Swapping a Broken Heart for a New Start novel Chapter 1285

The moment the group of young men caught her look, they instantly got the message. Audrey didn’t want anyone to know who she really was. And who could blame her? She was Ms. Taylor from NextGen Technologies. If word got out, she’d be swarmed all night, with half the party trying to cozy up to her.

So they just smiled and said, “Alright, Ms. Williams, we won’t keep you. Let’s catch up when we’re back home.” With that, they slipped away, all polite and smooth.

None of them noticed Amy standing a little ways off, watching everything unfold. As soon as Palmer and Leda got caught up chatting with some old friends, Amy grabbed Iris and pulled her aside, her voice already buzzing with gossip.

“You didn’t see it, Iris. That Audrey is unbelievable. The guys from Cabinda had barely finished saying hi to Mr. Wilson, and she was right there, throwing herself at them, all eager for attention. She really thinks her looks are enough to snag anyone at your birthday party. Seriously, how trashy can you get?”

There was so much resentment in Amy’s voice that Iris didn’t even have to ask what happened. As the host, she knew exactly who Amy had her eye on tonight. Those Cabinda heirs were on a whole different level, even compared to the top families in Harrisburg.

Amy’s family had been dying to break into that circle, but The Brooks Family just never had the right connections. When she saw the guest list, she thought maybe, just maybe, tonight was her chance.

She’d already tried to talk to them, but it went nowhere. They brushed her off so quickly, she barely got two words in. The second time, they just walked away and left her standing there, feeling like an idiot. It stung, and she was already in a foul mood when she turned and saw Audrey chatting away with the same guys, like it was the easiest thing in the world.

Jealousy and anger boiled over. Audrey had already stolen Walter Wilson. Now she was going after the Cabinda crew, too? Amy glared at her, her dislike turning into pure hatred.

Iris let out a low snort. “It’s not like she ever had any shame. You saw how she’s glued herself to Walter. Who knows what kind of dirty tricks she’s pulled just to get close to people with power?”

While they chatted, Abbott stood nearby, looking dark and brooding. Walter noticed right away and turned to meet his eyes. He didn’t bother guessing and just asked, “What’s with the look?”

Abbott was clearly annoyed, but his family wasn’t anywhere near as powerful as The Wilson Family. He couldn’t afford to pick a fight with Walter, so he swallowed his frustration and said, “Nothing.”

His anger toward Walter was all because of Iris. He’d gone out of his way to pick out a really generous gift for her birthday, this party that The Carter Family had thrown with so much effort. Iris barely even looked at his present before handing it off to someone else. Every time he tried to talk to her, she brushed him off. But the minute Walter walked in, she was at his side, all smiles and excitement.

The difference in how she treated them was impossible to ignore. It drove him crazy. He was the one who actually cared about her. Did Iris really not see that? Or was she just pretending? In her eyes, was he really that much less than Walter Wilson?