Broken Bond: Claimed by My Ex-Husband's Alpha Billionaire Uncle-Chapter 53: The Movie Set (1)

Three days later, Charlotte received an invitation from Logan to visit the set before filming officially began next week.

To make everything feel as authentic as possible, the production team had painstakingly built an entire apartment room from scratch, especially because it was Lena and her daughter’s home.

The moment Charlotte stepped into the studio, she could almost feel Lena’s presence, as if the character had truly lived there.

Lena was a perfectionist when it came to organizing and cleaning her belongings. Though the apartment was small and worn-down, every item had its place, every surface was spotless. Not a single thing looked out of place, as if disorder itself was forbidden.

At first, Charlotte wondered why Lena behaved this way. But after reading further into the novel, she found her answer that Lena’s obsession with order came from a lack of control in her own life.

Her clothes, her behavior, even the way she lived, everything was dictated by her husband. So, in an attempt to reclaim at least one aspect of her life, she fixated on keeping her home perfectly clean and organized.

"Living like this must be exhausting," Tatiana murmured, her gaze sweeping across the set.

Charlotte traced her fingers over the neatly arranged items. "It is. But ... this was the only way she could remind herself that she was still human, not just a doll her ex-husband controlled."

Though Charlotte had also been married to an abusive man, her circumstances had been different. Julian’s wealth meant she never had to clean because there were housemaids for that. But she had developed her own coping mechanism.

She sought control over her appearance.

Charlotte meticulously curated everything about herself, from her clothes, her hair, to the way she carried herself in public whenever Julian took her out of the house.

Every strand of hair had to be perfectly in place, every outfit carefully chosen to project an illusion of control. If she looked flawless, maybe, just maybe, she could trick herself into believing her life wasn’t crumbling.

At first, it had been a simple routine like spending extra minutes in front of the mirror, making sure her face looked presentable. But gradually, it turned into something else, more like an obsession.

She fixated on her weight, convinced that Julian’s constant affairs had to be her fault.

Maybe she wasn’t beautiful enough.

Maybe she wasn’t thin enough.

Maybe if she were perfect, he wouldn’t stray.

She could still remember the countless nights spent in front of the mirror, tears streaking down her perfectly made-up face as she pinched at her skin, hating every soft curve, every imperfection.

Deep down, she knew his infidelity had never been her fault. But that didn’t stop her from blaming herself. The obsession had rooted itself so deeply within her that even now, she couldn’t shake it off.

She often skipped meals, convincing herself it was just to stay presentable, to maintain the image she had carefully crafted over the years.

And now, a new fear had begun to creep in, the irrational thought that Damon might one day look at her differently if she wasn’t as thin as she was now.

No, he wouldn’t. She knew that. But the obsession had a way of twisting her thoughts, making her doubt even the things she knew to be true.

"Charlotte!"

A bright voice snapped her out of her thoughts. She turned around to see Lily running toward her, her face lighting up with excitement.

The little girl entered the studio with her mother, Jessica, waving enthusiastically.

Over the past few days, they had talked frequently on the phone, and it showed that Lily no longer hesitated or acted shy around Charlotte. Instead, she ran straight up to her, as if they had known each other forever.

If Haven were here, she and Lily would have gotten along so well.

Lily ran up to Charlotte, her small hands clutching a neatly wrapped gift box. Her eyes sparkled with excitement as she held it out. "My grandpa is a big fan of yours! He wanted to give you some honey from his bee farm!"

Charlotte knelt down to meet her at eye level, taking the box with a soft smile. "I didn’t know your grandpa was a beekeeper."

She lifted the lid and glanced inside, her gaze landing on the honey jars nestled securely within.

The moment she read the brand, her breath hitched—Golden Dew. It wasn’t just any honey. It was one of the most sought-after, top-tier brands in the world, known for its exceptional quality and sky-high price.

Wait a minute ... who owned this brand again? Bennett ... something, something.

Her eyes flicked back to Lily. Bennett? As in Lily Bennett?

It took a second for it to click, but when it did, Charlotte’s eyes widened in shock. The little girl standing in front of her wasn’t just talented, but she also came from a family of immense wealth!

"Yes! My grandpa’s bee farm is huge!" Lily’s voice was filled with pride. "And the honey tastes amazing! You have to try it!"

Charlotte didn’t doubt it for a second. Golden Dew had been praised by top food critics, scoring an impressive 4.5 out of 5. That kind of rating was nearly unheard of.

"I really appreciate all the time you’ve spent helping Lily improve her acting," Jessica, Lily’s mother, said as she approached with a warm smile. "I heard you’ve been going through a rough time lately, and I wanted to give you something to help keep you healthy."

Charlotte rose to her feet, hugging the gift box close. "That’s incredibly kind of you," she said sincerely. "Thank you. I’ll make sure to enjoy every last drop."

Jessica wasn’t the only one who had grown more sympathetic toward her. Ever since her press conference and interview on The Night Show, Charlotte had noticed a shift. The other actors and crew members had started treating her with a little more warmth, a little more understanding.

None of them directly mentioned her relationship with her ex-husband, but the way they looked at Charlotte made it clear that they all felt sorry for her.

It made her uneasy. She didn’t want their sympathy, but she supposed it was better than judgment.

"What do you think of the set, Charlotte?" Logan asked, his voice pulling her from her thoughts.