When the Contract Marriage Ended, He Stayed

Chapter 73: Is That Going Too Far?

The voice on the other end cut off abruptly. It was hard to tell if Raina Lowell had hung up or was simply too shocked by Hazel Hawthorne’s voice to know what to say, and had chosen silence instead.

Hazel Hawthorne moved the phone away from her ear. Seeing that Raina Lowell hadn’t disconnected, she asked again, her voice laced with a smile, "What’s wrong, Raina? Are you not feeling well? Should I wake Aiden up?"

"N-No... you don’t have to. Why would Aiden be with you?"

Hazel didn’t beat around the bush and answered frankly, "Aiden’s been with me all evening. Is there a problem with that?"

’I went to a hot pot restaurant, happened to run into Aiden, and he pulled me over to eat with him. If you round up, that counts as being together all evening. After all, we were both eating at the same restaurant.’

"Raina, are you really not feeling well? You have to tell me if you are. Aiden specifically instructed me to pay more attention to you, to keep you from calling him all the time over nothing. You know the rumors about you two are all over the place, and his family is putting a lot of pressure on him."

Hazel was about to say more, but Raina snapped angrily, "It’s none of your business," and hung up.

Hazel put her phone down, her conscience clear, only to be so startled that she nearly swerved the car off its course.

"Aiden Xavier, you’re going to scare me to death! If I die, you’ll have to accompany me to the Netherworld."

Aiden rubbed his eyes. He had drunk a lot tonight, and this sort of business-related drinking was always the most exhausting. He didn’t even like hot pot, but his current business partner had a particular fondness for Kenport-style hot pot and loved to eat it every time he visited.

Aiden silently closed his eyes again and said in a hoarse voice, "Why did you deliberately mislead Raina?"

"I didn’t deliberately mislead her." Hazel was genuinely startled. After all, she had secretly answered Aiden’s phone and said things to mislead Raina; there was no way she was going to admit that to his face.

that so?" Aiden clearly

laugh. "What exactly did I say that misled

but

was confused. She’d thought Aiden would press the issue, or maybe call Raina to explain things. But he said nothing, nor did he make any move to call Raina. Instead, he simply closed his eyes again, acting as if nothing

to read. Even after being by his side for three years, she still couldn’t fathom what the man was truly thinking. He was like a shroud of mist—inscrutable and unfathomable, whether viewed

「Back at home」

to her room when he suddenly grabbed her arm, blocking her

hand on the wall, trapping Hazel in the space between his arm and his body. In short, it was just like a scene out of a cheesy romance

just pinned her against the

do you think you’re doing now?"

alcohol on

over. "What? Did I hit a nerve?

exactly are you trying to say?" Hazel lifted her head, ignoring the acrid smell

a meal with him, and we had other friends with us, didn’t we?" Hazel stared at him intently. "I should still have the

stated, his face devoid of expression,

Her immediate

at you is wrong." Aiden’s tone was so definitive that it left

feelings, she would have argued back. But since she

isn’t me, it’s Raina. She knows you were with me tonight, so you’ll probably have your hands full tomorrow." There was a hint of gloating

He paused, then added, "You are my wife.

was clear: people would assume she was

life? Nathan is my friend. Is there a problem with me eating with a friend? Don’t use that as an excuse to

you forgotten?" Hazel enunciated each word clearly. "We both promised we would never interfere in each other’s private lives. I’ve never asked about you and Raina, whatever that is, so