I Forgot I Ever Loved You (Zoe and Hayden) novel Chapter 323

Garrett wasn't one to bow to threats. Knowing Hayden's tendency to mix personal vendettas with business, he responded without a shred of hesitation to protect Zoe.

“I'll have to ask Director Lynd for her thoughts on that. When she stepped back, Easton raised no objections. Ordering her back in now doesn't align with standard procedure. Mr. Thorne, she may be an employee of my company, but she has basic human rights.”

His righteous stance completely failed to resonate with Hayden.

After a few seconds of heavy silence on the line, Hayden’s lips curled into a dark smirk. The icy warning in his tone sent a clear wave of displeasure straight through the phone.

“It seems a pretty face has clouded your judgment, Mr. Kendall. I simply stated that someone needs to take responsibility for the project. Who you put forward is none of my concern. Whether she attends is your call. But this is a government-backed initiative with zero room for error. You know the stakes better than I do.”

The line went dead. Garrett stood there, a knot of frustration tightening in his chest that he couldn't swallow down.

He easily had Hayden beat in age and industry experience, but when it came to sheer ruthlessness, he was outmatched.

In his early twenties, Hayden had been a notoriously vicious predator in the Southeast Asian markets. Returning to the city had forced him to temper his methods, but the lethal edge was still there.

Stripped of his family's powerful backing, Garrett was, at his core, a principled businessman.

He lacked Hayden's cutthroat tactics. This brief exchange gave him a crystal-clear understanding of exactly who Hayden Thorne was.

Garrett turned back around. Zoe looked surprised; he could have just called if it was a minor detail, rather than walking back.

“Hayden and Sienna will be at lunch. Hayden specifically requested your presence. He claimed he wants you to oversee the Easton and Sterling joint project again. I have no idea what game he's playing. If you don't want to go, I'll turn him down. Don't force yourself.”

He wasn't one to throw his own people to the wolves. He wasn't worried about talking business with Hayden; he was worried Hayden was using business as an excuse to make Zoe miserable.

Zoe just laughed. “It's fine. It's just lunch, he's not going to eat me.”

Hayden was undoubtedly spiraling over the Terrence Winters situation. She had touched the father of his precious Sienna, and now the knight in shining armor was riding in to defend her honor.

It made sense. But Zoe was also curious to watch the circus unfold.

Sienna had hit a brick wall trying to free Terrence earlier today.

Hayden's sudden demand for a joint lunch was obviously a follow-up strike.

Garrett stared at her for a solid thirty seconds. “Are you sure you're okay with this?”

“Of course. But if he tries to negotiate for Terrence, he'll hit a dead end.”

It was completely predictable. Sienna had failed and immediately ran back to tattle to Hayden.

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