Swapping a Broken Heart for a New Start novel Chapter 1247

Iris stared at the scene in front of her, barely able to believe what she was seeing. The shock twisted her features and left her feeling like she didn’t belong at all.

She had met Leda plenty of times, but Leda had never once offered her flowers. And yet here was Audrey Williams, acting so close with the Wilson family, it was almost unbelievable. How did she even dare?

To Iris, the Wilsons weren’t just any family. They were one of the most influential, powerful families in Harrisburg. Anyone meeting them would want to come across as poised and graceful, hoping to make a good impression. That’s how Iris had always behaved, every single time she came to the Wilsons’ home.

But what did all her careful effort get her? Audrey Williams was doing the complete opposite. There was nothing formal about her. She clung to Leda’s arm, laughing and acting sweet. If you didn’t know better, you’d think Audrey was actually the Wilsons’ own daughter.

What really stung was how the Wilson elders didn’t seem to mind at all. In fact, they clearly adored Audrey. All those times Iris had tried to impress them now seemed pointless and even a little embarrassing.

Her face tightened in frustration. She couldn’t help glancing at Walter Wilson, hoping he’d step in, but it was obvious he had no intention of stopping Audrey. It was as if he thought her behavior was perfectly normal. Had he already accepted Audrey being this close to his family?

Truthfully, Walter didn’t see anything wrong. Audrey was young and had grown up surrounded by affection. Maybe this was just how she acted around family. In his eyes, there was nothing out of the ordinary. She was polite, always respectful, and never crossed the line. She didn’t have the flaws you’d expect from someone raised like Ms. Taylor. If anything, she was exactly the kind of person people liked having around.

Being sweet and affectionate wasn’t a flaw. Seeing her charm his family just felt right, so why stop her?

After a while, when the conversation died down, Walter stepped over and gently patted Audrey’s head. “Let’s leave the flowers here for now,” he said. “We should go downstairs and find the others. Harden and everyone else are waiting.”

Audrey didn’t mind at all. She stood up, suddenly curious. “Are we just going to be drinking?” she asked.

Walter shook his head. “No, there’s a card room, karaoke, a game room, and even a pool table downstairs. You can play whatever you want.”

Audrey’s eyes lit up in surprise. She had no idea the Wilsons’ house had so many fun things to do. “Then I definitely have to check it out!” she said with a big smile.

She turned to the Wilson elders. “Camila, Uncle, Josh, Linda, I’m going to hang out with Walter for a bit. I’ll come back and chat with you all later.”

Linda smiled at her kindly. “Don’t worry about us. You young people should have fun together tonight. Enjoy yourselves.”

Audrey’s smile brightened even more.

Meanwhile, Iris’s face got darker and darker. She wished she could push Audrey out of the way and stick to Walter’s side herself. But there was nothing she could do. When they reached the bottom of the stairs, Walter and Audrey walked ahead, leaving her behind.

Amy noticed Iris’s sour expression as soon as she came over. She put down her drink and asked, “Iris, what’s wrong? Weren’t you just talking with Camila and the others? Why do you look so upset?”

“Walter and Audrey came back,” Iris muttered, then quickly told Amy everything that had happened upstairs.

Amy frowned as she listened. “That woman really knows how to play the game,” she said, her voice low.

Amy was Iris’s best friend, so of course she took her side. Seeing Iris so upset because of Audrey, she leaned in and said, “That sweet act of hers is all fake. She must have seen how well you were getting along with the Wilson elders and decided to do the opposite to catch their attention. Don’t let it get to you, or she really wins.”