The Contract Said No Strings Attached (Charlotte) novel Chapter 183

At Sunset Villa Estates, Rebecca sat quietly after Dennis left, her mind circling back to Mrs. Austin. She hadn’t done anything wrong—so why was Mrs. Austin so convinced she was the culprit?

Before Rebecca could puzzle it out further, her four little ones came bounding over, calling, “Mommy, tell us a story!”

Rebecca pushed her worries aside and ran a gentle hand over their heads. “Alright, let’s go.”

She led them into the bedroom, where the four kids snuggled up on the bed, two on each side, listening intently. Every so often, someone would interrupt with a question, their eyes wide with curiosity.

When Rebecca reached the part about a brave knight who defeated a dragon to rescue a princess, Ethan suddenly lifted his head. “Mommy, why did the knight rescue the princess? Wasn’t he scared of the dragon?”

Rebecca laughed softly, ruffling Ethan’s hair. “Because the knight had a courageous heart. He wanted to protect the princess, so he wasn’t afraid of the dragon anymore.”

Ethan declared, “Then I want to be a brave knight too. I’ll protect you, Mommy, and fight off Grumpy Granny!”

Rebecca looked puzzled. “Grumpy Granny?”

Before she could ask, Aiden chimed in, “Mommy, why did the princess get caught by the dragon?”

Rebecca thought for a moment. “Maybe the princess accidentally wandered into the dragon’s lair. It just goes to show we have to be careful when we go out—don’t go places that could be dangerous.”

Evan blinked his big eyes and said, “Mommy, we’re not afraid of danger. We’ll all be brave knights when we grow up!”

Meanwhile, Mrs. Austin, settled into her new place, learned about the online abuse. She was shaking with anger, her face flushed scarlet. “Why is my luck so terrible? How can people accuse me of something I didn’t do?”

She fumed for a moment, then muttered, “I wonder if Dylan’s handling things on his end?”

The butler tried to reassure her. “Ma’am, the young master will take care of it. Please don’t worry.”

But Mrs. Austin snapped, “Those things they’re saying are awful! I can’t show my face anywhere now!”

Watching Mrs. Austin rant and rave, Jacob felt his own irritation mounting.