I Forgot I Ever Loved You (Zoe and Hayden) novel Chapter 22

"Say bye-bye to Daddy."

Zoe gently coaxed Lily toward Hayden, while [Twinkle Twinkle Little Star] still played softly in the car.

But Lily flat-out refused, turning around and bolting toward the school building.

Zoe hurried after her, her phone drifting further away with the Bluetooth connection.

"Little Miss Lynd is quite adorable," Colin blurted out, watching how close the mother and daughter seemed to have become.

In the past, Lily had been incredibly timid. Not only was she terrified of Hayden, but she had also been fearful of Zoe.

Back then, Zoe's entire focus had been on Hayden. Unable to get care or love from him, she hadn't had the emotional capacity to look after Lily.

Colin always thought the little girl was pitiful, especially after everything that had happened.

The nursery rhyme in the car suddenly cut off, plunging the spacious interior into a dead silence. Colin's muttering received zero response.

"You really like The Wheels on the Bus?"

Colin froze, only then noticing his boss glaring daggers at him in the rearview mirror.

He had checked the mirror when Zoe made the request earlier, and they had listened to three whole nursery rhymes on the way.

Colin spoke cautiously, "It was Mrs. Thorne who asked to play it."

Hayden's voice dropped below freezing, his sharp brows knitting tightly together.

"Mrs. Thorne? Do you get your paycheck from her?"

Colin was too terrified to utter another word.

Had he misread the room earlier?

Was Mr. Thorne upset that Zoe had played nursery rhymes?

"Drive."

Hayden's gaze shifted from the windshield to the spot where Zoe had just been sitting.

There was a distinct heel print on the back of Colin's seat.

This was an eight-hundred-thousand-dollar luxury SUV. The interior was fully lined with calfskin leather, and its annual maintenance alone cost more than an average family's yearly living expenses.

Had Zoe completely lost her mind?

He showed her kindness just this once, and she dared to kick his car.

Zoe's brain completely crashed.

She had been married to Hayden for five years; how could she not even have his phone number saved?

Colin was the one driving, and she had his number, so she hurriedly called him instead.

When the caller ID [Mrs. Thorne] flashed on the SUV's center console screen, Colin's hands trembled on the steering wheel.

A frantic internal battle waged in his mind. Should he answer Zoe's call or not?

Hayden's dark, brooding gaze swept over Colin's phone.

"Mrs. Thorne? Which Mrs. Thorne?"

Colin couldn't have explained it even if he had a hundred mouths. He couldn't say it was Grandmother Thorne's direct order. Even if everyone else disliked Zoe, the elderly matriarch absolutely adored her granddaughter-in-law.

Five years ago, she had instructed Colin to give her daily reports on how Hayden and Zoe were getting along.

Knowing how much the old lady valued Zoe, Colin had taken it upon himself to change Zoe's contact name to [Mrs. Thorne].

He swallowed hard.

"Mr. Thorne... should I answer this?"