I Forgot I Ever Loved You (Zoe and Hayden) novel Chapter 564

Zoe froze in place.

That hit squad was actually targeting her?

"But why?"

She couldn't wrap her head around it.

Yara shot her a chilling look. "That's exactly why I asked who you managed to piss off."

If Yara hadn't intervened, Zoe would have been defenseless against a heavily armed crew.

"Well, thank you anyway."

Zoe bit down hard on her lower lip.

Was it because of her new security clearance and the government initiative?

It was a terrifyingly plausible theory.

"Save it."

Yara's gaze swept over Zoe critically.

So this was the infamous Mrs. Thorne.

She was undeniably gorgeous.

Seamlessly, Yara sheathed her blade after casually wiping the blood away.

Garrett's mind was racing, actively calculating the implications of Yara's presence.

His guard remained firmly up.

She was stunning, devastatingly skilled, and claimed to be on the side of justice.

Yet the timing of her heroics felt far too orchestrated.

"Is Officer Quinn just here enjoying a casual shopping spree?"

Yara shifted her piercing eyes away from Zoe, entirely ignoring Garrett's probing question.

"We're just passing strangers. A lucky coincidence, nothing more. But you..."

Before Garrett could intervene, Zoe instinctively introduced herself.

"My last name is Lynd. Zoe Lynd."

"Ms. Lynd, if someone is willing to execute a brazen daylight hit on you while you're out shopping, your life must carry a massive price tag."

Her tone was biting, layered with unmistakable mockery.

It bordered on open hostility.

Unsure of how she had offended this lethal stranger, Zoe offered a polite smile.

"It must be a case of mistaken identity. I don't exactly make a habit of creating enemies."

Though, if she did have one enemy capable of this...

Zoe suddenly met Garrett's eyes. He was already looking at her, his expression grim.

Hayden?

The exact same name echoed in both of their minds.

But could he actually stoop that low?

Would Hayden Thorne genuinely hire a hit squad to end her life?

Even Zoe found the concept too absurd to fully believe.

Yara scoffed, shooting one last dismissive glance at Garrett.

He was devastatingly handsome, but clearly just a pretty boy in a tailored suit—not her type in the slightest.

She turned and walked away from the boutiques, leaving Garrett lost in deep thought.

"Do you think she's really Interpol? She was absolutely freezing."

Zoe couldn't shake the feeling that Yara was entirely devoid of human warmth.

Garrett smoothly took the shopping bags from Zoe's hands, a cynical smirk playing on his lips. "Who knows? She could just as easily be another player sent to make our lives miserable."

A simultaneous shiver ran down both their spines.

Without wasting another second, Garrett ushered Zoe into the passenger seat and floored the accelerator, heading straight for the Kendall estate.

"Do you think a foreign entity discovered the specifics of our robotics division and decided to eliminate a national security asset?"

"Lily is an absolute savage! Your genes are truly top-tier. Speaking of your adorable spawn, where's Ian? When am I going to get some quality playtime with him?"

"Your overprotective Kendall family is hoarding that boy like a national treasure! They won't even let me look at him."

Nadia's grievances completely overshadowed the entire Sienna fiasco.

"I promise, the next time your schedule clears up, I'll bring Ian over to see his favorite Auntie Nadia."

Once the topic shifted to the kids, the conversation flowed endlessly. Zoe and Nadia chatted for over an hour before finally saying their goodbyes.

Three days later, Zoe received an exclusive package containing The VIP Access Pass for a monumental tech summit.

She stared at the sleek credential in surprise.

"Wait, am I expected to give a keynote?"

Alongside the pass, Commissioner Jasper Sterling had formally requested that Zoe deliver a high-level academic presentation on their latest advancements, noting that the audience would be packed with rising political power players.

They were all desperate for Zoe's visionary guidance.

"Your reputation has become the stuff of legend in elite circles. The Classified Technology Symposium is a strictly closed-door event designed exclusively for the nation's top-tier researchers."

"Without undeniable seniority and groundbreaking contributions, getting a seat at that table is impossible."

Zoe felt a wave of imposter syndrome. She felt her actual contributions were still in their infancy; how could she possibly command a room of veterans?

Yet, turning down a direct request from Commissioner Jasper Sterling wasn't an option.

"Understood. I'll start drafting my presentation immediately."

After briefing Garrett on the development, Zoe retreated into her private studio.

She didn't have a single second to waste on Sienna's petty, dramatic games.

She seamlessly initialized her proprietary coding sequences.

She had no desire to excavate the traumas of the past five years, but the facts remained: she was legally Hayden's wife, and Lily was a Thorne by blood. Did Nita or Hayden ever actually stand up for her?

Now that Sienna and Nita were openly targeting her son and daughter, her tolerance had evaporated completely.

She had only ignored Sienna in the past because the woman was utterly beneath her notice.

But since Sienna and the Thorne family were foolish enough to declare war on her children, well... did Sienna honestly believe the skeletons in her closet were permanently buried?