I Forgot I Ever Loved You (Zoe and Hayden) novel Chapter 402

Timothy waited for Zoe's call. It wasn't his place to decide.

The moment Sienna heard the name "Zachary Harrison," all the color drained from her face.

Ethan frowned in confusion. Why on earth was Zachary looking for Zoe?

Ethan couldn't resist a mocking jab. "Ms. Lynd, don't tell me you're trying to poach Easton's business now that you're no longer working with them. Mr. Harrison was Easton's designated partner, you know."

Zoe ignored him. Not wanting to disrespect the Director, she accepted the phone. "Hello, Mr. Harrison. This is Zoe."

Zachary sounded so thrilled to hear her voice he practically dropped his phone.

"Zoe! I finally found you. I'm already on a private jet heading your way. I want to visit your headquarters in person to discuss a partnership. I had my team run an analysis on your emotional AI bot—the investment viability is off the charts, and the ROI would be astronomical. With my company's global reputation and reach, we'd make a killing together."

Zoe rubbed her temples, thoroughly exasperated.

She leaned in close to whisper in Garrett's ear. Their proximity was far too intimate. Hayden's grip on his glass tightened until his knuckles turned white, his gaze darkening into something predatory.

What exactly could she say to Garrett that her own husband wasn't allowed to hear?

"Garrett, it's Zachary calling to pitch a partnership," she murmured. "He's already in the air."

Garrett groaned inwardly. They had rejected Zachary clearly and bluntly. Why was the man so relentlessly stubborn?

Still, he left the decision entirely up to her. "Handle it however you see fit. Don't worry about me."

They had made a firm rule against taking on foreign investors. Their core focus and energy were solely dedicated to the domestic market.

She had jumped through massive hoops, and Easton had spent millions just to get Zachary to the table. Yet he hadn't even lasted three days before killing the deal and flying his team out.

It was humiliating. For the first time, she looked entirely incompetent in front of Hayden.

She had convinced herself that Zachary bailed because she hadn't checked on him quickly enough when he had his medical episode. But no—he had turned right around and shamelessly begged Zoe for a deal.

Ethan was starting to piece things together. He looked at Sienna, utterly confused. "What's going on? Zachary wants to work with them?"

Sienna maintained her composure, lying through her teeth without missing a beat. "It makes sense. He flew all the way here assuming the Easton deal was locked in. He probably didn't anticipate me pulling the plug to protect our tech. He's just grasping at straws by going to them. Honestly, I'm curious if Zoe will actually say yes to him. That kind of proprietary data..."

Everyone had heard Zoe's final decision loud and clear. Sienna cut herself off, offering Zoe a fake look of approval.

"A foreign firm like his isn't suited for us. I'm glad to see you guys know where to draw the line. Rejecting him was the right move. Easton made that call days ago, so you're smart to follow our lead."