When the Contract Marriage Ended, He Stayed

Chapter 30: Who Dares to Make You Angry?

Hazel Hawthorne disliked flippant men, and Julian Sterling struck her as exactly that—the type to hit on any random person he saw. Besides, after marrying Aiden Xavier, she had become immune to handsome men. When she saw someone who looked like Julian, she naturally superimposed Aiden’s image onto them.

To sum it up in one sentence: handsome men were all scumbags, all flash and no substance. The more handsome a man was, the harder he was to control, and the more of a player he tended to be.

Hazel left the balcony, mentally blacklisting the spot. The company wasn’t her private domain, after all. She had to be more cautious to avoid unknowingly offending someone and getting stabbed in the back.

Hazel didn’t dwell on her encounter with Julian Sterling. She went to and from work as usual and spent her time at home alone as usual. The only difference was that Aiden Xavier had been showing up at home a lot more recently, which made her, a woman long accustomed to solitude, feel thoroughly uncomfortable.

Hazel thought carefully about when Aiden Xavier’s behavior had started to change.

It was probably after Fiona Forrest told them to have a child, and Aiden agreed without a second thought.

An inexplicable fear crept into Hazel. This fear stemmed from the possibility that Aiden was actually developing feelings for her.

Hazel hoped she and Aiden could eventually part on good terms, and she didn’t want any emotional entanglements with him. Deep down, she felt he had far too many romantic scandals. She couldn’t even count the number of women she’d had to deal with for him on both hands.

Falling in love with a man like Aiden Xavier would surely mean a lifetime of exhaustion.

Her father, Harrison Hawthorne, was a prime example. He had a mistress while he was married. The man her mother had loved her entire life ended up marrying that mistress less than a month after her mother passed away, and he even had a secret daughter with the woman.

She could never truly feel the pain of her mother’s betrayal, but she had witnessed firsthand a man’s heartlessness. It made her question the very idea of unwavering love.

She believed that steadfast, unwavering love existed in the world, but she also understood it was a one-in-a-million chance. Her mother hadn’t found it, and she didn’t believe she would either.

All Aiden Xavier saw was Hazel Hawthorne’s distance. Even when he appeared before her, she would only offer a faint smile, just like when they had first gotten married—polite and respectful, but with nothing to say to each other, merely maintaining the facade of a married couple.

understand the reason for Hazel’s sudden

of the sea. One second, she

could read anyone in the business world, but when it came to relationships, he couldn’t figure out a woman’s thoughts to

at her retreating figure. When she didn’t look back, he suddenly felt a wave of

why he had turned down a chance

pretending to be busy with their tasks, but

a husband who had been given the cold shoulder by his wife—lonely, desolate, and

while, Aiden stood up with a grim expression and left without a

back here just to be met with her cold shoulder.’ He knew Hazel was unhappy at the Sterling Group and had planned to

on his part. He couldn’t be expected to grovel and beg her to come work for his

leaving, Aiden drove straight to

and a glass of water in the other. He exuded an

well, who’s gotten on our dear Young Master Xavier’s bad side?" Julian was all smiles, not looking in the least bit serious. He seemed more interested in watching the drama unfold

Julian a cool glance.

glass of warm water and asked in a teasing, punch-worthy tone, "Come on, tell me who it was. I’ll definitely help you

has the nerve

recent strange behavior, he frowned, briefly considering whether he should ask this veteran

say anything, Julian made a clever guess. "It couldn’t be your precious darling, Raina

Raina Lowell was Aiden Xavier’s

use that term to describe Raina Lowell, yet his attitude toward

was always

has nothing to do with

who else could it

the only person

hit Julian. "Don’t tell me it’s