Swapping a Broken Heart for a New Start novel Chapter 687

Charlotte Kelly was genuinely grateful; after all, this man had helped her precious daughter tonight. So, she spoke up with a warm smile, “Mr. Wilson, are you in town on business from Harrisburg?”

“It’s not often you’re here. If you don’t mind, why not join us for a little celebration? Tonight’s just a gathering of close friends—no need to feel out of place.”

Ordinarily, with such repeated invitations, Walter Wilson wouldn’t have refused. But tonight, all he felt was a restless bitterness, and there was no room in his mind for parties or socializing.

Still, he kept any hint of discomfort carefully hidden. With practiced politeness, he replied, “Thank you for your kindness, but we’re actually here for a team dinner. The rest of my colleagues are waiting downstairs, so I’m afraid I can’t join you this time.”

Seeing he’d declined, the family of three didn’t insist.

Douglas Williams offered a gracious smile. “In that case, we won’t keep you. Thank you again for helping our Audrey tonight. Let us walk you out.”

With that, he made a courteous gesture toward the door.

Walter, recognizing Douglas’s seniority, simply nodded, keeping his feelings to himself as he followed them out of the lounge.

Meanwhile, in the floral reception room, Camila Davis found herself being led inside by Dennis Williams.

Now that they were alone, her mind—which had been spinning in confusion all evening—finally began to clear.

Her cheeks flushed with a mixture of embarrassment and irritation. Unable to hold back, she pinched Dennis’s arm. “Dennis Williams, you nearly gave me a heart attack tonight! Why didn’t you tell me Audrey’s welcome dinner was being held here too?”

“I had no time at all to prepare. Suddenly, I was just standing there, face-to-face with your family…”

Just thinking about her awkward performance earlier made Camila want to crawl under a table. To the two elders, she probably looked like a complete fool.

In her mind, she’d always thought she’d wait until she’d made a name for herself at the research institute—give it a year, maybe. By then, with some professional achievements under her belt, introducing herself as Dennis’s girlfriend wouldn’t feel so daunting.

But Dennis hadn’t consulted her at all. He’d thrown her into the deep end without warning—and she was still reeling from it.

What if the Williams family didn’t accept her?

Then tonight’s meeting would have been a complete disaster.

The more Camila thought about it, the more anxious she became. She gave Dennis a searching look. “How did I never notice you’re so impulsive?”

After all this time, she’d always thought of him as the steady, dependable type.