Downstairs, Belle sat on the sofa drinking tea. Xenia smiled at her and said, "I had wanted to chat with you since we met at the Page residence, but I never got the chance. "Then, I wanted to ask you out for shopping, but I didn't get the chance either. Now's the perfect time for us to get to know each other since I'm going to teach you dancing."Belle looked up at her in confusion and asked, "Why do you want to get to know me?""So we can be friends.""But I don't want to be friends with you," said Belle bluntly.Belle believed that Grayson had no feelings for Xenia, but Xenia had feelings for him. Xenia would definitely dislike her since Xenia had intentions toward Grayson. She was just like June. June wouldn't have hated Belle if it wasn't because of Grayson.Therefore, Belle would rather be direct with Xenia right now so that they wouldn't get into a fight later on and make things awkward for Finneas.She didn't want to put on an act with Xenia. It was too tiring. Xenia
Belle didn't know what to say, and Xenia felt awkward, so she changed the topic. "I'm sure you don't have any dance outfits, do you? Why don't we go shopping in the afternoon? I'll help you pick a few outfits," said Xenia. Belle thought about it. She needed to buy a few dance outfits and was free in the afternoon, so she nodded.Xenia asked Grayson, "Gray, do you want to come with us?""No. You guys can carry on."Xenia felt a little disappointed. The reason why she was trying to get close to Belle was to get closer to Grayson.She really liked him a lot, but she seldom got the chance to get close to him. She had set her sights on Belle after the meal at the Page residence. If she could become best friends with Belle, then she would be able to see Grayson every time they hung out. That was why she had immediately grasped the opportunity when Alice had asked her to teach Belle dancing.She had planned for Alice to leave the country and waited for her chance. Xenia smiled
Grayson let go of her and handed her a card. "Take this." It was a credit card. Belle looked at it curiously. "What's this supposed to mean?""You have a husband. You shouldn't be spending your own money!"Belle narrowed her eyes and pondered it. She didn't know what he was getting at.They had been married for so long, but he had only mentioned living expenses once. What was this all about? Was he afraid of getting embarrassed if others found out that he didn't give her any money?Belle took the card and asked, "How much can I spend?""As you wish.""Really?" Grayson rolled his eyes and chased her off. Before he left, he rolled down the window and said, "Call me once you're done shopping. I'll pick you up."Belle was surprised. What was going on with him today?He was giving her money and offering to pick her up. It was a 180-degree change in his attitude toward her.Belle wanted to ask him, but Grayson already rolled up the window and left.Xenia said, "Grayson is so
Belle said proudly, "You're right. Of course, my husband's powerful!" Xenia was green with envy. The ladies walked over to them and spoke to Xenia, ignoring Belle completely."I heard that you were at Mr. Page's house today. Is it true? What did you guys talk about?"Xenia smiled and said, "I just visited Gray for a while. We didn't talk much.""Wow, you're even calling him 'Gray' now. We would never dare! You sound so close to him!"Xenia was overjoyed at all the attention she was getting. She loved being connected to Grayson. After all, not everybody could get close to him.Among her friends, only she and Alice got the chance to even speak to him. However, she didn't feel as satisfied because Belle was there."Stop fooling around. I only went to his house to give Ms. Walters a dance class. Let me introduce you. This is Grayson's girlfriend." Grayson and Belle's marriage was a secret, so no one else knew except the Page family. Xenia only found out because she was Dawson's f
Jean's eyes grew as round as saucers, and she got tongue-tied. The others were also flabbergasted.Even the salesperson couldn't believe her ears. She had seen many rich people, but it was her first time meeting someone so filthy rich.The salesperson approached Belle and asked tentatively, "Excuse me, miss. I didn't get what you meant. Do you want to look at all these watches, or do you want to … buy all of them?""I'm buying them. I said I'll buy all of them."The manager was also shocked. He asked in disbelief, "Are … you sure?"Belle couldn't understand the confusion. "What's wrong? Can't I buy them?""Of course you can! Please follow me. I'll explain the design and features of each watch. Lisa, get the best tea from my office and make our client a cup.""Right away." The salesgirl quickly went into the manager's office. A customer like Belle would account for the entire year's sales! Belle interrupted them. "You don't have to explain. Just wrap them up for me.""Huh?" sa
"I'm still in a meeting. Take a taxi home," said Grayson. He was about to hang up when Belle said, "Just end the meeting. You said you would pick me up. You can't go back on your word! "Besides, it would be so embarrassing if you didn't come because I already told Xenia you would. It will seem as if you don't love me. Hurry up!"Grayson was speechless. Had he ever loved her? Why was she being so clingy all of a sudden? They had been married for half a year, but this was a first! Was she trying to put on an act for Xenia? He was putting on an act to crush Xenia's feelings for him, but what was Belle doing it for?Was she doing it just to make Xenia jealous? But why? Xenia didn't mess with her like June did! Could she possibly see Xenia as a rival? Had Belle fallen in love with him?Grayson suspected Belle even more when he recalled how she had kept trying to seduce him recently. After some thought, he put down his work and went to pick Belle up at the mall.Belle, Xenia, a
