When the Contract Marriage Ended, He Stayed

Chapter 31: I’m Drunk, Come Pick Me Up

Julian Sterling found himself swamped by women who had worked up the courage to approach them. It was all because Aiden was putting on his usual "stay away" act. Any woman who tried to hit on him was so intimidated by his cold demeanor that she would immediately pivot to Julian.

Aiden usually came to the bar to unwind when he had free time. Julian Sterling, on the other hand, was here to actually pick up women.

To Julian, these women were just a bit of fun; he never took any of them seriously. He and Aiden did have one thing in common, though: they were both incredibly generous with the women they spent time with.

The air was thick with the perfume of too many women, instantly enveloping them. Aiden wrinkled his nose. He suddenly recalled the simple, floral scent of Hazel’s body wash and felt a wave of relief.

He ruthlessly shooed away the women around him, then slumped back in his seat and started fiddling with his phone. He would occasionally open his messaging app or his contacts, tap on Hazel’s name, then decide it was pointless, put the phone down, and go back to his drink.

After he repeated the same sequence of actions several times, he caught Julian Sterling’s attention.

Possessing the admirable virtue of always helping out a bro, Julian Sterling assumed Aiden had gotten into a fight with Raina Lowell. So, he took the liberty of making a decision for him.

Perhaps it was the alcohol getting to his head, but Aiden finally made up his mind. He left Julian Sterling at the bar, found a quiet spot, and after a moment’s hesitation, dialed Hazel’s number.

He knew Hazel wouldn’t be asleep yet.

So when Hazel saw Aiden calling her this late, her first instinct was to hang up immediately. She then sent him a message: "I’m about to go to sleep. If you have something to say, text me. If not, don’t call and disturb me."

’Heartless!’

Aiden scoffed and texted back, "It’s important. Answer the phone."

Hazel thought about it for a long moment. She didn’t reply to his message, but his calls kept coming, one after another, to the point where it was interfering with her scrolling on her phone.

’Aiden calling this late could only mean trouble.’

Hazel really didn’t want to answer, but she knew Aiden wasn’t the type to give up easily. She was certain that if she didn’t pick up, he would either keep calling indefinitely or just show up at her door.

to answer and see what

voice was hoarse and

slightly.

gone drinking with Aiden, nor had she ever seen him drunk. In the past, even if he did get drunk, he would never have sought her out, much less called her this late

’Strange. And very weird.’

"Are you drunk?"

said, his voice low. "I’m

asked, her immediate

unfazed. "My secretary’s on a business trip." He knew getting Hazel to come get him would be next to impossible, but he enjoyed a challenge. "What’s the problem? Isn’t it perfectly normal for a wife to come

’Husband?’

is back. If you’re drunk, you should call her. I’m sure she’d drop everything and rush over to get you. Besides, you’re Mr. Popular. There’s no shortage of women who’d love to

already sent you my location. If you don’t show up, and the media snaps a picture of me going home with some other woman, you’ll be the one dealing with the fallout. So, what will it

immediately sent Hazel the pin for

the bar but had never been. She did, however, know that it was one of Aiden’s

by the entrance—not necessarily for Aiden, but because the bar was a frequent

been spotted there by the paparazzi many times, so everyone knew he was a regular. As a result, the number of

all said the same things; she knew their speeches by heart. The smart ones would take her money and disappear. The clueless ones, usually some minor celebrity, would cling

minutes ticked by. As Hazel grabbed her car keys, left the house, and started driving to the bar, she still couldn’t fathom why Aiden had asked her to pick him up. She also felt she had to be

to the bar, Hazel started to

awkwardly at the entrance in her loose-fitting

times, assuming she was there to cause trouble. He watched her with such a wary expression that she started to

up, not to find a date, so she hadn’t bothered to get dolled up. Even so,

few men were already casting

a deep breath. ’Well, I’ve come this far,’ she thought. ’No point in

strode toward the entrance but was stopped by the guard. "Miss, are you here for a good time, or are

exasperated. ’Do I look

’I’m perfectly friendly!’