It was nighttime, but the lights in Sanchez Residence were still on.Phil had looked into Belle's background, including her birth information.Based on the information, she was born in a small village in Fallwood's suburbs. Her parents were local farmers.She had been living there before she turned 18 years old. A mudslide happened two years ago, destroying half of the village and resulting in massive casualties.Belle's parents passed away due to the mudslide.Noah brought her away from the saddening place and settled in Bridgeview Village, which was in Maltford.He had some medical knowledge. He farmed and treated patients for a living. They were poor, so Belle wasn't sent to school.Based on the information, Belle had nothing to do with the Aspen family. It was impossible that she was that child!However, Phil frowned as he looked at an old photo.The side profile of the woman in the photo was very blurry. Still, he could tell that she was very pretty.Belle resembled her
Meanwhile, the lights in Strauss Residence were still on.Tom had found out the same information Phil had. Tom finished reading it.Narrowing his eyes, he sat before his desk and was absorbed in his thoughts.The butler said softly, "Sir, are you still suspecting that Ms. Walters has something to do with the Aspen family?""Yeah. She resembles Wendy so much."The butler said, "But based on the information we received, it seems like she has nothing to do with them.""What you see isn't necessarily the truth, let alone this information. It could be forged."Tom continued, "If I'm the only person suspecting it, it could be my eyesight problem. But Phil, that old chap, is suspecting the same thing too. That means something's off about Belle.""But … If that's the case, how could Mr. Page Senior not know about it? He's a vigilant man. It's not like he is not aware of the Aspen family's influence. Why would he keep her by his side? It's too dangerous!"Tom responded, "Only people wh
A masked man suddenly appeared beside Noah in a shabby house deep in the mountains.Noah was grinding medicine. He asked without raising his head, "Is everything ready?""Yes. The Sanchez and Strauss families received information that you and Ms. Belle come from a suburb in Fallwood."Noah nodded.The masked man added, "But Mr. Page will get suspicious. He has been looking into it for quite some time and hasn't found any leads. Now that he had suddenly uncovered your and Ms. Belle's origin, he might become suspicious about it."Noah wasn't bothered by that. "Don't be bothered by Grayson. It's a matter of time before he finds out about the whole story."The masked man said, "It won't be easy to fool Phil and Tom. Since they've grown suspicious about it, they will surely investigate it further. "The Sanchez and Strauss families have long been acquaintances. We can't say they're our allies or enemies, but the Pages are definitely our enemy. I'm afraid that it will disadvantage Ms.
Before Grayson could come up with a solution, his phone rang. It was a call from Henry.Henry yelled at the phone as soon as the line got through, "Mr. Page, something's strange! The Sanchez and Strauss families investigated Ms. Walters today."Grayson slightly frowned. "Is it Xenia and Robert?"Xenia and Robert were the first to cross his mind because they were acquainted with Belle."No, it's Phil and Tom," said Henry.Grayson was surprised.Phil Sanchez and Tom Strauss were the heads of their families. They held a certain level of influence and power in Maltford. Something was indeed off since they were investigating Belle.It was reasonable for others to be curious about her because Grayson, the Page family's successor, would marry a woman from the countryside.However, why did Phil and Tom investigate her today? They ought to have done it long ago.As an afterthought, Grayson asked, "Have they investigated Belle before this?"Henry replied, "They did in the beginning, bu
Belle was lying in bed, reading articles about the Sylvester family.News about the explosion that happened in Syl Hospital yesterday went viral online. The top trending articles were all about the Sylvester family.Everyone voiced out their speculations, flooding the comment section.A lot of people were guessing that the Sylvesters plotted the explosion to eliminate the records of those patients who died due to the sudden accident. Thus, they claimed that Syl Hospital was an illegal organization that ran illegal organ trades, human experiments, and other horrifying deeds. Syl Hospital was now closed as it was under investigation by various executive branches.Belle was annoyed reading those articles because she knew what kind of person Dorothy was.Those people twisted the truth and framed a good person!She didn't know what their objective was from doing this. It was as though slandering the Sylvesters could make them appear righteous.Belle felt the urge to turn the comm
Before Grayson could inquire further, Belle added, "Now that we've delved into this topic, don't jump to conclusions. I will never develop feelings for you.""Don't entertain any fanciful notions about me either. In a year's time, we'll finalize the divorce and part ways. Now, answer me, what's weird about my origin? What do you know?"He clenched his teeth, annoyed by her first few remarks for some reason. He wasn't sure why that annoyed him, but he was very displeased to hear that.With a grim expression, he countered, "You're aware of what makes your background unusual."Belle found it hilarious. "If I knew that, would I have asked?""I don't know either. Who knows who you really are? You showed up out of the blue!"She glared at him. "If you don't know, why did you propose a deal? Are you playing games with me?""I didn't force you to answer me.""You … Bastard!" She hurled a pillow at Grayson before tucking herself under the blanket in bed. She added, "You're crazy!"Gray
Finneas narrowed his eyes momentarily, but he wasn't surprised. Obviously, he had known that Phil and Tom were investigating Belle.Finneas said honestly, "They didn't know Belle before this, but they might know her parents."Grayson immediately questioned further, "Who are her parents? What do her parents have to do with Phil and Tom? "Besides, did you make Belle show herself to the socialites on purpose? Was that why you insisted Belle and I dance at your birthday banquet yesterday? What was the reason behind that?"Finneas answered calmly, "I can only tell you that I wanted her to show herself to see their reactions. It is to test the waters before planning on my next step. As for the remaining questions, I can't tell you anything yet."Grayson was anxious. "Belle and I are married for a whole six months. Why can't I know?"Finneas said, "As promised, I will tell you two years later. Unless you genuinely like her."Grayson frowned in displeasure. "What if I don't like her fo
To Grayson's dismay, Finneas was smart enough not to fall for the trap.Finneas wasted no time in exposing Grayson. "Trying to get something out of me? Not a chance! It doesn't matter what you want to know about her, but you can only ask me when you have truly fallen for her," said Finneas. Grayson felt helpless. Having a smart grandfather wasn't entirely a good thing sometimes.He said, "We can never force someone when it comes to relationships. Nothing good will come from forceful feelings. I don't like Belle. I didn't like her and will never like her."Patiently, Finneas said, "I'm not forcing you to like her. Just give yourselves some time and get along with her. You might not like her right now, but we can't say anything about the future."Suspicious, Grayson turned his gaze to Finneas. "Grandpa, let's be honest. Is your concern for her primarily because of her background?""That's not the sole reason, but it is the primary one."The persistent Grayson didn't give up. He
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