Grayson looked around at everyone and fixed his gaze on Belle. Although his wife was fierce, rude, and disobedient, he had to admit that she was drop-dead gorgeous. The other women looked invisible next to her. But why was she looking at him like that?Grayson walked to Belle and took her shopping bags. He pretended to be very loving toward her for Xenia to see."Did you buy all of these?" asked Grayson. Belle nodded."Why did you buy so much?"To take revenge on him, of course! Belle wanted to use his money since he was using her! It hurt, didn't it?Belle kept an innocent look on her face and said, "I haven't gone shopping in ages, so I bought a lot this time. You told me to buy anything I wanted, didn't you? Are you mad that I spent so much money now?"Belle spoke coquettishly and pouted. She looked adorable. Grayson narrowed his eyes.His wife was always bad-tempered toward him. She had never acted this way before! It seemed like he had guessed correctly. Belle had falle
Every woman who was present was very jealous when they saw how Grayson treated Belle. However, Belle was incredibly disappointed. She lost interest in getting revenge at that instant. She decided not to say the words that would disgust Grayson anymore. Belle started treating Grayson like she used to before. She ignored him, turned, and left the place. Grayson noticed that Belle was unhappy, and his brows furrowed. "Shouldn't Belle be happy that I was speaking to her in such a nice manner?" Grayson thought. Belle seemed to be unhappy with what Grayson did. In fact, she looked like she was angry. It was difficult for Grayson to understand what Belle was thinking. To guess a woman's thought was as difficult as looking for a needle in a haystack. What was Belle thinking? Was she trying to play a game of tug-of-war with him?Grayson was still trying to figure out what happened when Belle walked to Sam's side. "Mrs. Page, there are too many things in the car's trunk, so s
Belle playfully reached for Sixteen again. "Come here!"Sixteen barked back, seemingly firm in his stance. "I'll cry if you don't come here, okay?" Belle then held her face in her hands and pretended to cry.Sixteen immediately calmed down as it nudged Belle's hands with its paws, trying to comfort her. Belle broke character, revealing a grin. "Are you still mad at me?"Sixteen, appeased, finally got into her arms and launched into enthusiastic licks.Grayson watched the exchange with a hint of envy. "Hey, Sixteen!"Sixteen whimpered and offered Grayson a sheepish look.Belle scolded, "Why are you scolding Sixteen? You're a bad guy!"She then petted Sixteen on its head and stood up. "Let's go! We'll get something tasty to eat! Just ignore him, okay?"Grayson was left speechless. He felt defeated by the pet dog as he watched Belle and Sixteen skip and hop into the house.Meredith had already finished preparing dinner when they arrived. She put on a gentle smile as she watched Belle
After returning to the house, Ava asked, "Why did Xenia go crazy? Wasn't she fine not long ago?"Lena wiped her hands and handed the towel back to Ava. "Someone drugged her and induced hallucinations of her worst fears. She's been on the edge ever since. After all, she did commit all sorts of misdeeds." "Someone?""Belle Walters."Ava was shocked. "Why would Belle drug Xenia?"Ava and Lena had been moving from place to place, seeking a safe hideout ever since they picked up Xenia. They had only found a relatively safe place today, so Ava finally had the chance to inquire about the details.Lena shot her a look of disgust and proceeded to ignore her question.Ava dared not press further and changed the topic. "Now that Xenia's lost her mind, can we still get her to talk?"Lena continued to ignore her and went to scribble down a prescription. She had spent the entire day with Xenia in the basement but hadn't managed to extract any useful information from her. Ava sheepishly c
Meanwhile, Ginger, too, was grappling with confusion. She'd also offered Hunter money, only to be stunned into silence by the astronomical sum in his bank statement. Compared to him, she was practically penniless. The largest amount she'd ever held was a few million Gabriel had won in the lottery—a drop in the bucket compared to Hunter's wealth."Why do you think Mr. Sanders was so wealthy?" Ginger queried, seeking Gabriel's insight.Gabriel was similarly grappling with confusion and remained quiet. However, he was preoccupied with a different mystery. His mind was consumed by the deaths of Penny and Terry. He had taken time to visit the corpses and noted the peculiarity surrounding their deaths. Their autopsies revealed unusual injuries that baffled forensics.Both victims, young adults in their prime, looked as if they'd been scared to death.Aware of Hunter's ties to the Nightwalkers, Gabriel wasn't surprised by the inheritance. Compared to the wealth amassed during the Sanders f
