Grayson was caught off guard and unable to dodge the blow, taking a hit from the broken door. His nose and forehead bore the brunt of the impact, causing him to emit a small cry as he frowned in pain. The collateral damage included a valuable high-tech door lock.As soon as the door lock shattered, alarms throughout the house began blaring. Bodyguards swiftly emerged from all corners of the house. They formed a protective perimeter around Grayson to assess and inquire about his condition."Mr. Page! Are you alright?""Mr. Page! Are you okay?""Mr. Page!""Mr. Page!""Mr. Page!"The lights inside the house flicked on one by one. It was suddenly bustling with activity in the middle of the night.Grayson's assistant and his most formidable personal bodyguard, Jake White, made his rare appearance. Noticing the bruise on Grayson's forehead, he frowned and asked, "Mr. Page, what happened? I was confident that no suspicious individuals had entered the vicinity, and yet the alarm
Grayson, seething with anger, roughly grabbed Belle's clothing. He had kept himself pure for his 29 years of life, only to be claimed as dysfunctional by someone who had just molested and witnessed his naked body.He thought that Belle needed to be taught a lesson. Grayson's actions were forceful. But his intention was clear. He intended to engage intimately with Belle. Belle was taken aback by his behavior and began to feel overwhelmed with panic.She had fabricated the story about his physical issues in a fit of anger and spite after he locked her outside in the cold.They had a prenuptial agreement that excluded intimacy, but her words had apparently provoked him to break that promise.She silently said, "Fuck!""Fuck off, Grayson! If you dare try to take advantage of my body, I will make you regret your actions!"Grayson, however, ignored her warnings. He gripped her wrists, pulled them over her head, and began kissing her.Belle quickly turned her head away, and the
Grayson paused for a moment before responding, "I remember you.""You finished your current batch of scented sachets abnormally fast, so I decided to contact you directly. May I ask if you've taken any other medications apart from using my scented sachets?""Nothing else.""Then, has anything recently happened that might have affected your mood?"Grayson immediately thought of Belle and June. Their altercations indeed had affected him."There are some unpleasant incidents, yes.""Hmm … There is a possibility that your emotions cause your current anomaly. However, we can't completely rule out medical factors just yet.""I will be visiting Maltford soon. Why don't we meet up if you're available? I can give you a medical checkup and replenish your scented sachets.""For now, could you try not using any of the scented sachets and simply endure it?"Grayson frowned in response. He could try enduring it, but sleep was crucial for the human body. He began to worry that nights of in
The questions in Grayson's mind kept increasing. Soon, Grayson was at his limit. Tapping his cigarette against the ashtray, he picked up his phone and called Henry.As soon as the call went through, he asked right away, "Have you still not found anything?"Henry was looking up on urologists. When he heard Grayson's question, he answered right away."I'm almost there. Mr. Page, when do you have time for consultations? I can help you book some appointments. I've contacted quite a few doctors for you. They're all quite famous!"Grayson didn't understand what he was saying. "What do you mean by consultations?""Mr. Page, you don't have to be shy around me. We all know your secret. Don't feel inferior. It's okay. After you get treatment from the doctors, you'll perk right up. Ms. Walters will be amazed!"Grayson's expression turned dark. "What are you on about?"Henry spoke three terms. "Kidney weakness, erectile dysfunction, and premature aging."Grayson's lips were pursed into a t
Grayson suddenly recalled how helpless young Belle looked when she was hiding everywhere.His heart ached for some reason. But the ache lasted for only a split second. It went by so fast that he didn't notice it himself.He was wondering what Belle did that the entire society refused to accept her. She even had to hide in desolate areas to survive.He asked himself, "But she was so young. She couldn't have done anything wrong. So, more accurately, what did her family do?"Moreover, she had been living in an uninhabited area."So how did Grandpa decide that she was worthy of being my wife? She's going to be the future young Mrs. Page, after all."Also, what's the relationship between Belle's grandfather and Grandpa? How did they end up working together so that Belle and I would get married?"Grayson lit another cigarette, continuing to smoke.Without a doubt, there must be a huge secret behind Belle.But he didn't know what it was.He didn't know what that secret had to do wit
Belle frowned and pouted. She glared at Grayson with a cold look.Grayson frowned deeply. Even though he was the one who kissed her first, Belle was also his first kiss.He didn't understand why she was so mad. She should be happy about it, and he should be the angry one.Ignoring Belle, Grayson strode toward the couch.Something suddenly flew out from behind him. Grayson hastily dodged it.He wanted to turn around to look, but something flashed before him. He couldn't open his eyes because of it.In an instant, the pillow that was sent flying at him was cut open. White feathers filled the entire room as if it were snowing.Grayson frowned as he pondered what had cut the pillow open. He wondered if it was the same thing that had lit up and flashed in front of him moments earlier.He wondered if it was the same thing Belle had used to attack him. It had caused pain on the back of his hand, yet no wounds were discovered.Grayson was still deep in thought. Suddenly, his favorite
"How … How can you be so careless? Is this how your grandfather raised you? You're only 20 this year, but you've already been in 18 relationships. You're just so … You …"He was already 29 this year but hadn't even been in a relationship before!She was younger than him by nine years, but she had already been in 18 relationships!"This woman is just …" Grayson thought.He didn't know what he was mad about, either. He was pissed when he suddenly received confirmation that she was a true flirter.He was even more worked up than just now when he saw his favorite things getting thrown about by Belle. He was so mad that he wanted to stomp his feet.Pursing his lips, he had a dark look on his face. He strode back and forth in the room. After a while, he spoke fiercely to Belle."You should just give up. I'm telling you, I despise casual women the most. I will never fall for you in my entire life. No matter what you do or how much effort you put in, I won't ever have any love for you!"
Grayson didn't feel like fighting Belle anymore.In his rage, he warned in a cold voice, "I'm telling you, you won't be able to win against me in a fight. If you dare challenge me, you'll regret it!""I won't be able to win, you say? I have a thousand ways to send you off!""You … Belle, remember, I haven't told your grandfather about your boxing activities yet!"Grayson suddenly mentioned Noah. Belle instantly stopped.She didn't fear anything else. But she was scared her grandfather might discover she wasn't on her best behavior. She feared that Noah would cancel their promise because of this. She had sacrificed two years of her life to stay married to a man she didn't like. She did it only because she made a promise to Noah.That matter was very important.At least to her, it was extremely important!Belle glared at Grayson, anger and hatred filling her mind. She should have told Noah that she had been boxing. Then, Grayson wouldn't have used it against her.But now …"Y
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