Rural Belle & Three Heirs
Chapter 63 Real or Fake?

Grant was in top shape, not too bulky or too skinny, standing tall at almost 6'3". His physique was a testament to his dedication to fitness. Thanks to his regular workouts, his muscles were well-defined, especially his abs, which looked rock solid. Chloe couldn't help but imagine how strong his waist must be. With a waist like that, strong and powerful, he wouldn't tire, even if they indulged in passion throughout the night.

Chloe felt an urge to reach out and touch his waist muscles.

Just then, Grant, who had his back to Chloe, suddenly turned around. Chloe quickly averted her gaze, but Grant still caught a glimpse of her admiration.

Grant set down his dumbbells and greeted Chloe casually. "Up early, huh?"

Chloe brushed her hair back, trying to hide her embarrassment. "Yeah, I have plans with a friend."

Grant asked, a bit curious, "A friend? Guy or girl?"

Chloe cleared her throat at his question.

Grant quickly added, "Don't get the wrong idea. I'm not trying to control you. It's just, since you're staying here, I want to make sure you're safe."

She had to admit, Grant had a valid point.

Chloe couldn't bring herself to look directly at his tempting upper body. She lowered her gaze and said shyly, "I'm going out with Zara, the girl who came over the other day. She'll be here soon to pick me up." Hearing that Chloe was going out with Zara, Grant seemed to relax a bit. He thought for a moment and said, "It's good to hang out with friends, but stay safe. If anything comes up, call me right away." Grant was playing the protective brother role. He was good at hiding his feelings. Chloe couldn't see any sign of awkwardness from their unexpected encounter the night before. Chloe nodded, "Okay."

She grabbed her bag and quickly left. Once she was a safe distance from Grant, she let out a long sigh of relief.

She prided herself on having strong self-control around attractive guys, but why did her heart race uncontrollably when she saw Grant's bare upper body? Could she be falling for Grant? No way. After Chloe left, Michael, who had an early shoot, came downstairs. As he did, Grant walked back into the living room, still shirtless.

Michael noticed a bruise on Grant's back. "Grant, what's up with your back?" he asked, pointing at the bruise.

Grant cleared his throat and shrugged it off. "It's nothing, just a minor bump."

He wasn't about to tell Michael that the bruise was from Chloe pushing him to the edge of the pool the night before.

Grant headed upstairs, and Michael, after getting ready, left the house.

Zara picked up Chloe, with Tony already in the car, and the three of them set off.

Tony let Chloe know that the Gibson family was throwing an event in Sovereign City today and they wanted her to come along. The big deal was that Tony's parents were eager to meet Chloe, who had been a huge help to their family. Without Chloe's recommendation to the Davis Group execs, the Gibsons wouldn't have landed those lucrative deals.

As Zara drove, she vented to Chloe about her chats with Liam. "Chloe, that Liam guy is so annoying. Why does he talk so much? Ever since you logged into your alternate account on my Facebook, he's been blowing up my messages. It's driving me nuts."

Zara was a bit exasperated. She thought it would be a quick chat, but Liam turned out to be a chatterbox.

Chloe told Zara, "If he's bugging you, just ignore him."

Zara sighed, "He sends ten messages, and I reply to one. Sometimes, he sends twenty, and I don't even reply. Chloe, I think your Liam has a crush on you, his icon in biking."

Zara's words almost made Chloe jump out of her seat. She quickly denied it, "Zara, don't say that. What do you mean 'my Liam'? He's not mine. Besides, you're the one chatting with him now. In his mind, you're his idol. If he's in love, it's with you, not me."

Chloe's denial was so quick, like Liam was something gross she needed to get away from.

Hearing Chloe say that Liam had fallen for her, Zara also hurried to distance herself. "No way, I don't want him to fall for me. My favorite guy is Michael. By the way, Chloe, didn't you say you'd introduce me to Michael? When's that happening?" Their conversation left Tony a bit puzzled. He scratched his head, confused. On the bike, Liam was so cool and handsome, but in front of Chloe and Zara, he seemed so worthless? If he were ever into men, he'd definitely be trying to get with Liam.

Soon, they arrived at the venue for the Gibson family's event.

As a rising star in Sovereign City's business world, the Gibson family had invested a lot to boost their profile. It wasn't until they got there that Chloe realized it was an art exhibition.

Tony's dad, Brian Gibson, was a man with a deep appreciation for traditional culture. He knew what the elite liked, and a high-end art exhibition would definitely bring in more business.

After parking the car, the three of them headed straight to the exhibition. Before coming, Chloe had told Zara and Tony not to make a big deal about her identity. After all, she was still a student, and the Davis Family's business didn't need her to be the face of it.

Because of this, Chloe had time to wander around the exhibition.

As a design student, she had seen a lot and had her own opinions about some paintings. But with so many famous paintings in the world, real and fake, she couldn't always tell them apart.

Walking alongside Tony, Chloe pointed to a painting of a vast grassland and asked him, "Tony, is this painting real or fake?"