I Forgot I Ever Loved You (Zoe and Hayden) novel Chapter 233

Whatever Hayden had going on with Sienna, or any other woman for that matter, had absolutely nothing to do with her.

It didn't impact her daily life, nor did it offer any tangible benefits or drawbacks. The only thing it proved was how utterly absurd this marriage was.

More than anything, she wanted to know exactly what kind of prenuptial agreement she had signed with him. Hayden had mentioned that their marriage contract would expire soon and that she could leave whenever she wanted.

When exactly was this "expiration date"?

Up on stage, Sienna commanded the microphone, speaking passionately about the evolution of AI and Easton Group's latest R&D triumphs. She even started citing a freshly published paper from a prestigious international research journal.

When the highly technical jargon spilled from Sienna's lips, Zoe froze in absolute shock.

That was *her* thesis. The one she had published under Professor Layne's name.

Sienna was shamelessly presenting it as her own, weaving it seamlessly into her speech without so much as a blink of hesitation.

The entire audience was captivated. Sienna's ability to speak without notes and her profound grasp of AI technology left everyone in awe. To be this young, female, and capable of publishing in such an elite journal—you couldn't find three people like her in the entire world.

As Sienna continued her confident monologue, a voice suddenly echoed through the ballroom.

"Excuse me, but the research Ms. Winters just cited belongs to a student of Professor Alistair Layne. That student's identity has remained a strict secret. I happen to have a good relationship with Professor Layne, and he shared a few minor details about this student with me in private.

"Out of respect for her privacy, I won't reveal her identity. He only told me her last name, but I can guarantee you, it is *not* Winters. Could Ms. Winters care to explain her sudden claim to this research?"

Sienna's speech ground to a brutal halt.

A man in his mid-thirties stood in the audience, holding a microphone. His words were razor-sharp, directly accusing her of plagiarism.

The confident glow vanished from Sienna's meticulously contoured face, replaced by a twisted look of panic.

The summit organizers and the tech elites in the front rows shifted uncomfortably in their seats. The admiration they had felt just moments ago morphed into heavy suspicion. Hundreds of piercing gazes locked onto Sienna like daggers, making her skin crawl.

She had spent day and night preparing this speech the moment she found out about the summit. With her excellent memory, she had memorized the multi-page document perfectly over three days, intending to use it during the open discussion segments to look smart.

Sienna constantly monitored academic journals to ensure her presentations sounded flawless. When she found that particular paper co-authored by Professor Layne, she noticed the author's name was listed in Chinese. Since this was an international summit packed with global leaders, she assumed there was a zero percent chance the original author would be present.

So, she had lifted the research verbatim, passing it off as her own genius.

She never imagined she would be called out in front of a live global audience. There were dozens of commercial media cameras rolling. Looking good here meant worldwide fame; she would be a media darling wherever she went.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify