Swapping a Broken Heart for a New Start novel Chapter 1222

Iris slid her window down and frowned a little. “What are you doing here?”

Abbott met her eyes, his expression soft. “I followed you. I figured you wouldn’t be heading straight home.”

Her frown only deepened. “Why are you following me?” she asked, her tone sharp.

Abbott gave a small smile. “I don’t mean anything by it. I know you like Mr. Wilson. But Iris, you know how tough Walter Wilson is to approach. Why make things so hard for yourself?”

Iris was already in a bad mood, and now Abbott had shown up to lecture her. That was the last straw. “So what if I am? If I want to run into a wall, that’s my choice. Abbott, my life has nothing to do with you. Worry about yourself, not me.”

With that, she turned to her driver. “Let’s go.”

The Carter family driver didn’t hesitate. He started the engine and the car pulled away, leaving Abbott standing alone on the sidewalk.

He watched the car until it disappeared, his eyes growing colder. He was definitely going to get involved in Iris’s business, whether she liked it or not.

He’d had his eye on Iris for a long time. He’d never said it out loud, but in his mind, she was already his. No one was going to take her away, not even Walter Wilson.

Iris might be hung up on Walter right now, but Abbott was determined to show her who really deserved her. His gaze turned sharp, a hint of something darker flickering there.

***

Inside Walter Wilson’s car, Audrey Williams was chatting with him about their latest collaboration.

“So, when do you plan to start dealing with the Smith family?” she asked, leaning in, curiosity clear on her face.

Walter glanced at her. “Aside from the upcoming Ochs AI Tech Summit, I’ve found a few weak points we can target. After the Smith Group lost out to Camila’s system, they started pouring resources into catching up. But getting a real breakthrough isn’t easy. I’ve heard Jordan Smith is trying to bring in an international expert, Robert. Apparently, the system Robert designed is still unbeaten, and three of the world’s top ten systems use his tech. He’s coming to Harrisburg University soon to give a talk. Jordan will probably try to recruit him there. I say we get to him first.”

Audrey’s eyes lit up with excitement. “That sounds interesting. What’s your plan? Bring me with you!”

She never missed a chance to join in when something exciting was happening. Harrisburg had been boring lately, unless she was hanging out with Walter. This was finally something fun.

He brought the conversation back. “Anyway, I don’t have a solid plan for how to approach Robert yet. If you get any good ideas, let me know.”

“Deal,” Audrey agreed, happy for any excuse to spend more time with him, even if it was all about work.

They kept talking as the car rolled through the city. Time slipped by quickly.

Soon, they pulled up outside Audrey’s place.

Walter waved from his seat. “Get some rest. Good night.”

Audrey smiled and waved back. “Good night. Drive safe.”

She watched his car pull away before heading inside, a little lighter than before.