Broken Bond: Claimed by My Ex-Husband's Alpha Billionaire Uncle-Chapter 71: Too Much Information

Charlotte stared at her phone screen, heat creeping up her face. "What is wrong with people?!" she exclaimed. "Why is everyone supporting us instead of criticizing us?!"

Damon, lounging beside her with an arm lazily placed over the couch, let out a low chuckle. "Why are you so angry, sweetheart?" He tilted his head, smiling. "I thought this was good news."

Before Charlotte could reply to him. She heard hurried footsteps echoing through the house. Derek and Hattie stormed into the living room and both of their faces looked so tense like they were afraid of something.

When they heard Charlotte’s shout, they thought their daughter was being bullied by Damon. But instead of finding their daughter in distress, they found her comfortably curled up against Damon, her head resting on his shoulder while he absentmindedly twirled a strand of her hair between his fingers.

Derek’s frown deepened, as if he wanted to say, Since when did this wolf get so damn comfortable in my house?

"What’s going on?" he asked suspiciously.

Charlotte jumped at the sound of her father’s voice and immediately sat up straight, putting space between her and Damon as if she’d just been caught doing something illegal. "D-Dad! You scared me!"

Hattie crossed her arms, her gaze moving between the two. "Charlotte, we thought you were fighting with Damon."

"Oh no, Mom! We weren’t fighting." Charlotte cleared her throat. "It’s just ... uh, some random people took pictures of us when we were out at the Night Market, and now we’re suddenly trending."

Derek’s sharp eyes locked onto Damon. "Are you getting trashed online?"

Damon’s lips curled into a smile. "Quite the opposite, Mr. Dawson." He leaned back, stretching an arm along the back of the couch. "Everyone loves us."

While Derek was busy questioning them, Hattie grabbed her phone to check the hot news. She clicked on the top trending post and nearly dropped her phone.

Her eyes widened in horror. "Dear Lord!"

Derek’s head snapped toward her. "What? What happened?"

Without saying a word, Hattie turned the screen toward him.

The first image that popped up was a crystal-clear shot of Charlotte and Damon kissing in his car.

Derek’s entire body tensed. His face filled with shock and rage as he turned his gaze toward Damon.

"Damon Sullivan!" His voice thundered through the house. "Were you forcing my daughter?!"

"No! He’s not forcing me at all!" Charlotte let out a tired sigh, wondering why her parents were acting like she was still in high school. "And for the record, I liked the kiss!"

Her parents froze, eyes wide in shock. It took Charlotte a second to process what she had just blurted out.

"I-I mean... I didn’t mind it," she quickly corrected herself, her face heating up. "I’m his mate, so... a kiss isn’t the only thing we—"

"Okay! Got it!" Hattie cut her off, waving a hand before Charlotte could traumatize them any further.

Derek cleared his throat, trying to steer the conversation back on track. "So, what’s the plan now? Are you going to clear things up?"

"No," Damon answered smoothly. "We’ll let the news run by itself. As long as most people are on Charlotte’s side, the company won’t say anything."

Sometimes, silence was the best strategy.

They could let the internet have its moment, let people speculate and talk. Then, once the buzz started dying down, they could hit them with something even bigger, the official announcement of their relationship.

Charlotte glanced at Damon, seeing the confidence in his expression. He had already thought everything through. All she had to do was trust him.

Hattie looked at Damon seriously. "Fine. But if this mess hurts her career, I expect you to take responsibility."

Damon smiled. "Don’t worry, Mrs. Dawson. Charlotte is my responsibility forever."

• •

After spending two days at her parents’ house, Charlotte finally had to say goodbye and return to Northbridge. She packed a few of her favorite plushies, including the big teddy bear, and took them home with her.

"We’ll see you again next week," Hattie said, pulling her into a warm embrace before gently running her fingers through Charlotte’s hair. "And remember, you can call us anytime if you need anything."

Charlotte smiled, feeling a comfort in her mother’s touch. "I will, Mom," she promised.

When the helicopter arrived, Charlotte gave her parents one last hug before leaving. Even though she had only been in Velmoria for two days, the warmth of home had made her feel so much better.

It was as if they were reminding her that no matter what happened, she always had a place to return to. And because of that, she felt ready to nail every emotionally exhausting scene she had to film as Lena.

"Are you sure you don’t want to take an extra day off?" Damon asked the next morning when Charlotte was getting ready to leave for the filming location.

Now that they had agreed to share a bedroom, mornings had taken on a new rhythm. But unlike usual, Charlotte had to leave before him because she had to shoot a scene of Lena sharing a moment with her daughter in the car before sunrise.

Damon leaned against the headboard, his sleepy eyes fixed on her as she sat in front of the mirror, carefully applying her skincare.

"No, I don’t want to mess up the shooting flow," she replied, "Besides, I’m feeling really good today, so I’m sure I’ll nail the scene."

When she turned around, she found Damon fighting to keep his eyes open, stubbornly trying to stay awake just to watch her before she left.

She chuckled, walking over to press a soft kiss to his forehead. "Go back to sleep."

It was rare to see him like this.

Damon was always the first to leave the bed after they had sex, so Charlotte had never really caught him looking this messy in the morning.

His dark hair was a mess, sticking up in all directions, and his voice sounded deeper and raspier than usual, sending shivers down her spine every time he spoke.

For heaven’s sake, how could someone look this hot first thing in the morning?