Swapping a Broken Heart for a New Start novel Chapter 576

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Her dad had always told her—never open the door for strangers.

And she always listened to her dad.

So, without looking back, she darted into her room and locked the door behind her—deadbolt and all.

Dad said not to go outside, and if someone came to get her, they’d have a secret code word.

With her dad’s instructions echoing in her head, the little cub wasn’t half as scared anymore. She sat quietly on her bed, waiting like a good girl.

As for all the noise outside? She pretended she couldn’t hear a thing...

Jordan Smith had been knocking on that door for what felt like forever, and his patience was wearing dangerously thin.

He never worried about scaring Lillian with the ruckus outside. So he just turned to his assistant, Nathan Gates, and said, “Go find someone from hotel staff. Tell them to open this door.”

“Yes, sir.”

Nathan hurried off. But when he returned with a hotel employee, the guy just looked apologetic and shrugged. “Sorry, Mr. Smith. The door’s locked from the inside. Breaking in might take a while. Our locks are the best money can buy.”

Barbara Jones, who’d been watching all this, couldn’t help but mutter under her breath, “That damn Camila, always causing trouble! She’s stalling so much, and the engagement party’s already starting! She’s just like her mother—born to be a pain in my ass!”

Jordan Smith wasn’t thrilled either, but he knew the engagement was more important right now. So he told Nathan, “You stay here. Handle it.”

“Got it.”

With that, he and Barbara left.

That afternoon, the Smith Group’s engagement party officially kicked off.

Everyone who was anyone in Harrisburg was there. Barbara and her husband, Lucas Smith, and the rest of the family were busy greeting guests, making sure everyone had champagne and little hors d’oeuvres—mini quiches, shrimp cocktail, and the like.

Sarah Brown pulled Camila Davis along, with Walter Wilson trailing behind.

When Lucas Smith spotted Camila from across the room, he marched right over and blocked her path. “What are you doing here?” he demanded. “You’re not here to stir up trouble, are you?”

Before Camila could even open her mouth, Lucas went on, “Listen, Jordan loves Sandra. Even if you try to mess things up, it’s not gonna work. Jordan won’t even look at you! If you know what’s good for you, you’ll leave now—save yourself the embarrassment.”

Camila rolled her eyes so hard it was a miracle they didn’t get stuck.

Some things never change—Lucas had always been hopelessly loyal to Sandra Taylor.

Sarah couldn’t take it anymore. She shot back, “Why are you yelling? Wasn’t it your precious Smith family who sent her the invitation in the first place? A train wreck like this? Of course we’d come see the show!”