I Forgot I Ever Loved You (Zoe and Hayden) novel Chapter 659

If Mr. Kendall Sr. hadn't ordered the staff to hold Zoe back with everything they had, she would have charged straight into the flames. When Yara and Garrett emerged carrying little Lily, Zoe was still fighting like a madwoman to get back inside for her son. Left with no choice, Yara delivered a swift strike to the back of Zoe's neck, knocking her out cold.

"Where's Ian? Is he still inside?"

Sylvia realized that with the exception of Hayden and little Ian, everyone else was safely out. The house was a total loss, but there were no casualties yet.

"Ian is still inside—"

Sylvia's voice trembled violently.

"Mr. Thorne went in and hasn't come out yet."

The fire raged with increasing ferocity just as the fire engines roared onto the estate.

The Kendall Estate was an old-world architectural masterpiece, built entirely of timber without modern steel or concrete reinforcements. Once a fire started, it was an apocalyptic inferno.

No one dared run back into the inferno now. The firefighters deployed high-pressure hoses, fighting desperately to suppress the blaze. Finally, Hayden emerged from the smoke—but his arms were empty.

Seeing him alone, Sylvia collapsed, unconscious from the shock.

Mr. Kendall Sr. caught her just in time, his own body trembling uncontrollably.

Garrett handed a terrified Lily to Yara. His voice was raw, his eyes bloodshot as he stared at Hayden.

"Where's Ian?"

Hayden was arguably the most composed person on the scene.

Zoe had regained consciousness at some point. Stumbling to her feet, she saw Hayden but no baby. She threw herself at him with every ounce of strength she possessed, grabbing the front of his scorched shirt. "Hayden, where is my son? Where is Ian?!"

Hayden lowered his eyes, his lips parting to speak, but before he could, Zoe's hand flew up, striking him viciously across the face.

Her eyes were violently red, blazing with enough hatred to murder him.

"Why are you haunting me like a ghost?! I am not your wife, and Lily and Ian are not your children! Before you showed up, we were perfectly fine. We were peaceful and happy! You've barely been here, and the house burns down! Is Ian dead? Tell me! Tell me—give me my son back!"

Over the past five years, Hayden had seen Zoe lose her mind more times than he could count.

He thought he was immune to it.

But this time, her madness had nothing to do with him.

Hearing Zoe's raw agony, everyone present choked up.

It wasn't just the grieving mother; the entire family was in tears.

"Answer me! Where is my son?! Give him back to me!"

Zoe pounded her fists hysterically against Hayden's chest. Lily, terrified, burst into tears. Sylvia, having just been revived, held the little girl tightly as Lily asked in a tiny, trembling voice, "Grandma... is my brother dead?"

Sylvia quickly covered Lily's mouth, shaking her head frantically. "No. No, baby, don't say that."

Garrett desperately wanted to say something to comfort Zoe, but his throat was so dry it felt like it was lined with shattered glass. He couldn't force a single word out.

Hayden gently caught Zoe's flailing wrists, his voice surprisingly tender. "I went back in several times. I searched everywhere. Ian wasn't in there. He's safe, I promise you."

Zoe finally stopped fighting, though her eyes were filled with absolute distrust.

"If he's not in there, where could he be? You're lying to me, aren't you? You're just saying that to shut me up!"

Sylvia was consumed with guilt. "I hired Julie from my hometown. She's the younger sister of one of our old maids. She seemed so honest and simple. She had just given birth herself, so she was perfect for the job. I never imagined she would do something like this."

Sylvia was utterly devastated. Zoe stared blankly at the wall. The whiplash of believing her son was burning to death, only to learn he was kidnapped, had left her completely numb.

Mr. Kendall Sr. wrapped an arm around Sylvia's shoulders, rubbing her arm to comfort her.

It was little Ian who was missing, so he couldn't take his wife's side completely without sounding insensitive.

He loved his wife dearly, but little Ian was their recognized grandson; they loved him like their own blood.

"Sylvia, think carefully. Did Julie do anything out of the ordinary recently?"

Mr. Kendall Sr. used his sharp intellect to guide his wife through the events.

Sylvia wasn't a fool either; she immediately realized her husband was onto something.

She thought hard. "Actually, yes. She told me her family was in terrible financial trouble and asked for a three-year advance on her salary. I figured she was meticulous, devoted to Ian, and excellent with the baby, so I agreed right away.

Last week, I wired her over two hundred thousand dollars. I was worried it wouldn't be enough, so I threw in an extra thirty thousand and told her not to panic. If she needed anything else, financially or otherwise, she just had to ask and I'd help."

Garrett rubbed his chin. Even Yara, who usually stayed utterly detached from worldly affairs, immediately saw the red flags.

"A three-year advance? She was making over five thousand dollars a month. Before taking this job, she probably struggled to make minimum wage. For someone in poverty, that kind of massive payout is more than enough to cover everyday expenses.

She lived here with zero expenses—free food, free boarding, and drivers on call. What exactly happened to her family that required a two hundred thousand dollar bailout?"

Hayden, standing by the window, spoke up coolly. "A massive gambling debt. Or, she fabricated the crisis to con you out of cash."