Broken Bond: Claimed by My Ex-Husband's Alpha Billionaire Uncle-Chapter 136: When Disappointment Turns Into a Dream

Then, not long after, Charlotte suddenly heard one of the crew members calling her name from across the set. "Charlotte! You got a package from Mr. Sullivan!"

Charlotte froze the moment she heard Damon’s name. For a second, her heart skipped a beat. She had been so sure that if Damon wanted to give her something special, he would show up and hand it to her himself.

Well ... maybe he was just too busy today, so he couldn’t stop by the set.

Even so, she couldn’t help but hope that when she stepped outside to collect her package, Damon would be there waiting for her. But when she looked around, he was nowhere to be found.

"So he really didn’t come ..." she whispered softly, the words slipping out before she could stop them.

Isolde, who had been standing by her side, gently tried to comfort her. "Mr. Sullivan is probably swamped right now. But hey, why don’t we look at the bright side?" She went over to the deliveryman, signed the receipt, and turned back with a smile. "Look, Charlotte! Aren’t these flowers just gorgeous?"

Charlotte lifted her eyes and gasped. In front of her was an enormous bouquet of roses, so big it looked like it held hundreds of blooms.

The roses came in different shades, and tiny crystals sparkled between the stems, catching the light beautifully. Compared to all the bouquets she had received that day, this one was by far the largest and most breathtaking.

But still ... she couldn’t shake off the disappointment that Damon hadn’t been the one to bring the bouquet to her personally.

Maybe she was asking for too much.

After all, he had sent her something beautiful, thoughtful, and far grander than anything she had received before. That alone should have been enough to make her happy.

And yet, deep inside, she longed for something simple like his presence, his smile, the warmth of his hand as he handed the flowers to her himself.

She let out a quiet sigh and reluctantly accepted the bouquet from Isolde, quietly scolding herself for being childish just because Damon couldn’t come in person.

"Charlotte, let’s take pictures again!" one of the crew members suddenly called out.

Charlotte gave a small shake of her head, pushing away all the heavy thoughts clouding her mind. Then, with a bright smile, she jogged over to the group of crew members who were already gathering for another round of photos.

That day, they ended up taking so many pictures that the cameraman eventually groaned, saying the memory card was almost full because of them. When the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in warm colors, the producer, Diego West, surprised everyone by inviting them to have dinner together at a luxury restaurant.

The crew, who rarely ever had the chance to step into such a fancy place, immediately burst into cheers, their faces glowing with excitement. For them, it felt like a once-in-a-lifetime treat.

"This is actually Mr. Sullivan’s treat for us," Diego whispered to Charlotte. "He told me to let everyone order whatever they want tonight."

Charlotte only chuckled in response and nodded her head.

Once again, she knew she should be happy because Damon had gone out of his way to do something for her. Yet, there was still that strange, nagging feeling in her chest—a little pettiness she couldn’t shake—because he still hadn’t shown his face in front of her.

Was his work really so much more important than her?

Oh, god ... what was she even thinking?

Charlotte never thought she could be the kind of woman who sulked over something so small, or maybe ... maybe she had always been this way.

Back when she was married to Julian, she never dared to complain, let alone sulk. She knew the price she’d pay if she did. One question too many, and his hand would come down on her. One look of displeasure, and she’d be left with bruises to hide the next day.

Even when Julian came home in the middle of the night or didn’t bother to show up for her birthday at all, she forced herself to stay silent. Because she knew if she spoke up, the only gift she’d get would be pain. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

But with Damon ... she didn’t need to hide all of her feelings. She didn’t need to fear his anger or his fists. Deep down, she knew that even if she pouted or nagged, Damon would never hurt her.

Maybe that was why she sometimes ended up pouting or sulking at Damon whenever he did something she didn’t like. But ... was that really bad behavior? She told herself she needed to be careful, to control it, because what if one day he grew tired of her?

Would he, though?

Deep down, Charlotte didn’t really believe Damon would ever leave her just because she nagged a little or sulked now and then. After all, she had never pushed him into doing something he didn’t want, and Damon ... he had never once made her feel like her feelings were too much.

But still ... she knew she had to control her emotions.

Unfortunately, talking about it was much easier than actually doing it.

By the time everyone else had left the restaurant, a small knot of disappointment still sat heavy in her chest because Damon really hadn’t shown up on her special day.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, Isolde suddenly leaned closer and said, "I’m sorry, Charlotte, but the driver said one of the tires went flat. He probably has to take the car to the repair shop first. Would you mind waiting a little longer? I’ve already called another driver to pick you up."

Charlotte breathed out a long sigh, though she quickly masked it with a gentle smile. She lifted her hand and waved at the others as they headed off, trying not to let the loneliness creeping in show on her face. "Yeah, I don’t mind," she told Isolde softly.

Charlotte waited a little longer, standing quietly outside the restaurant with the bouquet of roses still in her arms. The night air was cool, and the streetlamps cast a soft glow across the pavement.

Every car that passed made her lift her head for a second, only to sigh when it wasn’t her driver or even better Damon.

Just as she was about to convince herself not to expect anything anymore, a sleek black car pulled up in front of her. The door opened, and her breath caught the moment Damon stepped out.

He looked tired, as if he had rushed straight from work, but his eyes searched for her immediately, and when they landed on her, his whole face softened.

"Charlotte," he called gently, walking toward her with quick strides.

For a heartbeat, Charlotte froze. Part of her wanted to stay upset, to remind him that he hadn’t been there earlier. But the rest of her, the part that longed for him, simply felt relief wash over her.

"So ... you are my new driver?" Charlotte chuckled a little, and couldn’t help herself to smile widely. She then turned toward Isolde, whispering, "Do you know about this?"

Isolde quickly looked away, and that small gesture alone was enough for Charlotte to realize she had been conspiring with Damon all along.

"Did you wait too long, sweetheart?" Damon asked with a warm smile, the kind of smile that melted away every trace of fatigue and irritation Charlotte had been holding in her heart.

She bit the inside of her lip, her voice soft as she replied, "Not really." Then, unable to stop herself, she asked, "Did you just come from work?"

Damon nodded. "I did," he admitted after a short pause. "I rushed to finish everything as fast as I could because ..." Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out two cruise tickets and flashed a boyish grin. "... I wanted to take you somewhere special."

Charlotte blinked, staring at the tickets in disbelief. For a moment, she forgot how to breathe. "A cruise?" she whispered, her eyes widening. "You’re asking me to go on a cruise?"

Damon chuckled at her reaction and slipped the tickets into her hand. "Not just any cruise. It leaves tomorrow morning, and I’ve already cleared my schedule. Your suitcase and all of your things are already packed in the trunk. We can head straight to the port right now."

Charlotte’s mouth fell open. "Wait ... what? You already packed my things?"

Damon’s smile widened, his gray eyes sparkling with mischief. "Of course. Did you really think I’d let you waste time packing when we could be watching the sunrise on the deck instead?"

He leaned closer, lowering his voice as if sharing a secret. "If you need anything else, we can buy it along the way. Now, come on, we have to leave."

Charlotte was still in a daze, barely able to process what was happening, when Damon gently tugged her hand and led her toward the car. Her steps felt light, almost dreamlike, as if she were floating instead of walking.

She turned her head and caught Isolde’s gaze. Her bodyguard gave her a playful wave, her smile full of meaning, as though she had known about Damon’s plan all along.

"Have fun, Charlotte!" Isolde called out.