I Forgot I Ever Loved You (Zoe and Hayden) novel Chapter 349

Sienna instinctively glanced up at the camera, all the blood draining from her face.

Zoe had deliberately dragged out the argument to ensure they were caught on tape.

Quentin and Ian both smirked at the exact same time.

They shared the exact same thought:

*Well played.*

Sienna bit her lip, a violent tremor wracking her body.

She had severely underestimated Zoe's ruthlessness.

"Is there really no other way?"

Zoe's absolute weakness was the old lady in the nursing home.

But Sienna didn't dare touch her.

Hayden was a cutthroat businessman, yes, but targeting a frail old woman was not only illegal, it was crossing a line of sheer depravity that would ruin her image.

She could only plot against Zoe in the shadows.

Hayden didn't mince his words. "Not at the moment. This is a federal project. My hands are tied."

Whenever the government was involved, nothing could simply be swept under the rug.

Seeing even Hayden admit defeat, Julian nearly collapsed to his knees.

"Don't panic just yet. Let me handle it," Hayden finally added.

He hadn't completely shut the door, giving Julian just enough hope to keep breathing.

Ethan bit back his snide remarks, not daring to run his mouth any further.

Arthur Kendall Sr.'s political influence vastly overshadowed the Montgomery family's.

Even his own grandfather had to kiss Arthur's ring. Ethan might be blindly loyal to Sienna, but he wasn't stupid enough to defend a potential corporate spy on federal ground.

He just found Zoe's calculated trap utterly repulsive and vile.

"Julian, aren't you going to thank Hayden?"

Sienna desperately handed her cousin a lifeline.

Quentin and Ian remained completely expressionless.

Hayden really was a lost cause.

He was seriously going to clean up a mess for someone like that?

Meanwhile, Zoe followed Garrett back into the main hall.

Garrett smoothly washed his hands of the blame. Hayden's expression remained dangerously blank, completely unreadable.

"So there's no room for negotiation."

Garrett raised a challenging brow. "If you have a problem with it, take it up with the federal organizers, not me. My hands are tied. Though, I will give you a piece of advice, Mr. Thorne. This entire situation has absolutely nothing to do with Director Lynd. I suggest you look at the facts and stop letting your messy personal emotions dictate your business."

Garrett knew Hayden would try to corner Zoe later. "We are scheduled for a second round of negotiations with Easton to finalize this project. The government will be issuing new contracts shortly. The stakes are massive. I suggest you consider the consequences very carefully."

Zoe had already told him she wanted nothing to do with Easton moving forward.

With this scandal in play, Garrett had the perfect leverage, but he couldn't push a man like Hayden entirely over the edge.

Hayden's ruthless reputation in Southeast Asia was legendary.

He was a predator, not prey.

Hayden's gaze darkened, swirling with an oppressive, suffocating malice.

"You don't need to lecture me, Mr. Kendall."

He scoffed.

Garrett was blatantly weaponizing Zoe to humiliate him.

The message was crystal clear: Zoe was now fully under the Kendall family's protection, and Hayden Thorne couldn't touch a single hair on her head.