Broken Bond: Claimed by My Ex-Husband's Alpha Billionaire Uncle-Chapter 34: Public Sentiment

"I’m sorry to keep you waiting." The door behind Charlotte suddenly opened.

Damon entered the meeting room, brushing his hair back as he walked in with Victor. His expression was cold and nonchalant, as usual.

However, the moment Charlotte turned her head toward him, his demeanor shifted, and he offered her a warm smile.

The sudden change startled everyone in the room, except Charlotte.

"Don’t worry about it, Mr. Sullivan." Diego stood up to greet him. "I know how hard it must be for you to make time in your busy schedule."

Charlotte tilted her head in confusion. Diego’s words implicitly suggested that he had been the one to ask Damon for this meeting.

But about what?

The uncertainty somehow made Charlotte feel uneasy.

Victor and Damon then sat across Charlotte. The atmosphere was too heavy, so she couldn’t help but ask, "What’s this about?"

Diego leaned forward. "Charlotte, you have no idea how thrilled I am to have chosen you as the main actress for my project," he began, "But we need to address an issue, your reputation in the media isn’t in the best place right now."

Charlotte knew they would eventually bring this up. She sighed. "This is about my ex-husband, isn’t it?"

Diego and the others looked at her in surprise. They hadn’t known she was divorced. As far as they were aware, her marriage was simply in trouble, but they hadn’t realized it had already ended.

But it was only natural for them to think that way since Charlotte hadn’t publicly addressed the matter.

She suspected that if Damon hadn’t assured them the issue wouldn’t affect her future career, they might not have taken the risk of choosing her. fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓

Her bad reputation could harm the film’s success. If the controversy continued to circulate in public, the movie might suffer a downfall as audiences might avoid seeing Charlotte’s face on the big screen.

Victor stepped in to address the situation. "Yes, Mrs. Dawson, this is about Mr. Warren’s tarnished image in the media," he said, glancing at the others in the room. He then emphasized firmly, "To be clear, Mrs. Dawson has no involvement whatsoever in her ex-husband’s current scandal."

Victor gave a brief but clear explanation of Charlotte’s past with Julian to others. As the details unfolded, everyone was in shock, with jaws dropping and eyes widening in disbelief.

"Dear lord, Charlotte, I’m so sorry. I had no idea," Diego said, his voice filled with genuine regret.

Charlotte offered a faint smile. "It’s alright, Mr. West. I haven’t exactly been open about it. It’s in the past now, and I’m trying to move forward."

Diego glanced around at the others, his expression still stunned. "But with the movie’s theme mirroring ... that part of your life, I can’t imagine how hard it must be for you to take this on."

Charlotte took a deep breath. "Yes, it’s not easy. But the important part about acting is telling stories, even the hard ones. Besides, I think this role might help me turn my pain into something meaningful."

"Honestly, I was hesitant to cast you in this role," Logan admitted. "But after learning the truth, I became even more convinced that you’re the perfect choice to play Lena in this film."

Damon, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke. "Like you, Mr. Barnes, I believe many people will support her once they know the truth." He turned his gaze directly to Charlotte. "That’s why I want to hold a press conference to clear your name and distance you from your ex-husband’s scandals."

Victor nodded. "We can also use that chance to promote her comeback movie." He asked, "What do you think, Mrs. Dawson?"

Charlotte nervously pinched her fingers, her nails pressing into her skin as anxiety bubbled within her. The thought of facing a room full of reporters and journalists felt overwhelming.

She didn’t feel ready to confront so many people so soon, but it seemed like she had no other choice.

The fate of the movie was now in her hands. If her reputation continued to deteriorate, the producers might decide to cut her from the project to protect public sentiment.

Especially since Julian was the public enemy number one right now.

"What do you think, Charlotte?" Damon repeated Victor’s question. "Do you want to do that?"

Charlotte nodded immediately. "I want to."

"That’s settled, then." Victor suggested, "Since the movie hasn’t entered production yet, I recommend holding the press conference as soon as possible."

"Let’s do it tomorrow," Charlotte said suddenly.

Her words shocked everyone, especially Damon. "Don’t you think it’s too fast? You might need time to prepare yourself."

"No," Charlotte replied. "Like Mr. Hale said, the faster we solve this problem, the better." She continued, "Besides, if the public’s reaction isn’t good toward me, then you can cut me from this project, so it won’t affect the success of the film."

Charlotte could have been selfish and fought to keep her position. However, when she remembered the hard work of little Lily, she couldn’t bring herself to put that little girl in the middle of a chaotic situation.

Just by acting alongside her for a short time, Charlotte could already tell that Lily was a talented actress. That was why Charlotte wanted Lily to receive recognition from a lot of people.

If The Broken Bond received too much criticism, then all their hard work would go to waste, and Charlotte didn’t want that to happen.

Damon could see that Charlotte had made up her mind, so he didn’t want to argue.

"If you think that’s the best way, then I’ll support it." Damon said to Victor. "Please, prepare for the press conference, Mr. Hale."

Victor nodded. "I’ll do my best, Mr. Sullivan, Mrs. Dawson."

As the meeting ended, Charlotte left the room with Damon. The hallways seemed quieter than usual as they walked together, their footsteps echoing in the empty corridor.

"Are you sure about this?" Damon asked, his voice softer now. As the CEO of the company, he wanted Charlotte to hold the press conference immediately, but as her mate, he didn’t want her to suffer.

Charlotte took a deep breath and nodded. "I have to do this. I can’t let my past ruin the future we’re trying to build here."

Damon smiled faintly, giving her a reassuring pat on the back. "I know people can’t hate you, Charlotte."

She looked up at him. "I hope so."