Broken Bond: Claimed by My Ex-Husband's Alpha Billionaire Uncle-Chapter 16: Muffin Cakes

It took Charlotte by surprise because she had never expected Vera and Haven to meet her except in the dining room.

"Yes, of course." Charlotte opened the door wider. "Please come in."

She immediately picked up the papers that were scattered everywhere. "I’m sorry, my room is a bit of a mess right now."

Vera glanced at the script and immediately felt guilty for coming in without notice, "Did we disturb you, Charlotte?"

"No! Not at all. I’m glad you came." Charlotte clapped her hands once after putting the papers on the table and letting them sit on the couches. "So, which muffins should I try?"

Haven replied enthusiastically. "All of them! We usually bake cookies for the New Year, but Mommy and I want to bake something new this year!"

Charlotte bit her inner lip when she saw that there were six muffin cakes on the tray, each topped with colorful decorations, sprinkles, fruit, and a generous dollop of whipped cream.

Too many calories.

"Well, I don’t think I can eat them all at once," Charlotte said with a smile, "but I’ll try them all. Which one is your favorite, Haven?"

Haven’s face lit up as she pointed to a muffin with a swirl of vanilla whipped cream and dried strawberries on top. "This one! Mommy says it’s our best batch."

Charlotte picked up the muffin and took a small bite, the rich flavors of vanilla and strawberry melting in her mouth. "This is delicious! You and your mom did a great job."

Haven clapped her hands excitedly. "You really like it? Mommy said it was good, but I wanted to hear it from you!"

Charlotte chuckled and wiped a crumb from her lips. "I love it, Haven. You are a talented young lady."

Haven spoke with pride. "Will you help us bake next time? Mommy says it’s fun to bake with friends."

Friends?

It had never occurred to Charlotte that Haven would consider her a friend.

Charlotte smiled. "I’d love to. Maybe I could learn a thing or two from you."

Haven grinned and picked up another muffin to offer her. "Here, try this one next! It’s blueberry lemon, Mommy’s favorite."

Charlotte took the muffin and smiled warmly. She rarely baked cakes because Julian hated it when he saw her eating something sweet. He said she would gain weight easily if she ate those things.

However, Julian wasn’t around anymore, so she could try it once in a while.

For the first time in a long time, Charlotte felt a sense of warmth from others, even if it was just over a tray of muffins.

From tasting the muffins, Haven and Vera ended up talking to Charlotte about many things, from their favorite recipes to funny stories about Haven’s attempts to bake cookies on her own.

"Last week, Haven tried to surprise me by baking cookies," Vera said, laughing as she told the story. "But instead of sugar, she accidentally used salt. Luckily, her daddy loved her cookies so much that he ate them all."

"Daddy said my salty cookies taste good!" Haven defended herself.

Vera laughed. "That’s because your daddy’s tongue is numb."

Charlotte watched their interaction and smiled. If only she had children of her own, maybe she would teach them to bake cookies for fun and let their father taste them.

Wait, if she had a child now, didn’t that mean that Damon would be the father?

Her face suddenly turned red at the thought of it.

She knew she couldn’t bear a child, but wouldn’t it be great if her children had Damon’s appearance?

Charlotte shook her head, trying to dismiss the thought, but her cheeks remained red. The idea of having children with Damon was both impossible and strangely comforting.

She imagined their little ones running around with Damon’s gray eyes and his smile, filling the house with laughter. Maybe they’d tug on Damon’s coat, asking him to read them stories or wanting to follow their daddy to work.

As her imagination ran wild, her heart ached with a mixture of longing and sadness because she wouldn’t be able to turn that imagination into a reality. "What am I thinking?" she muttered to herself.

"Did you say something, Charlotte?" asked Vera confusedly.

Charlotte’s eyes widened as she realized that she had been talking to herself when other people were around. "Ah, no. Nothing." She immediately changed the subject. "I used to love making cheesecake. It was ... something I did a lot when I was younger. But I haven’t baked for years."

Vera, "Maybe it’s time to give it a try again. Baking can be therapeutic for some people, you know. Damon would love to try your cake."

"Does he like sweet things?"

"Who cares what he likes?" Vera chuckled. "If you make him something, he has to eat it."

Haven nodded in agreement. "Yeah! My daddy always eats everything my mommy cooks!"

Charlotte lifted the corner of her mouth. "That’s because your daddy loves your mommy very much."

They talked for a while until Haven started to feel sleepy. Vera carried her daughter in her arms and said, "I think it’s time for the princess to take a nap."

"No ... I want to play with Charlotte a little longer..." Haven murmured.

Charlotte rubbed her head. "We can play again later. Besides, we live together, so we can see each other every day."

Haven’s eyes lit up. "Would you like to play in my room tomorrow, Charlotte?"

"Yes, I’d love to."

Vera, "I’m sorry if we bother you. This kid is very clingy when she gets close to someone."

"Don’t worry about it." Charlotte waved her hand. "I like playing with children."

As they headed for the door, Vera patted Charlotte on the shoulder. "I heard from Louis that you’re going to divorce court."

Charlotte nodded. "Yes. Julian refused to sign the divorce papers, so I have no choice."

Vera gave her a sympathetic look. "I can’t imagine how difficult it must be. But you seem strong, Charlotte. You’ll get through this."

"Thank you," Charlotte said quietly. Her heart filled with warmth and happiness as Vera looked so concerned for her. "It’s not easy, but I’m trying."

Vera gave her a genuine smile before speaking again. "If you ever need someone to talk to or even just a distraction, you can always come to us. Haven would be overjoyed to have you around more often."

Charlotte smiled faintly. "I appreciate that. Really."

She waved at Haven, who was half asleep before she closed the door. She let out a sigh of relief as most of her anxiety disappeared after spending time with Vera and Haven.

She then looked at the tray of muffin cakes on the table and planned to throw them away. But as she almost tossed them into the trash bin, her hands stopped halfway. She muttered, "Just today ... I can eat them for today."