I Forgot I Ever Loved You (Zoe and Hayden) novel Chapter 166

He had definitely seen Zoe laughing and talking with the professor just a moment ago, which was exactly why he had walked over.

He hadn't absorbed a single word Sienna had just said.

"Hayden—"

Noticing he had zoned out again, her face grew icy.

He snapped back to reality, his gaze turning distant.

"You handle things here for now. I have some business to take care of."

It was almost time for Lily to finish school, and he had texted Zoe to go pick her up.

Lately, Zoe had been like a slippery eel, impossible to catch.

He didn't even have to try to avoid her.

She disappeared on her own accord entirely.

He vaguely felt that she had been very "busy" lately.

For the past five years, she had been incredibly busy too.

Whenever he was expanding the company's operations, she was working overtime day and night.

Her performance metrics were consistently the best in the company.

But because of her title as a secretary, all the credit went to the department, and none of it directly to her.

She had never asked him for a bonus. She never fought for annual company rewards or vacation spots.

And he had never offered them.

In his world, she was like a hidden diamond, glowing quietly in the background, her true value completely unacknowledged.

He never felt the need to give her anything.

From what he remembered, the only thing she ever wanted was his love.

Hah—

Such a ridiculous, worthless thing in the eyes of a man.

He didn't even know if the "love" she wanted truly existed.

And now, she finally didn't want his "love" anymore.

But he felt like she had started wanting other things instead.

Like buying herself a car.

She wore the ridiculously expensive designer clothes he bought her without even saying thank you.

She was becoming materialistic.

She even went to the company's finance department and withdrew the four years of salary she had never touched.

The only thing she didn't want anymore.

Seemed to be that "love" he believed had never existed.

But now, it was his turn to be unhappy.

"You're the Vice President of the company. HR reports to you. Her resignation had to go through HR, her payout went through finance, and all of that was eventually compiled and sent to your desk."

He spoke clearly, syllable by syllable, and her composed expression began to crack.

She genuinely had no idea.

She had never cared about such minor details.

She had been so busy with her sweeping corporate reforms lately that she hadn't paid any attention to trivial matters.

"The head of security mentioned you went in there and caused a scene once, though they wouldn't tell me the specifics."

His gaze turned chilling.

It was a dark, brooding coldness she had never seen from him before.

She shivered involuntarily.

Did he know something?

Impossible.

Zoe didn't have the guts to snitch, and the security staff had no idea what she had been investigating anyway.

And Valerie Yates certainly wouldn't sell her out.

Staring her down, his lips parted slightly.

"Since you're back at the company, focus your energy on the actual business. I will handle Zoe's matters. From now on, stay out of it."