"M-Ms. Walters, what are you doing?" Simon asked with his eyes widened.However, Belle did not respond. She picked up Grayson's phone, grabbed his hand, and then used his fingerprint to unlock it.After that, she scrolled through his contacts. Belle soon found a contact saved as "Dr. Cahill"."The doctor who treated Grayson. It's Dr. Cahill, right?" she asked Simon.He nodded. "Yes, her last name is Cahill."Belle went through Grayson's contact list once more. There was only one "Dr. Cahill". Hence, it had to be her."Video call her," she instructed Simon."What?""Tell her Grayson had fainted suddenly. Then ask her what should you do," Belle continued. But Simon hesitated, "She doesn't know me, and I don't know her. This … " "You don't know her, but I'm sure she knows you."Since Lena had planned meticulously for so long, she must have looked into everyone around Grayson. Notably, Simon, as he was the person who would most likely discover her schemes. That was because h
Soon, Lena's voice came through the phone. "What's the matter?"Simon dared not tell her that Belle had knocked Grayson unconscious. So, he lied, "I don't know what happened, too. When Meredith called me over, he had passed out."She said he had been resting at home for the whole day. The entire house smells like herbs."Lena asked, "Have you examined him?""Yes, but I can't seem to find any issues. I know he has been using the scented sachets you gave to treat his insomnia," answered Simon. He continued, "He also mentioned that you changed to a new prescription. That's why I'm checking with you first. Then I'll take him to the hospital.""There's no need to take him to the hospital. It's a normal reaction," Lena replied. "The new medication is strong. He couldn't adapt to it right away. Besides, he's been ill for quite some time. "There are a lot of toxins in his body. His body will get used to it after he faints a few more times. After that, he'll be fine."Simon asked in
Soon, Belle found the footage from that day. She fast-forwarded the clip. Then she watched at double speed until she found a familiar figure. Belle immediately hit the pause button. The woman on the screen was none other than Lena. Lena had only briefly shown her face on camera moments ago. Despite that, Belle was certain the woman in the footage was her. She frowned as she stared at the screen. After observing for a while, Belle confirmed she did not know Lena. She played the video again. This time, she watched it at normal speed. Shortly after, she saw Robert entering the café. At the sight of Robert, Lena frowned. It was apparent she knew him. However, at that time, he did not see her. Then Grayson headed into the café. as well. He walked straight toward Lena. Immediately afterward, Belle entered. She approached Robert with a smile. After Grayson saw them, Lena noticed the duo, too. But suddenly, Lena's expression changed. She frowned, and her gaze was intense. Belle w
The most suitable approach to finding out Lena's real identity was to examine her DNA. After all, it was a genetic marker present in a person's blood from birth. No one could change that.But how could Belle obtain Lena's DNA?At the very least, she would need to meet the latter. Just as Belle was contemplating, her phone rang suddenly. She looked down and saw it was Dorothy calling. Belle was surprised. She hurriedly answered the phone. "Mrs. Jenkins Senior, are you done with your seclusion?"Dorothy chuckled before replying, "Yes, I've come out of seclusion. "The moment I'm out, I heard you've been looking for me daily. Haha!"Belle felt at ease after hearing Dorothy's gentle voice. The former had been very worried for the past few days. "I was concerned because you were in seclusion for so long. Besides, the Sylvester family … "Belle did not continue. Instead, she said, "Oh, by the way, I have something important to discuss with you. Where are you right now? I'll come
Just then, a loud boom of thunder echoed through the air.A lightning bolt cast light upon the woman's and Lena's faces. The woman looked pale as she clutched the baby girl in her arms. She wanted to turn back and run. However, behind her was a wall. It was a dead end. There was no way out behind her, and Lena was standing in front. The woman realized she could not escape. She stopped in her tracks and then turned to face Lena.The former's eyes were red-rimmed. "Why?" she questioned Lena.However, Lena did not say a word. She stepped on the puddles, closing into the woman. Between her fingers was a blade. It was sharp and gleamed with a chilling light. It seemed like the infant had sensed the danger. In an instant, she cried loudly. The woman lowered her head to look at the baby in the swaddle blanket. Her voice choked with tears as she comforted her child. Her tears, together with the raindrops, trickled down. Drop by drop, it fell onto the baby's tender face. As L
Belle was crying silently. "I-I'm scared," she sobbed.Grayson subconsciously gulped. He couldn't bear to push her away. "Are you scared of thunder?" he asked.He still remembered that one night when a loud thunderstorm had startled her awake. She had sat up screaming and ended up curled up and trembling in a corner.He had since come to the conclusion that she was afraid of thunder.However, she replied, "I'm scared that she's dead."Grayson was surprised. "Who?"Belle shook her head. "I don't know.""Did you have a nightmare?" he asked.Belle didn't budge. She knew it was a dream, but it felt so real.Lena was the only one she recognized out of everyone in her dream. Even though she didn't know who the mother and daughter duo in her dream was, she still didn't want them to die.In her nightmare, she stared helplessly as the woman's throat was slit, causing her to die from excessive bleeding. Belle's heart clenched at the sight.As Lena reached out toward the baby, Belle wa
He opened his eyes to see Belle giggling to herself. He narrowed his eyes and stared at her. He began to feel slightly happier at the sight of her laughing.However, Belle slowly stopped laughing when she noticed him next to her. Her smile froze, and she yelled, "Why are you next to me?"As if Grayson had already anticipated how she would react, he held her down before she could jump off the bed. "Wait. Why don't you see for yourself why I'm still here?"Belle looked down and saw her own hands wrapped tightly around an arm. It was Grayson's arm.Belle blinked in confusion but quickly realized that she was the one who had forced him to sleep next to her last night.He hadn't taken advantage of her. On the contrary, she had taken advantage of him.Belle chuckled awkwardly and quickly let him go. In a much gentler tone, she asked, "Didn't I fall asleep on the sofa? What am I doing on the bed?"Grayson narrowed his eyes and asked, "You don't remember, do you?""Let me try to recall
Simon sighed inwardly. Not only did Lena have Grayson in the palm of her hand, but she had also managed to rope both Grayson and Simon's grandmother in.He would have been clueless about the whole thing if Belle hadn't said anything. Simon paused for a second before saying, "Don't worry. You still have the scented sachet, right? Besides, I feel like you're doing better without the reed diffuser. You were in seriously bad shape yesterday. You sound a lot better today."Grayson let out a long breath to calm down. "Yeah. I do feel better.""Ms. Walters really knows her stuff!""What?""Huh? Oh, nothing."Simon meant to praise Belle's medical skills, but he didn't dare to tell Grayson the truth since Belle didn't let him.He did his best to gloss over what he had just said and changed the topic. "You should be nicer to Ms. Walters. She's so nice to you."Grayson didn't understand. "How is she nice to me?""She's a good young lady. She's one of the most talented girls I know."
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