Swapping a Broken Heart for a New Start novel Chapter 593

Camila Davis practically skipped across the floor, unable to hide her excitement as she walked toward the table. Only when she got there did she see what was inside the box—a beautiful wristwatch.

Last time she’d had a birthday, Dennis Williams had given her a watch too. But that one was decorated with a dreamy, celestial map. This one, though, was more… obvious.

At the top of the watch face, in elegant script, was a single letter: W.

Camila didn’t need a second to figure out what it meant. The first letter of his last name.

Sitting next to the box was a card. She picked it up, recognizing the bold, confident handwriting inside: “A little something to celebrate you joining the Institute. No phones allowed in the lab, so let this keep you company. It’s a token of my heart, not a measure of price!”

That last line made her chuckle. He already knew she might protest that it was too expensive, so he’d headed off her argument in advance.

Reading his note, Camila couldn’t help but smile, feeling as if someone had tossed a pebble into the calm lake of her heart. Ripples of warmth spread outward, unstoppable.

She set down the card, then bent to sniff the bright, fresh bouquet beside the box. The flowers were gorgeous and smelled amazing, and Camila felt her mood lift even higher.

She snapped a photo of the bouquet and sent it to Dennis with a message: “Lillian’s been playing treasure hunt, so I tried searching the room too. Who knew there really was a treasure! Thanks to the mysterious treasure-hider—I love it.”

At that very moment, Dennis Williams was sitting in his office at NextGen Technologies. When her message popped up, a smile lit up his face. He set aside his work to reply: “The treasure-hider is thrilled you like it.”

Camila grinned at his reply, glancing out the window at the night sky. The full moon hung high, the sky clear and scattered with twinkling stars. Everything felt just right.

She thought, coming to Cabinda was the best decision she’d made in ages…

That night, Camila slept deeply, her dreams still carrying the scent of Amelia’s flowers.

The next morning, Susan had already made breakfast. After she and Lillian finished eating, Camila bundled up the little one and headed to the Institute.

Today, the elder Mr. Williams was off work, so Camila decided to drop Lillian off with him, letting her keep the old man company.

It had only been a little while since they’d last seen each other, but Mr. Williams missed his granddaughter desperately. He swept Lillian up in a bear hug and wouldn’t let go.

“My little darling, I missed you so much! Did you miss me?”

Lillian, with her sweet, childish voice, replied, “Of course I missed you! I missed you so much I barely wanted to eat my mac and cheese!”

He laughed with delight, eyes shining. “Really?”

She didn’t linger, though, and soon headed out the door. Arriving at the Institute, she checked in and was escorted through several layers of security. The place was locked down tight—even onboarding was a whole process.

Word got around that she was Mr. Morris’s protégé, and people couldn’t help but sneak a few extra glances at her. Still, everyone was friendly and welcoming.

Once she finished the paperwork, Camila made her way back to Mr. Williams’s place—only to find the house empty.

She was about to call out when Patrick came in from the yard, grinning. “Ms. Davis, you all set?”

Camila nodded. “Yep, all done. Where’s my mentor and Lillian?”

Patrick chuckled. “The old man and Lillian haven’t come back yet. Looks like they’re having a blast out there.”

Camila couldn’t help but laugh again. She bet her mentor wouldn’t even make it back for lunch—he’d have lunch with Lillian out somewhere, basking in the attention and showing her off.

He’d always been like that, even when she was little.

It was rare to see him so happy, so Camila decided to let them enjoy their day, no interruptions.