Swapping a Broken Heart for a New Start novel Chapter 952

The sheer force of his anger stunned Cynthia into silence. Her throat went dry, and she couldn't utter another word, her breath catching in her chest. She stood frozen, locked in his gaze, which was now simmering with undisguised rage. It was in that moment she finally saw it: the man who had always been cool and distant, yet polite, was looking at her with absolute disgust. "Ms. Lee, any courtesy I've shown you in the past has been out of respect for the Lee family. It does not mean you hold any special place in my life. And I was the one who pursued Camila. I was the one who schemed to keep her in Cabinda, by my side. She didn't 'get between' anyone to be where she is now. There was never an 'us' to begin with, so I suggest you choose your words more carefully. If you continue to spread such misleading statements, I will have the Williams Group's legal team handle the matter, regardless of our families' history. While we may have known each other since childhood, we were never close. If you didn't understand me before, allow me to repeat myself..." He leaned in slightly, his voice dropping to a low, menacing timber. "My Mrs. Smith will only ever be Camila. In my heart, no one in the world can compare to her. And if I ever hear anyone dare to slander her again, I don't care who they are—I will use every means at my disposal to make them regret it." The final words were an unequivocal threat, delivered without a shred of mercy. Without waiting for her reaction, Dennis turned and got into the car. Aaron, feeling not an ounce of sympathy for her, stepped forward, pried her hand from the door, and shut it firmly. The car pulled away from the curb, leaving Cynthia standing there, her nails digging so deeply into her palms that they drew blood. A storm of rage and resentment churned within her, threatening to consume her whole. She couldn't accept this! It wasn't supposed to be this way! He was the one who refused to give her a chance. How dare he dismiss her so completely? And how dare he defend Camila Davis with such ferocity? That woman wasn't worthy of being her rival. Did Dennis really think this would be enough to make her give up? Impossible. Cynthia gritted her teeth, got into her own car, and snapped at the driver, "Follow them!" The driver, a long-time employee of the Lee family, had witnessed the entire exchange. "Ma'am..." he began hesitantly, "are you sure you don't want to... let this go?" The man had made himself perfectly clear. Continuing this pursuit would lead to nothing good. "Why should I give up?" Cynthia retorted furiously. "The Williams family said they wouldn't stop me from getting close to Dennis, so I'm going to fight for him!" Resigned, the driver started the car and followed the Rolls-Royce. Dennis went straight from the airport to the research institute. Camila was still busy, so he had the driver park on the street to wait. Aaron noticed Cynthia's car trailing them and sighed. "Mr. Williams, Ms. Lee is still following us. She hasn't given up." Dennis glanced in the rearview mirror. Cynthia seemed content to just follow, not approach. He had no intention of engaging with her again. "Ignore her," he said coolly. Aaron nodded and did just that. After about fifteen minutes, Camila finally emerged from the building. The moment Dennis saw her, he opened the car door and stepped out to meet her. Having missed her chance to pick him up, Camila had assumed he would have gone home and was just about to text him when a new message from him popped up. "Look up." Camila lifted her head. There he was, standing under a streetlight, his tall figure bathed in its warm, yellow glow, which softened the edges of his silhouette. A faint smile played on his lips as the cool wind tousled his hair, lending a hint of wildness to his usual refined elegance. They had only been apart for a few days, but Camila had missed him terribly. The feeling had been suppressed by her busy schedule, but seeing him now, she realized the longing was bone-deep, an ache that couldn't be ignored. She had known that loving someone meant thinking of them every moment you were apart, but she had never understood just how profound that feeling could be. "Dennis!" A joyful grin spread across her face as she ran and threw herself into his arms. "What are you doing here? I thought you'd go home!" Dennis's eyes softened, his smile widening as he held her close. "I came to take you to dinner. And to see you." Camila buried her face in his chest, her voice muffled but happy. "Did you miss me?" "I did," he admitted without hesitation. Camila rubbed her cheek against his coat, her heart soaring. "I missed you too. How long have you been waiting? Are you cold?" Dennis held her tighter. "Not cold. I just got out of the car. The heat was on. Come on, let's go." "Okay." Camila slipped her hand into the pocket of his overcoat, and they walked toward the car together. Just as they were about to get in, a sharp voice cut through the air. "Ms. Davis!" The name was spoken with a tone of barely concealed, seething hatred.