I Forgot I Ever Loved You (Zoe and Hayden) novel Chapter 232

Zoe swore she saw Hayden smirk at her. The man was a total psychopath.

She quickly straightened her posture. Humiliated by Zoe and Garrett's tag-team mockery, Sienna didn't dare bring them up again. Garrett hadn't given her a shred of grace, sitting angled slightly away from her and close to Zoe, as if Sienna were carrying a highly contagious disease.

The summit proceeded with tech companies presenting their latest R&D breakthroughs, followed by a panel where industry leaders shared their insights on the optimization of AI technology.

Because Hayden had missed his opening slot, Easton Group—the reigning titan of the capital's tech industry—still had to present their new product lines. A stage presentation was inevitable.

Normally, this would be the CEO's moment to shine, but when the host introduced Easton Group, they announced Sienna's name instead.

The executives from both Sterling and Easton instantly realized what was happening. It made sense now why Easton Group, which usually ignored these competitive tech showcases, had lowered itself to participate. They wanted the international media to talk about it. They were using this global platform to launch their new Vice President into stardom.

This went beyond simple favoritism. It was the entire Easton empire throwing its full weight behind Sienna.

The Easton executives mentally noted the shift in power. Going forward, they wouldn't just be taking orders from Mr. Thorne; they needed to start kissing up to Ms. Winters if they wanted to survive in the company.

Sienna looked genuinely surprised. Clearly, she hadn't known about this beforehand.

She lowered her voice, speaking to Hayden in a soft, demure tone. "Is this really appropriate? I've always kept a low profile. All those academic papers I published were under a pen name. No one even knows it's me."

Hayden's reply was completely neutral. "Easton Group will belong to you and Holden eventually. I'm just paving the way."

A deep blush spread across Sienna's cheeks. "What's mine is yours," she whispered. "Everyone knows you're the true CEO of Easton. Even if it used to be Charles's company, it belongs to you now." She added softly, "And I belong to you, too."

Hayden merely raised an eyebrow. The host's repeated announcements cut their conversation short.

Sienna stood up, reaching down to lift the hem of her gown. Immediately, event staff rushed forward to assist her, but to everyone's shock, Hayden stood up and bent down first.

Under the watchful eyes of the entire room, the tech moguls who normally lived in fear of the ruthless titan of the business world watched Hayden Thorne lower his noble head to adjust a woman's dress.

The staff wisely backed off. Everyone saw it: the apex predator of the corporate food chain happily playing the role of an accessory for Sienna.

Garrett had been subtly watching Zoe the entire time, terrified that witnessing Hayden's devotion to Sienna would break her. Thankfully, she just rolled her eyes, looking at them with sheer contempt.

There was no other reaction.

Garrett turned his attention back to the stage, but his mind lingered on the image of Hayden doting on Sienna. Suddenly, a chilling realization hit him, and his spine went rigid.

The way Hayden's hand had rested on Sienna's shoulder hadn't looked like protection. It looked like a silent, calculated dialogue with someone who wasn't even in the room. It was a blatant warning and threat directed at a hidden enemy, functioning simultaneously as a compromise.

Shock and fear flickered across Garrett's face. Who in the world could possibly threaten Hayden Thorne? And what role was Sienna really playing in this twisted game?

Garrett frowned deeply. These dark, fog-like suspicions tangled in his mind, refusing to fade. But he knew he wasn't part of their world. That deeper, darker circle of power possessed terrifying, uncompromising strength—a world that ordinary people, or people who lived in the light like him, could never touch.

Garrett leaned closer to Zoe and offered a quiet word of comfort anyway. "Maybe Mr. Thorne is just looking out for his late brother's wife. There might not be anything real going on between them."

Zoe hadn't expected Garrett to make excuses for Hayden. But honestly, she couldn't care less.