Rural Belle & Three Heirs
Chapter 29 You Can't Play the Leading Lady

Hearing Chloe call out, Michael quickly broke away from his heated conversation and rushed over to her. He shot a worried look at Karlie, who was sitting next to Chloe, and asked, "Everything okay?" "Mic, my coffee's gone cold. Can you grab me a hot one?"

Michael nodded, "Sure thing, but Karlie's right here. You could ask her too since your leg's not great."

Karlie, eager to impress Michael, chimed in with a smile, "Yeah, Chloe, if you need coffee, just ask me. No need to call Mic over."

Chloe smiled, feeling a bit embarrassed, "I don't know Miss Taylor well, so I prefer asking Mic."

Chloe had a point. Michael was one of her potential suitors, so asking him for a coffee wasn't a big deal.

"It's no problem at all. Even though this is our first meeting, I'm close with Mic, and we're about to star in this movie together. So, I consider myself part of the team." Karlie moved closer to Michael, trying to subtly hint at her relationship with him to Chloe.

On-screen romances often turned into real-life love stories, with many actors finding true love and eventually marrying because of their roles.

Michael, with his good looks and prestigious family background, was particularly desirable. Marrying him meant not only joining a wealthy family but also gaining significant influence in the world of fame.

"It's just acting, Miss Taylor. Don't get too into the role. Besides, I think your look and vibe don't quite fit the female lead of this movie. The second female lead's vibe, however, seems to match you more mature and scheming." Chloe wasn't just making stuff up. She had just looked at the movie script Michael gave her. The female lead in the script was a very innocent and pure character, which clashed with Karlie's mature appearance, potentially disconnecting the audience.

"Not suitable? Chloe, that's nonsense. You're just starting out and don't grasp the film industry." Karlie was a bit upset when she heard she wasn't suitable for the lead role.

Fearing she might lose the role she had secured, she straightforwardly claimed Chloe didn't understand movies.

Chloe didn't get angry. She picked up the script and glanced at it again, saying, "I may not be a film expert, but I know about investments. Mic, I overheard your conversation earlier. The total investment for this movie is still short by three hundred million dollars, right?"

Michael nodded. "Exactly. We could begin filming immediately if we had the full budget. The director is quite worried about it."

The Martin Family was wealthy, but their investment focus was not on the film industry.

Michael had saved some money from acting over the years, but his investments were scattered. Besides, he had already invested one hundred million dollars in this movie, and it wouldn't be appropriate to invest much more. "Mic, I think this movie is great. Tell the director that I'll invest the three hundred million dollars you're short of." Chloe didn't hesitate and directly expressed her intention.

The three hundred million dollars that had the director scratching his head was resolved with just a few words from her?

Even Karlie, who had seen big money in the entertainment industry, was shocked by Chloe. What kind of background did this plain-looking girl have? Three hundred million dollars was as easy as three dollars for her? "Chloe, are you really sure about investing? The director's gonna be over the moon," Michael said, excitement clear in his voice.

Chloe nodded. "Yep, I want to invest, but there's a catch. Miss Taylor can only play the second female lead. The director needs to find someone else for the lead role, someone with a completely different vibe from Miss Taylor." Michael was taken aback by Chloe's boldness.

As expected from the daughter of the Davis Family, she shut down any objections with just one sentence. While others spent fortunes to boost their stars, Chloe's $300 million investment came with a simple demand: switch the female lead to the second lead. No biggie.

Michael immediately called the director. Standing next to Chloe, Karlie didn't dare to challenge her anymore. Anyone who could drop $300 million like that was a force to be reckoned with, capable of squashing her without a second thought. Playing the second lead was way better than losing the role entirely.

Karlie got the hint. She picked up Chloe's coffee cup and said, "Miss Davis, I'll go heat your coffee." Seeing Karlie behave, Chloe smiled. She knew Karlie wasn't someone who would easily back down.

But as long as she didn't cause trouble, Chloe had no reason to make things difficult for her.

Karlie's target was Michael. Hopefully, she could use all her charm to make Michael fall for her. Then, Chloe wouldn't have to find excuses to tell Nicholas why she and Michael couldn't be together.

Chloe was thrilled today, not because she outdid Karlie, but because she realized she could succeed financially on her own. If her instincts were right, this movie would be a huge hit. What could be more satisfying than financial success? After discussing the script, it was already nine in the evening. Amid the director's endless compliments, Chloe signed the investment contract. When the $300 million funding clause appeared clearly in front of Karlie, she no longer thought Chloe was here to seek refuge with the Martin Family.

If she snagged a husband among the three Martin brothers, it would be a powerful alliance.

No wonder Louis insisted on making her his granddaughter-in-law. She was undoubtedly capable.

Some people were just born at the top of society.

After signing the contract, Chloe and Michael headed home together.

Michael, who usually didn't pay much attention to Chloe, started chatting non-stop as soon as they got in the car. Chloe was puzzled-after discussing the script all afternoon, wasn't he tired of talking? Enduring a chatterbox was sheer torture. Once they got home, Chloe went to her room to rest. The bruise on her leg, after a day's rest, started to feel painful.

She put on her pajamas and dragged her leg around the room, looking for the ointment the doctor had prescribed.

Due to her swollen leg, she struggled to bend down and apply the ointment correctly to her calf. After trying two or three times, she still couldn't do it.

Just as she was on the verge of quitting, the door swung open, revealing Grant's imposing figure standing before her.

Because she was bending over, her body inside the pajamas was faintly visible to Grant.