When the Contract Marriage Ended, He Stayed

Chapter 17: Your Business Trip Is That Important?

Ever since Aiden Xavier agreed to have a child with Fiona Forrest, Hazel Hawthorne had felt cursed. Although she knew it was just an expedient measure on Aiden’s part, her fear grew with each passing day.

As a newcomer to the company, Hazel Hawthorne was experiencing office life for the first time. Separated from Aiden Xavier’s world, it felt as though her own life was finally beginning.

Sharon Winters was the first person Hazel met when she started working at the Sterling Group. The two of them got along quite well. Sharon liked to gossip, but since she disliked Aiden Xavier, she never paid attention to any gossip about him.

That was why Hazel Hawthorne and Sharon Winters had become friends.

Sharon Winters saw Hazel Hawthorne’s phone ringing nonstop on her desk. Since Hazel had been called to the director’s office and hadn’t returned for a while, Sharon figured it might be important and took the liberty of answering it for her.

The deep, pleasant voice on the other end of the line instantly made Sharon Winters picture a tall, powerful, and handsome man. But when he abruptly shouted Hazel Hawthorne’s name with anger, it shattered Sharon’s fantasy.

"Hazel Hawthorne, you’re getting bolder. You won’t even answer my calls anymore."

Aiden Xavier’s furious voice came clearly through the receiver. Sharon jumped in fright and quickly explained, "Hazel was called away by the director. I’ll tell her you called when she gets back."

Aiden Xavier was stunned for a moment. He had been calling for ages, and it wasn’t even Hazel who had answered.

After a moment, Aiden Xavier hung up without another word. Confused and speechless, Sharon Winters glanced at the contact name—"Do Not Approach."

’Do Not Approach? Doesn’t that just mean The Grim Reaper?’

Still shaken, Sharon put the phone back in its place, deciding to tell Hazel the moment she returned.

"That ’Do Not Approach’ guy just called you a bunch of times. From the sound of his voice, he seemed really angry. Maybe he needed you for something urgent."

Hazel calmly sat down and took a sip of water. She gave Sharon a composed glance. "I’ll call him back later."

The director had called her into the office. After asking about her experience over the first few days of her internship, she had arranged for Hazel to accompany her on a business trip to Freyburg tomorrow.

trip by the director so soon. Unsure of what to expect or what to pack,

ready to

packing her things, she saw her phone and suddenly

at three in the

Xavier never calls about anything good anyway,’ she thought. ’Besides, it’s been so long, he’s probably forgotten about it. I might as

really that urgent, Aiden Xavier would have definitely called

live? Are you heading my way?" Sharon asked, grabbing her bag with one hand and her phone with the other. "My boyfriend’s about to pick me up. We could give you a lift if

in was too high-end; mentioning it would reveal that

so it’s probably not on your way." Hazel finished packing and

work? Living so far away, do you have a car? If not, does that mean you have to squeeze onto the

have a car

a killer.

is really

arm through Hazel’s. "You’re so pretty," she said with envy, "I’m sure tons of guys are

a smile. "I don’t

have a boyfriend. But she did have a husband. Not that it made much of a difference whether she had this husband

just a

guys at my boyfriend’s company are all pretty

experienced what it felt like to be in a relationship before Aiden Xavier found her and

immediately let go of Hazel’s arm. "I see my boyfriend! I’m gonna go. Drive

toward a different parking lot. She stared

car she was currently driving belonged to Aiden Xavier. He didn’t own anything cheap. Hazel didn’t know the exact value of this car, but one look at the emblem told

all, when is

a cheap

the car, cursing under her breath. If she hadn’t

Just as she was about to get in and drive home, the phone in her bag began to ring like a death

be calling her besides "Do Not