Rural Belle & Three Heirs

"Playing along?" Lucy repeated, her voice dripping with disbelief.

Chloe smirked, her smile tinged with sarcasm and confidence, "Of course. Such petty tricks could never escape my notice."

Her voice was full of determination and pride, "I've been sitting at negotiation tables watching my grandfather conduct business since I was three. I've seen all kinds of people and situations.noveldrama

In the business world, over these years, is there anyone I haven't met or any trap I haven't encountered? This so-called Aaron of yours is just a phantom from the internet, and yet he dares to do business with our company? Do you really think I'd be so easily deceived?"

A contemptuous smile played on her lips, and her gaze was sharp and composed, "The outskirts, the hotel, the poured wine, the lavish meal-did you truly believe such an obvious trap would lure me in? Do you take me for a naive three-year-old?

I was just in a good mood, playing along with Aaron to see who was pulling the strings. Did you really think I'd fall for your trap and let you control me?

Lucy, with your level of smarts, trying to take me down? You're way out of your league."

With that, Chloe grabbed Lucy by the neck and delivered a hard kick to Aaron, sending him sprawling. He had slapped Chloe twice earlier, and now it was payback time.

It turned out when Zara mentioned a client wanting to collaborate, Chloe's guard was immediately up. The business world was a battlefield, and every step required caution.

She quickly assigned her trusted team members to quietly investigate the background of this so-called Aaron. Upon discovering that Aaron had minimal assets and no reliable business track record, her alertness heightened significantly.

The subsequent arrangements only deepened Chloe's suspicions: the meeting location was remote, the hotel was of low quality, and numerous details appeared dubious. With years of business experience, she keenly sensed that this meeting might be a setup.

When Aaron urged them to drink, Chloe was already fully aware of what was likely to happen. She gave Zara a meaningful look, and with the seamless rapport they had developed over the years, the two of them acted in perfect sync. At the moment of raising their glasses, they deftly poured the wine into their collars, the act executed so smoothly that no one noticed.

This series of actions, executed with effortless grace, showcased Chloe's intelligence and composure. She didn't rashly expose the adversary but chose to respond calmly, seeing through the opponent's schemes while ensuring the safety of both herself and Zara.

However, what Chloe didn't anticipate was that Lucy, the seemingly indomitable person who wouldn't go down without a fight, turned out to be the mastermind behind Aaron.

Thinking about Lucy's past attempts to harm her, Chloe's anger flared. If it weren't for the law, Chloe would have dealt with her long ago.

After tearing into Lucy, Chloe signaled to Zara. "Zara, go beat that damn creep."

The "creep" Chloe referred to was Aaron, who had tried to grope Zara earlier. Since he dared to make a move, he had to face the consequences.

With Chloe's command, Zara put away her pepper spray and responded, "Ok!"

She walked over to Aaron, who was clumsily trying to get up, terrified of the spring- loaded baton in Zara's hand. If she hit him with it, he might not survive.

"Don't, please don't hit me. You two, get over here and deal with this woman," Aaron stammered, pointing to the two thugs Lucy had brought.

The two men moved to attack Zara, but Chloe tightened her grip and pressed a broken bottle to Lucy's neck. "Lucy, you know what to do."

In pain, Lucy quickly ordered, "You two, stay put, don't move..."

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The two men, sent by Perry to protect Lucy, only listened to her. They had no interest in anyone else's fate. They stood still, watching Chloe's broken bottle closely.

Zara seized the opportunity and swung her baton at the fat Aaron, hitting him hard. The thought of his disgusting eyes on her made Zara furious, and she put all her strength into each swing.

The private room was small, and with Aaron's relatively stout figure, the beating quickly brought him to howls of pain and wailing.

When Aaron could no longer get up, Chloe finally told Zara to stop. They just wanted to vent their anger, not kill him.

After beating Aaron, Chloe had Zara open the door. She dragged Lucy out, step by step.

"Zara, I'll keep an eye on Lucy. You drive." Chloe said.

"Got it."

They had planned their escape well. Chloe kept control of Lucy until Zara pulled the car

up behind her. Only then did Chloe prepare to release Lucy.

But before letting her go, Chloe had to warn her. "Lucy, we've had our issues in the past, but you were the one who initiated the harm. Let's put the past behind us. I'll let you go today, but if you ever try to harm me again, don't blame me for being ruthless." With that, Chloe moved the glass shard slightly, cutting Lucy's already unattractive face.

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Chloe shoved Lucy away, got into the car, and Zara drove off quickly.

As Zara drove away, Chloe finally felt a sense of relief.

Meanwhile, in his office, Grant listened to Stanley's report with a serious expression.

"Mr. Martin, Miss Davis encountered some trouble today. Mr. Gutierrez's mistress used some tricks to lure Miss Davis and Ms. Jenkins to the suburbs, intending to harm them."

Grant's eyebrows shot up at Stanley's words. "And? What about my people? Are the ones I assigned to protect Chloe useless?"

Grant, usually composed, uncharacteristically snapped.

Stanley quickly explained. "Mr. Martin, the people I sent to protect Miss Davis wanted to help, but before they could act, Miss Davis and Ms. Jenkins had already handled the situation themselves.

They not only escaped but also injured Mr. Gutierrez's mistress. The mastermind who lured them there ended up with seven broken ribs..."

Stanley's recount of the turn of events brought a smile to Grant's face.

"See, Chloe is capable. I knew she could protect herself without my help."

Stanley rubbed his nose, not daring to say more, while internally he couldn't help but think...