I Forgot I Ever Loved You (Zoe and Hayden) novel Chapter 106

He didn't keep her in the water for too long. Once she was warmed through, he lifted her out and carried her to the bed.

Supporting the back of her head with one hand, he tried to force the ginger tea past her lips.

Zoe remained completely unresponsive. Hayden tried several times, but not a single drop made it into her mouth.

Losing patience, he took a sip of the tea himself, pressed his mouth firmly against hers, forced her lips apart, and fed it to her directly. He finally managed to get more than half the bowl down her throat.

"Mmh—"

A pained sound escaped Zoe's lips. Her brow furrowed deeply, caught in some nightmare, and a tear slipped from the corner of her eye.

Hayden changed into a fresh set of loungewear and glanced back at the woman on the bed.

Seeing that her color was steadily returning, he finally felt secure enough to step out of the room.

Downstairs, Quentin Muir stood waiting, looking visibly exhausted.

Seeing how long it had taken Hayden to come down, he could practically guess what had happened.

"Your hand still needs a proper splint."

Quentin examined Hayden's pinky finger. There was a minor fracture, but compared to the last time when his entire wrist had been dislocated, this was practically nothing.

"Go upstairs and check on Zoe first."

Quentin gave a knowing look and handed over the backup medication he had brought.

"You should handle that part."

Hayden glared at him coldly. "Can your brain process anything other than sex?"

"What?"

Quentin was completely taken aback by the hostility.

But seeing that the billionaire was in a foul mood, he just chuckled and set the medication down on the coffee table.

"Keep it handy. You'll need it eventually. What exactly did you do to her this time?"

He asked as he made his way upstairs. Hayden led him into the master bedroom. Zoe was already burning up with a fever.

Quentin glanced at the pile of soaked clothes discarded on the floor. Hayden spoke flatly.

"She stood out in the storm. An hour and a half."

Quentin stared at him in disbelief.

"In the rain? She's a grown woman, couldn't she hold an umbrella? This is the worst torrential downpour we've had in over a decade. Some streets are flooded waist-deep."

Hayden's brow snapped into a hard knot. "I brought you here to treat her, not to listen to your garbage. If you can fix her, do it. If not, get the hell out."

If Zoe actually wanted a divorce, he would gladly hand over the papers.

But Holden Thorne's condition wasn't something that would heal overnight.

If he let Zoe walk away now, given her current rebellious streak, he might not be able to drag her back so easily when the time came.

He was waiting for the perfect opportunity, too.

An opportunity where she would willingly give up on him and disappear from his life forever.

Hayden Thorne owed no one anything.

Nor would he ever harbor unnecessary emotions or attachments toward any woman.

Even Sienna hadn't fully met his standards in the past.

So why should some manipulative woman who had exhausted every dirty trick in the book to trap him ever think she could win his heart?

Hayden reached out and gently traced the line of Zoe's jaw.

His expression was as cold and indifferent as ever.

"Zoe, no matter what game you're playing, I'll match you step for step. But don't ever delude yourself into thinking I'll fall in love with you."