The Contract Said No Strings Attached (Charlotte) novel Chapter 264

Her mind was a tangled mess of conflicting emotions. On one hand, she couldn’t let Dylan find out who she really was; on the other, the last thing she wanted was for him to mistake Michael as her boyfriend.

While she stood frozen in her thoughts, Dylan had already made up his mind.

He looked up and instructed the driver, “Pull over at the next corner.”

The car slid to a stop just as they reached the intersection.

And just like that, Rebecca found herself left on the curb, watching as the car sped away, its taillights vanishing in the night.

She let out a resigned sigh.

Pulling out her phone, she ordered a cab to take her home.

When she finally got back, Rebecca quietly pushed open the front door, intending to find Ethan and ask him about tonight—she needed to know why he’d shown up at that place.

But when she peeked into his room, she found Ethan already fast asleep in his little bed. He was curled up under the soft comforter, looking as sweet and peaceful as could be.

Rosy cheeks, long lashes casting gentle shadows on his face, his breathing slow and even—he looked like he was lost in the middle of a wonderful dream.

The other three kids had all dozed off too.

Rebecca stood by the doorway for a moment, watching them sleep so soundly. She couldn’t bring herself to wake any of them.

After a while, she quietly slipped out of the room, gently pulling the door closed behind her.

Little did she know, the second she left, all four kids opened their eyes.

Ethan sat up, patting his chest, still a little shaken. “That was close. Do you think Mom noticed anything?”

Their expressions were a mix of nerves and determination, standing straight and tall as if preparing for a formal inspection.

Noah, always the responsible one, spoke first. “Mom, it was my idea. I took my brothers with me.”

Ethan hurried to confess too. “It was my suggestion. I wanted to help Mom.”

Aiden stepped forward, puffing out his chest. “Me too, Mom. I was part of it.”

Not to be left out, Evan chimed in loudly, “Me too, Mom! We all went together.”

Rebecca looked at her four little ones. She couldn’t help but laugh and sigh at the same time. She’d meant to ask Ethan what really happened last night, but now that all four had come clean, she found she couldn’t even muster the energy to be mad.

She sat up in bed, tousled their hair affectionately, and let out a gentle sigh. “You four really know how to keep me on my toes. I love you, but you sure know how to test my patience.”