The Contract Said No Strings Attached (Charlotte) novel Chapter 26

Rebecca followed her grandfather into the study.

The room was filled with the faint scent of old parchment and ink, lined wall to wall with ancient volumes that lent the space an air of solemnity and mystery.

Her grandfather wheeled himself over to the window, stopping where sunlight filtered through the cracks in the curtains, illuminating the deep lines etched into his weathered face.

“Close the door,” he said, turning with a calm but unmistakably firm tone.

Rebecca quietly shut the door behind her and stepped forward, her brow furrowed and a flicker of stubbornness in her eyes. “Grandpa, I don’t want to get married.”

Her grandfather replied with unhurried certainty. “I would never do anything to harm you. The man I’ve chosen for you is the best you could hope for.”

“But, Grandpa…” Rebecca started to protest, but he raised a hand, silencing her.

“Let me finish,” he said, his voice both gentle and commanding. “I’m getting old. I don’t know how much time I have left, but my only wish is to see you married while I’m still here.”

Rebecca frowned. “Don’t say that, Grandpa. You’ll be around for a long time. You’ll live to be a hundred, I know it.”

He gave her a wry smile. “Oh, my silly girl. Life’s unpredictable. None of us knows what tomorrow will bring. All I want is to see you find your own happiness. It’s my only wish—can you grant it?”

“I…”

Rebecca hesitated, clearly torn.

Her grandfather looked at her with a trace of helplessness in his eyes. He understood why she resisted the idea, but what could he do? After all, Father Benedict had told him that it was Rebecca’s destiny to marry Dylan, that their fates were perfectly matched.

Rebecca looked up at him, confusion clouding her face. “Grandpa, why does it have to be Dylan?”

He smiled, as if the answer was obvious. “I asked Father Benedict for guidance. He said you and Dylan are meant to be together—soulmates, destined for each other!”

Rebecca couldn’t help but feel disappointed. Was her entire future being handed over just because of something a priest said?

“Enough!” he barked, his voice suddenly booming.

Rebecca flinched. He had never raised his voice at her before, but she refused to be cowed. She knew this might be her only chance to fight for herself—if she gave in now, she’d be married off to the Austins without a say.

He glared at her, his expression steely. “You can refuse, but you have to think of the entire Thomson family. Look at all of Wye—who can match the Austins? Dylan is young, ambitious, and has built an unrivaled business empire for his family. An alliance with them would guarantee the Thomson family’s prosperity for generations.”

“That’s why you can’t back out. This marriage isn’t just about you; it’s about the future of everyone in the Thomson family.”

Rebecca’s chest tightened. This was the first time she’d seen her grandfather so unwavering, so unwilling to leave room for negotiation.

He pressed on. “Rebecca, you may have grown up away from home, but you’re still a Thomson. You carry our blood, and you’re the only daughter in the family. It’s your duty to secure this alliance. If even one of your four brothers had been a girl, it wouldn’t have come to you.”

Rebecca bit her lip, a wave of bitterness rising inside her.

With everything laid out so plainly, she didn’t have the heart to argue any further.