The Contract Said No Strings Attached (Charlotte) novel Chapter 48

Crystal froze mid-step, her instincts screaming that something was very wrong.

“Crystal, help me! Please, get me out of here—I only ended up like this because of you…” Emily’s desperate, pleading voice carried from the center of the stage.

Crystal stiffened, staring at Emily, who was trapped inside an iron cage. Emily’s face was streaked with tears, her eyes red and swollen, making her look utterly pitiful.

“Crystal, please, take me away. I can’t stay here any longer…” Emily’s voice grew weaker with every word, finally trailing off into silence.

Panic set off alarm bells in Crystal’s mind.

Had their plan failed?

Conflicted, Crystal knew that if she rushed up to rescue Emily now, she’d only get herself dragged into the mess as well. But if she did nothing, guilt gnawed at her. After all, wasn’t it all Emily’s fault tonight? Why should she take the fall?

There was no way she’d let herself get dragged down with Emily.

Besides, the whole fiasco was Emily’s doing, not hers. If she stepped in now, she’d be walking right into a trap.

Suddenly, everything became clear. Crystal spun around, feigning ignorance, and bolted for the exit.

Emily’s eyes widened in disbelief as she watched Crystal abandon her. “Crystal! Crystal, you can’t just leave me here—please!”

Just then, an older man in the crowd offered ten grand for Emily, and the crowd erupted in cheers that drowned out her cries.

Emily was so furious she could barely breathe. Only ten thousand? Was that all she was worth?

Meanwhile, Rebecca found the bar’s little “event” increasingly dull. She was ready to leave—and ever since she’d glimpsed a small figure earlier, she couldn’t shake the suspicion that it might’ve been Noah. A vague unease lingered.

“Bella, let’s head back. There’s nothing interesting about these men’s games,” Rebecca said, her voice tinged with exhaustion.

Isabella was still engrossed in the spectacle. At Rebecca’s words, she suddenly exclaimed, “Wait, that person—wasn’t that Crystal?”

Rebecca followed Isabella’s gaze and spotted a familiar figure dashing out of the bar. Sure enough, it was her little sister, Crystal.

He turned to Emily. “She’s yours for the night.”

The entire bar exploded in raucous laughter and cheers.

“Holy hell, are these two a couple? And both girls, at that!” someone shouted. The crowd ogled them, their gazes full of curiosity and surprise.

Emily gaped at Crystal, then broke into a shaky smile. “Crystal, thank you—I thought I was done for. I thought I’d…”

Crystal shot her a warning glare, cutting her off. Grabbing Emily’s hand, she whisked her out of the bar.

Once they were safely outside, Emily finally said, “Don’t worry, Crystal. I won’t say a word about what happened tonight.”

She was well aware that Crystal had come back for her only out of fear that she might expose her secrets.

Crystal just grunted. “Lay low for a while. Don’t go out unless you have to, and definitely don’t let them catch you. If you get into trouble again, I won’t be able to help.”