When the Contract Marriage Ended, He Stayed

Chapter 20: What Responsibility Could I Have?

The day after Raina Lowell was hospitalized, Hazel Hawthorne went to see her around noon and ran right into a travel-worn Aiden Xavier, who had hurried back.

They bumped right into each other at the elevators. Hazel Hawthorne stared in disbelief at Aiden Xavier, who shouldn’t have been there. He had dropped his business and rushed back just because Raina Lowell was in the hospital.

’What profound love, to inspire such devotion.’

When Aiden Xavier saw Hazel Hawthorne, his face was expressionless. His cold gaze quickly swept over her shocked expression.

His voice was cold and laced with sarcasm. "Here to see if Raina Lowell is dead yet?"

Aiden Xavier’s words snapped Hazel Hawthorne out of her daze. Instead of getting angry, she laughed. "That’s right. And if I see she isn’t dead, I’ll have to finish the job myself."

Every word out of Hazel Hawthorne’s mouth took Aiden Xavier by surprise.

’If she dares to be this brazen to my face—talking about finishing the job, about killing Raina Lowell—I can only imagine how much worse she is to Raina when I’m not around.’

Catching Aiden Xavier’s look, as if she knew exactly what he was thinking, Hazel Hawthorne abruptly continued, "And why wouldn’t I be? You were gone for one day, and I abandoned Raina Lowell at home, went out to wine and dine, and then kicked her out on a night of pouring rain."

Then, as if struck by a new thought, Hazel Hawthorne suddenly leaned in closer to Aiden Xavier, her expression enigmatic. "Do you know why I’m at the hospital?"

Without waiting for Aiden Xavier to answer, she continued, "To tell you the truth, I’m here to finish off Raina Lowell. I’m going to wait until no one’s around and stab her to death. You know what’s in my bag? A very sharp knife."

Hazel Hawthorne looked at Aiden Xavier’s utterly baffled expression and couldn’t help but burst out laughing. The other people in the elevator, who had heard everything, turned to stare. Their faces a mixture of shock and bewilderment, they looked at Hazel Hawthorne as if she were a dangerous criminal, silently shuffling away to put some distance between them.

Seeing this, Hazel Hawthorne’s smile bloomed.

Xavier followed close behind. He found himself staring, lost in

beautiful, with a great figure and a model’s proportions. If she hadn’t married him, the men pursuing her

walked down the street alone, men would approach to ask for her number. She’d attract a crowd of men trying to

pictured Hazel Hawthorne in his mind and pursed his lips. ’Have I just

pull any random woman off the street who’s just as

this was a classic case of a husband being blind

Hawthorne reached the door to the hospital room, before her hand could even touch the knob, Aiden

to see Aiden Xavier. Her eyes immediately

Raina Lowell’s expression just before it changed. ’If I had been the one to walk in first,’ she thought, ’Raina’s little act

the couple’s passionate embrace, suddenly

just didn’t get it. They had been apart for one night, and Raina Lowell was only in the hospital for a cold, not some terminal illness. ’For

Aiden Xavier looked at Raina Lowell, you’d think

Ms. Hawthorne. It was all my fault for being so thoughtless. I knew Ms. Hawthorne had things to do, yet I still went out. I should have just waited at home for her to come back for

Xavier had his back to her, so he couldn’t see her expression

her that nothing is more important than you," Aiden Xavier said, caressing Raina

to throw up. ’What the hell? Am I supposed to be condemned to death? Should I just

has nothing to do with Ms. Hawthorne. It was already a huge imposition to have her look after me.

Any woman would

watching

Xavier growled,

right here. I didn’t go anywhere. Why are you shouting? Aren’t

was dying to see Aiden Xavier go

playing to her strengths, whereas Hazel Hawthorne didn’t even know the meaning of the word ’surrender’ when it came to