The Contract Said No Strings Attached (Charlotte) novel Chapter 175

It wasn’t until Mrs. Austin pulled down her mask that Jack finally recognized her.

“It’s me,” she said.

Jack snapped to attention. “Mrs. Austin…”

He felt a ripple of anxiety—why had Mrs. Austin come all the way out to Sunset Villa Estates today? Choosing his words carefully, he asked, “Ma’am, what brings you here?”

Mrs. Austin’s face was like a thundercloud. “Where’s Rebecca? I want to see her.”

Seeing her dark expression, Jack’s heart skipped a beat. He hurried to answer, “She’s upstairs. I’ll go get her right away.”

Mrs. Austin waved him off impatiently. “Go.”

Jack scurried inside, wondering what on earth Rebecca had done to set Mrs. Austin off this time.

Left alone on the porch, Mrs. Austin’s irritation only grew as a cacophony of honking drifted over from the backyard. She dug a finger into her ear and muttered under her breath, “What kind of madhouse is this, keeping all these noisy animals? It’s enough to drive anyone crazy.”

Meanwhile, upstairs, Rebecca was quietly reading when Jack’s urgent knock sounded at her door.

“Ma’am, Mrs. Austin is here. She wants to see you,” Jack called, his voice taut with nerves.

Rebecca was surprised—she had no idea why Mrs. Austin would visit unannounced, but she set her book aside and followed Jack downstairs.

In the next room, the four kids overheard the commotion. Ethan whispered, “Why is Grumpy Granny here?”

Noah, Aiden, and Evan all shook their heads, equally puzzled but sensing trouble in the air.

Noah thought for a moment. “Let’s sneak after them and see what she wants.”

Mrs. Austin clenched her jaw, words catching in her throat. At last, she shot a look at her bodyguard, who immediately stepped forward and handed Rebecca a small flyer.

Rebecca took it, glanced down, and realization dawned. She frowned and shook her head. “Mrs. Austin, I have no idea where this came from, but I had nothing to do with it.”

Mrs. Austin’s eyes blazed. “If it wasn’t you, then who? Don’t play innocent! You just can’t stand the thought of me finding a woman for Dylan to have a child with, so you’re spreading rumors to ruin my reputation. How can you be so vicious?”

Rebecca let out a cold laugh. “Mrs. Austin, accusations require proof. You’re blaming me without a shred of evidence—do you have any at all?”

Mrs. Austin faltered for a moment, but she wasn’t about to back down. “Don’t try to worm your way out of this, Rebecca. I know you’re involved, one way or another!”

Rebecca straightened her shoulders, meeting Mrs. Austin’s glare without flinching. “If you’re so sure it’s me, then show me the proof. Otherwise, what you’re doing is slander.”

Mrs. Austin’s face flushed, anger and humiliation warring across her features. She sputtered, “Oh, do I really need proof? Who else would stoop so low but you?”