Broken Bond: Claimed by My Ex-Husband's Alpha Billionaire Uncle-Chapter 123: Damon’s Pheromone Smells Weird

People were instantly filled with rage the moment Charlotte asked Aveline to drop the final bomb.

She told the public that Ronan had purposely built the orphanage, not to care for children, but to cover up the cruel malpractice that had led to their deaths.

Reporters rushed to the orphanage, hoping to uncover the truth. But by the time they arrived, the Nocturnal Order had already evacuated the remaining children.

All that was left was a crumbling building hiding horrors that would haunt anyone who saw them.

The bedrooms were heartbreaking—tiny, dirty spaces meant for twenty children at once. It wasn’t a home, but it was a cage.

Those kids had been treated like livestock. Fed just enough to survive, given a roof over their heads, but robbed of any warmth, affection, or dignity.

The whole place reeked. The floors were sticky. The walls were stained with dirt.

But the most terrifying part was the basement.

Police found rows of huge, rusted cages, seemingly to lock up children labeled as troublemakers.

And worse, there were rooms filled with strange tools, needles, and bloodstained walls, clearly used for experiments no child should ever face.

Charlotte couldn’t even bring herself to look through the documents. Her hands shook as she closed the file and handed it back to Damon.

"I can’t believe how evil this is," Diana muttered, gritting her teeth. "Only demons could do something this cruel."

Louis shook his head. "Even demons would be horrified. I don’t think they’d ever imagine another race capable of something like this."

"The Elder told me most of the kids were suffering from malnutrition and deep trauma," Damon said quietly. "Some of them can’t speak. Most flinch or run whenever someone tries to get close."

Charlotte scrolled through her phone, searching for something to ground herself. "At least the public’s on our side now." She tapped through the news headlines, reading the comments under each post. "They want Ronan out of parliament now. Some even want the police to throw him into the streets so the people can deal with him themselves."

Diana let out a small laugh. "Well, that does sound tempting."

After everything he had done, public justice seemed like the least he deserved.

"Where are the kids staying now?" Diana asked, turning to Damon.

"They’re temporarily staying at the Nocturnal Order’s headquarters," Damon said. "But the Elder is already building a brand-new care center just for them since they’re not ready to be around other kids yet."

He continued, "The new place will give them time to heal. When it’s ready, they’ll move there."

It wasn’t just for the kids’ safety. Their pain, Their trauma ... it could trigger or overwhelm the others in a regular care facility. Keeping them separate from a normal society wasn’t cruelty, it was protection for both parties.

"They’re building it in Northbridge City," Louis added. "It’s not too far from here. Once it’s done, we’ll even be able to see it from the top floors."

Charlotte was surprised when she heard that because she hadn’t known anything about it. She turned to Damon. "Wait—what? Why didn’t you tell me about this?"

"I’m sorry, sweetheart," Damon said, lowering his head with guilt. "I just haven’t had the chance to tell you. We’ve both been so busy lately. I promise I’ll explain everything later, alright?"

Charlotte let out a soft sigh, then nodded slowly. "It’s alright. I get it."

He had a point.

Between her final filming schedule and Damon handling all the promotions, the last few weeks had been chaotic.

They barely even saw each other anymore.

Damon hadn’t visited her set in days. He usually just sent food and supportive messages instead.

Whenever they finally did meet at home, they used the time to hold urgent meetings with the Crimson Moon Pack.

They hadn’t had a real moment to themselves in what felt like forever.

Maybe that’s why she had been a bit cranky since the beginning of the meeting.

Not because she was mad at Damon for holding the meeting, no, not at all.

She was just frustrated with how life had pushed them apart lately. How they barely had any time together anymore.

"All right, let’s move to the next topic," Damon said, his tone calm but firm. "Theodore, give me your report."

Charlotte leaned back in her chair, silently listening as the reports came one by one. She didn’t say a word, just kept nodding quietly.

But deep down, she was restless. She just wanted this meeting to be over so she could finally be alone with him. Just the two of them.

But something felt ... different.

She felt an intense pull inside her, like something was urging her to stay close to Damon.

Could it be because his pheromone had been smelling a little different lately?

Wait ... different?

Charlotte subtly sniffed the air, careful not to make it obvious. After a few seconds, she finally realized that his pheromone did smell much stronger than usual.

Ever since Damon had marked her, no one else could smell his pheromones, let alone be affected by them.

But Charlotte could. And right now, it was messing with her completely.

She shifted in her seat, uncomfortable and flushed, struggling to stay still.

"I guess that’s all for today," Damon said at last. "Let’s meet again in ...," he paused, as if calculating something in his head, "... two weeks."

Two weeks? Wasn’t that too long?

Even though Damon was always busy, he never skipped a weekly pack meeting. So this sudden gap felt ... strange.

However, when Charlotte glanced around the room, no one else seemed to find it unusual.

In fact, they were giving each other looks that felt ... how should Charlotte describe them? Full of meaning?

"Charlotte." Damon’s voice snapped her out of her thoughts. "Let’s head back."

Charlotte looked around once more and noticed Louis and Diana smiling at her, the kind of smiles that looked slightly ... off.

What the hell was going on here?

She finally stood and followed Damon out of the room, through the hallway of the main building.

She couldn’t hold it in anymore. "Why are you delaying the meeting for two weeks?" she asked, grabbing his arm to stop him. "Is your work that hectic? Or ... are you leaving for some business trip?"

Damon turned to face her. His gaze softened, and for a moment, he looked unsure.

Then, in a low voice, he said, "Charlotte, I ... I’ll be away from home for a while. Maybe a week. Maybe less. I’m not really sure."

Charlotte frowned. "What do you mean? You always know when you’re going home."

Damon let out a long breath, running a hand through his hair. "I’m not going away for a business trip."

He paused, then continued, "My rut cycle is coming soon."