I Forgot I Ever Loved You (Zoe and Hayden) novel Chapter 235

It was late at night in the recipient's time zone. The woman who answered the phone sounded groggy, clearly having just woken up.

"Hello. I genuinely didn't know citing that research would constitute infringement. Furthermore, I'm currently out of the country. Can we put a pin in this and discuss it when I return?"

Nadia Fox's sleepiness vanished the second she recognized Sienna's tone. She sat straight up in bed.

"I'm sorry, but my client refuses to accept any form of out-of-court settlement."

Hayden reached over, taking the phone from Sienna's trembling hand and pressing it to his ear.

"There is a solution to every problem. Ms. Winters did not act with malicious intent. There's no need to take such extreme measures."

Hearing Hayden's chilling voice, Nadia nearly jumped out of her skin. She had zero intention of going head-to-head with Hayden Thorne. She immediately hung up the phone.

"What did they say?" Sienna asked, her heart pounding in her throat.

She was certain Hayden could fix this. She had only wanted to make her presentation sound more credible and impressive. She never imagined it would blow up into such a massive disaster.

Sienna's phone buzzed with a new text message.

*"Ms. Winters, my client refuses to settle under any circumstances. She is not lacking in funds. We will proceed strictly through legal channels."*

Sienna was stunned. Even with Hayden stepping in, the other side was completely bulletproof.

Garrett and Zoe happened to walk past Hayden and Sienna's spot just as another executive asked for a photo with them.

"Don't worry. I'll handle everything."

Hayden's reassurance drifted clearly into Zoe's ears. She knew exactly what he was promising Sienna, and she couldn't help but smirk.

This summit was a massive global event, broadcast live across the world. Hayden really loved playing the hero, didn't he? He wanted to shield Sienna from everything.

Zoe was incredibly curious to see how he planned to shield her from a federal copyright lawsuit.

"Tell the lawyer to give us the client's direct contact information," Hayden ordered. It was the only viable strategy he had left.

"What did they say? What are their terms?"

Sienna was the Vice President of Easton Group. She had just spoken at an elite global summit. Tomorrow's headlines were supposed to be all about her. Her future was supposed to be bright and limitless. This lawsuit was a massive stain on her reputation. Years of careful image-building could go up in smoke instantly.

Hayden didn't answer her.

He slowly lowered his phone, gripping his wine glass as his dark, heavy gaze locked onto the woman standing a few yards away.

Zoe was standing next to Garrett, smiling warmly at something he had said. That smile felt like a physical needle plunging into Hayden's chest. It was blindingly irritating.

"Hayden?" Sienna pressed, her voice trembling.

Hayden finally looked away from Zoe and downed the rest of his wine in one fluid motion.

"The other party demands that we hold a public press conference regarding the incident between Holden and Lily. You have to publicly apologize, admit that Holden was the aggressor who bullied Lily, and confess that you failed as a parent."