I Forgot I Ever Loved You (Zoe and Hayden) novel Chapter 55

Zoe was caught off guard, never expecting to run into Hunter so abruptly.

Instinctively, she pulled Lily behind her as if trying to hide something.

Not far away, a Maybach slowed to a crawl.

Through the half-open window, Hayden sat expressionless. His arm rested on the window frame, a cigarette pinched between his fingers, the ember glowing faintly in the breeze.

Just as Hunter stepped out to open the door for her, Hayden emerged from his car.

He wore a black dress shirt and dark trousers beneath a sharp blazer. His tall frame moved with a steady, predatory grace.

He flicked his cigarette perfectly into a nearby trash can without missing a beat.

Hunter spotted Hayden approaching behind Zoe.

At the same time, Zoe noticed a pretty young woman sitting in Hunter's passenger seat.

She wore a beige knit top and a pastel dress, with a tweed jacket draped over her arm. Her delicate face was fresh and clean—if one looked closely, she even bore a faint resemblance to the old Zoe.

"I won't trouble my cousin with my wife."

Hunter watched as Hayden pulled Zoe into his arms, then smoothly leaned down to scoop Lily up as well. The possessive gesture was a clear declaration of dominance.

Hunter wasn't blind. He offered a tight, polite smile.

"I see you're here, Hayden. I won't overstep then."

The woman in the passenger seat hopped out, her large eyes filled with lively curiosity.

"Hunter, aren't you going to introduce me?"

Right in front of Hayden and Zoe, Hunter wrapped an arm around the woman's shoulders.

"Hayden, Zoe. Let me introduce you. This is my girlfriend, Zoey Layne."

Zoe froze at the name.

Even Hayden's lips curved into an imperceptible smirk as he tasted the name.

"Zoey? How loyal of you."

Even bringing her back to the States to meet his family had been an incredibly rare initiative on his part.

She cherished the thought that he was finally ready to publicly acknowledge her.

Hayden handed Lily over to Colin to buckle into the car. He lowered his dark gaze, the close physical proximity creating a seductive tension that left Zoe entirely flustered.

"Mrs. Thorne, you're a married woman. You'd better drop this lingering attachment to old flames."

Zoe didn't understand what he meant, nor did she want to.

She remained silent in the car, only murmuring a few words when Lily spoke to her.

Hayden noticed her unusual quietness, his gaze turning somber.

Hunter's appearance had clearly stirred the waters. Hayden scoffed internally.

Trying to play out some dramatic reunion with an ex right under his nose? Did they think he was dead?

All the way back to Thorne Manor, Hayden shadowed Zoe with the suffocating intensity of a guard dog.