I Forgot I Ever Loved You (Zoe and Hayden) novel Chapter 508

Hayden listened as she brought up Sienna Winters without a flicker of emotion. There was absolutely no jealousy in her voice—only biting sarcasm.

Outside, the morning sun was blazing, filling the room with a stifling warmth.

Zoe felt utterly nothing for Hayden. She just wanted him gone.

The starry-eyed adoration that used to light up her face whenever she looked at him was entirely extinguished.

Hayden finally lowered his gaze and turned around, his leather shoes hitting the floorboards with heavy, deliberate steps. Seeing him finally leaving, Zoe spoke in a calm, measured tone.

"Close the door on your way out. The draft gives me a headache."

Hayden didn't pause for a single second. To Zoe's surprise, he actually obeyed and shut the door firmly behind him.

The sound of his footsteps faded down the stairs. From the ground floor, his sharp, authoritative voice barked a final command.

"Fall out!"

Dozens of officers responded in booming unison. "Yes, sir!"

Zoe listened closely as the synchronized marching boots gradually faded into the distance.

Silence finally reclaimed the estate, leaving only the pleasant, soothing sound of birds chirping outside her window.

The door cracked open again. Lily peeked in with a giggling smile, followed by Sylvia holding little Ian, with Mr. Kendall Sr. right behind them.

Mr. Kendall Sr. looked composed, while Sylvia visibly breathed a sigh of relief.

She gently placed Ian on the bed next to Zoe and offered a soft smile.

"He's gone. You can relax now."

Zoe nodded, smiling back.

"Yeah."

Sylvia was dying of curiosity. "What on earth did you say to him? Hayden Thorne isn't a man who backs down easily."

Knowing she had laid the groundwork for this long ago, Zoe recounted everything to the older couple.

Mr. Kendall Sr. and Sylvia exchanged a look, a flicker of worry crossing Sylvia's features.

"You lied about using IVF. Even with forged paperwork, it's not the truth. He'll find out eventually."

Building that safety net was the only thing that mattered for her children's future.

Sylvia absentmindedly squeezed her husband's hand, murmuring, "Let's hope so."

Hayden drove back to The Ridgecrest Villa.

Alone.

The new maid greeted him at the door, but Hayden brushed past her, grabbed a bottle of red wine, and threw himself onto the sofa, chugging it straight from the glass.

The bottle was empty in minutes. Right on cue, Colin Zachs' call came through.

"Well?"

Hayden's voice was murderously low.

Colin glanced at the report on his screen and gave it to him straight. "Ms. Lynd did visit an agency ten months ago for an IVF procedure.

"The surgical records, signed consent forms, and vial numbers are all completely legitimate. The payment came directly from her account—a total of hundreds of thousands of dollars. The only missing detail is the identity of the sperm donor."