I Forgot I Ever Loved You (Zoe and Hayden) novel Chapter 367

No one expected someone in Sebastian's position to make that kind of joke right upon meeting Zoe.

And certainly no one expected little Lily to chime in.

Everyone froze.

For the first time in his long, polished career, Sebastian's attempt at playing matchmaker had slammed straight into a brick wall.

Zoe was so young and brilliant—she was already married? And with a child this old?

Was she secretly married to someone in the Kendall family?

Timothy was visibly taken aback, but Garrett quickly stepped in to clear the air.

"Of course not. Her mother is like a sister to me."

Timothy let out an invisible sigh of relief. Sebastian laughed it off but couldn't resist asking, "Ms. Lynd, is this really your daughter?"

He was hoping he had misheard. It was obvious Timothy was intensely interested; his eyes hadn't left Zoe since they were introduced.

Not wanting to bring up Hayden, Zoe simply nodded in confirmation.

Arthur cleared his throat. "Mr. Shaw, I brought you here to introduce you to top-tier talent. Why are you trying to poach her for someone else?"

Sebastian looked faintly embarrassed, but they were all seasoned professionals. The awkward moment was quickly smoothed over with effortless grace.

Once seated, the staff began serving the meal.

Lily happily devoured her food while Zoe sat quietly, eating and listening to the men discuss business.

"Garrett, our department reviewed the footage of your press conference. It was genuinely impressive. The aerospace sector desperately needs that kind of modern innovation.

"And Ms. Lynd, I've read your paper. The ability to predict engine, avionics, and hydraulic failures dozens of hours in advance is an absolute game-changer. The moment we heard you were coming to Miami, Sebastian and I booked the first flight here."

Though Timothy felt a twinge of regret over Zoe being a mother, his respect for her technical brilliance was absolute.

Sebastian nodded in agreement. "Exactly. We came here to discuss a direct partnership with Sterling Group. We were wondering if—"

Truthfully, they were anxious.

Rumor had it that phase two of the project was already locked in with Easton Group.

But as a critical government agency, they decided to swallow their pride and approach Garrett directly, hoping to secure the deal.

The technology was simply too vital. It was better to negotiate a partnership than enforce a government buyout.

Garrett smiled faintly.

"Sterling Group has no intention of continuing our partnership with Easton. My grandfather mentioned this matter to me. Ms. Lynd is Sterling's Technical Director. Now that our ties with Easton are severed, she will naturally be the one consulting with you both on our future strategic alignment."

Hearing Garrett's words, Mr. Shaw and Director Yates finally let out the breaths they had been holding.

The Kendall family truly lived up to their reputation as a political and corporate powerhouse.

They knew exactly how to play the game.

The two officials felt a massive weight lift off their shoulders.

Zoe lowered her voice and leaned toward Garrett. "So you had already planned to partner with them from the start?"

She had been terrified Garrett was throwing away billions by cutting ties with Easton purely to protect her.

"Not exactly. But this tech is monumental. Knowing Sterling's innovations will serve the nation is our greatest pride. Handing your life's work over to cutthroat businessmen strictly for profit is far too shallow.

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