Reaching out, Belle took the scarf on the young lady's neck. There was a polite smile on her face."Miss, I'll have to borrow your scarf for a bit. Thanks."When she spoke, it was a man's voice. She had used a voice changer.The sudden turn of events caused some buzz in the audience. The young lady's face was flushed. She seemed embarrassed.Belle took the scarf back into the arena. She swiftly wrapped her right hand with it.Alpha frowned. Before he could figure out what Belle was doing, Belle had already appeared in front of him.Giving him a mocking smile, she leaped into the air. Then, she delivered a punch on the back of Alpha's neck.As if getting hit by a huge weight, Alpha staggered forward by a dozen steps. He almost fell.Before he could recover his senses, he received a punch at his temple. Then …"Clang!""Thud!"Alpha fell face-first onto the ground.The crowd was stunned.The referee hastily entered the stage to check, but Belle stopped him. "He has fainted.
Belle didn't make a fuss or call for help. She didn't even try to negotiate. Without a word, she started fighting!The Reeses were all fighters. They were also equipped with poison, so it took Belle quite some time.The rain grew heavier. When Belle finally pinned the family elder to the ground, the drizzle had already turned into a storm.Below her, the elder groaned."Do whatever you want with me. No matter what, if you spare my life, I'll still get revenge on you someday. I swear that my family will always be your enemy! You …"The elder suddenly stopped speaking. He stared at Belle's face, his eyes widening."Y-You … You … You're …"Before Belle realized it, the rain had already washed away the makeup on her face. She had turned back into a woman now.Belle was curious. "Do you know me?"The elder widened his eyes. "Weren't you dead a long time ago?"Belle frowned. "Who told you that?"The elder stuttered, "Twenty years ago, y-you and your mother, you …"At the sudden m
Belle returned to Grayson's villa after 9:00 pm.It was Grayson's turn to sleep on the couch tonight. So, Grayson was leaning on the couch, reading.When he saw Belle's upset expression, he narrowed his eyes. She had won the competition, so why wasn't she happy about it?After defeating Alder last time, she had sprawled on the bed and swung her legs happily. She seemed to be in a good mood back then. Why was she behaving differently today?Grayson was puzzled. But since Belle didn't talk to him about it, he didn't ask.In the middle of the night, a scream woke Grayson up.Frowning, he sat up. A streak of lightning happened to flash across the sky, lighting up the house. He quickly spotted Belle leaning against the headboard, her hair in a mess.Grayson was surprised.As the thunder growled, Belle screamed in fear again. Startled, Grayson hastily turned on the lights.Belle was curled up in the corner of the bed. She covered her ears with her hands, trembling."What's the ma
The next day, when Grayson woke up, Belle was still sleeping. He didn't disturb her. Like always, he got up and worked out. He washed up, ate breakfast, and then went to work.Later at night, when he came home from work, Belle was still sleeping on the bed.But it was his turn to sleep on the bed that night. Grayson thought about it for a long time. In the end, he didn't wake her up. He slept on the couch instead.The same pattern repeated for the next few days. He went out early in the morning and came back late at night.Be it morning or night, whenever he saw Belle, she was sleeping on the bed with her head covered.He heard from the servants that Belle did go downstairs for meals. If not, he would have thought that she had been sleeping all this while.A few days later, Belle finally regained her energy.She had thought things through now. If her parents truly did something unforgivable, she would hate them for life.If they died an unjust death, then she would avenge the
Belle opened the door to see that it was June. June was holding a huge box in her arms.When Belle saw June, any remaining fondness she felt for Grayson immediately disappeared.Even though she hadn't talked to Grayson for the past few days, Grayson had comforted her that night. He also let her have the bed for the past few nights.She did have a little affection for Grayson, but now, all that was gone.After all, if he fancied people like June, he couldn't have been a normal person.Belle narrowed her eyes as she looked at June. It had been a while since they last met. The swelling on June's forehead had gone away.Belle thought, "Now that the swelling is gone, is she back at it again?"Belle didn't want to humor June, so she moved to close the door. June glared viciously at Belle, then stepped to enter the house.Belle stretched out her leg to block June's path.June was pissed. "What are you trying to do, Belle?"Belle replied, "I should be the one asking that. What are yo
June furiously rushed in."Belle, what did you just say? You're going to roast it? I'm telling you, if it dies, you won't even be able to compensate with your life!"Also, you dropped the fish on purpose just now, didn't you? You should be glad that it didn't die. If it did, you won't be able to live, either!"Belle couldn't be bothered to humor June. Dragging June by the arm, she tossed June out of the door. Then, she slammed the door shut.June shouted at the door, then left.Taking some fish food, Belle sat in front of the fish tank and fed the fish.This species was indeed ferocious. She remembered running after a wolf cub when she was seven. As she ran, she gradually got further away from the living area.Since she was away from the others, she didn't have anything to eat. In her desperation, she could only catch fish to eat.Back then, the water was filled with this species of fish. They were in a huge school and attacked her as soon as she jumped into the water.Fortuna
Grayson returned soon enough. A group of vets also came back with him.After a professional assessment, they determined that the fish had died from poison. The poison was found in the raw meat.Grayson's expression was dark as he said in a rage, "What happened?"Belle was confused. "How would I know?""How wouldn't you? You're the only one at home. Yet, you didn't know how it died?" The veins on Grayson's forehead were throbbing. He was seriously mad now.Belle frowned."I was alone at home, and yes, I was the one who fed it. But it didn't mean that I poisoned it! I wasn't the one who put the poison in the meat!"She was angry too. The fish wasn't hers, but she had also taken care of it for days. It was like family and a friend to her. Now that it died, she was sad as well."Only you and I have touched the meat. If it wasn't you, then who could it be? Me?" Grayson questioned through gritted teeth.Belle frowned deeply. It wasn't her, and Grayson was out of the question.Who e
Belle answered the call. "Hello?""Mrs. Page, please notify Mr. Page to head to the hospital immediately. Mr. Page Senior has fainted and is currently in operation. I've tried contacting him, but he never picked up. The doctor said that the situation is looking grim."She was shocked upon hearing the news and quickly told Grayson about it.He stopped the car in the middle of the road with a sharp brake.He then grabbed Belle's phone to speak to the butler. After a few words, the blood drained from his face. He threw her phone aside and turned the steering wheel around to head for the hospital.Finneas had truly fallen ill.His face was pale white as he was being pushed out of the operating room. He seemed to be one breath away from death.Belle took his pulse in secret while she was at his bedside. She finally calmed down after confirming his condition was now stable.Finneas struggled as he spoke to her."Belle, please don't blame Grayson for being impulsive. That fish was sp
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