The Contract Said No Strings Attached (Charlotte) novel Chapter 111

Louis hurried over, lowering his voice to a frantic whisper. “Guys, you can’t just do whatever you want! This is way too dangerous!”

Noah barely glanced at him. “Mr. Louis, just let us handle this. We’ve got something important to do.”

Louis wrung his hands, his anxiety mounting. “If anything happens, how am I supposed to explain this to your mother?”

Ethan, already halfway up the garden wall, called down, “Louis, we’re all in this together now. If you dare tell anyone, we won’t let you join our games anymore!”

Louis’s eyes widened. “Games? You call this playing?”

This was no game—it was like playing with fire!

Evan lifted his chin, fixing Louis with a serious stare. “Louis, you should know what’s good for you. Stick with us and you’ll get your share of the perks. Otherwise... well, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

But before Evan could finish his threat, the ever-practical Louis had already made up his mind to take the safer path.

Aiden and Evan quickly scrambled up after Ethan, one by one slipping over the wall and dropping down into the backyard of the old mansion.

Left outside, Louis paced in agitation, stamping his feet but not daring to raise his voice.

The four little rascals landed, then darted into a shadowy corner together.

Noah’s eyes darted around, and he spotted a row of small potted trees nearby. “Let’s each grab a plant to hide behind. It’ll make us harder to spot.”

Without hesitation, each kid hugged a potted sapling, crouching low so their small bodies vanished behind the leafy cover.

Noah studied the map in his hand, then scanned their surroundings. He whispered, “Everyone, stay close and be careful. Follow my lead.”

The others nodded. Using the potted trees as makeshift shields, they shuffled forward in tiny, careful steps, inching toward the main house as quietly as possible.

Just then, two maids emerged from the house, deep in conversation.

The first maid hesitated, then nodded, half-convinced. “You’re probably right. I must be seeing things.”

“Come on, let’s not keep the ladies waiting. We still have to set the table,” the other maid urged.

With a final backward glance, the first maid picked up her things and started to walk away.

The four kids let out a collective sigh of relief, then resumed their slow, careful advance toward the main house, hidden behind their leafy shields.

But just as they relaxed, the suspicious maid turned back one more time—and caught sight of the potted plants sliding forward again. This time, she froze, her whole body trembling in fear.

She clutched her coworker’s arm, her voice quavering, “I—I—I…!” She was so frightened she could barely get the words out.

“What is it now?” her friend asked, losing patience with her nerves.

“I saw it again! The plant—it moved! It’s in a different spot now!” She pointed with a shaking finger, eyes wide with terror.