I Forgot I Ever Loved You (Zoe and Hayden) novel Chapter 60

The next time she saw Sienna, she was Hunter's girlfriend, and Hunter had introduced her as his future sister-in-law.

Under the table, Zoe clenched her fists, her teeth grinding together.

On the surface, however, her beautiful face wore a brilliant, unblinking smile directed entirely at Sienna.

"You're absolutely right. I used to think you'd end up marrying Hayden. Lord knows how he ended up as my husband instead."

Zoe made sure to sound sickeningly sweet. The verbal strike was lethal. Sienna's face visibly drained of all color.

She wasn't the only one; the entire table, even Grandmother Thorne, looked deeply uncomfortable.

The cousins tried and failed to suppress awkward smirks.

Everyone in New York's elite circles knew exactly why Hayden married Zoe five years ago.

It was a monumental scandal, yet here she was, throwing it right out in the open. Zoe couldn't care less. Aside from Hunter and the grandmother, she loathed everyone at this table.

Furthermore, she had no real history with these people. She had only met her half-sister a handful of times in her life; they hadn't even shared a proper meal together.

She hadn't provoked Sienna when she arrived. She didn't know the specifics of why Sienna's grand romance with Hayden had failed, but she wasn't blind. She could feel Sienna's constant, passive-aggressive targeting.

Since Sienna and Hayden clearly shared some earth-shattering past, and she had seen them acting overly intimate at the office, Zoe decided to take the gloves off.

Sienna clearly thought she was an easy target. Zoe still couldn't fathom why she had spent the last five years blindly funneling her hard-earned millions into this woman's bank account.

She must have been possessed.

"Enough. Zoe, if you can't eat in peace, get the hell out."

Hayden finally exploded. He slammed his silverware onto the table with a sharp crack, startling everyone.

Instantly, the tension in the room normalized.

Grandmother Thorne sighed privately, while the rest of the relatives quietly amused themselves.

This was how Hayden was supposed to treat her.

Lily had been nestled safely beside her mother, but Hayden's sudden outburst terrified her.

"Zoe, have you lost your mind? Hunter brought his girlfriend home today. If you have a grievance, swallow it. Don't bring your shameless drama into this house and ruin our evening. Take your brat and get out!"

Zoe held Lily fiercely against her chest, glaring at the people launching these unprovoked attacks.

Did they really think she was a pushover?

No one touched her daughter. Clearly, they hadn't witnessed her college days when she single-handedly beat the pulp out of a dozen street thugs.

She was a national judo black belt champion. Did they want a fight?

"Enough!"

Hayden, his face livid, reached out and grabbed Zoe's arm.

Already in full combat mode and violently protective of Lily, Zoe reacted on pure instinct.

She grabbed his arm, pivoted, and executed a flawless shoulder throw.

In front of the entire stunned Thorne family, Hayden Thorne was slammed flat onto his back on the dining room floor.