The Contract Said No Strings Attached (Charlotte) novel Chapter 255

The woman smiled and took the mochi, saying, “Thank you, sweetheart.”

She took a bite, then looked at the boy. “By the way, my name is Joyce Gellar. What’s yours?”

“You can just call me Ethan,” he replied.

“Ethan?” Joyce let out a warm laugh. “Well, isn’t that something! We must be destined to meet. You can call me Aunt Joyce.”

Ethan giggled. “Aunt Joyce, you’re really pretty.”

Joyce grinned back. “And you, Ethan, are absolutely adorable.”

Ethan thought Aunt Joyce must be a good person. She was so gentle, spoke kindly, and even shared her snacks with him. He didn’t mind chatting with this lovely lady a bit longer.

Before long, the two of them were getting along like old friends.

When they’d grown comfortable, Ethan leaned in and whispered, “Aunt Joyce, actually, I came here today to stop a bad person.”

Joyce’s eyes lit with curiosity. “A bad person? What kind of bad person?”

Ethan’s face grew serious. “Someone who’s always bullying my mom. We can’t let her win, so we had to sneak in here and ruin her plans.”

Joyce was taken aback. She hadn’t expected such a young child to have so much courage—and such a strong sense of justice. To think he’d sneak into a charity event, just to protect his mother!

“Ethan, I think you’re very brave. But isn’t this a bit dangerous?”

Ethan shook his head, determined. “We’re not afraid. We’re brave knights, and my mom is our princess. It’s our job to protect her, no matter what.”

He patted his chest for emphasis. “Besides, I’m really smart. Even if something dangerous happens, I’ll figure it out.”

Joyce followed his gaze and frowned, recognizing the woman. Wasn’t that Crystal, the Thomson family’s adopted daughter?

She turned, looking back at Ethan. “She’s the bad person?”

Ethan nodded vigorously, then frowned again. “Wait, you know her?”

Joyce nodded. “Yeah, I know her. She’s been trying to launch a business lately, asking everyone in town for support. Honestly, I’m not very interested in her project.”

She remembered how Crystal had just tried to pitch her a partnership. She hadn’t been impressed.

Ethan’s brows knit together, his voice suddenly grave. “That’s good. Don’t get involved with her. I’m telling you, Aunt Joyce, she’s not a good person. She bullies people and spreads lies. You really can’t trust her.”

Joyce stared at Ethan, surprised. “Really?”