The Contract Said No Strings Attached (Charlotte) novel Chapter 349

As soon as Crystal stepped out of the restaurant, her phone buzzed with an incoming call.

The moment she glanced at the screen, her face tightened with anxiety.

Clutching her phone, she hurried away from the entrance to answer in private.

A harsh voice came through the line. “Crystal, when are you going to pay me back my money?”

Her grip tightened. Debt collector. She swallowed hard and stammered, “Don’t rush me, I’ll get it to you as soon as I can!”

The voice on the other end was merciless. “My patience is running thin. If I don’t see my money in a week, don’t blame me for what happens next.”

“I—I promise, I’ll have it all together within a week…” she blurted, then hung up, her hands shaking.

Emily, noticing Crystal’s pale and flustered expression, walked over. “Crystal, who was that on the phone?”

Crystal’s eyes darted away. Forcing a calm facade, she replied, “Oh, it’s nothing.”

But Emily wasn’t buying it. She eyed Crystal’s nervousness and pressed, “Crystal, are you hiding something from me?”

Crystal shook her head, refusing to meet Emily’s gaze. “No. Don’t let your imagination run wild.”

The last thing she wanted was for Emily to find out she was deep in debt and unable to pay it back. Crystal couldn’t bear the thought of being looked down on, and besides, Emily was flat broke herself—what help could she possibly offer?

As Crystal stewed in her frustration, Emily just kept chattering beside her. “Crystal, are you not getting along with your brothers or something? I get that William and Michael don’t listen to you, but even Samuel didn’t try to keep you around for dinner?”

Stung, Crystal snapped, “Who said I’m not close with them? I’ve always been their favorite sister. Things just changed when Rebecca showed up, that’s all!”

In Crystal’s mind, she was supposed to be the Thomson family’s little princess—her brothers should be doting on her. But ever since Rebecca arrived, everything felt different. Her brothers’ attention was slowly slipping away, and Rebecca was at the center of it all.

Crystal shot her a glare. “Who cares about dinner? I said I’m not eating!”

Emily jumped, backing away. “Okay, okay, don’t be mad, I’m leaving…”

Knowing Crystal was in a foul mood, she didn’t dare argue. She slunk off, shoulders hunched.

Once Emily was out of sight, Crystal took a long breath, trying to steady herself. But all she could see in her mind was Rebecca’s smug smile, and her brothers’ cold indifference. If it weren’t for Rebecca meddling, she’d have gotten the money she needed long ago.

This was all Rebecca’s fault.

Suddenly, an idea sparked in Crystal’s mind. If push came to shove, she could go to Dylan. If she managed to squeeze some money out of him and sabotage his relationship with Rebecca at the same time, that would be perfect.

But first, she needed a plan. She had to find a way to drag Rebecca’s name through the mud.