The Contract Said No Strings Attached (Charlotte) novel Chapter 212

Without giving Rebecca a chance to say anything more, Evan grabbed the nearest security guard’s hand and dashed off.

By the time Rebecca realized what was happening and tried to call him back, he was already out of earshot. Thankfully, the guard went with him, so she wasn’t too worried about his safety—but concern still gnawed at her as the minutes ticked by. She kept glancing anxiously in the direction Evan had disappeared.

The other three little ones quickly picked up on their mom’s unease.

Ethan tried to comfort her. “Don’t worry, Mom. Evan’s really smart—he’ll be back before you know it.”

Aiden nodded in agreement. “Yeah, Mom, Evan never gets lost.”

Noah, ever the calm one, chimed in, “He’s wearing his smartwatch with the GPS. I can check and see exactly where he is.”

As he spoke, Noah pulled out his kid’s watch and tapped at the location tracker.

Rebecca leaned in to look. To her surprise, the little icon showed Evan right on the stage.

She looked up, and sure enough, there was her Evan, standing at the front of the stage—right next to Michael.

At that moment, Michael stepped forward to address the crowd. “Let’s give a warm round of applause for our musical prodigy, Evan Thomson. Welcome, Evan!”

A flash of white light swept across the stage, and out strutted Evan—looking every bit the rockstar in his cool little punk outfit, guitar slung across his back.

Rebecca gasped, clapping a hand over her mouth. She never expected Evan to show up on stage, let alone to perform with Michael.

The audience erupted in cheers and applause, the energy in the hall skyrocketing with this unexpected surprise.

Evan’s clear, melodious voice blended seamlessly with Michael’s, the two of them singing together with perfect harmony.

Ethan grinned up at his mom. “Evan said he wanted to surprise you—he hopes you’ll be happy every day.”

Rebecca reached over and tapped Ethan’s nose. “Well, you little rascal, you knew all along and kept it from me!”

Noah asked, “So, Mom, were you surprised?”

Sensing Crystal’s uncertainty, Emily pressed on cautiously. “Crystal, do you think something’s off too?”

Crystal snapped, “What’s there to be off about? Don’t be ridiculous. Dylan would never have anything to do with her. It’s impossible!”

Emily frowned, unconvinced.

Crystal continued, her voice biting. “So what if they look similar? It’s just a coincidence. All these years have passed. God knows who Rebecca hooked up with—there’s no way those brats are Dylan’s kids.”

Seeing how insistent Crystal was, Emily could only nod. “You’re right. I’ve heard Dylan’s never shown the slightest interest in women. All these years, not a single woman has caught his eye…”

“Enough. Keep your mouth shut for once.” Crystal cut her off irritably.

Emily clamped her lips together, not daring to say another word.

But deep down, Crystal couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling, as if a cat’s claws were scratching at her heart. Try as she might, Emily’s words had left a splinter she couldn’t ignore.