Chapter 47

He spoke without hesitation. I was momentarily taken aback, then examined the photograph closely. With Hayden’s brazen nature, he could easily have admitted to it—there was no reason for him to lie.

On closer inspection, I noticed something odd. The man's expression seemed unnatural, and the lighting didn't match the yacht's other features. The photo was clearly a composite, a poorly done one at that; it looked rushed, as if someone had scrambled to finish it. My fury at seeing Hayden with Joanna had blinded me to the possibility of a fake.

No wonder Zachary had asked Hayden to check with me before leaving. They had planned this, intending to use me as a pawn.

Once I pieced it together, I looked up at Hayden and saw the anger simmering in his eyes. I stumbled through an awkward explanation, quickly changing the subject. "So, Zachary is outright trying to set you up. Can you believe he dared to falsify something?"

Most people wouldn't even think to verify such things, would they? It's like celebrity gossip—everyone is curious and eager to share; who really cares about the truth? It didn't help that Hayden had been seen with Joanna, making a defense difficult.

"Zachary is the kind of person who will do anything to get what he wants. Over time, you'll see what I mean." Hayden smiled coolly, his charming eyes flashing with a coldness that sent shivers down my spine. If even Hayden thought that way, Zachary was certainly not a good man.

After a moment, I furrowed my brows. "I get it now. He never intended to partner with me; he just wanted to drive a wedge between us."

Hayden, lost in thought, seemed surprised by my insight. After a long pause, he said, "Yvonne, you're a lot smarter than I expected."

I glared at him. "I know. You and your friends talk about me behind my back, calling me useless and stupid."

"Why don't you defend yourself?" Hayden stared intently.

I shrugged nonchalantly. "What's there to defend? At that time, I was all about you. I didn't care what anyone else said." With that, I gathered my documents and left, unaware of Hayden's deepening gaze.

Many things lose their intensity over time, and discussing them later felt inconsequential.

Back in the secretary's office, Joanna was at her desk. I assumed she had arrived with Hayden, but when she saw me, she asked, "Where did you take Mr. Parker last night? I couldn't find him anywhere!"

Her words bewildered me. "You couldn't find him?" Didn't Hayden go to comfort her after he left?

"Mr. Parker just said a few words and hung up. Did you take his phone or something!" Joanna pressed, her demeanor suggesting a relationship with him.

I didn't want to argue. I recalled Hayden being on the phone outside my door for a long time after I went to sleep. But judging by Joanna's reaction, that call wasn't for her. And Hayden hadn't even been with her last night. What was going on?

Shortly after, someone from PR arrived with documents, and Joanna's demeanor shifted from fierce to friendly as she greeted the staff.

I had barely settled when my father called. "Yvonne, did you really go with Mr. Parker last night to check on your mother's new gravesite? She was just buried, and I can't believe you disturbed her." I heard the reproach in Yosef's voice. This unnecessary fuss made him look bad, especially since it involved me and my husband.

I nearly jumped out of my chair. "What? Me and Hayden? Last night?" I had no idea where Hayden had gone, let alone why we would go to a gravesite together in the middle of the night.

"Someone at the old cemetery recognized Mr. Parker; they saw him on TV. Yvonne, if you really wanted to do this, you could have at least talked to Dad about it. How could you just go ahead and take care of everything without a word?" Yosef sighed, clearly disappointed.

I couldn't focus on his lecture. "I get it. It's not that urgent; let's talk about it later." I hung up.

Without hesitation, I went to Hayden's office door. I raised my hand to knock, then froze. How was I supposed to ask him? I had voted without hesitation when Zachary put the motion to the floor, and Hayden had seen me do it. He had rushed around for my mother; was I being inconsiderate? If I went in now, wouldn't he feel smug? No way, I couldn't just walk in like that.

Shaking my head, I paced outside Hayden's office. Just as I was about to think of an excuse, I heard Hayden's voice behind me. "What are you doing here?"

I jumped and turned around. "Hayden..."

The syllable was caught in my throat when I saw someone else with him. I quickly pivoted. "Mr. Parker..."

Hayden brought the person into the office, seemingly discussing company projects. The person was tall and thin, wearing black-framed glasses, and seemed uncomfortable with my presence. "Mr. Parker, we should probably keep this conversation private..."

"It's fine, she's my wife," Hayden replied smoothly, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Stunned, I couldn't process what I just heard. That didn't sound like Hayden at all. The other person didn't push the topic and followed Hayden inside.

I stayed nearby, thinking about why Hayden suddenly cared so much about my mother's situation. I glanced at Hayden, his profile handsome with a strong jawline. Did he truly want to help me, or was there something else going on?

Lost in thought, I didn't notice Hayden's gaze. When he looked my way, I quickly averted my eyes. Putting our relationship issues aside, I had just voted to remove him from his position, yet he had just called me his wife. It left me unsettled.

After what felt like ages, their meeting ended. After the other man left, I was about to leave when I heard Hayden call out, "Do you need something from me?"

I hesitated, then took a deep breath. "Where did you go last night?"