Swapping a Broken Heart for a New Start novel Chapter 136

That night, neither of them ended up drinking too much. After a little buzz, they called it a night and went to bed.

The next morning, Camila Davis followed her usual routine, dropping Lillian off at school. But as she pulled up to the curb, she was surprised to spot Jordan Smith standing by the entrance.

He was dressed in a sharp black suit, tall and imposing, with an air of cold intimidation that mixed with the chilly morning air, making him seem almost untouchable.

Camila considered pretending not to see him.

But Jordan blocked her path with a chilly, “Did you not notice I’m standing right here?”

Camila’s tone was just as frosty. “We don’t have anything to talk about—unless you’re here to discuss the divorce, Mr. Smith.”

A muscle in Jordan’s jaw twitched, his expression icy. “I’m still Lillian’s father. I have every right to be involved in her education. Today, I’m here to check out her school and see if it’s suitable for her.”

Camila scoffed. “A little late for that, don’t you think? You suddenly care now? You really think you need to inspect the school yourself?”

If he genuinely cared, she thought, he’d have noticed the changes in Lillian long ago. He’d know, just by looking at her, whether the school was good for their daughter.

This sudden display—like a man waking up after being scolded—felt insincere at best.

As they went back and forth, Larry Adams, the pre-K teacher, came out to greet his students.

He raised an eyebrow at Jordan, but just walked past him and smiled warmly at Camila. “Good morning, Ms. Davis. Morning, Lillian.”

Lillian, sweet as ever, piped up, “Good morning, Mr. Adams!”

Larry smiled at her gentle voice and bent down to take her hand.

But Jordan was quicker. He scooped Lillian up and said, “You’re Mr. Adams, right? I’m Lillian’s dad. I’m here today to look around the school. I assume you don’t mind if parents tour the place?”

His tone had that subtle, unmistakable air of someone used to being in charge.

Camila frowned, about to object, but Larry stayed calm and offered him a polite smile. “Of course not. We always welcome parents to come observe.”

“Good,” Jordan replied coldly.

Without waiting for a response, he strode past them, carrying Lillian inside.

Camila watched his retreating figure, her expression dark.

Larry noticed and leaned in, lowering his voice to reassure her. “Don’t worry, Ms. Davis—I’m here for Lillian.”

Then he followed them into the building.

Camila had no intention of dealing with Jordan any more than necessary, especially since she had an appointment to keep with Helen Adams for therapy. She left Lillian in Larry’s care and headed off.

Jordan’s “inspection” was less about concern and more about finding fault. He scrutinized every detail with a critical eye.

Camila had no idea any of this was happening.

She was focused on her therapy session with Helen Adams, her phone on silent. When she finished, she finally saw a notification about a missed call.

She rolled her eyes. If he was calling, it couldn’t be for anything good.

And sure enough, a few minutes later, Larry Adams called. “Lillian’s father tried to withdraw her today. I told him only you could do that.”

Camila was furious, but all she said was, “Thank you, Mr. Adams. Sorry for the trouble. Don’t worry about the transfer—he doesn’t get to make that call.”

Larry took it in stride. As a psychologist, he could see Jordan’s concern for what it was: all surface, no substance.

Especially after the disaster at the birthday party, Larry felt a duty as Lillian’s teacher to protect her from more chaos.

After hanging up, Camila left the Adams house and headed to her research lab for the day.

That evening, she showed up to pick up Lillian as usual.

Lillian was her cheerful self, excitedly sharing stories from her day on the way home.

When they walked in the door, Camila’s friend Sarah Brown greeted her with a surprise. “Hey! I checked on that place for you. I was trying to negotiate a good price with the developer, but get this—there’s a family about to move overseas, in a hurry to sell their freshly renovated apartment. The price is fantastic, and it’s right next door!”