Swapping a Broken Heart for a New Start novel Chapter 440

“A relic from the old days, refusing to even acknowledge his own granddaughter—now he’s here trying to take her back? Give me a break.”

“Seriously! The guy walks around like he’s some big shot, but he’s stuck in the Stone Age. What is wrong with him?”

“I’m eighty years old, and even I know—these days, little girls are the light of the family. How can he still be so backward?”

“Right? Just look at that little girl—she’s adorable! And they didn’t want her? Are they nuts?”

“Not to mention, that kid called the tall, handsome guy ‘dad’ and said she didn’t even know those other people. That says it all…”

“Exactly. Even a child can see who’s real and who’s fake. That family showed their true colors—they deserve what they got!”

“I heard the little one was sick too, ended up here in the hospital—and those people still came just to cause trouble? No conscience at all!”

“A kid’s sick and all they care about is dragging her home? If they actually got their way, you think she’d be happy? No way.”

“Some people are just heartless, I swear.”

“Someone’s gotta make sure she stays with the right people…”

The crowd of onlookers buzzed with judgment and concern, the voices blending into a restless hum.

Dennis Williams hated this kind of scene. He turned to Aaron and said, “Go let hospital security know. Tell them there’s a disturbance—patients are getting stressed. Have them handle it.”

“On it,” Aaron replied, already reaching for his phone.

But before Aaron could even call, a group of doctors and nurses hurried over, drawn by the commotion.

“Excuse me,” one of the doctors said, keeping her tone polite but firm, “this is a hospital. Please, you all need to leave and let the patients rest.”

The Smith family bristled at being told off in public, but with so many eyes on them, they had no choice but to leave—red-faced and fuming.

Jordan Smith glanced back at Lillian, who was snuggled in Dennis’s arms, looking more content than ever. Bitterness flickered in his eyes.

As the Smiths stormed out, the crowd slowly dispersed, muttering as they went.

Outside, Mason Smith was livid.

In all his years, nobody had ever thrown him out like that. He turned on Barbara Jones, his anger boiling over.

“This is your fault! Why did you have to start something with them? Why insist on dragging Lillian back now?”

“Dennis, what’s going on with Lillian?” Larry was a psychologist himself, and even he had picked up on something odd in the girl’s reaction.

Sarah Brown hovered nearby, worried. “She didn’t even recognize her own family—could it be something more serious?”

Dennis shook his head. “I’m not sure yet. I’m going to take Lillian to her mom’s room and check on her.”

He turned to Sarah. “Ms. Brown, could you stay here and keep an eye out? Let me know if anything happens.”

“Of course. Don’t worry, I’ve got this,” Sarah said, giving him an encouraging nod.

Dennis looked down at Lillian, softening his voice. “Hey, Lillian, let’s go check on Mom’s room, see if she’s comfortable, okay?”

Lillian nodded, her voice small but steady. “Okay.”

Dennis and Larry led her down the hall and into the quiet of the hospital room, away from all the noise.

Once the door closed, Dennis gently began to assess Lillian’s state, probing her feelings about the Smith family.

In the end, it was clear—Lillian hadn’t been hypnotized or manipulated. She was just protecting herself, choosing to forget the people who’d hurt her. Her mind had built a wall, shutting out anything that could wound her again.