I Forgot I Ever Loved You (Zoe and Hayden) novel Chapter 638

Lily's question caught Zoe completely off guard.

She gently stroked Lily's hair, her gaze softening with profound tenderness, wondering where on earth the little girl had picked up such an idea.

"No, sweetheart. Dad just..."

It was impossible to explain. Even Zoe didn't fully understand why Hayden was suddenly so invested in playing house with them. After turning it over in her mind, she could only assume it was because Sienna Winters had fled with Holden. Sienna had essentially skipped the country, escaping her impending legal consequences, which meant returning would result in immediate arrest. Since Holden was so young, it wasn't a stretch to suspect Hayden had quietly facilitated their exit so his nephew wouldn't have to grow up without a mother.

A cynical smile touched Zoe's lips. Hayden had lost his precious Sienna and the boy he treated as his own, so now he was using Zoe and her children as convenient stand-ins.

"Then why is Dad only nice to boys?" Lily pressed, her innocent logic cutting straight to the bone.

She didn't understand the complex, twisted world of adults. She only processed what she saw: Hayden probably didn't like her because she was a girl. She had heard enough stories at preschool about grandparents who favored grandsons over granddaughters, and assumed her father was exactly the same.

"We have Garrett, don't we? Garrett is wonderful to you, right?" Zoe deflected, unable to bring herself to defend Hayden. She wasn't about to make excuses for him, but she also desperately wanted to protect Lily's fragile heart. Hayden's motives were his own problem, and Zoe refused to let his toxicity poison her daughter.

Lily nodded slowly, still processing. "When Garrett has a boy of his own, will he still like me?" she asked, a thread of genuine anxiety in her voice.

Zoe's throat tightened, a sudden wave of sorrow washing over her. Hayden Thorne was a monster. If Lily hadn't spent the last five years enduring his absolute neglect, she would be living the life of a proud, privileged heiress. She should have been raised to be confident, perhaps a little spoiled, and entirely secure in her place in the world. Instead, growing up in the Thorne household's oppressive, loveless environment had left her constantly walking on eggshells. Even after a year of safety, the fear of abandonment still haunted her.

"Of course he will. When you got a little brother, did Garrett stop liking you?"

Lily tilted her head, thinking it over seriously before shaking it. "No."

"And the woman next to him is Lily's mom, right? The one who was always in the tabloids, whose kid was getting bullied by the Thorne family?"

Even the homeroom teacher was stunned to see them walking in as a family unit.

"Lily's mom... who is this?" the teacher asked cautiously. She recognized Hayden from the news but didn't dare make assumptions.

Hayden's grip on Lily's small hand was firm. Though Lily was internally resistant, she knew how ruthless her classmates could be; kids from single-parent households were always easy targets. She didn't want today's conference to end with the other children mocking her for not having a dad again, so she didn't pull her hand away.

"Hello," Hayden said, his voice smooth and authoritative. "I'm Lily's father, Hayden Thorne."