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.

the reason for

heart is a needle at the bottom of the sea. One second, she

the business world, but when it came to relationships, he

in the living room, staring blankly at her retreating figure. When she didn’t look back, he suddenly felt a wave of disappointment wash over him. He didn’t

he understood even less was why he had turned down a

to be busy with their tasks, but they kept stealing glances at him, quickly looking

a husband who had been given the cold

long while, Aiden stood up with a grim expression

the Sterling Group and had planned to ask if she wanted to work at

returning home was already a proactive gesture on his part. He couldn’t be expected to grovel and

leaving, Aiden drove straight

and a glass of water in the other. He exuded an air of elegant laziness, a faint smile playing on his lips, which widened when he saw Aiden Xavier push the door

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

poured Aiden a glass of warm water and asked in a teasing, punch-worthy tone, "Come on, tell me who it was.

I’m really curious who has the nerve to

considering whether he should ask this veteran player for advice. After a moment’s

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

knew that Raina Lowell was

phrase "precious darling" suddenly sounded exceptionally jarring to Aiden. He instantly recalled how Hazel also liked to use that term to describe Raina Lowell, yet his attitude toward Raina was no

always

to do with Raina," Aiden

Raina, who else could

only person you can

sudden flash of inspiration hit Julian. "Don’t tell me it’s your wife, Hazel