The Contract Said No Strings Attached (Charlotte) novel Chapter 426

The kids glanced nervously over their shoulders, but saw nothing out of the ordinary.

“Louis, are you seeing things?” Ethan asked.

Louis scratched his head, looking uncertain. “I don’t think so. Maybe it’s just Darcy’s gang again?”

Ethan just shrugged it off. “What are you worried about? We’ve got a whole team of security following us now. Nothing’s going to happen. And if Darcy really shows up, maybe it’s time he sees what we’re made of.”

Louis glanced out at the convoy of black SUVs trailing them and finally relaxed.

The four kids went right back to chatting and playing in the car, completely undisturbed by Louis’s worries.

Meanwhile, the old man had followed them all the way to Sunset Villa Estates.

It was a beautiful neighborhood, serene and elegant—a perfect place to live.

He didn’t pull up close, though. Instead, he had the driver stop the car at a distance.

Through the window, his eyes locked onto those four small figures, a rare gentleness flickering in his gaze.

If only those children were Dylan’s, he thought wistfully. If Dylan had settled down sooner, his own kids would be about their age by now.

Just thinking of his stubborn grandson made the old man’s chest tighten with frustration.

“Sir, should we go in?” the driver asked quietly.

The old man shook his head. “Not yet. Let’s wait. We don’t know the whole situation, and I don’t want to act rashly.”

If he was wrong, it would just make the disappointment worse.

On the way back, the old man pulled out his phone and called Dylan directly.

“She’s healthy enough, and the Austin family paid her well. I doubt she’d end up homeless.”

“Even if she wouldn’t, it’s still sad, isn’t it? You’re just like Rebecca, so cold-hearted—don’t you have any compassion at all?”

Dylan didn’t bother arguing. He hardly ever came home these days and figured it was unlikely he’d run into Emma much anyway.

“Mom, let’s talk about Emma later. Why does Grandpa want to see me?” Dylan changed the subject. He wasn’t about to get dragged into this again—he was far more curious about his grandfather’s rare, serious summons.

Mrs. Austin shook her head. “I have no idea. You’d better ask him yourself.”

She honestly didn’t know what the old man was up to, but she was just happy to have Dylan under the same roof again.

Dylan nodded and headed toward his grandfather’s study.

But just as he reached the hallway, Mrs. Austin stopped him. “Oh, Dylan, there’s something else I need to tell you.”