The Contract Said No Strings Attached (Charlotte) novel Chapter 29

“No way!”

Mrs. Austin burst into the room, her voice sharp and shrill. “I won’t allow it!”

Dylan turned, startled to see both his parents rushing in behind her.

Jacob Austin tried to grab his wife’s arm, gently pulling her back toward the door, but Mrs. Austin shook him off and marched forward, her emotions running high.

“That girl from the Thomson family—everyone knows she’s already been used and tossed aside, she’s got a whole litter of kids, four of them! And now you want my Dylan to play the fool and take them all in? Absolutely not.”

Jacob sighed, his voice tinged with resignation. “It’s not that simple. This marriage was arranged years ago, and the Thomsons have done our family a huge favor in the past. We can’t just turn our backs on them now.”

But Mrs. Austin would have none of it. She was only thinking of her son.

“I don’t care about old favors. Even if it makes us look ungrateful, I will not let my son be some woman’s scapegoat! If this gets out, what will people say about the Austins?”

She shot a pleading look at the family patriarch. “Dad, why don’t you just reject the Thomsons’ proposal?”

Mr. Hugh Austin’s face darkened immediately. He glared at Mrs. Austin, his voice thundering. “Who are you to reject anything? You think you can just call the shots in this house?”

The old man’s fury made Mrs. Austin flinch, but she stood her ground. “The Thomsons have a girl named Crystal, don’t they? If we really have no choice, let Dylan marry Crystal instead. That’s still better than marrying Rebecca!”

Hugh Austin’s anger flared. “Are you out of your mind? Crystal isn’t even Mr. Harold Thomson’s real granddaughter—she’s adopted. If Rebecca hadn’t been found and brought back, there wouldn’t even be a marriage to discuss!”

Mrs. Austin, shaken, turned desperately to her husband. “Jacob, say something, will you? Are you really just going to watch your own son get thrown into this mess?”

He paused, the room silent as everyone waited to see what he’d say next.

“I’ll go through with the marriage,” Dylan said at last, “but I have conditions.”

Hugh Austin raised an eyebrow. He knew his grandson never surrendered so easily. “Go on.”

“I want the marriage kept secret. And before anything happens, I want a three-year contract drawn up.”

The old man shook his head immediately. “Out of the question! You want the Thomsons to put a gun to my head a second time?”

Dylan’s gaze was cold, his tone calm and resolute. “No problem. I’ll talk to Rebecca myself.”