Grayson was pissed. He looked in the direction Belle left, gritting his teeth.Sam stood a distance away. He didn't know what Grayson was so mad for. After all, Belle had left with a woman, not a man.He didn't understand why Grayson would be so mad.Sam walked over to Grayson, comforting him. "Mr. Page, don't be so angry. Ms. Walters had gotten into a woman's car, not a man's."Grayson glared at him with fury hidden in his eyes. He walked toward the car. "Follow them!"Sam was speechless.In the car ahead of them, the lady asked Belle, "Is that man just now your friend?"Belle nodded awkwardly. "Yes."Grayson had been quite considerate of her recently. She didn't like him, but he was still half a friend to her."I noticed that he was glaring at me just now. It was as if he wanted to kill me. Did I offend him somehow?"Belle hastily said, "It's nothing. Don't mind him. He doesn't like women, so he's never nice to them."The lady was shocked. "Huh? He doesn't like women? Does
Belle ignored the car for now. She went to a restaurant with the lady.She glanced through the rearview mirror before they got out of the car. Belle noticed that the car was parked somewhere nearby.If the enemy hadn't made a move, Belle wouldn't, either. She didn't do anything, and she feigned ignorance. She would have a meal with the lady first.While they were dining, the car remained parked outside the restaurant. No one got out of the vehicle, either.After the meal, Belle looked at the time. It was still early. Thinking for a moment, she said to the lady, "Are you in a hurry to go home?"Blushing, the lady hastily replied, "No, I'm not. Do you have something to talk about?"Belle said, "If you're not in a hurry, why don't we take a walk in the park?""Sure." The lady agreed without hesitation.Belle looked at her, feeling a little exasperated.She felt the urge to caution the lady about not allowing love to blind her. Having dinner with a stranger, let alone going to a
Belle instantly shifted her attention. She didn't care how close Grayson was to her now. Instead, she fixed her gaze on the lady.A figure was approaching the lady.They were wearing a mask and a cap. The brim of the cap was lowered, so she couldn't make out their face. She wasn't even sure if they were a man or a woman.Belle's intuition alerted her to something amiss about this individual. While Belle remained vigilant in her observation, Grayson's focus was fixed on Belle.Belle's slight crouch brought the part of her body in contact with his hip area, igniting a passionate fire within him. He nervously gulped, consumed by the desire to consummate their marriage. Grayson had a physical reaction, and it became quite apparent. Sensing this, Belle swiftly turned around and instinctively pushed Grayson away. "You…"Her actions were somewhat conspicuous, instantly capturing the attention of the person.The person cast a glance in her direction. After a momentary pause, they began
Belle had swiftly caught up to the person, and they were no match for her. It didn't take long for Belle to subdue them. She stood with one foot on their chest, glaring down at the individual. She asked, "Were you behind the poisoning?"The person seemed taken aback by Belle's mention of the poison. They were stunned for a moment, but they remained silent. Belle shifted her foot to their neck.Belle sternly warned, "You'd be wise not to test my patience. If I can identify the poison, it means I also possess knowledge of poisons. "You can antagonize all the doctors you want, but provoking someone skilled in crafting poisons is a grave mistake. They can make you wish for death!"That person was visibly terrified and shook their head with much effort. "It wasn't me!"Belle pressed on, demanding, "Then who is it?""Master.""Master? Who is this Master?""It's … It's …"Before the person could finish speaking, something flashed before Belle's eyes. In an instant, the person ly
The police chief quickly discovered that Belle had been apprehended at the crime scene. Consequently, he refrained from making any decisions independently.If he were to release Belle for Grayson's sake, he dreaded the possibility of a leak. The public could erupt into a riot if they got wind of it.However, he also couldn't afford to antagonize Grayson. After all, more than half of Maltford's tax revenue flowed from Grayson's contributions, effectively meaning that Grayson funded their salaries.No one would be foolish enough to offend someone who effectively paid their wages. So, the police chief reported the incident to his superiors. After making his report up the chain of command, the information eventually reached the Strauss family.Tom had already gone to bed, so this matter was handed over to Robert to deal with.Upon hearing about it, Robert was somewhat surprised and inquired, "What does Grayson have to do with Mr. Bunny?"The person who reported the incident repli
The police officer didn't dare go against Robert's command. So, he promptly unlocked Belle's handcuffs.Belle thought that Robert recognized her. She assumed that he had helped her because of their friendship. But in the next second, Robert asked, "Where do you live? I'll send you home."Belle was stunned.Robert didn't know where she lived.That meant that Robert didn't recognize her at all. If he did, he would have known about her relationship with Grayson and that she was living with him. He wouldn't have asked her that question.However, Robert's behavior seemed somewhat unusual if he didn't recognize her. He not only released her immediately but also offered to escort her home.Based on what she knew of Robert, he wasn't someone who would be so concerned about a woman he didn't know.But then Belle realized that she wasn't a woman right now. She was dressed up as a man!"Let's talk after we get out," Robert said.Belle blinked. Then, she nodded in a daze.Outside the int
Grayson tugged at his tie as if venting his frustrations.Belle did not notice his abnormal mood as she was deep in thought about the situation with Robert.Some time had passed before Grayson finally broke the silence."Robert fell for you when you were a woman, and he still fell for you after you disguised as a man. It seems like his feelings for you are genuine."Belle stared back at him in shock. "Who said anything about Robert falling for me?""No one. I have eyes."Belle replied, "You'd better not be making up stories about me."Grayson was furious."You think I made it up? Think about it—Robert treated you differently from other women when you were Belle Walters. And now, he still treats you differently when you're Mr. Bunny. Why else would he be so biased if he had not fallen for you?""The Strauss family has been in a slump since Patrick had gotten into the accident. Robert going out of his way to meet you personally at the police station in the middle of the night, o
Grayson finished his barrage of questions in one go.Belle was stunned as she had deliberately tried to dismiss all of them.She was worried that exposing her medical skills would result in Noah extending their marriage."Do you think that I can't be trusted, or is it because you think that I can't help?" Grayson continued his pursuit for answers.She hurriedly shook her head. "No, it's neither.""Then what's the big deal?"Belle stared at Grayson for a moment in silence. "I … just don't want to talk about it."Grayson just silently stared back at her in disbelief.Upon returning home, she went straight to cleaning up and removing her disguise. Grayson, meanwhile, went straight to his study for a smoke.By the time Belle was finished and came out of the bathroom, Grayson remained cooped up in his study.She realized that her keeping secrets from him had inadvertently upset him. She was simply afraid that revealing the truth would result in extending their marriage as per her
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