**Damage Control**

The air was thick with tension as Travis and Mark faced off on the sidewalk. Charlie could feel the weight of their conversation bearing down on her, like a physical presence that was hard to shake. She hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to do next. Travis's eyes flicked to hers, and for a moment, Charlie thought she saw a flash of uncertainty there. But then, his expression hardened, and he turned back to Mark. "I'm not going to cut ties with Charlie," he said, his voice firm. "Not because of some tabloid gossip." Mark's expression turned skeptical. "You're not thinking about the bigger picture here, Travis. This is about your career, your reputation. You can't afford to have your name splashed across the front pages of every tabloid in the country, linked to some...some unknown woman." Charlie felt a surge of anger at Mark's words. Unknown woman? That was her, Charlie, the girl Travis had been spending the day with. She opened her mouth to speak, but Travis beat her to it. "Charlie is not just some unknown woman," he said, his voice cold. "She's the person I've chosen to spend my time with. And I'm not going to let you or anyone else dictate who I can and can't see." Mark's expression turned glacial. "Fine," he said. "But you're going to have to do some damage control, Travis. And fast. I'll send over a team to help you manage the situation." With that, he turned and got back into the SUV, leaving Travis and Charlie standing alone on the sidewalk. Travis turned to Charlie, his eyes searching hers. "I'm sorry about that," he said. "I didn't mean to drag you into this." Charlie shook her head. "You didn't," she said. "I chose to stay." Travis's expression softened, and he reached out to take her hand. "Thank you," he said. "That means a lot to me." As they stood there, holding hands, Charlie felt a sense of trepidation. What exactly had she gotten herself into? And how was she going to navigate the complex world of Travis's celebrity status? The sound of Travis's phone buzzing again broke the silence. He glanced at the screen, his expression darkening. "What is it?" Charlie asked. "It's my agent," Travis said. "I think I need to take this." As he stepped aside to take the call, Charlie couldn't help but wonder what other secrets Travis was hiding, and what lay ahead for them both. The city lights twinkled around them, casting a magical glow over the scene. But Charlie couldn't shake the feeling that she was walking into a storm, and that Travis's world was about to get a lot more complicated.