty years. If my mother hadn’t passed away, would you and your mother even be living here?" She shot a cold glare at Yvette Hawthorne. "You really have the gall to say that to my face."

Yvette Hawthorne’s face was about to break, but Hazel’s next words made her burst into tears. "Your mother seems to be proud of being a homewrecker. And you, as an illegitimate daughter, should just stay quietly at home instead of embarrassing yourself in front of me."

One "homewrecker" after another, one "illegitimate daughter" after another—the words not only provoked Yvette Hawthorne, but also Jessica Clarke.

Jessica Clarke stood beside Harrison Hawthorne, her face ashen, but she didn’t dare to show her anger.

"Sister, we share the same father. Aren’t you saying these things just to embarrass us?"

Hazel laughed. "You know I’m deliberately trying to embarrass you, so why do you even ask?"