I Forgot I Ever Loved You (Zoe and Hayden) novel Chapter 231

The summit brought together top-tier tech companies and elite AI engineers from across the globe for a massive exchange of ideas. The heavy hitters of the industry had all arrived early. As the headlining sponsor, Easton Group's CEO, Hayden Thorne, was scheduled to give the opening keynote. The host called his name multiple times, but there was no response from the floor.

An Easton representative quickly rushed up to whisper in the host's ear. Smoothly, the host apologized for a scheduling mix-up and announced that the CEO of Sterling Group, Garrett Stone, would deliver the opening remarks instead.

A murmur rippled through the audience of international business elites. For Hayden to be late to such a critical global summit was unheard of.

Twenty minutes into the session, the heavy doors to the ballroom swung open.

Hayden finally arrived, with Sienna trailing elegantly beside him.

Standing in the soft light of the entryway, Sienna wore a strapless gown that glittered like a starry night, perfectly highlighting her stunning curves and luminous skin. Her features were flawlessly made up. She looked less like a corporate executive attending a tech summit and more like a Hollywood starlet walking the red carpet at a high-society gala. She was absolutely radiant.

More notably, she was clutching the latest ultra-luxury designer handbag. It was a globally limited edition with only two pieces in existence, restricted strictly to local VIP sales.

Like everyone else in the room, Zoe was momentarily taken aback by Sienna's striking appearance. But her appreciation lasted all of two seconds before she looked away. She simply didn't care enough to spare them any real attention.

Hayden led Sienna to the VIP seating designated by the organizers. Immediately, whispers broke out among the Sterling and Easton camps.

"Did he skip the opening to take his girlfriend luxury shopping? Being late to a summit this important... he really treats her like royalty."

"That bag Ms. Winters is holding can only be bought in this country. She threw a fit yesterday, and today Mr. Thorne buys her a bag as an apology. Just qualifying to buy that bag requires millions of dollars in spending history. If you aren't a mega-VIP with a billion-dollar net worth, you can't even look at a photo of it, let alone buy it."

Garrett overheard the gossip and glanced at Zoe with a flicker of concern. She acted as if she hadn't heard a word, her eyes locked onto the summit materials in her hands.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify