Swapping a Broken Heart for a New Start novel Chapter 731

There was no way Cynthia Lee could have missed the news—it was already buzzing in every corner of her world.

Now, she was at home, furious, with nowhere to vent her anger.

And all because of Camila Davis. Again.

How many times was it now? Every single time, it was that woman—Camila Davis—at the center of the storm, stirring up trouble and chaos.

Wasn’t he always the discreet type? Why did all that restraint evaporate whenever Camila Davis was involved? He’d always kept a low profile—until her.

He’d trashed the Welch family’s engagement plans. What on earth could the Williams Group possibly gain from that?

And he’d even gone so far as to break Ms. Roberts’s hand over that woman. How far was he willing to go for her? What made Camila Davis so special, so worthy of this madness?

If she could, Cynthia would have marched right over to demand some answers face to face. But she knew she couldn’t—no matter how angry she was, all she could do was rage within the walls of her own home.

That evening, Nicholas Lee came home and brought up the situation with his wife.

The more he thought about how Dennis Williams had turned his back on their daughter to be with a divorced woman, the more disgusted Nicholas became. “He’s gotten himself tangled up with that woman, and he’s completely lost his mind,” he spat.

Hazel Wood shook her head, equally appalled. “The Welch family is one of Cabinda’s oldest families. And yet, for that woman, he’s willing to ruin their relationship and ours? Doesn’t he realize he’s making enemies everywhere in Cabinda?”

She turned to her daughter, her expression sharp. “And what about you, Nancy? How are things progressing with the Williams family?”

Cynthia gritted her teeth, still simmering with frustration. Her mother’s question cut through her anger like a bucket of cold water—she snapped back to reality in an instant.

“It’s... fine,” she muttered, her face stony.

Hazel frowned. “What do you mean, ‘fine’?”

Cynthia couldn’t quite put it into words. The more she tried, the more irritated she felt. “What do you want me to say? The Williams family is always perfectly polite to me. I’m genuinely nice to Mrs. Williams—she’ll accept any gift I give her, but then she always sends something even more extravagant in return. Her parents act like they like me, but there’s always this distance, this formality...”

Nicholas’s heavy brows knitted together. He thought it over, then said, “Clearly, they’re siding with Dennis Williams. And why wouldn’t they? Family comes first. Whatever Dennis decides, the rest of them can’t go against him. That’s why everything you’ve tried so far hasn’t made a difference. If that’s the case, maybe it’s time for something a little more drastic.”

A calculating glint flashed in Nicholas Lee’s eyes.

With rumors like these flying, plenty of people began to treat Camila like poison.

Some in the social circle even started an open campaign to exclude her, warning others not to associate with “people like that” at any public function—unless they wanted to end up as the next Ms. Roberts.

That night, Sarah Brown met Larry Adams for dinner. She was so angry by the time she reached the restaurant, she could barely see straight.

Larry grinned as she stormed in. “What’s with the fire, Ms. Brown? You look ready to bite someone’s head off, and I’m just here for a meal!”

Sarah tossed her purse onto the seat and dropped into her chair. She gulped down a glass of water before snapping, “It’s that ridiculous Cabinda crowd—your people! Have they all lost their minds? Lavinia Roberts started the whole thing, picking a fight with Camila and even trying to hit her! And now everyone’s blaming Camila? Mr. Williams did what any good boyfriend would—he stood up for her. Since when did that become Camila’s fault?”

Larry had heard the rumors too. Seeing Sarah so worked up, he tried to calm her down. “You’re too smart not to see what’s happening here. Whoever’s spreading these stories is twisting the truth on purpose. That bunch in our circle—they all think they’re so high and mighty, and they’ve had their eye on Dennis for years. None of them can stand that Camila outshined them, so the minute something happens, they’re all ready to pile on.”

Sarah ran a hand through her hair, exasperated. “But these rumors are killing Camila’s reputation! This could really hurt her.”

Larry gave her a knowing look. “That’s exactly what they want. First, they want to isolate her from the group, hoping she’ll get the message and back away, feel like she’s not good enough to be part of their world.”