###Chapter 75: Stepping on a Landmine with Pinpoint Accuracy
"Are you using your brother to threaten ?" Aiden Xavier’s gaze turned frosty.
Raina Lowell knew full well how important Vincent Lowell was to Aiden Xavier, but aside from Vincent, she had no other way to keep Aiden by her side.
"I’m not using my brother to threaten you." Raina Lowell averted her gaze from Aiden Xavier’s; it was simply too intimidating for her to look at him directly. "I just don’t understand why you’ve suddenly started giving the cold shoulder."
She had never understood Aiden Xavier, not since the day they t. When they were young, she had only been able to hang around him because Vincent Lowell and Aiden Xavier were good friends. After Vincent’s accident, she was sent abroad.
The official reason was for her dical treatnt, but she knew perfectly well that there must have been so problem between the Xavier Family and the Lowell Family back then. Otherwise, the Lowell Family wouldn’t have gone bankrupt right after that.
Aiden Xavier was her only lifeline. She couldn’t afford to let him go. As long as Aiden was with her, she had to hold on tight and never let anyone snatch him away.
Aiden Xavier remained silent, indicating he wouldn’t be answering any more of Raina Lowell’s questions. "I don’t want to talk about us right now. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll leave. I’ll have Finn Quinn take you ho."
Raina Lowell stood frozen in place for a long mont, not moving an inch. Just as Aiden Xavier’s patience was wearing thin, she suddenly beca hysterical and shrieked at him, "I’m not leaving! You have to tell , is Hazel Hawthorne the reason you don’t want to see ?"
"It has nothing to do with Hazel Hawthorne," Aiden Xavier replied without hesitation.
Raina Lowell let out a cold laugh. She didn’t believe him at all. Her intuition told her that Aiden Xavier’s change was because of Hazel Hawthorne. In the end, Hazel had still managed to carve out a place in his heart. "The more sensible I try to be, the easier it seems for you to treat like a fool."
Hearing this, Aiden Xavier said coldly, "Stop making a scene with ."
Raina Lowell just wanted to pour out all her grievances at once. "Do you think I want to make a scene? I know full well that if I do, I’ll be the only one who ends up hurt, but I can’t help it! Aiden, can you please not treat like this?"
After speaking, Raina Lowell took the initiative to step forward. When Aiden Xavier didn’t resist, she tightly gripped his hands. It was as if she weren’t the sa person who had just been screaming at him hysterically.
Now, she had reverted to her pitiful, damsel-in-distress act. With an ingratiating look in her eyes, she said softly, "I promise I won’t bring up my brother again, so please don’t leave , okay?"
’A woman’s heart is a needle at the bottom of the sea.’
Aiden Xavier knew that no one could match the speed at which a woman’s expression could change. He had thought Raina Lowell would be different, but after today’s experience, he ca to one conclusion: all won were the sa.
"Go ho for now." Aiden Xavier rubbed the bridge of his nose, his tone already much softer than before. "Don’t assu there’s sothing going on between and Hazel Hawthorne every ti you’re in a bad mood. You like , but you don’t even have this much trust?"
"No," Raina Lowell quickly hugged Aiden Xavier. "Of course I trust you, but I don’t trust Hazel Hawthorne. You’re so exceptional; it would be perfectly normal for Hazel to like you. She already has an advantage over . She has your mother’s affection and support, but all I have is you!"
Aiden Xavier looked down at the woman in his arms, suddenly at a loss for words. ’Comforting a woman is such a ntally draining task,’ he thought, ’even more draining than handling business.’
He couldn’t help but think of Hazel Hawthorne. Hazel never made unreasonable scenes like Raina Lowell or constantly doubted him. At this thought, Aiden Xavier sighed silently to himself. But then, as if a new thought struck him, his expression suddenly changed.
’The reason Hazel Hawthorne never makes unreasonable scenes is because she never liked at all!’
