Rural Belle & Three Heirs

Chloe was deep in conversation with Philip, completely unaware that she was about to be accused of something she didn't do.

While Philip and Chloe were talking, Rena sat at her desk, lost in thought. Ever since they returned from Oceancrest City, Rena had been in this state.

As her best friend, Chloe asked Philip about Rena. "Hey, Philip, what's up with Rena these past few days? She seems really down."

Philip nodded. "Yeah, I've noticed she's been really low. I even asked her to play basketball after school yesterday, but she didn't come."

Philip was puzzled. He had no idea why his good friend Rena was acting this way.

"I'll go ask her what's going on." Chloe stood up and went to talk to Rena. Unlike their usual candid conversations, Rena seemed particularly cautious today.

Instead of directly asking Rena what was wrong, Chloe invited her to dinner.

"Rena, are you free tonight? I've been craving some Southwestern food. Want to join me?"

Rena initially wanted to agree, but after thinking for a moment, she declined. "Sorry, Chloe, I have something to do tonight. Maybe another time?"

Rena's refusal took Chloe by surprise. As far as she knew, Rena didn't have many friends. Apart from being close to Philip and herself, they were the few she interacted with.

'She even refused a simple dinner invitation from me?' Chloe wondered internally.

It seemed that Rena was definitely hiding something. Chloe pondered this, noting that Rena's actions were somewhat out of character.

Although her heart was filled with doubt and curiosity, Chloe maintained her composure. She smiled and nodded, saying, "Alright, let's do it another day then." Chloe's face still held a warm smile, but her inner doubts deepened. She knew that Rena's refusal wasn't without reason; perhaps Rena had a difficult problem that she couldn't easily share. Out of respect for her friend, Chloe decided not to press the issue for now, choosing to wait for a more appropriate time to unravel the mystery.

After school, Rena quickly gathered her things and left. She hailed a cab as soon as she exited the school gates.

Philip and Chloe also left the school shortly after. They flagged down a cab and followed Rena's taxi.

In the cab, Philip asked Chloe quietly, "Chloe, do you think following Rena will help?"

"Of course it will," Chloe replied. "Rena's been acting strange lately. As her best friends,

we need to know what she's up to. Trust me, this will work."

"Sir, keep close to that cab. Don't lose it." She said to the driver.

The taxi driver sped up, following Rena's cab closely.

After about ten minutes, Rena's cab stopped in front of a hospital. She got out, bought some things from a nearby store, and headed to the hospital's inpatient department.

Chloe and Philip followed her carefully.

"Philip, why is Rena at the hospital? Is she sick?" Chloe asked.

Philip scratched his head, thinking. "Oh, right. She mentioned a while ago that her mom was seriously ill and needed a lot of money for surgery. She and her dad have been trying to gather the funds."

"Gathering funds?" Chloe was taken aback. She and Rena were close friends, and Chloe was never short of money. Why hadn't Rena asked her for help?

Was Rena afraid Chloe wouldn't lend her the money? Or did she not consider Chloe a true friend?

With these questions swirling in her mind, Chloe and Philip followed Rena upstairs. After spending some time in a hospital room, Rena came out and stood in the hallway, seemingly waiting for someone. Soon, a man wrapped up in a coat appeared in front of her.

Chloe immediately recognized the man as Michael. He and Rena were dating, so it made sense for him to visit Rena's mom in the hospital.

Chloe and Philip hid, watching them.

Michael and Rena didn't notice them. They stood at the end of the hallway, talking.

Michael said to Rena, "Since you're with me, you need to fulfill our agreement. I'll cover

all your mom's surgery costs, but you have to do your part too."

"Mr. Martin, I understand," Rena replied, her head down, looking both upset and resigned.

After talking for a while, Rena left the hospital with Michael.

Philip and Chloe watched them leave, starting to piece things together.

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Philip scratched his head and cursed Michael. "Chloe, is Michael out of his mind? He's taking advantage of Rena's situation! Her mom is sick, and he made her sign some contract? What's his deal?noveldrama

I thought he was this upstanding celebrity, always donating to charity and all. But he's actually this despicable?

You live at the Martin Mansion and see him often. Do you know what's going on?" Philip's barrage of questions left Chloe at a loss. She did live at the Martin Mansion, but since their trip to Oceancrest City, Michael and Liam had moved out. Now, it was just her and Grant living there. She hadn't seen Michael in days and had no idea what was going on between him and Rena.

"I need to find out more about Michael and Rena's situation," Chloe said. She didn't know what was really going on between them, so she refrained from making any assumptions.

Philip was worried. "Isn't it obvious? Michael's blackmailing Rena."

"Didn't you hear? He said he'd cover the surgery costs. I bet Michael's keeping Rena as his mistress."

"Michael's so over the top. He's rich and famous, and now he's using that to take advantage of Rena." Philip was ready to stand up for Rena.

Chloe tried to calm him down. "Philip, don't jump to conclusions. This might not be what you think. Let's talk to Rena first, and I'll see what I can find out from Grant about Michael."

"We're Rena's friends. If Michael's mistreating her, I won't stand for it." With that, Chloe decided to take action. She pulled out her phone and called Grant.

"Grantie, are you off work? I need to talk to you about something. Can we meet up?"