I Forgot I Ever Loved You (Zoe and Hayden) novel Chapter 253

But she was afraid of upsetting Grandmother Thorne, so she kept quiet.

In the afternoon, Garrett called to confirm whether she would go to the estate with him or on her own.

Zoe quickly agreed to wait for him to pick her up.

Hayden had reminded her that their prenuptial agreement explicitly forbade them from acknowledging their marriage in public.

Grandmother Thorne's massive birthday banquet definitely fell into the category of a public setting.

She was simply honoring their agreement naturally.

So, going with Garrett shouldn't violate their terms, right?

Plus, she intended to give Garrett the tie clip and silver cufflinks as a token of gratitude for all his support recently.

Lily had eaten with Garrett a few times, and he had even taken her to the amusement park. They were already fast friends.

Sometimes, Lily would whisper into Zoe's ear.

"Mom, can I get a new dad?"

She intensely disliked Hayden. She liked Garrett.

Zoe patted her little head and laughed. "Mr. Stone is amazing, but he has a girlfriend."

Lily looked incredibly disappointed.

Deep down, she really didn't want Hayden as a dad.

Because he clearly didn't like her or her mom.

She looked up at Zoe with innocent earnestness. "Can Mr. Stone break up with his girlfriend?"

Garrett happened to walk up just in time to catch the end of that sentence.

"Break up with who?"

Just as Lily was about to speak, Zoe quickly clamped a hand over her mouth and gave an awkward laugh. "You heard wrong."

Lily looked confused. Sitting in the backseat, she stared at the back of Garrett's head, wondering how she could convince him to be her dad.

When Mrs. Gable heard the car pull up, she assumed Hayden had returned.

Stepping outside, she was shocked to see an unfamiliar man. It looked like the same man who had picked Zoe up last time.

Mrs. Gable panicked. Was Zoe actually dating someone? Was she abandoning Mr. Thorne?

The moment Zoe and Garrett drove off, Mrs. Gable immediately called Hayden.

Hayden sped back, arriving just ten minutes after Zoe had left.

"Where's Zoe?"

He radiated dark fury. Grandmother Thorne had called, ordering him to bring Zoe and Lily to the estate, so he had worked through the night to finish his tasks. He hadn't expected her to just leave with another man.

Given how far she had crossed the line at the mall, he had planned to let it slide since she bought him a gift.

He never expected this.

"She left a while ago."

"If you won't accept my gift, I won't accept yours."

Zoe argued, "That's completely different. This is too valuable."

Garrett smiled. "What you bought cost a small fortune too. Mine was just slightly more expensive. Don't worry, from the start, I've seen you as a younger sister. I'm not making a move on you.

"I've been meaning to give you a gift for a while. Just consider it a welcoming gift from an older brother. If you refuse again, it means you don't see me as family."

Zoe had no choice but to accept.

"Wear it tonight. The Thorne banquet will be packed with heavyweights. Regardless of how you feel, you are Mrs. Thorne. You can't let Sienna constantly overshadow you."

Zoe scoffed. She couldn't care less about the title of Mrs. Thorne.

If she could throw it away, she would do it in a heartbeat.

Garrett understood her personality, but the complex web of high society wasn't something you could just ignore because you didn't care.

"Think of it this way. Even if you don't care about being Mrs. Thorne, you're currently a Director at Apex. People are fiercely pragmatic. They kiss up to power and step on the weak. If you shine radiantly, people will extend olive branches. If you fade into the background, they'll walk all over you.

"If you truly want to break free from the Thorne family's control one day, just having money and talent isn't enough. You need an unshakeable status."

Zoe's heart stirred.

The car pulled up to the Thorne Estate. When the servants saw Zoe, they immediately assumed Hayden was with her.

They were completely stunned to see Zoe and Lily stepping out alongside a totally different man holding Lily's hand.

Garrett wore a crisp white shirt and dark trousers. The evening light cast a warm glow over his steady, refined features. He lacked Hayden's razor-sharp edge, exuding a calm and reliable aura instead.