His expression unchanging, Aiden Xavier pushed Raina Lowell away. "Alright, I’ll have Finn Quinn take you ho. I still have work to do, and you staying here will cause gossip. This is a sensitive ti. You need to endure what you must, understand?"
Although Raina Lowell was unwilling, she still nodded. As she left the office, she kept looking back over her shoulder, hoping to hear Aiden Xavier ask her to stay. But she didn’t get her wish, not even as the office door closed.
After making a huge scene at Aiden Xavier’s office, Raina Lowell returned to her residence. She tossed and turned, her mind consud with thoughts of Aiden and Hazel Hawthorne. As a woman deeply in love with Aiden, she absolutely could not allow him to develop feelings for soone else.
Raina Lowell still refused to believe that Aiden Xavier didn’t have special feelings for Hazel Hawthorne. She couldn’t let Hazel continue to stay by Aiden’s side.
Finn Quinn, who had taken Raina Lowell back to her residence and then returned to the company, was reporting on her movents to Aiden Xavier. "Raina Lowell has been staying ho recently and hasn’t seen anyone. She only ca out today because she couldn’t get in touch with you."
"Didn’t I tell you to have soone keep a close watch on Raina Lowell?"
Finn Quinn’s body trembled. He also had no idea how Raina Lowell had managed to evade his n and co to the company to find Aiden Xavier without his knowledge.
"Mr. Xavier, I guarantee sothing like this will never happen a second ti."
Aiden Xavier leaned back in his chair, his thoughts drifting to Hazel Hawthorne, who was far away in Freyburg. ’She got to Freyburg but didn’t even send a ssage to let know she arrived safely.’
Finn Quinn, thinking Aiden Xavier was still dwelling on the matter with Raina Lowell, tried to be clever and said, "Mr. Xavier, we’re starting to get so leads on the matter you asked to investigate."
"So you’re saying there are no leads yet," Aiden Xavier shot him a cold glare.
Finn Quinn’s face imdiately fell. The investigation concerned events from several years ago. Many people and pieces of evidence were scattered, and finding all the information and witnesses in a short ti was not sothing that could be done overnight.
"But Raina Lowell must know sothing," Finn Quinn said, imdiately lowering his head, not daring to et Aiden Xavier’s gaze.
That sentence gave Aiden Xavier pause. He, too, had a vague feeling that Raina Lowell must have known so of the inside story back then. For so reason, however, she didn’t seem to rember any of it. He had wondered if Raina Lowell truly couldn’t rember or if she was just pretending.
If she really didn’t rember, why did she always bring up Vincent Lowell’s death?
But if she did rember, then why, when he occasionally tried to probe her, did he find that she knew nothing?
"Alright, you’ve been rather talkative lately."
Finn Quinn cautiously glanced at Aiden Xavier. Seeing that his boss’s brows were still tightly furrowed, he couldn’t resist bringing up Hazel Hawthorne. "The Young Madam has likely arrived in Freyburg by now."
As soon as Aiden Xavier heard that, his expression changed again.
"Obviously!"
"Then the Young Madam must have sent Mr. Xavier a ssage to say she arrived safely." If Finn Quinn had known that Aiden Xavier had been fuming about this very thing just monts before, he would have deeply regretted his attempt at being clever today. Every word out of his mouth was stepping on one of Aiden’s landmines with pinpoint accuracy.
"Get out."
Not daring to breathe another word, Finn Quinn scurried out of the office.
’Not even a ssage, let alone a phone call. Clearly, in Hazel Hawthorne’s heart, I’m not important at all. And here I am, letting my imagination run wild, even hoping she would contact first.’
’Thinking about their conversation last night, and Hazel Hawthorne’s attitude... she’s probably still holding a grudge because I scolded her for answering Raina Lowell’s call without permission.’
Sigh. Aiden Xavier used to drift between won and had never found them to be this much trouble. Especially Hazel Hawthorne. It was as if he were only now starting to see a different side of her.
*****
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