Melanie leisurely sat on the sofa, scanning Belle while muttering to herself, "Haha, I can't believe this is actually real. She's really gone crazy."This would be what they call karma, isn't it? All her sins have finally caught up to her! Hahaha!"She was overly excited and did not even attempt to hide her joy from watching others suffering.Yolanda's expression instantly turned grim. "What audacity … I would be kicking you out of the house if not for Finneas' sake! Mind your tongue!"Melanie was neither scared nor angry by the threat."Oh, Yolanda, I'm merely speaking the truth! Karma comes for all, one way or another. Why else would your dear Belle suddenly succumb to insanity?"Her great mood only amplified further as she continued without giving Yolanda a chance to reply."Oh well, I understand that you are angry right now. I would be angry too if I were you! I'm sure you're furious! How could this happen to dear Belle, the very girl you chose as your very own successor!"
Grayson stepped forward and grabbed Belle by her wrist. "What are you doing?"Belle was still mounted on Melanie, her other hand still pulling on Melanie's hair."This fucking bitch had insulted Her Majesty right in the face! I am simply dishing out appropriate punishment for her insolent behavior!"Grayson's eyes flashed with agreement, but he still tried to break up the fight for the sake of Finneas."That's enough, stop it!"The relationship between the two Page families had become increasingly frosty since Belle's appearance. Grayson tried to maintain neutrality and tried to ignore the other family despite all the unwarranted aggression just because he did not want to cause worry for Finneas.Finneas had always been one to value harmony within the family above all."Stop what?! Get out of my way! Don't try to obstruct my deliverance of justice!"Belle freed her hand from Grayson's grip and proceeded to punch Melanie once more."Do tell me if you would still dare to insul
Kent attempted to call in his bodyguards, only to be stopped by Finneas."You would blame Belle when she is currently a person with an unstable mind?"Kent explained with a grim expression, "So you would just let her run around and be a danger to others? I don't believe that she is actually crazy! Why else would she target only my family alone and not anyone else?"Grayson stood at the side while he unanimously agreed with Kent regarding the suspicion.Belle deliberately knocked down all her enemies while her allies were spared.He wondered how Belle would have known who was her friend or foe if she had been truly crazy.Grayson stood in anticipation of Belle's attempt to explain herself.Finneas, too, was left speechless. He stared helplessly at Belle as he pondered his words. Belle, however, would be the first to speak up."Do tell if you would still dare to bully Her Majesty! I will be getting an answer from all three of you by force, regardless. Anyone is welcome to chall
As soon as Grayson entered the kitchen, he pulled out his phone to call Simon, and they talked for some time.Half an hour later, Simon would appear at their house, all flustered."Will this be too risky? What if—""Don't worry about it. This is the best way to find out if she had been pretending to be crazy. The real Belle would be able to tell it apart right away."Simon had a worried look on his face. "It's a sound plan … But I'm just afraid that her life may be endangered."Dorothy had entrusted him with Belle's safety before going into seclusion. He was reminded daily that he was to protect Belle, even if it meant sacrificing his own life.And yet, he would now be serving poison to the very person he swore to protect.What he was about to do was the opposite of his promise. Simon was almost paralyzed by the multitudes of emotions raging within him.He understood that Grayson held no intent on murdering Belle. But he could not help but imagine the absolute extreme of possib
Grayson finally snapped back to his senses and cursed at Belle. "Belle Walters! Are you fucking crazy?""You're the crazy one! How dare you! I'll beat you to death as punishment!"Belle would act recklessly on the grounds that she had gone "crazy".Grayson grabbed and held tightly onto her arm as his expression turned for the worst.Simon tried to mediate the fight. "Ms. Walters, please calm down. We can talk about this.""I am the king! I have no idea who Ms. Walters is supposed to be."Simon quickly corrected himself. "Ah yes, pardon me, my king. Please refrain from killing your loyal subjects!""Hmm. You're right. The man before me is Sir Grayson himself! Then why did he attempt to serve me poison? He must be plotting to usurp my throne! I shall exterminate your bloodline for treason!"Simon tried his best to suppress his emotions. "The soup wasn't poisonous!""It isn't? Then why did he knock the bowl away?""Ah well, it's because … Because the soup was bitter, and he was
Grayson sat at the study table, smoking. His expression was dark.He firmly believed that Belle was faking her madness. But she wouldn't have dared to drink that poison if she truly was faking it.To make it real, he didn't even change the contents. He had given Belle real poison, and she drank it without even thinking!She would have consumed the poison if he hadn't reacted quickly. She was so fast that even Simon couldn't stop her.Simon said, "Belle has gone mad for real. What do we do?"If Dorothy knew about it, she would be devastated!Grayson took a deep drag of the cigarette, staying silent.Simon sensed that Grayson wanted to be left alone. He also feared that he would turn into a real knight if he stayed behind. So, after a brief exchange with Grayson, he hurried away.Belle's voice rang out from downstairs. "Sir Grayson! Come forth!"Grayson's expression darkened as much as it could, but he still got up and went downstairs.Belle was still sitting on the couch, munc
While Grayson was getting pomegranates, Belle rushed up to the second floor.She dashed right into Grayson's study. Then, she began to search for it.The sachet wouldn't be in their room when Grayson wasn't sleeping. She suspected that Grayson had kept them in the study.But oddly enough, she didn't smell anything medicinal in the study.The sachet had a piercing smell, so if it were in the study, she would have caught a whiff of it right away.It wasn't in the bedroom or the study. She didn't know where else Grayson could have hidden it.Also, it was just a sachet to treat insomnia. He had no reason to hide it, anyway.Before Belle could figure it out, she heard Grayson coming up the stairs.Startled, Belle hastily closed the drawer and looked for a hiding place.She had just convinced Grayson, so she couldn't afford to rouse his suspicions again!As for the sachet, she decided she could only do something about it after Grayson fell asleep. After all, he would use it every t
After finding the sachet, Belle took a whiff of it. There wasn't anything off about it.But when she opened the sachet, she almost fainted from the smell of medicine.Belle hastily closed her eyes, frowning as she took time to recover herself. Then, she opened her eyes. Enduring the discomfort, she shook out all the contents of the sachet.As she studied it earnestly, her frown deepened. She found that there was indeed a deadly poison among the mix in the sachet! Belle was stunned.She couldn't believe it. With a grave look on her face, she studied it again for a longer while. In the end, she was sure that her findings were correct. There was indeed a deadly poison in this sachet!It was also the highly toxic sort. A person could turn powerless after using it for only a month!Belle looked in disbelief at the sachet in front of her. This wasn't some miracle drug. Instead, it was a deadly poison that could kill!That would explain why her sleep was abnormal after the sachet appea
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