The Contract Said No Strings Attached (Charlotte) novel Chapter 418

He hadn’t expected the maid to be so utterly lacking in compassion—laughing, even, when someone else’s child was in danger.

Emma trembled with fear.

Mr. Hugh Austin’s disappointment was palpable. One look at this housemaid and he could tell her character was questionable. He couldn’t fathom what Mrs. Austin was thinking, keeping someone of such dubious morals in their home.

His tone was icy as he continued, “You work here—how did you find out the little master was kidnapped?”

Emma didn’t dare lie. Her voice shook as she answered, “Everyone in Sunset Villa Estates knows by now. There’s... there’s a video of the kidnapping.”

“Where’s the video?” Mr. Austin’s voice was cold as steel.

With trembling hands, Emma fished her phone out of her pocket. “It’s... it’s here.”

She tapped on the video file, her fingers barely steady. She had no idea what Mr. Austin would do once he saw it.

The moment he looked at the screen, Mr. Austin’s expression darkened further.

A kidnapping was a serious matter, but these staff members were treating it like gossip, passing the video around as if it were nothing. If word got out, it would tarnish the entire Austin family’s reputation.

Fury rose in his chest, but he forced himself to keep it in check as he watched the video on Emma’s phone.

A little boy’s cherubic face filled the screen—tear-streaked, his small features twisted in fear.

“Grandpa, Grandma, Mom... we’ve been kidnapped,” the boy sobbed in the video. “The kidnappers want two hundred million... Please, hurry and bring the money to save us...”

As the video ended, a sharp, stinging pain gripped Mr. Austin’s heart.

Mr. Austin’s hand shook as he pointed at the video. “Look at those eyes, that nose, and that mouth... He’s the spitting image of Dylan!”

Emma scoffed, rolling her eyes. “Sir, you must be confused. Maybe there’s a slight resemblance, but that’s just coincidence. The young master only got married recently—how could he possibly have a son that age?”

She didn’t believe for a second that these four little troublemakers had any connection to Mr. Austin.

Jack nudged Emma sharply, signaling her to keep quiet. Reluctantly, she snapped her mouth shut.

Mr. Austin slowly set the phone down, his gaze distant and pensive.

Something about this situation felt off. Why did this boy look so much like Dylan had as a child?

He made up his mind right then—he was going to get to the bottom of this. He needed to find out the truth about this child’s identity.