Swapping a Broken Heart for a New Start novel Chapter 1185

All eyes landed on Audrey. Someone in the group piped up, “What should we call you? Are you here in Harrisburg just to see Walter?”

Audrey nodded, her smile confident but easy. “Just call me Audrey. I’m actually here for work, but since I’m in town, I thought I’d catch up with him too.”

Harden, who was Walter’s closest friend, looked genuinely surprised. The Joneses and the Wilsons had always been close, and both families were pretty well-matched. Harden and Walter had been classmates since grade school, all the way through college, so their friendship ran deep. Harden had even been to events in Cabinda before, and the name ‘Audrey’ definitely rang a bell. He glanced between Audrey and Walter, picking up on something that told him this was no ordinary friend.

He leaned over and whispered, “Is this really Audrey?”

Walter gave a small nod, not denying it.

Harden’s eyes widened. “Seriously? It’s really her?” Clearly, Audrey wasn’t just another guest.

Realizing she hadn’t shared her last name, probably to keep things low-key, Harden jumped in with a welcoming grin. “Well, Audrey, welcome to Harrisburg! You said you’re here for work, so does that mean you’ll be around for a while?”

Audrey smiled, her tone friendly. “Yeah, I’ll be here for a bit. I hope you’ll all show me the ropes.”

Harden grinned at Walter, rubbing the back of his head. “If you’re Walter’s friend, you’re our friend too. Of course we’ll look out for you. Since we’re all here, why not come with us? We’re heading out for the next round.”

Harden just laughed. “That’s no problem. Walter can teach you. Seriously, he’s unbeatable at poker. None of us can keep up with him.”

But before Audrey could answer, a girl nearby stepped in. She was tall, slender, and dressed head to toe in designer brands, her look polished and unmistakably high-end. “Harden, don’t push her. Games are only fun if you’re actually interested. If someone’s not into it, what’s the point? Ms. Williams doesn’t exactly strike me as the type who enjoys poker. There’s no need to force it.”

Audrey met the girl’s eyes. She was beautiful, every detail of her appearance carefully put together. Her smile was polite, but there was a distance in it, not the same warmth she’d felt from everyone else. When their gazes met, Audrey didn’t see open hostility, but there was a certain pride in the girl’s expression, a subtle confidence that set her apart.

Audrey had seen her share of people like this before. She’d grown up around plenty of proud, cool-headed heiresses in Cabinda. Nothing about this was new.