I Forgot I Ever Loved You (Zoe and Hayden) novel Chapter 614

Garrett instantly regretted challenging Valerie to show her cards.

If he told the truth to defend Zoe against the affair allegations, he would be exposing the reality of her marriage. Lying to a room full of government officials about a military spouse would bring severe disciplinary action down on Zoe's head.

The entire ballroom waited with bated breath for Garrett's answer. He was backed into a corner.

Then, defying all expectations, Hayden Thorne spoke up.

His voice was a dark, lethal growl that sliced through the tension. The entire venue fell dead silent.

"Whose child did you just call a bastard?"

Hayden's sudden intervention sent shockwaves through the crowd.

This was an exclusive tech expo filled with elite professionals, not a tabloid circus. Nobody was here for cheap gossip, which made Valerie's invasion of privacy all the more unhinged.

Sienna was horrified. Hayden had kept his marriage to Zoe a secret for years; why was he snapping now?

Terrified of what he might reveal, she rushed to do damage control.

"Hayden," Sienna interrupted, her voice trembling slightly. "Valerie is one of our own. She's clearly confused right now. I'll make sure she's properly disciplined once this is over."

Valerie had ruined everything tonight. Sienna wanted to drag her off the stage by her hair, but the situation had already spiraled beyond repair.

Ethan Montgomery nudged Sienna. "Let your secretary speak her mind. We all want the truth."

Sienna wanted to scream at Ethan to shut up, but she didn't dare. Her biggest fear right now was Hayden doing something reckless. If he publicly admitted his relationship with Zoe in front of the industry's heaviest hitters, Sienna's carefully constructed world would collapse.

Hayden didn't even glance in Sienna's direction.

It threatened to overshadow all her technical achievements. People might ignore a bad attitude, but crossing boundaries into someone else's relationship was a massive red flag in professional circles.

"Mr. Thorne, there's so much you don't know..." Valerie pushed further, mistaking Hayden's silence for encouragement.

Sienna felt a wave of suffocating panic. "Valerie, that is enough! Shut your mouth!" she hissed loudly.

But Valerie was too far gone.

"Ms. Winters, you are the Chairwoman of Easton! You can't let a conniving snake like Zoe walk all over you! Mr. Thorne is too busy to notice these petty office games, but as your loyal secretary, I refuse to stand by and watch her trample your reputation!"

Valerie's misguided loyalty was the final nail in the coffin. By publicly declaring herself Sienna's protector, she implicitly confirmed that Sienna had orchestrated this entire character assassination.

Sienna let out a dark, bitter laugh, her chest tight with dread.