Swapping a Broken Heart for a New Start novel Chapter 396

But Camila didn’t share the same thoughts as Sarah Johnson.

Mr. Williams definitely didn’t mean anything by it.

She tucked the card away and immediately said, “I’ll just ask him…”

She grabbed her phone and dialed Dennis Williams’ number.

He picked up almost instantly. Dennis’s voice was as smooth and warm as ever, “Hey, it’s late. Aren’t you in bed yet?”

Hearing that deep, velvety voice made Camila’s ears tingle a little, and she felt oddly self-conscious.

Still, she managed to reply, “Not yet. I actually wanted to ask you something.”

“Go ahead,” Dennis said patiently.

Camila didn’t hesitate for long. She just came right out with it: “Mr. Williams… why did you send so many pairs of shoes to my place? Was it a mistake?”

Dennis’s tone was gentle, “No mistake. I ruined one of your shoes before, so I picked out a few pairs for you. Do they fit?”

His answer instantly reminded Camila of that embarrassing night at the summit.

To be fair, it wasn’t really Mr. Williams’ fault. She’d gotten her own heel stuck in a storm drain.

She let out an awkward laugh. “That wasn’t your fault, though. These shoes you sent—they must be really expensive. I can’t accept them. Let me pay you for them.”

“No need,” Dennis replied, not budging an inch. “They’re not for sale.”

“That’s impossible,” Camila insisted. “Sarah told me these are custom designs, from a famous designer. You don’t have to sugarcoat it.”

Dennis sounded a little exasperated, but amused too. “Look, they really didn’t cost anything. The designer’s family. She wouldn’t take my money.”

Camila pressed her lips together, thinking. “Then… should I pay her instead? It’s her work, after all.”

Dennis chuckled, “She won’t take it. Trust me, you’d just be wasting your time.”

At this point, Camila knew there was no way Dennis would accept her money, no matter what she said.

When she hung up, she felt a headache coming on.

So the two of them spent a good chunk of the night debating, but got nowhere.

The next morning, after dropping Lillian off at school, Camila drove over to her mentor’s house to pick him up for the lab.

Dr. Morris was already waiting outside, looking pleased as he surveyed the size of her research facility.

There weren’t a ton of people, but the equipment was top-of-the-line.

“We’ve started a joint project with the Department of Defense, so it’s been busy,” Camila explained, leading him inside. “I’ve mapped out the initial plans—let me show you…”

Camila personally gave Dr. Morris the grand tour, going over every detail.

She’d already sent him most of the research documents beforehand, but seeing everything in person was a different story. Dr. Morris was clearly impressed.

“Not bad, not bad,” he said, nodding. “You might have taken a few years off, but you haven’t lost your touch.”

Dr. Morris had always been passionate about research—once he got started, he was all in.

By the end of the morning, he was so hooked he decided not to leave, rolling up his sleeves and diving right into the work himself.