The Contract Said No Strings Attached (Charlotte) novel Chapter 194

Dylan frowned and said, “Fitch, this is the office. Calm down.”

Fitch let out a sharp, incredulous laugh. “Calm down? How the hell am I supposed to calm down? You knew I’ve been looking for her all this time, and you just kept it from me! Dylan, seriously—are we even friends anymore? I mean, hiding your girlfriend is one thing, but this is next level!”

Dylan sighed, exasperated. “Fitch, it’s not what you think.”

Fitch scoffed. “Oh really? Then tell me, what am I supposed to think? I’ve been searching for that ‘angel’ for weeks, and all along she’s been right here with you. And you just decided to keep her to yourself? If that’s not hiding her away, I don’t know what is.”

Dylan’s expression twisted with hesitation. He was silent for a moment, struggling for words, before finally saying, “I was doing it for your own good.”

Fitch’s eyes went wide, his voice growing more urgent. “For my own good? Don’t give me that. Today, you’re going to explain everything—how, exactly, is this ‘for my own good’?”

Dylan let out a heavy breath. “To be honest, Jonas likes her too. And you haven’t exactly moved on. I know both of you—if there’s even the slightest chance you’d fight over Raina, it’ll just end in disaster. I don’t want to see you and Jonas fall out over a woman…”

But Fitch cut him off, waving a hand dismissively. “Stop. Don’t even bother with the excuses. Dylan, we’ve known each other for decades—we practically grew up joined at the hip. Don’t think I don’t know you.”

“All these years, you’ve never once cared about women. Hell, you can’t even tell them apart—you’re practically face-blind. But now, suddenly, you remember her name? Raina? Be honest with me: have you fallen for her?”

At this, Dylan’s face turned cold. He shook his head. “No. I haven’t.”

But Fitch clearly didn’t buy it.

A sly grin tugged at Fitch’s lips. “Dylan, I never knew you had it in you. Turns out you can be pretty sneaky.”

Dylan’s scowl deepened—Fitch was getting more and more ridiculous by the second.

“Fitch, have you lost your mind?”

“See? Now you’re getting defensive!” Fitch laughed even harder. “Come on, man, don’t be embarrassed. We’re brothers—I know exactly what’s going through your head. You always act like you’re above all this, but you’re thirty, Dylan. It’s normal to like someone for the first time and want to keep it to yourself. I get it. But there’s no need to keep secrets from me.”

He clapped Dylan on the back. “Honestly, you’re thinking too small. If you’d just told me sooner, I wouldn’t have competed with you at all.”