Swapping a Broken Heart for a New Start novel Chapter 44

When Camila Davis saw what was happening, she stepped in and gently told her little girl, “Honey, you can’t bring your painting into the bathroom. If it gets wet, it’ll be ruined.”

Lillian pouted a bit, clearly reluctant to leave her masterpiece behind, but she dutifully set the picture frame down and followed her mom into the bathroom.

By the time Jordan Smith got home from work, Lillian had already finished her bath and was playing in the living room with the nanny.

Lillian was usually lost in her own world, and Jordan, always buried in work, came home too tired to really engage. Most nights, he barely managed a tired glance in her direction before retreating to his room to shower and unwind.

So of course, he didn’t notice the subtle changes in his daughter.

Tonight was no different. He walked in, gave Lillian a quick, distracted look, loosened his tie, and headed straight upstairs.

But Lillian’s big blue eyes followed her dad’s every step. Suddenly, she seemed to make up her mind. Hugging her framed drawing to her chest, she hurried after him—she wanted to show him her artwork.

By the time she reached his room, Jordan had already disappeared into the bathroom. Lillian just plopped herself down outside the door, patiently waiting, her picture clutched in tiny hands.

She waited for over half an hour.

Downstairs, Camila had no idea where her daughter had gone. Fresh from her own shower, she headed to the living room but found only the nanny.

“Susan, do you know where Lillian is?” Camila asked.

The nanny replied, “Mr. Smith just got home. Lillian followed him upstairs—looked like she wanted to talk to him.”

Camila’s heart clenched. She hurried up to Jordan’s room.

Right then, Jordan stepped out of the bathroom, steam still swirling behind him, towel in hand, hair damp. He looked down and saw Lillian crouched by the door, waiting.

He raised an eyebrow. “Lillian, what are you doing here?”

Lillian’s face lit up as she held up her painting for him to see, bursting with excitement.

But, right at that moment, Jordan’s phone started to ring. He barely glanced at Lillian before brushing past her to answer it.

Lillian just watched him walk away.

“Jordan…” came Sandra Taylor’s soft, teasing voice on the other end. “I think I left some clothes in your suitcase when we travelled last week. Can you check?”

“Clothes?” Jordan repeated, turning to unzip his suitcase. Usually Camila handled his luggage, but apparently, it was still sitting there untouched. He didn’t have time to dwell on that. He quickly found a pink satin nightgown tangled in the corner.

“Found it,” he said, his tone suddenly gentle. “I’ll drop it off for you later.”

After a long while, the sadness seemed to lift, and Lillian’s shy smile returned. Camila felt a wave of relief, though her chest still burned with anger.

She couldn’t help but feel for her daughter. Kids don’t have the luxury of turning their feelings off the way adults do. Lillian, especially, was sensitive—she hadn’t even experienced her parents’ marriage before it started to fall apart.

Deep down, Camila still wished Jordan would at least pretend to care. But even that, it seemed, was too much to ask.

Later that night, as she tucked Lillian in and watched her drift off to sleep, Camila thought: Someday, Lillian will stop hoping for her father’s attention, just like I did.

The next morning, Camila was jolted awake by her phone.

She answered groggily, only to hear Walter Wilson’s brisk, no-nonsense voice: “Time to get to work.”

Camila glanced at the clock. Barely seven thirty. She almost laughed. “Already?”

Walter sounded impatient. “Of course! You want the job, you’d better show up. People are dying to work at Wilson Group, you know! Check the address I just sent you. If you’re not there by nine, I’m docking your pay!”

Camila rolled her eyes. She wasn’t even officially hired yet, and already they were threatening to cut her paycheck.

She checked her messages. Sure enough, Walter had just sent her the details.