Inside Grayson's office, Belle had contemplated the idea of throwing the coffee right into his face as a display of power.However, she was completely captivated by his office the moment she entered. His office was a completely open room of approximately 3200 square feet. She was taken aback by how spacious Grayson's office was and had already forgotten about her initial plans.She began to compare her tiny office in the rental house with Grayson's spacious one. Grayson's office was not only spacious but also exquisitely decorated. A row of large windows flooded the room with natural light, giving it a bright and airy ambiance.The wooden bookshelves displayed an impressive collection of books and antiques, showcasing the owner's refined taste.Even the sofa and potted plants in the room appeared to be custom-made, reflecting Grayson's attention to detail and aesthetics.Grayson's office was entirely different from everything Belle had seen within the Page Tower.She realiz
Belle retorted, "Thanks to the sweets, I do not want to quarrel with you. But I will make it clear right now, I'm here to work, not to serve your lazy ass! If you keep this up, I'll show you who's boss! Seriously, just get someone else to do this for you."Grayson was in disbelief. He countered, "You're working as a secretary. Serving drinks to me is simply part of the job."Belle pouted."I've heard that only a select few people are allowed into your office. You're deliberately toying with me on my first day on the job!"Grayson's lip started to twitch as he was rendered speechless by her apparent lack of appreciation. He had called her in without ill intentions and even prepared her favorite sweets in advance.Seeing her turn ungrateful, even biting the hand that fed her, was beyond his expectations."Plenty of people dreamed of entering my office, and you're out here complaining about it. What an unappreciative woman!" Grayson scolded her.Belle replied, "What do I care? As I
Belle was frustrated. She couldn't believe Grayson did all that just for something so minor.He could have just sent her a WhatsApp message to inform her. He didn't have to call her out in front of everyone specifically. Now everyone knew that he knew her.Moreover, it wasn't his business whether her buttons were fastened or not.Belle thought in frustration, then lowered her head to look at the button on her shirt. She didn't find anything wrong with it. Everyone else wore it like that.Even Rosa didn't fasten the topmost button on her shirt.Annoyed, Belle ignored Grayson's words. She left her topmost button unbuttoned as she returned to the secretarial department.The Secretarial Department was in chaos.Everyone had noticed that Grayson kept staring at Belle during the meeting. Also, when the meeting ended, Grayson called out Belle's name and told her to stay back.That could only mean that Belle had something to do with Grayson.Everyone knew that Belle had connections. B
After the group dispersed, Rosa gave Belle a stack of documents pertaining to Grayson for the latter to read.Perhaps guessing that Belle wouldn't want to read it, Rosa said, "As a secretary, you should know about various aspects of life. But most importantly, you have to know your boss well! This is the basics!"It doesn't matter if you like him or not. You have to read about him. You not only have to read about him, but you also have to memorize everything!"Belle was speechless.After Rosa left, Belle pouted as she looked at Grayson's profile. She didn't want to know about him at all.But now, she could earn money by getting to know him. So, for the sake of money, Belle began looking deeper into Grayson.Grayson Page was the eldest grandson of the Page family. He was 29 years old this year and was the president of Page Corporation. He was also the future head of the Page family.He graduated from Haven University in Midonica. He was a postdoctoral and held more than one bache
Scott said, "It wasn't hard to get your number. I even know that you're working at Page Corporation now. Do you know who I am now?""Yes," replied Belle. "Hey, that's weird. When I told you my name, you didn't know who I was. But when I mentioned Robert, you made the connection right away."You not only know him, but you also know who his friends are. Why are you so invested in Robert? Did you fall for him?"If you fell for him, just tell me. I'm quite close to him. I can help you court him."Belle was speechless. She wondered what was wrong with this guy.She remembered Robert because she felt that he looked like someone she knew in the past. It had nothing to do with whether she liked him or not.Also, she didn't like how Scott called her his "sister".For Robert's sake, Belle didn't end the call right away. Instead, she redirected the conversation back on track."Do you have something to talk to me about?"Scott wasn't mad that Belle ignored him after everything he had sa
Dissatisfied, Grayson reprimanded, "Why are you talking to your superior like this? How rude!"His tone was fierce, but it didn't deal any damage at all. Anyone could figure out that he wasn't truly mad. But when he saw the buttons on Belle's shirt, he got upset for real. "Why haven't you fastened your button?""That's none of your business!"Grayson had a foul look on his face. He immediately put on his arrogant air. "You're a lady, so you shouldn't leave any buttons unfastened! Button up right now!""No!""Do you want me to do it for you, then?""You …" Belle was baffled. "Everyone else wears it like this. Why are they allowed to do it but not me?""They're a different story. I'm talking about you!"Belle couldn't understand it at all. Pausing for a moment, she said, "Why do you care so much about my button, anyway? Did it offend you somehow?"Grayson pursed his lips. "Women have to be modest. They should have some self-respect!""I just left the top button unfastened on
"Grayson, I'm telling you one last time. Be more careful in the company, and keep your distance from me. Don't ask for me for no reason!" reminded Belle. With that, Belle left.Grayson's expression was foul.Sam didn't know what had happened. When he entered, he saw that Grayson had already put on his coat.Sam said, "Mr. Page, we've made arrangements with the restaurant. You can head there right now.""I'm not going anymore!" With that, Grayson tossed his coat at Sam. Fuming, he lit a cigarette and stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows.Sam was speechless. He had no idea what was going on this time.Grayson looked quite happy when he asked to make restaurant reservations just now.Belle must have provoked him again.Sam couldn't understand it. Grayson didn't like Belle and would get pissed every time they met. Despite that, he took the initiative to talk to her. Sam felt like he must be some kind of a masochist.Sam didn't dare say or ask anything. After hanging the coat on
Ginger's eyes turned as wide as saucers when she heard Scott calling Grayson by name. He even tried to get Belle to change jobs.Ginger had already determined Scott's identity by now.Because she had confirmed who he was, she was so scared that she dared not say a word.Belle secretly rolled her eyes at Scott. She asked, "Why exactly are you looking for me?"Scott stuffed the flowers and some takeout boxes into Belle's hands."I wanted to treat you to a meal, but you're not free, so I bought some takeout for you. Try it. I promise it's even nicer than the food in Grayson's cafeteria."Belle didn't want to accept it. But Scott said, "I've already eaten. If you don't want it, I can only throw it away. It'd be such a waste, right? How shameful."With that, Scott didn't even give Belle time to react. Opening the car door, he got into the car. He flashed a charming smile at Belle, then left casually.Belle was speechless.Scott had just left when Ginger hastily went over to Belle.
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