The Contract Said No Strings Attached (Charlotte) novel Chapter 73

Dennis finished his careful report, then hesitated before saying, “Mr. Austin, honestly, those four boys… they’re just kids without a father. Any child would be hurt by those harsh words, let alone boys raised in the Thomson family. Of course they’d fight back if someone bullied them. Maybe we should just let this go?”

Dylan fell silent, his eyes distant and thoughtful. After a moment, he replied, “If that’s how it is, let them be. They’re just kids—what trouble could they really cause?”

He paused, his voice turning cold. “Besides, they’re Rebecca’s children. If anything does happen, their mother should be the one to deal with it.”

Dennis smiled, eager to agree. “You’re absolutely right, Mr. Austin.”

Just then, Dylan’s private phone rang, shattering the quiet in his office.

He glanced at the screen, and his eyes immediately chilled. He picked up, his voice icy. “Grandfather. What do you need?”

On the other end, Hugh Austin’s voice—stern and commanding—came through. “Dylan, I heard you and Rebecca registered your marriage. If that’s the case, she should be living at home with you, not abandoned out at Sunset Villa Estates! If Harold hears about this, how am I supposed to explain that his only beloved granddaughter has been left in the cold?”

Dylan’s face darkened. “I’ve already agreed to marry her, as you wished. Where she lives is my decision. Are you going to control that, too?”

“And if I insist?” The old man’s voice was sharp.

Dylan let out a cold laugh. “What I do with my wife is my business. If you’re just looking for something to fight about, then I’ll stop coming home altogether.”

Hugh’s voice shook with anger. “Are you threatening me now?”

“Threatening?” Dylan’s tone turned colder still. “I’m simply telling you—I’m responsible for my own life. I don’t need you interfering.”

The old man was furious. “Don’t forget, this marriage was arranged long ago. It’s not up to you to act so reckless!”

Dylan snorted. “Arranged? Sounds more like this was just your wishful thinking.”

He was so out of sorts that when he reported back to Jack, his tone was sharp and his face looked like he’d just swallowed a lemon.

Back at Sunset Villa Estates, Jack hung up the phone and just stood there, staring blankly into space, as if his soul had left his body.

He couldn’t wrap his head around it. The little troublemakers had staged a rebellion, and Mr. Austin… wasn’t going to do anything about it?

Jack had always thought he was Mr. Austin’s most trusted butler, his right-hand man. But now, not only was the boss not backing him up, he’d told Jack to look after those little hellions and make sure nothing happened to them.

At that moment, Jack felt utterly defeated.

Meanwhile, Rebecca, exhausted from a long day, took a short nap—completely unaware that chaos had erupted at home.

She stretched, yawned, and slipped into her slippers before padding downstairs.