I Forgot I Ever Loved You (Zoe and Hayden) novel Chapter 34

"Grandmother Thorne, the Boss came to pick up Lily."

Could it be that the Boss had finally—

Changed his ways?

Dressed in a sharp black suit, Hayden instantly commanded the attention of every mother in the vicinity the moment he stepped out of the car.

The man's aura was entirely too powerful, and he was devastatingly handsome. It was impossible not to stare.

"Oh my god, is that the CEO of Easton Group?"

Someone in the crowd recognized him.

Even the few fathers waiting to pick up their kids stopped in their tracks.

A particularly bold man, thinking it was his lucky day, marched right up to Hayden to network.

"Excuse me, Mr. Thorne? Are you here to... pick up a child?"

Hayden froze the man in his tracks with a single, glacial glare.

He didn't say a word. He didn't even offer a nod.

The man felt as though a blizzard had just swept right through him, chilling him to his very core.

He stood there, completely paralyzed by Hayden's stare, for a solid thirty seconds.

By the time he snapped out of it, he had missed the one opportunity he would ever have to speak to Hayden Thorne.

Lily's teacher was systematically handing the children over to their parents.

When it was Lily's turn, the little girl looked around for Zoe, only to lock eyes with Hayden instead.

The teacher froze as well.

She had definitely seen this man on the cover of a financial magazine.

It wasn't until Hayden stepped right up to her, his voice a smooth, deep velvet, that she reacted. "I'm here for Lily Lynd."

The teacher desperately tried to scrape her wits together.

Her voice trembled. "Are you the CEO of Easton Group?"

Oh my god, was she hallucinating? Was she dreaming?

The legendary billionaire, the flawless elite who only existed in high-profile interviews, was standing right in front of her.

Hayden frowned, his gaze bypassing the teacher entirely and landing straight on Lily.

It was Lily's first time being face-to-face with him in public, and she was completely unaccustomed to having her father's eyes on her.

She shrank back timidly behind her teacher, only revealing a pair of fearful, curious eyes as she peeked at him.

It was her dad.

The dad she only ever dared to look at from a distance.

But he didn't think he looked particularly frightening.

Holden, at the very least, adored him.

Lily hesitated, too scared to step forward.

Hayden thought for a moment before forcing the words out.

"Come here. I'll take you to the amusement park."

Lily's eyes instantly lit up.

The amusement park? With her dad?

She was still nervous, but the amusement park was an incredible incentive. She suddenly didn't seem quite as afraid of him.

But she still didn't dare walk over on her own.

Watching from a distance, Colin couldn't take it anymore. He jogged over and whispered in Hayden's ear.

"Boss, you really should smile."

Hayden shot him a withering glare that could have killed a man.

Unafraid of death, Colin tapped the corners of his mouth and demonstrated.

"Just a little smile."