The Contract Said No Strings Attached (Charlotte) novel Chapter 267

Rebecca strode over and planted herself in front of Crystal, her gaze icy and unyielding. “Crystal, what exactly did you do to Grandpa? Why did he pass out after talking to you?”

Crystal jumped at Rebecca’s sudden approach. For a fleeting moment, panic flickered in her eyes—but she quickly regained her composure.

“Grandpa fainting has nothing to do with me,” she said, her tone dripping with denial. “It wasn’t my fault.”

Hearing this, Rebecca’s anger only intensified. “Still making excuses? You were the only one with him in the study—if it wasn’t you, then who? What did you say to him?”

Crystal averted her eyes, stubbornly insisting, “I didn’t say anything. He fainted because he wasn’t feeling well.”

“You’re lying!” Rebecca’s voice was cold and sharp. “How could you be so heartless? Grandpa has always treated you well, yet you do this to him? What are you really after?”

Crystal shot up from her seat, her eyes blazing as she let out a bitter laugh. “He treats me well? He knew I loved Dylan, but he still forced you to marry him. And you call that kindness?”

Rebecca froze, momentarily at a loss for words.

Crystal pressed on, her voice rising with accusation. “Rebecca, you’re the last person who gets to judge me! Everyone in this house sides with you. Just because I’m adopted and don’t have Thomson blood, I’m always the outsider. I get pushed around by everyone!”

Her words grew shrill, as if she were finally releasing all the resentment she’d bottled up for years.

Crystal’s anger surged again, convinced Rebecca was just putting on an act. “Oh, so you think marrying Dylan makes you some kind of saint? You have no idea how much I love him! If it weren’t for you and your foolish choices, I would’ve been with him long ago. You ruined everything for me!”

Rebecca’s patience was wearing thin. “Crystal, calm down. Dylan was never yours. Even if I wasn’t here, you still wouldn’t have married him. You can’t just hurt others to get what you want.”

But Crystal wouldn’t listen. She shouted, “I don’t care! Dylan belongs to me. I can’t live without him! If you want things to go back to how they were, give him back to me. Otherwise, stop pretending to be so righteous.”

She glared at Rebecca, voice trembling with fury. “And if you’re looking for someone to blame for Grandpa’s collapse, maybe you should look in the mirror. You brought all this chaos into our family. This is all your fault!”