Broken Bond: Claimed by My Ex-Husband's Alpha Billionaire Uncle
Chapter 119: The Calm Fight

Chapter 119: The Calm Fight

That night, Charlotte played Monopoly with Haven and the others. Laughter filled the room as they chatted and shared stories about their day.

Everything felt light and normal until Diana came home with a tense expression on her face.

Charlotte assumed something had gone wrong during Diana’s patrol, and that she had come back early to talk to Damon.

But what she didn’t expect was for Diana to walk straight over to her and slam her phone down on the table.

"Was this your doing, Charlotte?" Diana asked, skipping any kind of greeting.

Charlotte glanced down at the screen. Her eyes immediately caught the bold, capitalized headline: ’The Governor of Suncreast Abused His Wife, Leading Her to Be Hospitalized in a Mental Institution.’

Just below that, in clear font, was the reporter’s name: Aveline Morgan.

Charlotte hadn’t expected Aveline to write and release the news this quickly.

"This article ..." Diana pointed at the screen. "... it’s way too detailed. There’s no way a reporter could’ve known all of this unless someone from us gave them the information. So tell me, Charlotte, was it you?"

Charlotte lifted her face, remaining calm even though her heart was racing. "Yes," she admitted. "I told the reporter about Priscilla. What’s so wrong about that?"

Diana’s eyes widened in disbelief. "You’re seriously asking what’s wrong?" Her voice rose an octave. "We all agreed that this matter would remain a secret for a while! Couldn’t you have waited at least a few more weeks?!"

Mona stepped in gently. "Diana, calm down. Sit down before we talk this through."

But instead of calming down, Diana’s anger only grew. "How can I calm down when someone breaks her promise like it means nothing?!"

Charlotte understood Diana wasn’t usually like this. But lately, she’d been overwhelmed and overworked, exhausted from constant patrols, barely sleeping.

It made it hard for her to think straight, and she was snapping at everything.

"What’s the point of keeping it a secret for so long?" Charlotte finally stood up, facing her directly. "This is our chance to bring Ronan down. He’s still walking free, protected by power and privilege."

She took a deep breath. "This ... this is the least we can do. And if we can’t fix it on our own, then let the world help us."

Her voice was calm, but it carried a strong and powerful conviction.

Diana swallowed hard, breathing deeply before speaking again. "But couldn’t you at least think about my mother? She’s still healing. Would it have been so hard to wait until she was ready to face this?"

Unlike her usual self, Charlotte didn’t show any sympathy on her face. She stood there with a cold expression, as if she no longer cared about anyone else.

"It’s not my responsibility to heal someone else’s trauma," Charlotte said. "I’ve given Priscilla enough sympathy all this time. So I think ... it’s time I let go of those feelings and stand up for myself."

Charlotte didn’t even blink as she met Diana’s sharp glare.

Charlotte had already lost too much—her pride, her time, and even her child—because of Julian.

Diana clenched her jaw, her hands curled into fists at her sides. Her anger didn’t disappear, but her voice lost some of its sharpness.

"You could’ve just talked to me first," she muttered, her eyes burning with emotion. "You didn’t have to make that decision alone."

Charlotte didn’t look away. "Would you have let me?"

Diana didn’t answer. She couldn’t. Because deep down, they both knew the truth that she would’ve said no.

"I’m not trying to be the enemy here," Charlotte said more gently now. "But I’ve stayed silent for too long. And silence is what lets people like Ronan get away with everything."

Diana turned away, pacing a few steps before stopping again. She ran a hand through her hair, frustrated tears stinging her eyes. "I’m not mad because you were wrong," she admitted, her voice cracking. "I’m mad because you were right. And I hate that it took someone else to do what I couldn’t."

Ever since Diana found out that her sister had been abused by her own husband, she couldn’t help but blame herself for never checking on her directly.

Because of that guilt, her judgment started to blur.

She knew that Priscilla had done many terrible things to Charlotte, but at the same time, her guilt had softened her heart, making her believe that Priscilla only did those things because she was forced to.

Charlotte’s expression softened just slightly. "Then don’t hate me for it."

"I don’t," Diana whispered. "I just ... I’m tired. Tired of everything. Of pretending things are okay when they’re not. I feel like I have to protect everyone, even when I’m breaking inside."

Diana always looked tough on the outside, but the truth was, she was just as fragile as anyone else.

She wanted comfort too, but she was too afraid to admit it.

Because if she appeared weak, then no one would be there to protect her mother and she would still have to stay strong for her sister.

"I know," Charlotte replied softly. "That’s why I did it. So you wouldn’t have to carry any more guilt for your sister."

Diana quickly wiped her eyes, brushing away the tears before anyone else could see. "I still think it was too soon."

"Maybe," Charlotte said. "But it was already too late for her. And I didn’t want it to be too late for the others who might come next."

Diana looked at her for a long moment, torn between anger and reluctant understanding. Her voice was crack when she finally said, "You should’ve told me."

Charlotte nodded. "I know. And I’m sorry I didn’t."

No one would have expected that Charlotte could calm Diana’s anger that quickly.

Even Mona was surprised—after all, Diana was known for having a fiery temper, and once she got angry, it was nearly impossible to bring her back down.

Mona glanced between the two of them, still a little stunned. "Wow," she finally muttered. "Did that really just happen? Charlotte ... you just did the impossible."

She honestly wasn’t sure whether they had just had a full-blown fight or some kind of intense heart-to-heart conversation

Diana scoffed at Mona, rubbing the back of her neck. "Stop teasing me like that," she grumbled. Then she let out a tired sigh. "I’ve just been a bit tense these days."

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