Simon didn't know what was going on. He said, "I owe you too much. Even my life belongs to you. If you want it, you can take it away."Pursing his lips, Grayson said in disdain, "Why would I want your life? It's worth nothing."Simon simply smiled as he skipped the rest of his appreciation speech. He stared at the dark circles under Grayson's eyes, then asked, "You seem to be in a bad condition lately. Didn't you manage to buy new scented sachets?"Grayson became annoyed upon hearing that. He had also forgotten how long it had been since he last slept properly.After the scented sachets stopped working, he slept less than three hours on average per day. Also, even if he managed to sleep, it was only very light sleep.Taking a puff of the cigarette, Grayson said, "I didn't buy any. I'll consider it after the hospital gives me a proper checkup."Simon was surprised. "The doctor selling the scented sachets is willing to see you now?""Yes. She said she would be coming to Maltford
In the car, Grayson lit a cigarette and smoked quietly.He didn't know about Lena's existence, so he wasn't distracted by her. His mind was full of thoughts about Belle.When he came out today, Belle was mad. She was extremely pissed. If his guesses were correct, judging by Belle's temper, she would still be mad right now.He was at fault for stopping halfway. It wasn't just Belle, either. If any lady were to experience the same thing, she would be upset as well.Grayson had a sullen look on his face. He wondered how to explain it to Belle when he went home later. He was thinking of ways to make her happy.He wondered if she was still willing to continue what he had started earlier.Grayson thought of her soft lips and smooth skin. He couldn't help but gulp, the cells in his body getting worked up again.If he managed to make her happy, they might be able to continue. Then, they could spend a wonderful night together."But … how do I make her happy?" he wondered.He had never
Grayson didn't go to the boxing gym after arriving at the place. Instead, he asked Sam to pull up at the entrance of a milkshake bar near the boxing gym.He didn't understand Belle's preferences. The only thing he could think of that would make her happy was buying a milkshake.He knew that she liked milkshakes. When she was dancing today, she seemed happy to drink the milkshake Meredith had prepared.She might be happy if she could drink the milkshake from this bar, and perhaps she would then forgive him if she were happy.Sam didn't know what Grayson was thinking. He glanced at the milkshake bar in surprise.Then, he said, "Mr. Page, do you fancy some milkshake? I'll buy some for you. You don't have to get out of the car.""It's okay. I'll buy it myself."With that, Grayson opened the door and got out of the car.He felt that it would seem more sincere if he bought it himself. If not, he wouldn't have gone the extra few miles to be here in person.The milkshake bar was open
Coincidentally, Grayson had just arrived at home. The luggage almost fell on his luxury car.Sam, who was driving, was startled by it. He swerved to the side to avoid it.He glanced upstairs in fear. "Mr. Page, Ms. Walters seemed to be throwing something."Grayson asked, "What is it?""I'm not sure. I'll go and check." With that, Sam opened the door and got out of the car.As he got closer, shock washed over him. There, on the lawn, lay several large bags. He opened one of them, and to his astonishment, it was filled with clothing—men's clothing! And it unmistakably belonged to Grayson!Sam widened his eyes. He opened another bag. It contained leather shoes that also belonged to Grayson.He checked the other bags. There were watches, belts, ties, socks, and underwear. Those were all Grayson's things!Sam wondered, "Why did Ms. Walters throw out all the stuff that belonged to Mr. Page? Is she driving Mr. Page out of his own house? My goodness!"Sam's eyes were as big as saucers
Grayson was still staring at Belle with a foul look on his face. He knew that bodyguards surrounded the villa, and they must be watching him!So, he walked up to Belle and said, "Quit making a fuss. Let's go in and talk."Belle blocked the entrance, denying him access."I have nothing to say to you. Take your things and get lost!"Grayson fell silent. He frowned with a dark expression. If he weren't at fault today, he would've exploded already.Belle was simply too arrogant!Pursing his thin lips, Grayson secretly sighed. Then, he suppressed his anger as he turned around and walked to the car.He took all the milkshakes from the car. Then, he walked up to Belle.He said, "These are for you. I know that I was the one at fault tonight. I apologize."Belle glanced at the milkshakes, her desire to drink them conflicting with her anger as she said, "I do not accept your apology!"Getting mad, Grayson lowered his voice and growled, "You're going too far, Belle. This is my first tim
Stunned, Grayson hastily tossed the pill away. With a dark expression, he asked Belle, "What do you mean by this?"Glaring at him, Belle said, "You have a questionable character, so I can't trust you. I can't live with you anymore! You either move out or become infertile so that you won't hurt me anymore! Now, make your choice!"Pursing his thin lips, Grayson spoke in an upset tone."You're going too far, Belle! Indeed, I was the one at fault tonight, but I apologized and bought you milkshakes. That's sincere enough, right? Also, I already said that I did it because—""No more nonsense! I don't want to hear any of it! Make your choice! If not, I can help you choose," Belle interrupted him coldly.Seeing her determined attitude and refusal to listen, Grayson got mad."I'm not taking the pill and not moving out! What can you do about it?"With that, Grayson got up and walked toward the study. He gave up on explaining the situation. He no longer wanted to please her either.He had
"I'm going to die if I were to stand there and endure her hits!" scoffed Grayson.Finneas replied, "Of course not, Belle wouldn't actually kill you!""She may not kill me, but she intended to sterilize me!" Grayson angrily explained.Finneas lifted his cane and knocked at Grayson for talking back at him. He was none the wiser about the drug."How shameless would you be if you were to fight back against your own wife? You must've provoked her a lot for someone like Belle to hit you in the first place."Grayson just gritted his teeth in anger."I've already apologized right after I upset her. Yet, she still held onto the grudge!""Shut it, you!" Finneas waved his cane in the air. "Good for you to admit your fault. But you shouldn't complain about her not accepting your apologies! I think it was probably your attitude and your lack of self-reflection during your apology!"I—""Shut it, you!"After Finneas fiercely reprimanded Grayson for his actions, he turned toward Belle, and
The following day, Xenia arrived early as usual. To her surprise, neither Grayson nor Belle were at home."Where did they go?"Meredith greeted Xenia while refraining from giving out too much information. She was unaware of what had happened last night, but she easily noticed that the couple were in a bad mood in the early morning."I don't know. Mr. Page and Ms. Walters had left the premises earlier. They had not told anyone where they had gone," said Meredith.Xenia replied, "Grayson never mentioned canceling the dance lessons for today either."Meredith then added, "Perhaps Mr. Page has forgotten."Xenia frowned and pulled out her phone to give Grayson a call.Grayson was dealing with work in his office. He frowned and reluctantly picked up her call. "What's up?"Xenia replied, "Grayson, what about our dance lessons? I've just arrived at your house, and Meredith told me that both you and Belle had left early in the morning."His expression turned grim from the news.He t
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