Broken Bond: Claimed by My Ex-Husband's Alpha Billionaire Uncle-Chapter 54: The Movie Set (2)

Charlotte glanced around once more before turning back to him with a small smile. "It’s incredible, Mr. Barnes. I can already picture myself as Lena."

"The prop team put in a lot of effort to make it as accurate as possible," Logan said, nodding with pride. "They did a fantastic job. If you’re ready, we can check out the other set, the house Lena shared with her ex-husband. Ethan is already there."

A house filled with years of pain and suffocating memories.

Charlotte inhaled deeply, steadying herself. She had a feeling that set would hit too close to home.

But this was fiction, and she was an actress. She needed to separate the past from the present.

"I’m ready. Let’s go."

Unlike Lena’s apartment, which had been built from the ground up, the production team had rented an actual house for her ex-husband’s scenes.

It made sense because those moments were scattered throughout the film, appearing as fragmented memories or the haunting echoes of a life Lena had fought to escape.

The house itself wasn’t particularly grand, but it had the cold, calculated beauty of a place meant to impress rather than comfort.

The kind of home where every piece of furniture was carefully selected, not for warmth but for appearances.

Inside, she spotted Ethan in the kitchen, surrounded by a few crew members as they adjusted the props. He was flipping through the kitchen cabinets, likely checking the property in there.

When he looked up and saw her, a grin spread across his face. "Oh, hey, Charlotte!"

Charlotte walked over to him, tilting her head. "What are you up to?"

She had caught glimpses of his performance as Alan a few times, and she would be lying if she said it didn’t unnerve her. He was terrifying in the role, his eyes looked cold, his voice sharp like a blade.

But in reality, Ethan was warm, approachable, and nothing like the monster he played. That distinction made it easier for her to separate fiction from reality.

"I’m just checking the props I’ll be using to, uh ... hit you. Like the rolling pin and—" He trailed off, realizing how awful that sounded. His eyes widened slightly in horror. "Wait, no! I mean the props Alan will be using to hit Lena. Not me. I would never—"

Charlotte laughed softly, amused by his panic. "Relax, Ethan. I know what you meant."

He let out a dramatic sigh, pressing a hand over his chest. "God, I really need to work on my phrasing." Then, to demonstrate the prop’s safety, he lightly knocked himself on the head with the rubber rolling pin. A beat passed before he winced. "Huh. Okay, not gonna lie ... that actually kinda hurts."

Charlotte burst into laughter. "Well, at least we know it’s realistic."

She spent the next few minutes wandering around the set, taking in every detail, the way the furniture was arranged, the subtle wear and tear on the walls, the dim lighting that added to the suffocating atmosphere.

It felt lived in, haunted by memories that weren’t hers. She practiced a few lines under her breath, letting herself settle into Lena’s emotions.

Before she left, she turned to Lily with a reassuring smile. "If you ever need help with your lines, just call me, okay?"

Then, glancing at Ethan, she added, "That goes for you too."

Ethan scratched the back of his neck, grinning. "Really? Then I just might take you up on that."

Charlotte narrowed her eyes slightly, studying him. Was it just her imagination, or was there something in the way he looked at her—an interest beneath his easy going demeanor?

Even though it was subtle, Charlotte could tell that Ethan liked her in a romantic way. freёwebnoѵel.com

"Just ... maybe not at night," she said lightly.

She wasn’t looking for misunderstandings.

She leaned in slightly, lowering her voice so only he could hear. "My boyfriend is really busy during the day, so I like to save my time for him at night."

Ethan instantly straightened, stepping back as if he’d just been caught off guard. He let out a small cough before stammering, "Oh, so you have a boy—"

"Shh ..." Charlotte pressed a finger to her lips, flashing him a knowing smile. "Let’s keep this our little secret."

Ethan blinked, processing her words. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what she was really saying—she was gently letting him down, making sure he wouldn’t get the wrong idea.

"I-I see." He chuckled awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Then I’ll make sure not to bother you at night."

With that, their conversation ended on an easy note. Charlotte bid farewell to the staff and cast before heading out with Chloe. As soon as she slipped into the car, she pulled out her phone and sent a message to Damon.

[Charlotte: I’m heading home now.]

She tapped her fingers idly against the cool glass of the window, her eyes drifting over the city lights outside. Normally, she wasn’t the type to get frustrated over a delayed response.

But lately, whenever Damon took too long to text back, she found herself growing just a little impatient.

About twenty minutes later, her phone finally buzzed.

[Damon: Sorry, just got out of a meeting. How was the shooting location? Do you like it?]

Charlotte didn’t even take a full minute to respond.

[Charlotte: The set is incredible. I can’t wait to start shooting next week. Will you be home before dinner?]

[Damon: Sorry, sweetheart. Something came up, so I’ll be home late tonight. Don’t wait for me.]

Charlotte let out a quiet sigh, a hint of disappointment settling in her chest. Ever since his meetings with the council began, Damon had been coming home later and later. Louis had mentioned that the council was pressuring him to resolve the ongoing rogue werewolf issue, which so far had seen little progress.

"You okay, Charlotte?" Chloe glanced at her with concern, noticing the way her expression had shifted after reading her phone. "Something wrong?"

"Oh, no. I’m fine." Charlotte quickly brushed it off, shifting the conversation. "I don’t have any events scheduled before my first shoot, right?"

Chloe nodded, saying, "Nope. You’re free to focus on studying your script at home."