Swapping a Broken Heart for a New Start novel Chapter 648

By now, everyone knew that Mr. Williams hadn't brought Camila Davis to the event. That set off a chain reaction—suddenly, people were restless, watching, waiting, and the rumor mill was running at full speed.

“Maybe they broke up, huh?”

“I bet they were never together in the first place.”

“Honestly, I don’t think Mr. Williams was ever interested in a divorced woman like her…”

And on and on it went, the gossip getting juicier with every retelling.

Some folks figured that what happened at the gala—Mr. Williams stepping in to defend Camila—was just a one-off, a polite gesture for an acquaintance’s sake, nothing more. They swore up and down that a man of his status would never actually date someone with Camila’s history. "He could have anyone he wants. Why would he go for damaged goods?" they'd whisper over their morning coffee and bagels.

But anyone with half a brain didn’t see it that way. After all, everyone remembered what happened to Jonathan Allen—he was still sitting in jail. Who calls in their connections over a casual acquaintance? Even for a close friend, that’d be going way too far.

Still, it was true: Dennis Williams hadn’t brought Camila out in public since.

Some people guessed they were genuinely together, but Camila’s divorce meant she’d always be the subject of whispers if she was on his arm. Maybe Williams just didn’t want the hassle, or maybe he was embarrassed—so he kept her hidden away.

A few, with sharper instincts, thought Dennis was actually protecting Camila by keeping her out of the spotlight. Either way, no one seemed to believe they’d make it in the long run.

“In fact,” Aurora Robinson said casually as she stopped by Sarah Brown’s office to chat about a business deal, “some of the idle rich have started a betting pool. They’re all wagering that those two won’t last.”

Sarah rolled her eyes so hard it was almost audible. “They need to get a life! Don’t listen to them, Aurora—Camila and Mr. Williams are just fine. She’s in Pinebrook now, because she’s working at the National Research Lab. She had some free time before, but now the project’s started, you won’t see her much. That’s a high-security government research facility—everything’s top secret. Camila’s on a whole other level from those gossipy folks.”

She took a sip of her latte and added, “Besides, everyone knows Williams was there on business. If he took Camila to every meeting, what would that look like? Who parades their most precious treasure around for show?”

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify