The Contract Said No Strings Attached (Charlotte) novel Chapter 400

She’d only managed a single glance at Ethan’s video before slamming her laptop shut, unable to summon the courage to watch it again.

The mere thought of the children suffering was agony—her heart felt as if it were being ripped apart. Tears poured down her cheeks in a torrent, and Mrs. Thomson collapsed in sobs into Rebecca’s arms.

George was just as anxious, but he kept his composure. Forcing himself to stay calm, he said, “Darling, you need to breathe. I’ll start making calls to get the money together, but two billion is no small sum. Even for me, moving that much cash on short notice will take some time…”

Rebecca nodded, agreeing with him. “Dad’s right. The most important thing right now is to stay calm. Mom, we *will* get the kids back. But we can’t just sit here passively waiting for the kidnappers to call the shots.”

In her heart, Rebecca trusted the children. Noah was so clever—if anyone could find a way out, it was him.

But what bothered her now was the kidnappers themselves. Who were they, really? Why target the children? And why demand such an astronomical sum?

Suddenly, something clicked. She remembered there was something off about Ethan in that video.

No one knew Ethan better than she did; he was a little drama king, but no matter how good his performance, she could always spot his tells. There were always little cracks in his act.

She replayed the video, watching closely. Ethan was calling for help, crying—but not a single tear fell from his eyes.

Rebecca’s eyes narrowed. She watched again, and again. Finally, she was certain—Ethan was sending them a message: things weren’t as dire as they seemed.

Her panic eased, just a little.

There was a pause before the man replied, “Fine. As long as you do exactly as you’re told, no harm will come to the kids. But get the money ready—fast. And I’m warning you: don’t even think about calling the police. If I find out you’ve involved them, well… let’s just say you’ll regret it.”

Rebecca gritted her teeth. “Fine. Then tell me where you are.”

He snorted. “Not a chance. First, I want to see the money. I’ll send you a bank account. Once the funds are transferred, you’ll get the address.”

Rebecca’s brow furrowed. “No. What’s to stop you from taking the money and disappearing? How do we know you’ll hand the children over?”

He gave a low, mocking laugh. “Relax. I keep my word. The moment I see the cash, the kids go free.”