Swapping a Broken Heart for a New Start novel Chapter 656

Camila Davis paused for a moment, then shook her head with a gentle smile. “No worries, really.”

Benjamin Torres grinned warmly. “Honestly, I really admire Dr. Morris. The other day I was just thinking, if I could work with you, maybe I’d even get to meet him. Who’d have thought I’d get so lucky?”

Dr. Morris was legendary—like the Einstein of the medical world. Everyone at the institute respected him, no exceptions.

Camila took the compliment in stride, unfazed by the praise. “If I get the chance, I’ll be sure to tell my mentor you’re a fan,” she replied with a chuckle.

Harper Thompson, standing nearby, clenched her fist just the tiniest bit, her voice cool and distant. “Dr. Morris really is something else. And to have his protégé join us as a team lead right away? That’s impressive. Guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, huh?”

Camila blinked in surprise, her eyes flicking to Harper. There was something sharp hidden in those words, a subtle jab. Was Harper implying she only got the team leader job because of her mentor?

She couldn’t think of anything she’d done to deserve that kind of attitude. But Camila wasn’t the kind of person to just swallow her feelings anymore.

Feigning confusion, she said, “You know, the first two weeks were all about baseline testing. Didn’t you take part?”

Harper, not catching the undertone, replied, “Of course I did.”

Camila tilted her head, pretending to be puzzled. “Really? Then maybe you missed the memo. Those tests were all about individual skills. Honestly, I was surprised to be picked as team lead myself. The questions were tough—apparently, they were sealed away by the higher-ups years ago, so no one could cheat.”

She let that hang in the air, making it clear her mentor had nothing to do with the selection.

Harper was left speechless for a beat.

Benjamin, sensing the tension, frowned at Harper. “Hey, let’s keep it fair. We all went through the same tests. You know as well as I do—no one could pull strings.”

Harper’s expression soured. They’d only just met, and already Benjamin was taking Camila’s side?

She forced a thin smile. “Wow, you’re really passionate, aren’t you? I swear, I didn’t mean anything by it.”

That was all the confirmation Camila needed—Harper definitely had it in for her.

Camila’s brows furrowed ever so slightly, her tone cool. “Good, because I just thought you might not know, and wanted to clear things up.”

He was curious, but let it go. He trusted her.

Just then, his grandfather called, asking him to come home for dinner. Dennis figured, after the argument they’d had a while back, and not seeing his grandfather for days, it was probably time to smooth things over.

He had Aaron drive him out to the Williams family estate.

As Dennis stepped inside, he was surprised to see Cynthia Lee sitting with his grandfather, the two of them in the middle of a chess game.

Cynthia looked up at the sound of footsteps, her eyes lighting up when she saw Dennis. She hadn’t really expected to run into him tonight, but luck was on her side.

She kept her excitement in check, greeting him with a gentle smile, “Hey Dennis, you’re home!”

Dennis’s expression cooled. “Ms. Lee, what brings you here?”

Cynthia didn’t seem fazed by his chilly tone. “Just dropping by to check on Grandpa Williams, and to chat about Audrey’s return. He’s planning a welcome party and asked me to help plan it. Any suggestions, Dennis?”