I Forgot I Ever Loved You (Zoe and Hayden) novel Chapter 640

Harass her into coming back?

What a joke.

Despite the hostility, Zoe eventually took little Ian to visit Beatrice Thorne.

Ever since the elderly matriarch learned that Ian had been legally registered under the Kendall family name, she had been sighing constantly, practically on the verge of a depressive episode. In all fairness, Beatrice had always been genuinely kind to Zoe. During the five years Zoe had lost her memory, if it hadn't been for the old woman's protection, she and Lily might not have survived to see Ian's birth.

"Those Kendalls are certainly taking wonderful care of our little Ian," Beatrice murmured, though her voice carried a heavy sorrow. "Oh, Zoe... are you truly never coming back?"

Looking at Ian, whose features were an exact replica of Hayden's at that age, Beatrice's heart ached. For her birthday, Zoe had gifted her an advanced AI companion modeled flawlessly after her late husband. Having the robot around eased her loneliness, but her only remaining heartaches were her great-grandson and the shattered marriage between Zoe and Hayden.

When she found out they had divorced, Beatrice had been so devastated she didn't eat for three days. She hadn't grieved this intensely even when her husband passed.

"Grandma, you know exactly what kind of hell I lived through these past years. Please, don't force me," Zoe said, a lump forming in her throat.

If hers had been a normal marriage marred by simple misunderstandings, she might have tried to patch things up for the sake of the kids. But the reality was horrifying. The absolute dealbreaker was knowing Hayden had stood by while Sienna used Lily as a literal blood bag for Holden. For that alone, the man belonged in hell.

Sienna may have fled the country with Holden, but her existence remained a ticking time bomb. The only place Zoe felt certain her children could grow up safe and healthy was with the Kendalls.

"I'm not forcing you, my dear," Beatrice said softly, wiping her eyes. "I just want you to know that the truth is rarely as simple as it seems. Hayden... he might have had his reasons. If the truth ever comes to light, could you just give an old woman a chance and at least listen to his explanation?"

Beatrice knew it was a desperate plea. The things her grandson had done were monstrous. If she were in Zoe's shoes, she doubted she'd be saintly enough to forgive him either. But she had to try.

Zoe's answer was absolute. "Impossible. I don't care what his reasons were. Sacrificing his own daughter's health to keep someone else's child alive—I will never forgive him. Grandma, I know Holden is a Thorne. If Hayden had just come to me and asked, and if it wouldn't have caused Lily severe harm, I might have considered letting her donate as her aunt. But how did they handle it? They took her by force. They drained her blood and tossed her aside like garbage. What kind of father does that? I can't stomach it. I will never go back to him."

Beatrice fell silent, the crushing weight of Zoe's words hanging in the air. She busied herself with cooing at little Ian, but her eyes were rimmed with red.

Hearing his voice made Zoe's heart skip a beat. She had no idea how he had tracked down her new number. To avoid Hayden, she had cycled through several burner phones, but Hunter had somehow managed to find her.

She had given up trying to hide her number. It felt like Hayden owned the entire telecommunications grid anyway; he always managed to track her down.

"Hunter," Zoe replied, instinct taking over before she quickly corrected herself to establish boundaries. "Is there something I can help you with, Mr. Keating?"

She was a mother of two now, no longer the naive college girl who had once fallen for him.

"We used to be so close, and now I'm just Mr. Keating to you?" Hunter asked, a bitter laugh escaping him.

He had spent the last year trying to erase her from his memory. He had even moved abroad with Zoey Layne, and they had legally married. But the marriage hadn't even lasted three months before they divorced.