I Forgot I Ever Loved You (Zoe and Hayden) novel Chapter 647

Once inside the control room, it was just Zoe and Hayden.

No one else was allowed in here except for the two of them and the assigned daily tech engineers.

Zoe focused intensely on the database, completely unaware of when Hayden had moved to stand directly behind her.

As she entered the final line of code and reached for the activation key, the familiar, intoxicating scent of patchouli washed over her, making her heart skip a beat. Hayden's fingers brushed against the back of her hand. She yanked it back as if burned, but she was too late.

Hayden caught her hand, hovering over a specific key. His body pressed flush against hers, his deep, magnetic voice rumbling right by her ear.

"We need to input one more string of data here. There was an error in the files I gave you earlier. It's not your fault."

He simply guided her finger down to press the number 3. By the time Zoe realized what was happening and opened her mouth to snap at him, Hayden had already pulled away. He stared at the monitors with a solemn expression, looking deep in thought.

The sheer gravity on his face made Zoe swallow her impending curse words. This was a top-secret national project; even the most insignificant error could bring catastrophic disaster to the men on the front lines.

"How could you provide faulty data for something this crucial? Commander Thorne, did you even verify this properly?"

Hayden furrowed his brow, raising a finger to his lips in a 'shush' motion before silently mouthing the words to her: 'We have a mole.'

Zoe snapped her mouth shut instantly.

This was massive.

She knew Hayden must have discovered something. A man as razor-sharp as him wouldn't just hand over faulty files. He might joke about a lot of things, but never a national project.

"Wait until we leave the base," he mouthed.

He took a half-step closer, putting his back to the overhead security cameras so only Zoe could read his lips.

Zoe understood. Keeping her composure, she seamlessly finished the remaining tasks.

They stayed at the Fort Hamilton Command Center until the day's objective was complete. Timothy had been standing guard by the door the entire time, and when they finally emerged, he cast a deep, wounded look at Zoe.

He couldn't hear what they were saying through the glass, but he had a crystal-clear view of their actions.

Timothy had seen Hayden hovering incredibly close to Zoe. They had looked exactly like a couple deeply in love.

Zoe had clearly severed ties with Hayden, so how could she still stand so intimately close to him?

"Commander Thorne, Ms. Lynd. Great work today."

That was probably the real reason Zoe was skipping dinner at the base.

So, was their divorce certificate just a piece of paper? Were they just playing house, divorced in name but still living together?

Who were they putting on this show for? A bitter smile touched Timothy's lips, though he kept his polite facade intact.

"Alright. Drive safe."

Yara Quinn hadn't shown up today, an unprecedented occurrence, prompting Timothy to add quickly, "Since Officer Quinn isn't with you today, I'm a bit worried. Should I have my security detail escort you home?"

Hayden immediately blocked Timothy's eager gaze, stating coolly, "Director Yates, there's no need to trouble yourself. Sending your guards will cause too much of a scene. My SUV is fitted with bulletproof glass, and I have five covert security vehicles trailing us. Picking up a kid, you know how it is. Too big of a show just attracts unwanted trouble."

Hayden's little speech effortlessly entangled his relationship with Zoe once again. Timothy wasn't stupid; Hayden was openly admitting he was going with Zoe to pick up Lily.

Timothy couldn't hide his disappointment, his gaze turning incredibly mournful as he looked at Zoe.

"Then I won't overstep. Have a good evening."

Zoe nodded awkwardly. Hayden looked completely enigmatic, like a man harboring dangerous secrets he urgently needed to share, so she had no choice but to play along.