Swapping a Broken Heart for a New Start novel Chapter 436

Their hands stayed linked the whole way, not once letting go.

Camila Davis’s heart was pounding so hard she could barely hear the rain around them.

Worried he might notice, she tried to cover it up by making conversation. “Mr. Williams, did you come looking for me all by yourself? Where’s everyone else? I’ve wandered so far already—how on earth did you find me?”

Dennis Williams gave her a gentle smile. “Well, I picked up on a few clues…”

He was no stranger to the outdoors.

Even though the wind and rain had wiped away most of the marks Camila had left behind, Dennis could still read the tiny details—broken twigs, fresh footprints, a bit of fabric snagged on a bush—and piece together the best route. Years of camping, hiking, and Boy Scout training had taught him well.

“That’s seriously impressive!” Camila blurted out, suddenly realizing just how much she owed him. She couldn’t help but admire him.

It felt strange. Alone in that old cabin, she’d been a bundle of nerves, anxiety gnawing at her. But the moment Mr. Williams showed up, every bad feeling just… vanished.

No matter what happened, he always seemed to be there at the right time. With him around, she felt like nothing could really scare her.

They walked slowly, but nothing went wrong. Eventually, retracing their steps, they spotted Aaron and the others coming up the trail.

“Hey, it’s Mr. Williams and Ms. Davis!” called out one of the bodyguards, sounding relieved.

Aaron hurried over, concern written all over his face. “Mr. Williams, Ms. Davis, are you both okay? Mr. Adams, Ms. Brown, and Lillian are waiting down by the car. Let’s get moving.”

“We’re fine, thanks. Let’s go,” Dennis replied calmly. But even now, with the group reunited, he didn’t let go of Camila’s hand.

Aaron caught this but pretended not to notice, secretly thinking, Well, maybe today wasn’t a total disaster. Mr. Williams and Ms. Davis definitely seem closer than before—they’ve held hands the whole way back!

Camila had no idea what was running through his head. She just knew that with everyone watching, she couldn’t keep holding Dennis’s hand. She gently pulled away and said, “Looks like the rest of the way is easy. I can manage on my own from here.”

Dennis let her go without protest.

The trail down was much easier than the rough path they’d come up, and the group made their way down the hillside. By now, dusk was settling in. Even though Dennis and Camila had picked up the pace, the sun had already dipped behind the trees by the time they reached the bottom.

As they hiked, Camila sneezed several times. She started to realize she was feeling feverish and weak.

Distracted, she didn’t watch her step. Her foot slipped on some mossy stone, and she tumbled down with a hard thud.

Dennis’s face changed in an instant. He rushed over. “Are you okay? Where did you hit?”

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