I Forgot I Ever Loved You (Zoe and Hayden) novel Chapter 278

Mr. and Mrs. Kendall had bought an abundance of gifts and prepared all sorts of treats.

They had always eagerly hoped that Garrett would give them a grandchild.

Unfortunately, Garrett still hadn't made any moves in that department.

The older couple was practically worried sick.

The butler at the Thorne Estate came in to announce that someone had arrived.

They were here to pick up Lily.

Garrett assumed it was Zoe, so Arthur Kendall Sr. personally walked Lily to the door.

The car door opened, but it was Hayden who stepped out.

Mr. Kendall Sr. froze in surprise.

"Zoe had something to take care of, so she asked me to pick up my daughter."

Hayden walked over to Garrett, who was holding Lily.

The displeasure in his expression was barely suppressed.

Lily's eyes filled with disappointment.

She had thought her mother was coming to get her.

"Come over to Daddy."

Hayden reached out to take Lily from Garrett's arms.

But Lily turned her little face away and reached her arms out toward Colin.

Colin instinctively took Lily.

His heart twinged the moment he held her against his chest.

Hayden's face stiffened slightly.

But he quickly masked it.

"Thank you, Mr. Stone. How is Mr. Kendall Sr. doing?"

Hayden offered the greeting with a blank expression.

It lacked any real sincerity.

Arthur Kendall Sr. had heard from Garrett about Hayden's poor treatment of Zoe.

He brushed him off with a hollow laugh.

"Yes, he's fine. Drive safe."

His attitude made it perfectly clear he didn't want the man to linger.

Hayden had no interest in staying anyway.

Garrett stepped in to stop Hayden.

"Zoe mentioned she was heading to her mother's house today. Is she not back yet?"

Hayden's brow furrowed.

The annoyance in his chest flared.

"Mr. Stone, you care entirely too much about my wife."

Hayden turned on his heel and left without answering Garrett's question.

Garrett had a nagging feeling that something was wrong.

He quickly dialed Zoe's number.

But the phone just rang out endlessly.

Hayden took Lily to the backseat of the car.

Perhaps trying to mend their strained father-daughter dynamic.

He made a rare attempt to initiate conversation and show some warmth.

"Have you had dinner yet? What do you want to play?"

"Where's Mom? Why didn't she come to pick me up?"

"My daddy is going to do a puzzle with me. He can't go anywhere right now. Why can't you watch your own kid? I'm my daddy's real child!"

Lily moved so fast that Hayden didn't even react until she had finished shouting, her little cheeks puffed out in anger.

Sienna never expected Lily to talk back to her right in front of Hayden.

Her face turned purple with rage.

Frowning, Hayden took the phone back from Lily's hands.

"Hmph—"

Lily crossed her arms, turning her face to look out the window, completely ignoring him.

Hayden's handsome face froze for a second while Sienna yelled his name several times before he finally brought the phone back to his ear.

"I'm going to spend time with Lily first. I'll head over later."

The call disconnected, and Sienna drew in a sharp breath of disbelief.

Hayden was actually choosing to stay with Lily?

Lily didn't want anything to do with Hayden.

Her dad never spent time with her anyway.

She didn't even want his company anymore.

But she also refused to let that bad woman get what she wanted.

That was the only reason she had said all those things.

"Holden's family is having an emergency, that's why I need to go stay with him."

Hayden didn't understand why he felt the need to explain himself to a four-year-old.

When Lily was angry, she looked even more like a pocket-sized Zoe.

He tried to gently turn her pouting face toward him, but Lily wasn't having it.

"It's fine. I can just video call Mr. Garrett later. He'll help me with the puzzle."