Rural Belle & Three Heirs
Chapter 46 He is the Wild Boar

Seeing Chloe's excitement about the plan, Karlie finally felt a wave of relief. "So, we're teaming up?" she asked, testing the waters.

"Yep, we're in this together," Chloe replied, exuding confidence.

Karlie's face lit up, and she raised her glass to toast with Chloe.

Chloe was always looking out for number one. In this deal, it was clear Karlie stood to gain more, so Chloe needed to keep the upper hand and control the situation.

After their toast, Chloe laid it out, "Karlie, if this works out, awesome. But if it flops and Michael finds out, it could spell trouble for me."

Karlie, quick on the uptake, got the hint. "Miss Davis, I get it. You're taking a risk for me, and I won't forget it. From now on, we're friends. If you ever need help with investments or anything else, I'm here for you, as long as it doesn't cross my line."

Chloe smiled. Karlie's rep had been on the rise, and her future looked bright. If Chloe ever dipped her toes into the film industry, Karlie could be a valuable ally.

They quickly friended each other on Facebook and started chatting, catching Michael's attention. He was baffled how were they getting along so well?

Logically, Karlie had a thing for him, and Chloe had a shot at being his wife. When these two were together, it should be a mess, right? But the plot was taking a different turn. Michael, glass in hand, strolled over to them and asked, "What are you two talking about?"

Karlie glanced at Chloe, who quickly replied, "Oh, just a plan to catch wild boars."

Karlie was momentarily stunned, then laughed. Chloe was definitely intriguing.

Michael seemed fascinated-people were always drawn to the mysterious. He sat down, curious, and asked, "You two are catching wild boars? And you have a plan?" Chloe and Karlie nodded in unison, with Karlie struggling to keep a straight face.

"Yep, wild boars are tough. Without a plan, we wouldn't stand a chance," Chloe said seriously.

Michael's interest piqued. "Tell me about your plan. If it's good, we might even turn it into a show."

Chloe improvised, "First, we figure out what it likes, then set some bait, dig a trap, and let the wild boar fall in on its own. After that, we just sit back and enjoy the rewards."

The northwest was a vast, sparsely populated area, full of mountains and forests where hunters lived. When Chloe was a kid, she visited relatives in the mountains with Nicholas and saw hunters catching wild boars. She used that memory to fool Michael.

Little did he know, he was the wild boar Chloe and Karlie were planning to trap.

The party was going to run late, but Chloe had school the next day. So, around nine, she asked Michael's driver to take her back to the Martin Mansion.

When she arrived, the house was quiet, and it seemed like Liam hadn't come back yet.

Chloe headed upstairs, planning to shower and hit the sack. Mia stopped her and said, "Grant's back."

"Really? He's home? No social events tonight?" Chloe was curious.

Grant was a workaholic, always in meetings or entertaining guests, and usually had evening plans. When he did come home early, he'd sit in the living room like the head of the family and call them all over for a chat.

It was odd that he wasn't in the living room tonight.

Mia explained, "He seems to have had a lot to drink and is in a bad mood. He went straight to his room, and we didn't dare disturb him."

"Oh, if you guys don't dare, then I won't either," Chloe said, grabbing her backpack and heading to her room.

Mia quickly stopped her and handed her a glass of honey lemon water. "Miss Davis, please take this to him. I've already prepared it." "I'm not going," Chloe said firmly.

"Miss Davis, please. He cares about you, and you are living in the Martin Mansion," Mia reminded her.

Chloe thought about it and realized Mia was right. Plus, Grant was a decent guy. Compared to Liam and Michael's hostility, he was much friendlier. Chloe took the glass of honey lemon water. Just as she was about to head to Grant's room, she suddenly heard a muffled groan of pain coming from his direction. Both Mia and Chloe were startled.

Chloe handed the honey lemon water back to Mia and quickly rushed to Grant's room. The groans of pain grew louder, confirming they were coming from Grant. She tried to open the door but found it locked. Without thinking, Chloe kicked the door open with surprising strength.

As the door swung open, she saw Grant curled up on the floor, trembling. His face was drenched in sweat, and he looked as pale as a ghost.

Seeing Chloe kick the door open, he forced a weak smile at her. But the next moment, the pain made him curl up again.

"Grantie, what's wrong?" Chloe rushed to him, worried. Her emotions were all over the place.

Grant, gritting his teeth, murmured, "It hurts... it hurts so much..."