I Forgot I Ever Loved You (Zoe and Hayden) novel Chapter 635

Hayden Thorne didn't send another message. Little Ian shifted his tiny legs beneath the blankets, and Zoe Lynd gently patted him back to sleep. She pulled the soft throw up to his chest, waiting until his breathing evened out before finally lying back down with a sigh of relief.

Her phone lit up again. It was Hayden.

"If you don't want to moon-gaze, I'll go grab a drink with you. Don't you like going to bars to look at guys? Liam's place just hired some fresh meat, all of them sporting eight-pack abs..."

Zoe stared at the screen, utterly speechless. Was he moonlighting as a pimp now?

"Liam's bar must be going under if you're out here pimping to your ex-wife," she typed rapidly. "No thanks. If you like it so much, go by yourself. With your build, you could probably get hired—or hire someone else. Commander Thorne, if you're that bored, get a part-time job. I'm busy, and I have kids to raise. Please stop sending me this garbage."

Fuming, she powered off her phone and tossed it onto the nightstand.

Her spike in agitation seemed to reach little Ian. He stirred uneasily and opened his eyes. Thinking he was fully awake, Zoe immediately leaned over, whispering soft, comforting words until his heavy eyelids fluttered shut once more.

Down the hall, having received no response for a long time, Hayden slipped out of his bed and quietly made his way toward Zoe's room. Before he could reach her door, Yara Quinn stepped into his path, her expression glacial.

"Mr. Thorne? It's almost dawn. You've been tossing and turning all night."

Hayden's face darkened. "Did you forget what you were hired to do? You're using the wrong methods on the wrong person."

"I'm the one who takes Lily to school every day. Pulling a stunt like this is just underhanded, Mr. Thorne," Garrett Kendall snapped, his brows knitted in deep frustration.

He hadn't slept a wink either, constantly on edge from the noises outside his door. Garrett didn't usually stay at the Kendall estate, but once Hayden moved in, he couldn't leave Zoe unprotected.

Hayden looked at him with cool indifference. "Why should I play fair with an ex-wife? Mr. Kendall, you've monopolized my family of three for over a year. I've let it slide. I think it's time you showed some self-awareness."

Garrett didn't back down. "Oh, so now you think of them as your family of three? It certainly didn't seem that way in the past. But I won't fight you on this. Let's let Lily choose. She can decide who takes her to school. Surely, you don't have a problem with that?"

Garrett's tone dared him to object. Hayden's jaw clenched. Letting Lily choose was a cunning move. For the past five years, his interactions with Lily had been practically non-existent, and the little girl was terrified of him. With one sentence, Garrett had completely effectively crushed any chance Hayden had of building a bridge with his daughter this morning.