I Forgot I Ever Loved You (Zoe and Hayden) novel Chapter 7

Zoe looked completely unbothered. "Oh."

"Can you focus on your actual job for once?" Valerie sneered. "Your work performance is one thing, but running to Mr. Thorne's office to play games? Do you even own a mirror? You've spent five years scheming and he hasn't looked at you once.

What, did you decide to switch tactics? Playing the brainless bimbo now to get his attention? It's just going to get you fired faster."

Valerie crossed her arms, a vicious smirk on her lips. "Besides, you know the truth. Sienna Winters is the only woman he's ever cared about. Aside from a pretty face, you don't even compare to her."

Zoe zeroed in on the mention of Sienna and immediately grabbed Valerie's arm.

"Sienna Winters? Is she married to Hayden?"

Valerie flinched at the sudden movement, staring at Zoe with absolute disgust.

"Sienna is his sister-in-law! Everyone in the company knows that. Stop playing dumb. I'm telling you, give up your pathetic fantasies. You couldn't compete with a single strand of her hair."

As Valerie was hitting her stride, Hayden and Colin happened to walk past Zoe's open door.

They heard the entire exchange.

Colin winced, thinking Valerie was treading on dangerous ground. But even though she was blatantly weaponizing Sienna's name, Colin didn't dare step in to defend Zoe.

No one knew better than him just how untouchable Sienna was in Hayden's heart.

Predictably, Hayden didn't even break his stride, showing absolutely no inclination to defend his wife.

Colin wisely kept his mouth shut.

"Tell Ms. Lynd to bring a fresh coffee to my office," Hayden ordered coldly.

When they reached the CEO's suite, Hayden stopped so abruptly that Colin nearly plowed into his back.

He caught himself with barely an inch to spare.

His heart hammered in his chest, terrified he had almost caused a disaster.

"Sir?"

Why ask for coffee now?

Valerie nearly choked on her rage. Was Zoe's acting really this good, or was she seriously pretending not to even know her name to disrespect her?

"I am the Director of the Secretarial Pool, Valerie Yates—your direct superior."

Zoe casually grabbed her designer handbag and blazer, offering a bright, breezy smile.

"Well, Valerie, I have somewhere to be. Be a doll and make that coffee for Mr. Thorne, would you?"

Valerie thought she was hallucinating.

"What did you just say?"

Zoe already had a rideshare booked; it would be downstairs in five minutes.

"I said, you deliver the coffee. I'm clocking out."

Valerie practically flew to the executive pantry.

For five years, Zoe had been the only one allowed to make Hayden's coffee. It wasn't an official rule in the executive suite, but everyone knew Mr. Thorne loved his coffee, and rumor had it Zoe had even spent her vacation time taking professional barista courses just to perfect it.