Broken Bond: Claimed by My Ex-Husband's Alpha Billionaire Uncle-Chapter 70: Hotter Than Hell

Damon grinned. "Well, yeah. Why wouldn’t they? I mean, look at me." He gestured to himself dramatically. "I’m rich, I’m charming, I buy you things, and ... let’s be honest here ... I’m very easy on the eyes."

Day by day, Charlotte was starting to see Damon’s true self—a little bit narcissistic, but in an oddly charming way.

"Mr. Sullivan," she sighed, shaking her head, "you are way too full of yourself."

"But am I wrong?" he teased.

"... Unfortunately, no."

Charlotte still couldn’t believe it. The internet had spent months shipping her with Damon, and now that it was real, they were actually cheering them on.

"What should we do now?" Charlotte asked, her fingers fidgeting in her lap. "Shouldn’t you have your HR team handle this scandal?"

"Scandal?" Damon scoffed, his lips quivering into a smile. "Sweetheart, what scandal? This is free publicity. Your name is everywhere, and you didn’t even have to lift a finger. Just ride the wave, use my name, and let the buzz do the work. People will love you even more."

Charlotte frowned. "That sounds ... manipulative."

"Not manipulative," Damon corrected smoothly. "Strategic."

Many celebrities took advantage of their famous partners to boost their own careers. And in his case, while Damon wasn’t a celebrity, his name and fortune carried weight.

It wasn’t a new concept. But it didn’t sit right with Charlotte.

She hadn’t even properly responded to his feelings yet. How could she use him like that?

"Isn’t that a bit ... inappropriate?" She twirled a strand of hair, her unease creeping in. "We’re not even in an official relationship. It would just be ... fake."

Damon leaned in, his gaze unwavering. "That part doesn’t matter, sweetheart. What matters is that my feelings for you are real."

Charlotte’s chest tightened.

Because they were real. He loved her. He had done so much for her, more than anyone ever had. He made her life easier, brighter, safer.

And yet...

"That’s true," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. She lowered her gaze, guilt gnawing at her. "But I haven’t done anything for you. It’s not fair that I keep taking from you, and you get nothing in return."

Damon sighed, tilting her chin up with a gentle touch, forcing her to meet his eyes.

"Why do you always make this sound like a business deal?" His voice softened, but there was an edge of frustration beneath it. "Like I said, your presence in my life is enough. And Charlotte, you’re not using me because I choose to do these things for you."

He moved closer, his breath warm against her skin.

"I’m the one who makes you happy, so you don’t owe me anything," he murmured. His thumb brushed against her jaw in a touch so light it sent a shiver down her spine. "Because I love you. And my love isn’t a trade. It’s not something you have to repay."

Charlotte held her breath for a moment as he moved even closer.

"Think of everything I’ve done for you, all the things I’ve given you as gifts," Damon continued.

"You don’t have to repay me, sweetheart." His lips curled into a soft smile. "All I ask is that you cherish them. That you cherish me."

His gray eyes burned into hers, waiting for an answer.

"Can you do that for me, sweetheart?" asked Damon.

Charlotte bit her lower lips, nodding slowly. "Of course I’ll cherish all your gifts."

Without another word, Damon leaned in, closing the space between them. His lips brushed against hers, soft at first, almost teasing, before pressing in deeper.

Charlotte held her breath for a moment. Her eyes fluttered shut as warmth spread through her chest, his kiss slow and deliberate. Damon always kissed her like he had all the time in the world, like she was something precious, something to savor.

She felt his hand cup her cheek, his thumb tracing gentle circles on her skin. Charlotte’s fingers instinctively gripped the front of his shirt, pulling him closer. Just for a moment, she let herself melt into him, let herself forget the world outside the car.

But the world didn’t forget about them.

Charlotte was still lost in the lingering warmth of Damon’s lips when—

Flash!

A sudden burst of light cut through the dimness of the car.

Her breath caught in her throat as she jolted back, wide eyes darting toward the source. "What was that—?"

Damon didn’t flinch. Instead, he pulled her back into his embrace, capturing her lips once more, completely unbothered by the photographers lurking outside. His kiss was slow, deliberate, as if he was daring them to take a better shot.

But what the cameraman didn’t expect was—

Damon suddenly turned his head toward them without breaking their kiss, his movements unhurried, almost lazy. His sharp gaze locked onto the shadowy figures outside, his gray eyes gleaming coldly under the soft glow of the car’s interior lights.

For a moment, the air was thick with tension.

The photographers outside hesitated. One of them even took an instinctive step back, as if they had just made a grave mistake by provoking a man like him.

"Damon, what are you doing?!" Charlotte pushed against his chest slightly, her voice a mix of alarm and disbelief. But she didn’t push too hard. Somehow, she found herself letting him wrap his arms around her again, her body tense yet unwilling to turn her head toward the cameras.

"Relax, sweetheart," he murmured, "They got what they wanted. Let’s give them something to really talk about."

With that, he started the engine and drove off, leaving the stunned photographers behind, their cameras still clutched in their hands.

• •

By the time they got home, the internet had exploded. There were thousands of posts, each one analyzing every second of that moment.

@GossipDaily - "NO WAY DID DAMON SULLIVAN JUST LOOK AT A CAMERA LIKE THAT AND NOT EXPECT US TO LOSE OUR MINDS."

@HotterThanHell - "Do you guys SEE the way he turned his head? The way he stared at them?? This man is FERAL."

@MarryMeDamon - "Not me zooming in on his face like I’m studying art history. That gaze could RUIN ME."

@QueenLottiexoxo - "I swear if he ever looked at me like that I’d start confessing to crimes I didn’t even commit."

Charlotte stared at her phone screen, heat creeping up her face. "What is wrong with people?!"