Swapping a Broken Heart for a New Start novel Chapter 438

Barbara Jones struggled furiously, her voice echoing through the hospital corridor as she shouted at them in rage.

Aaron immediately barked an order to his men. “Shut her up! I don’t want to hear another word out of her!”

The bodyguards didn’t hesitate. They quickly stuffed a wad of gauze in her mouth and started dragging her out of the hospital, showing no mercy.

People passing by stopped in their tracks, eyes wide, startled by the commotion. Some whispered, some stared—everyone seemed to think something terrible was happening.

Just then, the Smith family arrived.

Jordan Smith and his brother Mason rushed in, having heard that Barbara had been brought to the hospital. They’d come to check on her, but what they found made their blood boil.

The moment they saw their mother being manhandled, Jordan’s voice thundered, “Let her go! Now!”

He strode forward, flanked by his own security detail.

Dennis Williams’s men hesitated, glancing at Aaron for direction. Aaron gave a curt nod, signaling them to stand down.

Barbara stumbled away from her captors, rushing to her son’s side, her hair a mess, her dignity in tatters.

“Mom, are you okay? Did they hurt you?” Jordan asked, worry etched across his face.

No sooner had she caught her breath than Barbara launched into her grievances, her voice trembling with anger. “It’s that shameless Camila Davis! Barely divorced you, and she’s already teaching Lillian to call some other guy ‘Daddy!’ That’s our Smith family’s child! Who does he think he is? And now they won’t let me take her—he even had his goons toss me out!”

She was practically foaming at the mouth with rage.

Jordan’s jaw was clenched so tight he looked like he might shatter his teeth. He shot a dark look across the room, eyes landing on Dennis and the little girl in his arms.

Barbara, emboldened now that her sons had arrived, urged him on. “Jordan, that’s our family’s little girl! Go get Lillian back!”

Sarah Brown, who’d been biting her tongue, finally snapped. She couldn’t take any more.

“Oh, give me a break, Smith family! Have you no shame left at all?” she spat, stepping forward.

She jabbed a finger at Barbara. “Mrs. Smith, weren’t you the one who questioned whether Lillian was even yours? Funny how you didn’t want her before, but now—oh, now you’re here to claim her! Let me guess, you just heard Camila’s doing amazing these days, or maybe you found out Lillian’s a little art prodigy and realized you missed out on your million-dollar ticket?”

Sarah just laughed. “You want to talk about class, Mrs. Smith? I guess you missed the lesson on helping people in trouble. If you try to hurt my best friend or my goddaughter, you bet I’m getting involved!”

Barbara clutched at her chest, breath coming in short gasps, nearly choking on her own fury.

Meanwhile, the tension in the room was thick enough to cut with a knife.

Suddenly, Lillian tugged on Dennis Williams’s sleeve, her big eyes shining with fear. “Daddy, who are those people? Why are they trying to take me away? I don’t want to go—I want to wait here for Mommy. Please don’t let the bad people take me!”

Her voice trembled, and tears began to well up.

Dennis froze, looking down at the little girl. Something dawned on him.

The earlier diagnosis was wrong. Lillian wasn’t just emotionally detached—she’d forgotten the Smiths completely.

Why?

Could it be the hypnosis therapy she’d undergone last year? Had it erased all memory of her so-called family?