Belle pondered aloud, "While Hunter isn't as averse to exploring tombs as Benjamin, they share a similar disposition. Otherwise, with his expertise, he could easily be making a fortune.""The Sanders ancestors might not have been saints," Grayson conceded, "but perhaps Hunter's grandfather started a positive trend. Like Benjamin, he likely tried to shield Hunter from their legacy. A truly evil man couldn't have raised such a kind son."As Benjamin grew, he remained kind-hearted despite his timidity. And now, Hunter has grown into an upright, kind, and courageous young man. His talent for exploration makes him the pride of his lineage."Belle nodded and sighed. "Money is crucial for a comfortable life today. With what Hunter has, financial worries shouldn't trouble him. He'll be well provided for."Grayson pulled her into his arms and responded, "Don't fret. While Hunter may still be in school, he's mature for his age. He can take care of himself just fine."Belle leaned onto his s
Hunter crouched by the bed, methodically clearing away the books until a single floor tile lay exposed. Prying it open revealed a dark hole just big enough for one person. Grabbing a flashlight, he squeezed through the narrow opening and emerged into a moderately sized room of perhaps about 130 square feet. Wooden boxes, weathered with age and adorned with simple designs, filled the space.Hunter made a beeline for a particular box, brushing off the dust before prying it open. The wooden box was filled to the brim with notebooks. Hunter sat down on the floor, picked up one of the books, and started reading it.This hidden chamber and its contents were discovered by a young Hunter, seemingly guided by destiny. Hunter's father, Benjamin, had buried them, driven by a desire to safeguard their knowledge from Hunter's curious gaze. Fear had gripped Benjamin after learning about the Sanders family's history, the expertise that had seemingly drawn them toward a dangerous path. He
Nora let out a long sigh. "It's fine. Just keep it with you! I don't really need the money right away or anything. Besides, an old woman like me won't be spending much in town even if I tried."Hunter stopped Nora as she was about to leave and took a wad of money from his bag. "I have 20,000 dollars right here. It's far from the actual price, but you can keep it for now. I'll pay you the rest when I can."Nora was stunned. "Where did you get so much money?""It's the money I gathered from donations for the funeral, mostly from Ms. Belle and Mr. Grayson.""Oh, that makes sense. Here I was, wondering how you managed to get such a huge amount from donations. I can tell your friends are really kind-hearted people. You should treat them just as well as they treat you, okay? Study hard and make a name for yourself, and then you'll be able to properly repay their kindness.""Yeah, I know. Anyway, the gold nugget weighs slightly over 17 ounces. So, its worth is about 37,500 dollars. I'll pay y
As the final step of the funeral, the townsfolk gathered for a meal after Benjamin's burial. After Benjamin was buried, Belle and Ginger approached Hunter, inquiring about his plans for the future. Belle expressed her desire for Hunter to stay with her and Grayson, mentioning that their house had plenty of spare rooms. The only drawback would be that it was quite the distance from his school, but they could always arrange a driver for him.Ginger also invited Hunter to stay with her and Gabriel as their house had just finished with renovations. They also had a spare room for Hunter if he were to join their house.Hunter was genuinely touched by their offers, but he still declined them both. "I'd like to stay in my school's hostel for now. I'll think about what to do next when I graduate."Belle and Ginger recognized that they couldn't sway Hunter's decision, so they ceased their attempts to pressure him into making a choice."If you run out of space for your belongings, you ca
Hunter detailed, "I recall every person who came to offer prayers for my father... However, it was during my trip to the restroom that the dogs began barking. Upon my return, I spotted some unfamiliar footprints. Without seeing anyone there, I dismissed it. But upon hearing about Penny and Terry's deaths this morning, I began to connect the dots..."Both Gabriel and Grayson were left speechless.Gabriel exchanged a glance with Grayson before turning back to Hunter. "So, you're suggesting that the stranger who came to town also visited your house to pray for your father before departing to exact revenge on Penny and Terry for Mr. Sanders' death?""Yes.""Why didn't he meet you then?""I don't know.""Any other suspects you have in mind?"Hunter shook his head. "My father and I don't have friends other than you guys. It's just the two of us for as long as I can remember.""Could it be someone else from the Sanders family?" asked Gabriel."I don't think so. I'm an only child, and
Belle, Ginger, and the rest of the group arrived at 8:00 am. They noticed the crowd alongside police cars at the entrance to the town. The two of them then squeezed through the crowd to make it to the house as soon as they could. "What happened, Hunter?"The policemen were stunned by their sudden arrival. "Who are you?""We're Hunter's friends. You can tell us about what happened."Hunter's eyes gleamed with hope as he greeted them. "Ms. Belle and Ms. Ginger!"Grayson's car stopped in front of the town alongside a truck filled with equipment for the funeral.Without Belle and Grayson's friendship, Hunter would have had to manage all the funeral arrangements alone, and he wouldn't have had the opportunity to meet Ginger.Sam remained outside to stand guard while Grayson and Gabriel entered the Sanders family's old home.The townsfolk and the police were shocked when they saw them.They didn't recognize Grayson or Gabriel, but they could tell at a glance that they were really special peo