I Forgot I Ever Loved You (Zoe and Hayden) novel Chapter 167

Sienna softened her voice and replied gently, "Okay."

But the moment he walked away, her eyes turned red with fury.

She had accompanied him to so many banquets over the years.

Even though it was under the guise of being the second Mrs. Thorne, Hayden was a Thorne too.

She felt like everyone already viewed her as his wife.

They had been photographed together at countless events.

The media constantly spun the narrative, implying left and right that they were a perfect match.

She had assumed he silently agreed with all of it.

She thought he was only holding back because Charles had only been gone for four years, and his marriage to Zoe hadn't officially ended yet.

That was the only reason she had remained so patient.

But this was the first time he had ever ditched her and walked away.

Sienna watched his retreating figure until someone recognized her standing alone.

Naturally, anyone looking to score points with Hayden came over to flatter her instead.

Briefly forgetting about his departure, she chatted energetically with the people approaching her, almost out of a sense of revenge.

She was confident tomorrow's headlines would feature her triumphant appearance at the tech expo.

Failing to find Zoe in the main hall, Hayden walked straight out the front doors.

Sure enough, he spotted Garrett and Zoe standing together in the parking lot.

The professor was right beside them.

From the looks of it, they were planning to leave together.

He picked up his pace, speaking in a deep voice just as she was about to get into Garrett's car.

"Professor Layne. Mr. Stone."

Seeing him, both men paused.

Zoe had assumed he was busy with Sienna, and finding him out here alone actually struck her as odd.

Seeing her, his gaze swept over her entire outfit.

It had been a long time since he had seen her wearing full makeup to go out. She even had high heels and lipstick on today.

She was just a minor secretary at Easton. It was highly likely her talents had gone unnoticed, or at least unacknowledged by the executives.

A man like Hayden wouldn't personally involve himself in the resignation of a low-level assistant.

"Ms. Lynd."

His gaze grew sharp and commanding, but she had no desire to deal with him.

Seeing her stubbornly unmoving, a knot of frustration tightened in his chest.

This wasn't the first time this month she had boldly provoked him.

"I already had Colin Zachs pick up the kid from kindergarten. I'm taking the professor and Mr. Stone out to dinner. Since you know them both so well, you should join us."

She understood the threat immediately. He was using Lily as leverage.

The professor felt quite moved.

What a rare boss. Taking such great care of a company secretary. Truly commendable. It was just a shame that her actual husband was completely useless.

"Zoe, my girl, it's been years since Mr. Thorne and I last caught up. You absolutely must come to this dinner."

Hearing the old man address her so affectionately, Hayden's mood darkened further.