The Contract Said No Strings Attached (Charlotte) novel Chapter 47

“What?”

Someone paid to have her sold?

Crystal’s eyes flew wide with terror.

She watched, heart pounding, as the older man strode toward her. Panic prickled in her gut. She shrank back, taking several hurried steps to keep some distance between them.

“Who sold me to you?” she demanded.

The man stopped, leering at her with a disgusting smirk. “Does it really matter who? All that matters is how we’re going to spend tonight together.”

Crystal’s heart hammered in her chest. Fear rose like bile in her throat. Disgusted, she cursed the old creep under her breath.

He kept advancing, step by step, closing the gap between them. Crystal swallowed hard, nerves fraying with every inch he gained. She kept backing away until she bumped against the edge of a table.

“Stay back!” Her voice trembled. “Do you have any idea who I am? If you lay a finger on me tonight, you’ll regret it!”

The man either didn’t hear or simply didn’t care—he just kept coming.

“Who you are means nothing to me,” he sneered. “The person who sent you said I shouldn’t hold back. I get paid and I get to have fun with a beautiful woman—what could be better?”

With that, he lunged at her, unable to wait any longer.

Crystal shrieked.

In that split second, her eyes darted to the table—a coffee mug sat within reach, her only line of defense.

She sucked in a shaky breath, grabbed the mug, and, as the man lunged, smashed it down on his head with all her strength.

The mug shattered, shards flying. The man howled in pain, clutching his bleeding scalp as he dropped to his knees.

“God—damn it, that hurts!” he wailed.

Crystal staggered backward, stunned by how effective her blow had been.

She pushed her way to the front and froze.

There, in the middle of the stage, inside a cage, stood her so-called best friend—Emily. She was up for auction.

The crowd pressing around the cage was entirely men, each one shouting out his bid.

Emily wore nothing but a tiny bikini that barely covered her. Everything else was on display.

Crystal stood dumbstruck for a moment, then fury exploded in her eyes.

Unbelievable. While she’d almost been assaulted by a pervert upstairs, Emily was down here flaunting herself!

Crystal marched forward, ready to confront her. But before she could get close, Emily spotted her.

From inside the cage, Emily screamed, “Crystal! Crystal, help me! Please, get me out of here!”