I Forgot I Ever Loved You (Zoe and Hayden) novel Chapter 639

The teacher took Hayden's extended hand, her mind momentarily short-circuiting at his firm handshake.

This was the legendary Mr. Thorne.

In the past, Garrett had usually been the one dropping Lily off, and the staff had naturally assumed he was her father. The teachers used to gossip in the breakroom about how incredibly handsome Lily's dad was. Who would have guessed that the man they had been admiring wasn't even her father—and that her real father was Hayden Thorne, the billionaire currently at the center of the city's biggest media storm?

"M-Mr. Thorne! It's an honor to meet you!" the teacher stammered.

Zoe shot Hayden a withering side-eye. Hayden met her gaze with a faint smirk, prompting Zoe to immediately look away.

They found their assigned seats. Hayden kept Lily's hand in his, trying to strike up casual conversation with Zoe, but she gave him the cold shoulder, leaving him to essentially talk to himself. Hayden didn't seem to mind. He simply smiled patiently, while Zoe focused all her attention on Lily, asking her about her classes.

In front of her classmates, Lily was surprisingly cooperative, masking the icy detachment Zoe showed toward Hayden. Instead, she kept him busy.

"Dad, hold my cup. Dad, pour me some water. Dad, get me a tissue. Dad, my shoe is untied, fix it."

Hayden handled every demand effortlessly, without a single word of complaint. The other kids watched in awe, whispering among themselves that Lily's dad wasn't just handsome; he was also incredibly sweet and attentive.

"Lily, what's your dad's last name?" a curious classmate asked. The kids knew a powerful man when they saw one, and their radar for gossip was sharper than most adults'.

"My dad's last name isn't Lynd," Lily announced loudly. "His last name is Thorne. Only my mom is a Lynd."

The classmate looked confused. "You took your mom's name?"

Lily nodded emphatically. "Yup."

The other kids gasped. "If you took your mom's name, but your dad treats you this nicely... is he a deadbeat living off your rich mom? Your mom's family must have a lot of money!"

Hayden overheard the exchange. The gentle smile on his face cracked, his expression darkening.

"I don't know, I'll ask him," Lily replied. Turning to Hayden, her clear, innocent voice rang out, "Dad, are you a deadbeat mooching off Mom?"

Zoe: "..."

Hayden: "..."

Lily stared up at him with massive, expectant eyes, waiting for an answer.

Sighing, Hayden lifted her and placed her on his lap. "Who told you that?"

"I told them I took Mom's name, and they said you must be a sugar baby living off her family. Otherwise, why wouldn't I have your last name?" Lily explained matter-of-factly.

Zoe: "..."

Having delivered his threat, Hayden leaned in to whisper something into Lily's ear, completely ignoring Zoe's furious glare.

Zoe let out a breathless, angry laugh. He was basically saying that after she had orchestrated the absolute ruin of Easton Group, he was now threatening to drag her down with him to pay off the wreckage?

"Save your breath," Zoe sneered. "Easton's debt accrued after our divorce was finalized. You might want to check the timeline on that, Mr. Thorne."

Hayden met her furious gaze with infuriating calm.

"We were a complete family once. And now we have little Ian. For the sake of you and the children... there are always more solutions than problems."

Zoe was beyond words. He was openly admitting that if she didn't come crawling back, he would systematically destroy her peace until she had no choice but to rely on him.

It was a sick joke. She felt absolutely nothing for him. After the hypnosis was lifted and she remembered exactly what he had done to her and Lily, the only reason she hadn't slapped him across the face was her own sheer restraint.

"Fine," Zoe hissed. "You're the one creating all these problems, Mr. Thorne. Have fun solving them by yourself."

She knew Sienna Winters was about to make his life a living hell soon enough.