I Forgot I Ever Loved You (Zoe and Hayden) novel Chapter 596

"Words are cheap, and I don't trust you. Do we have a deal?"

Hayden was backed into a corner with absolutely no room to refuse. For the very first time, he felt a crushing sense of defeat.

Zoe wasn't negotiating with him; Hayden had absolutely zero leverage to use against her.

That upward, interrogative lilt in her voice was a tactic Hayden used constantly in the boardroom.

He had never imagined the day would come when Zoe would use it against him.

He let out a bitter chuckle.

"Fine. Whatever you say, Ms. Lynd."

Zoe cast a rare, satisfied glance his way and nodded.

"Work should always take precedence over personal feelings. I hope in the future, Commander Thorne, you'll dedicate more time to the project. Save this petty drama for phone calls. There's no need to bring it into the workplace."

Hayden kept his face completely blank as he quietly endured her scolding.

Her stern expression was exactly like a boss reprimanding a disobedient subordinate. By the time Hayden snapped out of his daze, Zoe had already walked over to join Timothy and the others.

He had just been firmly put in his place and lectured for several minutes. Hayden stood frozen for a moment before a helpless, self-deprecating smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

Harvey glanced over in confusion.

He had long heard of Hayden's reputation—a man who was practically a deity in both business and politics.

Aside from his unfathomably deep background, he had a terrifying track record, and no one dared cross him.

Harvey knew even his own father had to show Hayden a great deal of respect.

"What did you just talk to him about?"

He noticed Hayden acting as obedient as a scolded child.

Harvey couldn't help his curiosity.

"Nothing much. I just told him to focus more on work and not let outside issues distract him."

Zoe felt telling the truth was always easier than lying.

Lying meant you had to spin a web of endless falsehoods to cover up the first one.

Harvey actually felt a bit disappointed.

With Hayden around, he inexplicably felt like a third wheel.

Without him, the atmosphere would be much lighter for everyone.

He couldn't shake the feeling that the way Hayden looked at Zoe was intensely abnormal, even though he couldn't pinpoint any obvious foul play on the surface.

Harvey decided not to overthink it.

Zoe instructed the studio team to take the Sentinel AI Units outside for material transport testing.

The trials included high-risk scenarios like rapid explosive deployment and safe retrieval.

If they failed and the explosives detonated during transport, the unit would be destroyed. Each unit cost millions of dollars to produce; blowing one up was literally setting money on fire.

Both Harvey and Timothy showed massive interest in the AI units. Harvey constantly asked Zoe questions, demanding explanations for even the most microscopic details.

Zoe proved to be an excellent teacher, patiently guiding them through the entire process without a single hint of annoyance.