I Forgot I Ever Loved You (Zoe and Hayden) novel Chapter 662

"If we can resolve this privately, we won't push things to the extreme. As long as she brings the boy back safely, we'll let this all go. No police. You have my word."

Cora broke down in tears, profusely expressing her gratitude. "Thank you, sir. Thank you so much."

After the call ended, a heavier, more oppressive silence settled over the room.

Julie's whereabouts were entirely unknown, and there was no guarantee she would retreat to her hometown.

She might have sought out that so-called husband of hers.

"For a degenerate gambler, a million dollars is chump change. Even ten million wouldn't be enough to feed his habit. Since Julie didn't get the massive payout she wanted, she'll inevitably reach back out to us. Right now, all we can do is wait for her to make a move."

Zoe listened quietly. Instead of the emotional breakdown everyone expected, she was displaying an eerie, unnerving composure.

"Sylvia, if that's the case, we wait," she said flatly. "Don't worry about me. I'm fine."

She curled up in an armchair by herself. In just two days, she had noticeably lost weight, looking painfully fragile.

Though Mr. Kendall Sr. and Sylvia were consumed by anxiety, they leaned on each other for support. They had temporarily kept the kidnapping a secret from Arthur Kendall Sr., telling the elderly patriarch only that a fire had damaged the manor. They had relocated him to another property until the estate was fully restored.

Garrett wanted to take action, but like everyone else, his hands were completely tied.

Julie had vanished into thin air with Ian. There was no trace of her, and no one even knew exactly when she had slipped away.

The only security camera at the old manor was stationed at the main gate, but it had been entirely destroyed in the blaze.

Not a single clue was left behind to indicate which direction she had fled.

"I've deployed people to pull footage from all the traffic cameras and investigate any suspicious vehicles or individuals in the vicinity," Hayden said. "The moment there's an update, we'll know."

He couldn't tear his eyes away from Zoe. Her once radiant complexion and soft features had sharpened drastically, her cheekbones jutting out and her eyes sunken in a display of visible exhaustion.

"Try not to worry too much," he murmured softly. "I've got this."

He reached out, his hand gently resting on her shoulder to offer comfort. Zoe went completely rigid before instinctively shrinking away from his touch.

Sensing her deep aversion, Hayden's expression froze. He awkwardly let his arm drop to his side, making no further attempt to close the distance between them.

Zoe finally spoke. "I'm a little tired. I'm going to head back to my room to rest. Let me know the second there's an update."

She couldn't bear the sight of Hayden. No matter how many olive branches he extended, she didn't harbor a shred of gratitude for him.

Even if he single-handedly brought Ian back, she would only offer him the basic, polite thanks owed to a stranger. Nothing more.

Hayden stared at her retreating figure, a suffocating wave of despair washing over him.

He shoved his good hand into his pocket; his other arm was still heavily wrapped in bandages.

*Heh.*

He, the untouchable and mighty Hayden Thorne, had never been subjected to such a frigid dismissal in his life.

Yet the one thing he had always deemed impossible had finally come to pass.

He simply couldn't let go of the woman he had been married to for five years. An undeniable, radical shift had taken root deep inside him.

Mind, body, and soul.

Seeing her drowning in such agonizing grief made him desperate to pull her into his arms and soothe her pain.

But he knew with brutal clarity that she would only reject his comfort.

Hayden lit a cigarette, leaning heavily against the window frame.

Hearing this, Zoe couldn't hold back anymore. "Sylvia, where does that nanny live? I'm going there myself."

This woman had abducted her son. Zoe wanted nothing more than to track her down and tear her apart with her bare hands.

Sylvia shook her head, her expression deadly serious.

"She didn't bring Ian with her. If I had to guess, she intentionally went back to Cora's to test the waters and see what we know. Julie has an accomplice. She's incredibly cunning, maybe even a repeat offender."

By taking the boy and intentionally withholding contact, Julie was likely trying to gauge if they had called the police or put out a manhunt for her.

If they had, she could easily have someone execute the hostage immediately.

After all, she was sitting on over a million dollars. Running from the law with a screaming toddler wouldn't be an easy feat.

Julie had proven she lacked patience. She had already scammed a million and immediately pushed for millions more. When that failed, she didn't strategize; she set a house on fire and kidnapped a child. Yet now, all of a sudden, she was playing the long game.

Whoever was pulling the strings behind the scenes was clearly holding out for a massive payday.

Ian's safety was the absolute top priority for everyone involved.

The police had already tapped all of their cell phones. The second a suspicious call came through, they would patch into the surveillance grid to track the kidnapper's location and launch a rescue mission without hesitation.

Hayden hadn't said a single word throughout the exchange. The moment Sylvia hung up, he turned on his heel and strode toward the door in stony silence.

Garrett stepped into his path, blocking his exit.

"Mr. Thorne, we finally have a lead. What exactly are you planning to do?"

Hayden gave him a long, penetrating stare but refused to answer.

Mr. Kendall Sr. called out to his son, "Garrett, stand down. Let Mr. Thorne handle this his own way."