The Contract Said No Strings Attached (Charlotte) novel Chapter 361

Rebecca was just about to speak when Dennis suddenly pushed open the door and walked in.

He took in the tense scene with surprise. "What’s going on here?"

Jack and Emma, spotting Dennis like drowning people glimpsing a lifeboat, rushed forward to plead their case.

Emma spoke first, her voice aggrieved. "Dennis, thank goodness you’re here! Mrs. Austin just accused us of spreading rumors and threatened to fire us. We’re completely innocent!"

Jack nodded eagerly in agreement. "That’s right, Dennis. You should let Mr. Austin return and set things straight."

Emma added, "Exactly! Mrs. Austin did something behind Mr. Austin’s back, and now she won’t let us talk about it. We only spoke the truth, and she wants to punish us for it."

A few others in the room chimed in, echoing their complaints.

Dennis listened, quickly catching the underlying accusation. He looked at Rebecca, his brow furrowing in discomfort. He’d always thought of Mrs. Austin as elegant and untouchable, and had subconsciously placed her on a pedestal. The idea that she might be unfaithful to Mr. Austin unsettled him.

But Mr. Austin hardly had time to deal with such trivial matters, and that wasn’t the reason Dennis was here.

He cleared his throat, scanning the staff. "Who’s Ann?"

The room went silent, everyone exchanging confused glances. Ann, completely at a loss, stepped forward. "That’s me."

Dennis’s tone grew cold. "Ann, you’re fired. Please gather your things and leave immediately."

His words hit Ann like a sledgehammer. Stunned, she stammered, "Why? What did I do?"

Fortunately for them, Dennis didn’t press the issue further. Instead, he turned to Rebecca. "Mrs. Austin, my business here is done. I’ll leave the rest to you."

Dennis turned and was about to leave when, suddenly, four little ones stepped forward. "Wait, Mr. Dennis!"

He paused, glancing back at them, a smile softening his face. "Yes, young masters? Is there something else?"

No matter what Mrs. Austin might have done, the children were innocent. Dennis had always been fond of them, and his tone reflected it.

Noah stepped forward, his expression serious. "You’re just going to leave without clearing my mom’s name? Is that really how my dad told you to handle things?"