I Forgot I Ever Loved You (Zoe and Hayden) novel Chapter 608

"What's got you in such a good mood?"

Zoe grinned. "Nothing. Let me take you and Officer Quinn out for dinner tonight. She helped me out, and I haven't thanked her yet."

Garrett froze. Invite Yara? He rubbed his neck awkwardly. "I don't have her number."

Zoe was momentarily stunned, but let it go.

She wasn't close with Yara either. If she wanted to play matchmaker, she'd have to go through Commissioner Sterling first. There was no rush.

The main thing was that Garrett had finally shown interest in a woman, and she didn't want him to miss his chance.

"Well, Garrett, if I manage to invite Officer Quinn out, would you be willing to give it a shot?"

She was just asking, but Garrett's ears turned completely red.

"I have a meeting at the company this afternoon. I should get going."

The faster they ran, the guiltier they were.

Watching Garrett practically flee, Zoe smiled thoughtfully.

She definitely needed to share this fantastic news with Sylvia Kendall.

Anticipating that Hayden might try to use the kids as leverage, Mr. Kendall Sr. and Sylvia had cleverly whisked Lily and Ian away to Miami for an extended vacation.

Whatever tricks Hayden had up his sleeve, they wouldn't work.

The next day, Zoe finally received Hayden's notification.

Neither of them went to the command center.

The Military Personnel Command had finally sent representatives for the home visit.

Hayden told Zoe to meet at The Highland Retreat, the new home he had prepared for her and the kids.

Zoe drove up alone, mesmerized by the hills blanketed in blooming Lily of the Valley.

She was undeniably captivated by the scenery.

Even in her restored memories, no one had ever given her a surprise quite like this.

Hayden personally came down to meet her, escorting her from the base of the hill all the way to the villa, opening her car door with practiced elegance.

The moment she stepped inside, she saw lush greenery, grand fountains, and a custom playground for the kids. The backyard was a sprawling garden of fresh produce. If she wanted anything, the staff could pick it fresh, the vegetables still glistening with morning dew.

"They'll be here at nine. Maybe a little later."

He had arranged it, so naturally, he controlled the timeline.

Every flower, every tree, every architectural detail felt intensely familiar.

It wasn't this specific house, but her childhood home—the one she had shared with her father.

It was a perfect, one-to-one replica.

The materials were brand new, obviously recently constructed.

The actual place where she grew up had long been sold off to developers by her heartless mother, bulldozed to make way for skyscrapers.

Her childhood memories had been buried beneath a towering concrete jungle, lost forever.

"Hayden, what is the meaning of this?"

Why bring her here? Why build this exact replica? What was his endgame?

Hayden pulled out a velvet box he had prepped well in advance. Right in front of her, he dropped to one knee and opened it.

"A proposal. I spent hundreds of millions of dollars at The Regal Auction House to buy back the family heirloom your father gave your mother. Zoe, let's not get a divorce."

Zoe physically recoiled, taking a massive step backward.

"Get up, Hayden. I don't need your grand gestures. I'm not royalty, so you can stop kneeling."