Broken Bond: Claimed by My Ex-Husband's Alpha Billionaire Uncle-Chapter 20: Price Tags

Charlotte offered to take Maria to dinner, but she politely declined, saying she wanted to visit her family in another city.

"Take care of yourself, Maria," Charlotte said, "and make sure you stay close to your bodyguards."

Damon had assigned three werewolves from the Crimson Moon Pack to protect Maria. It might seem excessive, but considering the lengths Julian would go to silence her, it was a necessary precaution.

"Please take care of yourself as well, Mrs. Dawson." She smiled. "I really hope you’ll be happier with Mr. Sullivan."

Charlotte only gave her a smile in return. For now, at least Damon was able to make her feel safe and sound.

Charlotte then got into the car with Damon, then she waved her hand toward Maria as a goodbye.

"I still feel bad for her," Charlotte said as the car pulled away from the courthouse.

Damon looked at Charlotte. "Charlotte, you don’t have to feel guilty for something you didn’t do. Maria suffered because of Julian, not because of you."

Charlotte lowered her head. "I know, but it’s hard not to feel responsible in some way. If only I had had the courage to stop Julian back then, maybe---"

"Stop right there," Damon interrupted her, "You’ve been through enough. Don’t add guilt that isn’t yours to bear."

"You already did the brave thing by leaving your scum husband. That’s more than enough, Charlotte." Damon repeated, "It’s more than enough."

Charlotte bit her lower lip, trying her best not to shed tears. After being in the courtroom for hours, those words were the last thing she needed to hear.

She whispered under her breath, "I’m enough."

Damon nodded and patted her back gently. "You are enough."

As the car drove away, Charlotte noticed that it wasn’t heading back to Crimson Moon Manor. She looked at Damon curiously. "Where are we going?"

Damon smiled slightly. "You’ll see."

A few minutes later, they stopped in front of a boutique of high-end luxury bags. Charlotte’s eyes widened when she recognized the store. "Damon ... why are we here?"

He turned to her with a knowing look. "I remember seeing one of your interviews back in the day. You talked about your love for collecting luxury bags."

Charlotte blinked, surprised. "You ... saw that?"

She didn’t even remember that interview. However, she did have a soft spot for high-end bags.

Damon nodded. "You looked so passionate when you talked about it. But I noticed you don’t have any of them with you now."

Her expression turned somber. "I sold them all when I married Julian. He said they were a waste of money and sold them to help with his financial problems."

"Nonsense." Damon seemed like a hot plate of anger whenever they talked about Julian. "There’s no such thing as wasting money if it brings you joy. He said that because he didn’t have enough money in his pocket."

He opened the car door and got out, then walked around to open her door. "Come on, let’s forget about court for now."

Charlotte hesitated. "But Damon, I don’t have any money on me."

"Who asked you to pay?" Damon raised an eyebrow. "Just pick whatever you want and don’t worry about money as long as you’re with me."

Really ... Charlotte didn’t understand how she could have such a perfect mate like him.

She took his hand and stepped into the shop. The scent of leather and floral perfume filled the air, relaxing every muscle in Charlotte’s body.

The luxurious interior was immaculate, with glass displays, plush carpeting, and lighting that made the handbags look like works of art.

She felt a sense of nostalgia as she looked around, remembering how she used to visit places like this every week before she married Julian. ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm

"Welcome to Maison Luxe," a senior assistant greeted her warmly. Her eyes widened slightly when she saw Charlotte. "Oh, Miss Charlotte?"

Charlotte was taken aback when the assistant recognized her. She looked her in the face and said, "Audrey?"

The assistant smiled and nodded. "Yes, it’s me, Audrey. I can’t believe you remember me, Miss Charlotte."

"No, it’s actually the opposite, I thought you wouldn’t remember me," Charlotte said.

"Your face is not easy to forget, Miss Charlotte," Audrey replied with a polite smile. "You were one of our most loyal customers some years ago. It’s been a while since we’ve seen you here."

Charlotte gave her a shy smile. "Yes, well ... a lot of things have changed since then."

The assistant seemed to sense something wrong in her tone and quickly changed the subject. "It’s wonderful to have you back, Miss Charlotte."

She continued, "Let me show you our latest collection. I think there’s a piece you’ll absolutely adore."

Charlotte looked back at Damon as if asking for his approval.

Damon gave her a small nod, his lips curling into a reassuring smile. "Go ahead," he said quietly. "Take your time."

Charlotte turned back to Audrey, her heart warming at Damon’s words. "All right, let’s see what you got."

The assistant led them to a private area of the store where the most exclusive pieces were displayed. "This just arrived from our spring collection," Audrey said, lifting a sleek bag in a rich emerald green with gold accents. "It’s a limited edition, only five in the world."

Charlotte’s eyes widened as she admired the bag. She gently ran her fingers over the smooth leather. "It’s beautiful."

Damon, standing a few steps away, spoke up. "Do you love it?"

Charlotte hesitated, glancing at the price tag. It was more expensive than she had imagined. "It’s beautiful, but ... maybe I should look at something else."

Damon sighed, stepping closer. He whispered next to her ear, "Charlotte, I didn’t bring you here to look at price tags. If you love it, it’s yours."

Damon turned his head to Audrey. "She’ll take this one."

Audrey nodded and smiled professionally. She recognized Damon’s face because he had been one of the top 100 richest men in the world for years.

She was actually quite curious as to why Charlotte had suddenly appeared with Damon Sullivan, but she decided to keep quiet and do her job instead. "Of course, Mr. Sullivan. I’ll have it wrapped for you right away."