Rural Belle & Three Heirs
Chapter 36 His Basketball Skills Are Lacking

Philip sighed, his hand still on his head. "If we played for another two hours, I'm sure he could knock me silly!"

Chloe burst out laughing at Philip's words. "His aim does suck," she said, trying to console him. "Don't be mad. He only hit you several times. Later, you can lead the guys and make his purse flat. Get him to buy us a membership card for that Japanese restaurant, and we'll eat there for a month."

Philip's eyes lit up at the thought. To get back at Grant for his earlier mischief, he rallied his basketball buddies, and they made a beeline for the expensive dining spot.

After a long day, Chloe dragged herself back to the Martin Mansion, utterly exhausted. She flopped onto the sofa, hugging her knees, and started to complain. In her hometown in the Northwest, she'd been known for her boundless energy; Nicholas had even affectionately called her a monkey, because she used to run every day without feeling tired. But since moving to Sovereign City a month ago, she hadn't exercised much, and today's basketball game had really taken a toll on her.

Michael, who had finished work early, noticed her state and sat down next to her, curious. "Chloe, what did Grant have you do today?"

"We played basketball," Chloe said, rubbing her aching waist.

As Michael learned about their basketball session, a look of surprise crossed his face. Given Grant's prowess on the court, Michael assumed Chloe must have struggled. He remembered the few times he had played with Grant himself, often replaceing his legs like jelly after just picking up the ball.

"Grant's pretty good at basketball, right?" Michael asked, expecting some praise for his brother's skills.

But instead, Chloe frowned, the furrow in her brow accentuating the mole on her face. "Honestly, besides his stamina, his skills are pretty bad," she complained. "His shooting is terrible he kept hitting one of my classmates. That boy whined a lot before I got back."

Chloe was bewildered by Grant's basketball performance. Every shot he took went astray, always ending up targeting Philip. It was almost comically bad.

Michael was stunned, unable to reconcile Chloe's account with his own experiences. He was about to ask her more when Grant, fresh from a shower and dressed in clean clothes, descended the stairs, towel in hand, drying his hair. He shot Michael a sharp look, and Michael immediately fell silent, sensing the tension.

"Sorry for my bad aim and hurting your friend," Grant said, his tone surprisingly sincere. "I got him a gift card for the restaurant as an apology. I'll practice more for next time."

Michael's eyes widened at this, clearly not expecting such an admission.

Considering that Grant had bought her bags and stood up for her today, Chloe decided to let it slide. She lazily got up from the sofa, dragging her tired legs, and said, "I'm gonna go take a shower. You guys chat."

As Chloe made her way upstairs, Michael approached Grant, clearly intrigued and lowered his voice. "Grant, what's the deal? You..."

Grant just chuckled. "What's the deal? My basketball skills suck now, and my aim's off after all these years."

Michael was left speechless. What was Grant up to?

After her shower, Chloe went back to her room to sort through the bags she'd bought today. She had so many that she had to call Mia for help.

Mia's eyes lit up at the sight of the expensive, beautiful bags. While helping Chloe organize, she couldn't help but gush, "Mr. Martin is so good to you, isn't he? These bags must've cost a fortune."

Chloe nodded, examining a new leather purse. "Yeah, they're pretty pricey. All the latest trends."

"He is really generous with you. I've worked for the Martin family for years, taking care of the three brothers, and Grant has never been this generous to any other girl," Mia remarked casually to Chloe, their familiarity evident. Chloe didn't take her words to heart. "Just a few bags? Is that considered generous?"

Mia explained, "Of course. He's got money, but he doesn't spend it frivolously. The fact that he bought you multiple bags today speaks volumes about his attitude."

Mia's words made Chloe pause. "Attitude? What attitude?" she asked, puzzled.

Seeing Chloe's clueless expression, Mia moved closer and playfully tapped Chloe's forehead. "What attitude? Obviously, he likes you, silly girl..."

Mia's words made Chloe's nerves suddenly tense. Thinking about Grant's behavior lately, she started to worry that Mia might be right. Could Grant really like her?

She thought about her looks and disposition, at least the ones she had shown him. She was not what people considered an attractive prospect-materialistic, unreasonable, uneducated, lacking grace, and with a tendency toward being a bit shrewish. If Grant liked her like this, his taste must be really bad.

Determined to make Grant and his brothers dislike her, Chloe knew she needed to replace a way out of the impending arranged marriage.

Seeing Chloe deep in thought, Mia smiled. "What's going on in that head of yours? Excited about Grant's crush?" she teased. Chloe blushed a bit and, in a fluster, grabbed a bag and shoved it into Mia's hands. "Go, go, get out of here. This bag is for you..." "Hey... Miss Davis... I..."