Swapping a Broken Heart for a New Start novel Chapter 856

Nathan Gates, standing quietly to the side, could no longer hold his tongue. “But Mrs. Smith, Ms. Davis has better options now. Why should she be ‘grateful’ to return to the Smith family? She’s a leading researcher at the National Institute, the head of a medical school, and the woman Mr. Williams loves. Her life is perfect as it is. Why would she go back to Harrisburg just to be mistreated by you? Forgive me for saying so, but your perspective is incredibly self-centered.”

“How dare you!” Barbara raged. “Are you lecturing me?!”

Nathan remained unfazed. “I am not lecturing you, Mrs. Smith. I am simply stating the reality of the situation. The President already wronged Ms. Davis once. Winning her back was always going to be difficult. Now, you’ve antagonized her parents and continue to act superior. If you don’t change your attitude, you won’t just fail to bring her back; you’ll push her away for good. The President’s chances were already slim—less than one percent, I’d say. But at least there was a sliver of hope. After your interference, I doubt even that one percent remains.”

He was speaking from the heart. If it weren’t for his loyalty to Jordan and the generous salary he received, he wouldn’t have bothered. But since he had started, he might as well finish.

He turned to Jordan. “Sir, if I may be blunt, Ms. Davis is now cherished and protected by someone else. Whether you want to accept it or not, that man treats her like a treasure. She has absolutely no reason to return to the Smith family and endure this kind of treatment from your mother. You two haven’t even reconciled, and Mrs. Smith is already acting like this. Even if Ms. Davis did go back with you, her life would be no different than it was before the divorce. You would just be repeating the same painful cycle—a marriage in name only, sharing a home but living as strangers. Is that really what you want?”

“You shut your mouth!” Barbara shrieked, her face livid. Every word out of Nathan’s mouth defended Camila. “Nathan Gates, who gave you the right to speak?!”

His tone was firm, leaving no room for argument. “I said, go back to Harrisburg, and stay out of my affairs from now on. Furthermore, the next time you see Camila, you will be polite. You will treat her as if she were your own daughter. Nathan is right. I was the one who failed her. If I want to win her back, I must be the one to humble myself. Your presence here will only ruin everything.”

Barbara was aghast. “But she humiliated you…”

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