The Contract Said No Strings Attached (Charlotte) novel Chapter 196

Rebecca was at a loss for words. Her contract husband, Dylan, hadn’t even given her a ring—what was she supposed to do?

Just then, Ena strolled over and took Rebecca’s hand. “Raina, honestly, Mr. Russell’s a great guy. You should really consider giving him a chance.”

The other coworkers chimed in, egging her on. “Yeah, come on! He’s been after you for ages. Just say yes already!”

Rebecca frowned, exasperated. “Will you all stop it? I don’t have any feelings for Fitch, and I’m not going to agree to date him.”

A few of the women nearby scoffed, clearly unimpressed. They thought Raina was being pretentious—turning down a wealthy bachelor like Fitch. Who did she think she was holding out for, the king of England?

After the crowd lost interest and wandered off, only Ena lingered, genuinely confused. “But why? Fitch is rich, handsome, and totally smitten with you. Isn’t that every woman’s dream?”

Rebecca pinched the bridge of her nose, her tone growing sharper. “Ena, I told you—I’m married. I’m not interested in Fitch. Please just drop it.”

Sensing Rebecca’s irritation, Ena quickly raised her hands in surrender. “Okay, okay! I won’t say another word. Don’t be mad.”

Finally, the office quieted down. Rebecca sat at her desk and exhaled, relieved. She glanced at the mountain of flowers crowding her workspace—a gaudy display. With a sigh, she got up and tossed them all straight into the trash.

She’d been clear with Fitch: stop sending gifts. But he just didn’t get it. Typical rich boy—convinced a few bouquets and shiny presents could win any woman over. In their world, no woman was unattainable; if one said no, it just meant the gifts weren’t expensive enough.

Later that afternoon, another delivery arrived—a fancy gift box, the words GemLuxe Jewels stamped in gold across the top.

“Miss Raina, this is from Mr. Russell,” the delivery guy announced, practically beaming as he handed her the box.

His tone was icy. “Raina, stop getting involved with Fitch. The office is a place for work, not some romantic soap opera. Your situation is starting to affect the team.”

Already on edge, Rebecca’s frustration boiled over as she typed back at lightning speed: “Boss, which eye of yours saw me ‘getting involved’ with Fitch? He’s the one who won’t take no for an answer!”

Dylan’s reply was swift: “If that’s true, then reject him clearly. I expect you to handle this.”

That was it—Rebecca was done. She grabbed her phone and, not even bothering to type, hit the voice message button and snapped, “Excuse me, sir, isn’t he your friend? Why should I be the one to fix this? You know how persistent he is—so you deal with it!”

She hung up, slammed her phone on the desk, and let out a slow, furious breath.