I Forgot I Ever Loved You (Zoe and Hayden) novel Chapter 518

Leaving Jasper and the others behind, Zoe led Hayden through the crowded main hall. Timothy's gaze remained fixed on Zoe until she disappeared from view.

Jasper sighed in admiration. "No wonder Mr. Kendall..."

He left the sentence unfinished, but everyone understood the implication. Any man would be drawn to a woman like Zoe. There were plenty of beautiful women in the world, but finding one who was gorgeous, intelligent, fiercely capable, and held significant influence in the tech sector was incredibly rare.

"Does anyone know who the husband of Mr. Kendall's god-sister is?" Jasper asked.

Only Timothy knew the answer. Sebastian and Tristan Sommer had never crossed paths with Zoe's personal life, so they were clueless. Naturally, Timothy wasn't going to say a word.

Zoe guided Hayden through the elegant main hall, which was packed with guests. Despite the glaring wine stain on Hayden's suit, the striking visual of the handsome man and the beautiful woman instantly drew attention.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Hayden didn't dare pull any inappropriate stunts with Zoe. But those watching them couldn't help their confusion.

"Is that the Kendall family's goddaughter, Ms. Lynd, or Mr. Thorne's partner?"

"I think that's Mrs. Thorne. Look, they're wearing matching outfits. It must be Mr. and Mrs. Thorne."

"Doesn't look like it to me. Mrs. Thorne doesn't have that kind of aura. That has to be Ms. Lynd."

People stared at Hayden and Zoe, whispering their endless speculations.

Zoe led Hayden straight to a waiter. "Excuse me, please find a clean suit for Mr. Thorne."

The waiter immediately nodded. Zoe maintained a perfectly elegant, polite smile.

"Mr. Thorne, my apologies for the poor hospitality."

Hayden gave a slight nod, mirroring her distant courtesy.

Mrs. Thorne's current status commanded immense respect everywhere she went. She probably hand-picked which galas were even worthy of her time. Still, the Kendalls were heavyweights in the capital's political and business circles. For Mrs. Thorne to think she was too good to show them respect was a bit arrogant.

However, no one dared to openly criticize Mrs. Thorne. Seeing Zoe returning to the floor, the guests stopped gossiping and enthusiastically greeted her.

Zoe didn't recognize many of them. Faced with their eager smiles, she simply offered polite, measured responses—never overly eager, never dismissive. Given Zoe's rapidly rising status in their circle, everyone was desperate to build a connection, terrified of missing an opportunity to network with her.

Zoe finally made her way back to the Kendalls. Garrett let out a breath of relief when he saw Hayden hadn't followed her.

Sylvia noticed Zoe arriving separately from Garrett and realized there had been a hiccup. Smart enough not to ask questions, she gently placed little Ian into Zoe's arms, then turned to the two of them.

"All the guests have arrived. Go on, it's time for the toasts."

Zoe and Garrett nodded in unison. Carrying little Ian, with Sylvia and Mr. Kendall Sr. holding Lily's hand, they moved from table to table, toasting the guests.