Rural Belle & Three Heirs
Chapter 73 Robbing Grant

Grant heard Chloe sobbing on the other end, and a chill ran down his spine. Chloe was crying? Who the hell messed with her? "Chloe, don't cry. It's just a few paintings. Tell me what happened," Grant said, grabbing his coat and heading out the door.

"Grantie, the paintings you sent were stolen," Chloe replied.

"What?" Grant was stunned. Did he hear that right? In Sovereign City, his paintings got stolen? What a joke!

"Who took them?" he asked.

"A guy named Herbert. Big, burly, and he brought a bunch of people to threaten me," Chloe said, still sobbing. Her cries tugged at Grant's heart. Grant was pissed. Stealing his paintings was one thing, but threatening Chloe, who was supposed to marry into the Martin Family, was crossing the line. "Didn't you tell him those were my paintings?" Grant asked.

Chloe glanced at Brian and the others, then exaggerated, "I did, but Herbert said he specifically wanted to steal your paintings."

Brian wiped the sweat off his forehead. Just from Chloe's words, he could imagine Herbert's future. The Gibson family couldn't compete with Herbert, but if Grant got involved, crushing Herbert would be a piece of cake. Grant's face darkened. This was the dumbest thing he'd heard in Sovereign City.

Chloe, sensing she needed to push further, added, "Grantie, did you piss someone off? Why did Herbert specifically target your paintings? It's my fault for being too scared to confront him. Grantie, are you mad at me? If you are, you can hit me. Or, I'll go find Herbert right now and get the paintings back, no matter what!"

Chloe's words calmed Grant down. He took a deep breath and said, "Alright, Chloe, I got this. Don't worry, it's not your fault. Just stay safe. Send me your address, and I'll come by."

After talking to Chloe for a bit, Grant hung up. A few minutes later, he called his assistant, Stanley.

Stanley approached Grant respectfully, "Mr. Martin, what can I do for you?"

"The paintings I lent Chloe for the exhibition were stolen by some guy named Herbert," Grant said calmly.

Stanley was shocked. "What? Someone stole your paintings?"

Grant replied, "Yeah, and he said he specifically wanted to steal my stuff. Go handle it and find out when I ever pissed him off."

"Yes, sir," Stanley responded quickly.

Having worked with Grant for a long time, Stanley knew his boss's temper and personality inside out. The calmer Grant seemed, the angrier he actually was. Anyone dumb enough to steal from Grant was in for a world of hurt. Stanley was about to leave when Grant called him back.

"Wait, that bastard also threatened Chloe. She must be pretty shaken up. Make sure to handle that too," Grant said, his voice calm but with a clear edge that Stanley recognized all too well. "Yes, Mr. Martin."

Stanley noticed a slight shift in Grant's demeanor. This was the first time he'd seen Grant stand up for a woman.

Sensing Stanley's curiosity, Grant added, "Don't read too much into it. I just see Chloe as a sister since she's Nicholas's granddaughter."

Grant's words were clearly a cover-up. Stanley scratched his head, giving a knowing nod, then turned to handle the situation.

Back with Chloe, everyone was on edge, knowing Grant would make Herbert pay and get the stolen paintings back. But if Grant found out Chloe was using him to target Herbert, she might be in trouble too.

As Chloe's best friend, Zara was worried. "Chloe, isn't this a bit risky? If Mr. Martin finds out you exaggerated, won't he be mad?"

Brian chimed in, "Yeah, Mr. Martin has a bad temper. If he finds out Herbert never said he specifically wanted to steal his paintings, he might not let you off easy."

Brenda also looked serious. "Exactly. I haven't dealt with Mr. Martin much, but I know he hates being used."

Their words made Tony a bit nervous. He looked at Chloe worriedly and said, "Chloe, maybe you should call Mr. Martin again and tell him you exaggerated? I think he'll forgive you."

Everyone's chatter annoyed Chloe. "Don't panic. What are you all so scared of? Even if he finds out I used him a bit, so what?"

Zara was speechless. "What if he gets mad?"

Chloe pouted and said, "Whatever. At worst, he'll send me back to my hometown in the Northwest. Then, the marriage with the Martin Family will be off. Honestly, I kind of hope Grant sends me back home. That way, my grandpa won't have anything to say."

Chloe's words were truly provocative. With the Martin Family's wealth and status, and their three outstanding sons, any woman would want to marry into such a prestigious family. But to Chloe, none of this mattered. She really didn't realize how lucky she was.

Chloe said, "Alright, everyone, stop standing around. Let's go downstairs and see what else Herbert damaged. We might as well make him pay for it."