The disheveled man wiped off the cold sweat on his brow in fear.No one had ever dared to attack the Hannibals' underground prison before. It had a complicated layout and was heavily guarded. Going in meant certain death.They had spent a few million dollars to get intel on Robert.It was clear how hard it was to get into the prison seeing as one little piece of information cost so much.The people working there were willing to let out a little bit of information for money, but nothing was worth betraying the Hannibal family for.Grayson had long desired to acquire the layout of the Hannibal underground prison, but such information was never available for sale. Even the guards were unaware of the exact layout, underscoring its mysterious nature.A tense atmosphere enveloped the room, as if the very molecules in the air were agitatedly vibrating. All eyes were fixed on Grayson, yet he remained silent.After smoking half a cigarette, he raised his gaze to the disheveled man. "Are
Rodney asked, "Then should we continue with the original plan without saving Mr. Strauss?""Yes," Grayson replied in a low voice.Suddenly, both Sam and Rodney's phones rang at the same time. Both of them picked up with different expressions on their faces.Sam said, "Mr. Page, Mr. Quinn is here, but he got caught the moment he got off the plane."Grayson's eyes widened in disbelief."He's been brought back by the Hannibals for a 'nice cup of tea.'"Grayson pressed his lips together in disdain. Was Scott trying to get caught by being so obvious about it?Given the well-known closeness between Scott and Robert, the fact that he appeared right after Robert's capture seemed like an unmistakable indication that he was inviting trouble.How could the Hannibals let him walk around freely?"Don't worry though, Mr. Page. Mr. Quinn's father has already announced that he'll bomb the whole of Mandoria if anyone dares to lay a hand on his son."Grayson stayed silent. It did seem like som
Sam didn't understand. "Mr. Page is here as a gemstone collector, not a fighter. Why does the Roland family want to see us?"Rodney replied, "The Hannibals are trying to take the Rolands' jobs away from them and vice versa. The Rolands aren't exactly the biggest contenders in the gemstone market, but they do have some on their hands. They probably heard about Mr. Page showing up and wanted to get a head start.""What's that supposed to mean? Are they trying to steal Mr. Page's business dealing from the Hannibals?""Yes, precisely. Mandoria doesn't value relationships or connections; it's all about money. Everyone here is aware that Mr. Page offered up 5,000,000 dollars without even revealing his face, showcasing his immense power. The Rolands are after Mr. Page's wealth."They continued their discussion while Grayson listened to them quietly. "Who from the Roland family came to make that request?" he asked."Shane Roland's right-hand man came personally."Sam was taken aback. "Wo
Grayson shook Shane's hand with a neutral expression and sat down casually.Shane beckoned for someone to bring some coffee and continued to act in a decently friendly manner toward Grayson. "I heard that it's your first time in Mandoria. You must have witnessed some competitions before, haven't you? Let's chat as we enjoy the show."The fighting ring lay right in front of them, encircled by rows and rows of seats for the audience.Regular attendees typically occupied the lower seats, while only VIPs had the privilege of watching from private booths. Rumors circulated that renting these private booths cost at least 100,000 dollars.In the center of the fighting ring stood a thin, unattractive girl. Her hair hung messily over her face, and she stood barefoot with a stick in hand. Caution filled her eyes as she shivered in fear while observing the audience.The crowd was shouting, "Let it out! Let it out!""What are they waiting for? Hurry up! I want to see her get torn to shreds!"
Grayson calmly took a sip from his glass, managing to hide his pure rage and agitation in his gaze alone.Shane picked up his glass as well and said with a chuckle, "Mr. Quinn, how much money do you think I could make from a fight like this?"Grayson said neutrally, "I've never been involved in this industry before. I can't tell."Shane chuckled and replied, "This fight alone is going to earn me 1,000,000 dollars. I usually get five fights per day, but sometimes a strong contender shows up and ends up delaying the fight, which means about two to three fights instead."Basically, he was saying that he usually got about 5,000,000 dollars a day.His money was the result of trading off innocent people's lives.Grayson felt disgusted, but his face remained neutral as he said, "5,000,000 dollars a day seems fine."Shane narrowed his eyes. "Is 5,000,000 dollars a day that unimpressive to you?"Grayson said coldly, "I usually earn by the second."Rodney translated, "Mr. Quinn can earn
Shane scoffed, "He's just a cowardly chicken. He's scared of dying." Grayson narrowed his eyes and asked, "Why do you say that?"Shane shrugged, unwilling to say any more.Grayson fell silent for a moment before saying, "I heard that the Roland family isn't doing too well. Are the other families ganging up against you?"Shane exploded. "They want to put us out, but so far, the Rolands have been doing just as well! I'm not tooting my own horn, but if you're willing to work with me, I can give you the lion's share of our profits. The most other families can offer is a 60-40 divide, but I can give you 80 percent of the profits."The expression of everyone in the room changed the moment Shane finished speaking.Grayson fell silent for a moment and said, "I need to think about it.""Alright, alright. No rush. Go back and think about it. It's your first time here, so I'm sure you must feel unfamiliar with the place. If anything happens, just say my name. Even if we don't work togeth
Before Grayson could speak, a few pick-up trucks screeched to a halt in front of them and blocked them from leaving.The trucks were full of soldiers dressed in camouflage clothing with military-grade weapons in hand.They had "Hannibal" embroidered on their uniforms, indicating that they were the Hannibal family's soldiers.Rodney quickly lowered his voice and said, "Mr. Page, someone from the Hannibal family is approaching."Someone knocked on their window. Rather than one of the Hannibal soldiers, it was one of the Roland soldiers. "Mr. Quinn, our boss has orders for us to escort you back. If you trust us enough, please get into our car."Right after he finished speaking, a bullet pierced through his skull, and he collapsed.Grayson stared silently while Sam and Rodney jumped from shock.Soon enough, a gunfight began right outside their car. About ten or so minutes later, one of the Hannibal family's soldiers came to knock on their window instead. Rather respectfully, he said
Seven let go of Cadel and stood behind Grayson with a steely expression. He stared at Cadel and the rest of the soldiers disdainfully.Cadel stroked his throat angrily and gestured with a dark expression for his soldiers to retreat. Then, he called for someone else. "Bring Mr. Quinn a drink!"Cadel sat down with a much better attitude than before. "We obviously want to work with you, or we wouldn't have invited you over. Morgan is the head of the Hannibals, and as his younger brother and a direct relative, it shows how sincere we are about making this deal."A lot of businessmen come and go, but not many get to meet me. I only did that because I was unhappy that you ran off to meet with the Rolands before meeting us. I hate two-timers."Grayson's expression remained unfazed. "I wanted to work with you guys, but no one was replying to me, and since the Rolands approached me first, I naturally had to show up. I don't care about the rivalry your families have. I only care about the pr
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