After the visit to Lionel's grave, Ingrid suggested they go for lunch together. Grayson didn't object. "It'll be my treat," he said. He brought them to a very fancy restaurant. He also ordered all the food that they liked out of politeness. June was overjoyed. She ignored Ingrid's repeated warnings and secretly took a photo of Grayson. Then, she sent it to Belle. Belle was sleeping when she received the message. It woke her up, and she glanced at her phone.The message was from an unknown number. It was a picture along with some text. "I met up with Grayson today. We're even having lunch together. See! He'll always forgive me no matter what I do to you!" Belle was unbothered. She threw her phone aside and went back to sleep. June saw that Belle didn't reply to her message. She thought that Belle was crushed, which made her happy. She went to the washroom and called her. She wanted to hear Belle cry! The constant ringing of her phone annoyed Belle. So, she picked up a
Belle's eyes widened in surprise. She didn't know what was going on. Grayson suddenly jumped on her without saying a word. She was shocked and instinctively dodged to the side. But he moved faster than her and grabbed her arm. He pulled her back on the bed and held her down tightly. He then started kissing her. Belle could not believe what was happening. "Hey! You—" Grayson bit her on the ear. Belle's eyes were about to pop out in shock. It felt like her whole body was electrified. Her face quickly became flushed. Belle was in a daze. And Grayson took the chance to take things up a notch. He grabbed her arms and put them above her head. Then he leaned in to try to kiss Belle on the lips. Belle returned to her senses and started to fight back. She fought back hard. She was also a trained fighter, so Grayson was unable to reach her lips. He became restless and bit on Belle's chin in a fit of rage. Belle's hands were held down, so she raised her leg to kick Grayson's
Grayson lay on the cold, wet bathroom floor. The toilet was just next to him. He was surprised and tried to sit up. He gasped in pain. He didn't know what was hurting, but his whole body was in pain. Grayson stood up, holding his waist. He looked at the mirror, and his eyes widened. There were scratch marks on his neck. It was apparent someone had done that to him! He didn't have the marks when he came home last night. It could only mean that Belle was responsible. And she left him in the bathroom after that? What a bitch! Grayson was furious. He wanted to settle the score with her, but when he tried the door, it wouldn't open. He tried again, to no avail. Belle had locked the door! His anger grew, and he yelled, "Belle! Open the door!"There was no response. He then began banging on the door. The noise woke Belle up. She opened her eyes drowsily. She noticed that the noise came from the bathroom. She frowned and got up while rubbing her eyes. She opened the bathro
Through this incident, Grayson could tell that Belle really didn't have feelings for him. If she had the slightest affection for him, she would have taken the chance to sleep with him last night! But she didn't …Grayson was bewildered. How could she not like someone as outstanding as him? There must be something wrong with her! Grayson wasn't being arrogant. He just knew himself well. He came from a good family, was handsome, excelled academically, and was capable. He fit the mould of the ideal man that girls often dreamed about. Countless girls liked him! If Belle didn't like him, what kind of man did she like? Grayson fumbled toward the bathroom for a shower. He then changed and headed downstairs for breakfast. June arrived hobbling. Grayson frowned when he saw her. He wasn't dumb. He knew she had something to do with him being drugged last night. June noticed the scratch marks on Grayson's neck. She immediately asked, "Grayson, what happened to you? Why are you hur
Grayson massaged his temples. Just the thought of all these nuisances gave him a headache. "Women are so annoying!" he ranted in his head. He had lost his appetite, so he put on his coat and left for work.When Sam saw Grayson, he froze for a second before quickly opening the car door for him.At the company, the security guards and the receptionist also froze when they saw Grayson. They then shifted their gazes away altogether. Grayson walked past the secretary's office and entered the president's office. Everyone in the secretary's office was in shock as well.As soon as the door to the president's office closed, they all couldn't help but talk about it.Not long after, Sam was summoned by Grayson to his office. "What are they discussing out there?" he asked."No … nothing," Sam responded awkwardly.Grayson looked at him sharply. Sam hurriedly explained, "They were discussing the scratches on your neck. They said it's like you were scratched by a cat. A fierce little wi
Even though Belle ignored June, she just wouldn't stop sticking to her like glue. The next morning, Grayson's phone rang. It was June!Both Grayson and Belle woke up from the noise.Belle got up groggily. She glared at Grayson and said fiercely, "You'll go to hell for disrupting someone's sleep! Answer it outside!" Grayson didn't respond. He just declined the call.In his eyes, June meant less to him now than Belle. At most, Belle only liked causing him trouble. She often talked over him and rarely listened to him, but there was no issue with her morals. But June was different. She was dumb and malicious. Even her morals were twisted. June called multiple times, but Grayson never picked up. Panicking, she went to his house again.Grayson and Belle were already awake and having breakfast together.Seeing the two at peace, June became angry. "Grayson, why didn't you pick up my calls? Did that bitch stop you from answering them? Belle, you fart face …""Insult me again,
Ten minutes later, Belle arrived at her apartment in Serenity Springs.Noticing that the door was slightly ajar, she instantly felt something was wrong. She clearly remembered locking the door when she left last night. Someone must have been there!Belle frowned and cautiously pushed open the door to enter the house. She was left in shock!All the furniture was damaged. There were even writings on the wall. "Belle Walters, you bitch. Die!" The words were written in red paint. Since it had yet to completely dry up, the paint was still dripping down the wall. It created vertical streaks of red lines. The entire thing looked gory.An intruder! Belle's face was twisted. She didn't need to look at the surveillance camera to figure out who did it! Only June, that dumb woman, could think of such a childish way for revenge! Belle bit her lip furiously and turned toward the apartment manager's surveillance room. Putting her suspicion aside, she needed to find evidence to dea
So, Belle grabbed June's hair and flung her out the door. Then, she took hold of Ingrid's ankles and threw her out too!The police arrived at that moment. Witnessing the situation, they asked, "What's going on?"Ingrid began to sob. "Mr. Policeman, arrest that crazy woman right now. Not only did she trespass on our residence, but she also assaulted us! "Our maid can vouch for us. We also have surveillance cameras. I have everything to prove that I'm speaking the truth!" The police looked at Belle, asking, "Are all her words true?""I was just protecting my property. This house is mine, but these two women occupied it and refused to leave. I had no choice but to remove them forcefully," Belle answered.Hearing that, June was furious. "You're lying! This house is Grayson's!"Then, she turned to the police and said, "You can check if you don't believe me. This house doesn't belong to her. It's Grayson's!" "Who's Grayson?" the police asked."My boyfriend!""My husband!"June
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