The Contract Said No Strings Attached (Charlotte) novel Chapter 346

Crystal choked on her words, a flash of embarrassment crossing her face, but she quickly regained her composure. Turning to the side, she said, “Sorry, I’m not here for you. I’m actually looking for my Samuel.”

Her gaze settled on Samuel, making it clear to everyone that she was claiming a special connection to him.

Joyce frowned slightly, puzzled. “Samuel?” she echoed, her eyes darting between Samuel and Crystal, surprise written all over her face.

It suddenly struck her—she’d never actually asked Raina what Samuel’s last name was. If he was Crystal’s Samuel, did that mean he was one of the Thomsons? And if so, who exactly was Raina?

Curiosity flickered in Joyce’s eyes as she glanced over at Raina, for the first time feeling uncertain about this woman’s true identity.

Rebecca, however, had no intention of clearing things up just yet. Instead, she looked to Crystal and asked, “Is there something you need?”

Crystal replied with a breezy smile, “Oh, nothing important. I just happened to run into you and thought I’d join your table—if you don’t mind, of course?”

Before anyone else could answer, Ethan—always quick on the draw—stepped protectively in front of his mom, hands on his hips, chin tipped up. “Sorry, but our table’s already full. There aren’t any seats left.”

Getting shut down by a little kid made Crystal’s expression darken, a flicker of anger in her eyes, though she didn’t dare make a scene with Joyce and everyone else watching. She had an image to maintain.

Emily, however, wasn’t bothered in the least by losing face. Clinging to hope, she chimed in, “It’s fine, sweetheart! We can squeeze in, or maybe just pull up a couple more chairs. We all know each other, right? The more, the merrier!”

Her eagerness to get close to Samuel was obvious. Emily didn’t care about looking desperate as long as she got to stay.

Ethan just rolled his eyes, clearly not about to give them the chance to stick around. “We’re really not that close. And tonight’s Aunt Joyce’s treat—if you join us, she’s the one who’ll be getting the short end of the stick.”

Emily’s smile faltered, embarrassment creeping onto her face.

Before she could say more, Samuel spoke up, his voice cold. “I did. Is there a problem?”

Crystal froze, words caught in her throat.

Ethan puffed out his chest. “That’s right, Uncle Samuel taught me. Are you saying Uncle Samuel is rude?”

Crystal’s bravado crumbled under Samuel’s icy stare. “I… I didn’t mean it like that.”

Sensing things were going south, Emily tugged gently on Crystal’s sleeve. “Let’s just go, Crystal. They clearly don’t want us here, so we shouldn’t force it.”

Her voice carried a hint of resignation and disappointment. She’d hoped to use this dinner as a chance to get closer to Samuel, but instead, she’d been shot down—especially by two kids who didn’t bother hiding their disdain. It was humiliating, but she knew that pressing further would only make things worse. Sometimes, retreat was the only sensible option.