Noticing that the sky was getting darker, Belle stopped playing with them and rushed toward the river.Just as she was about to make her move, a lightning bolt struck the sky. Following it was a huge rumble and a massive downpour.Her mood instantly turned for the worst. Belle feared the rain, especially heavy, thunderous ones.She never understood why, but the fear was innate and absolute. She could feel it throughout her very being.A muffled thunder strike frightened her to the core. She lost her grip and fell down the tree.The lions awaiting below seized the opportunity and pounced on her.Belle frowned. She quickly dodged the attacks and attempted to climb back up the tree.But she could not get a hold to climb back up despite exerting all her strength. Either the trunk had gotten too wet and slippery, or her limbs had gotten weak.The lions seemed to be in a frenzy from hunger as they attacked her.The pack of wolves had also noticed the commotion. They also circled t
Seeing that Belle was in a bad state, Grayson turned to Sam."We're not going home. Let's go to the hospital."Then, he gave Simon a call. "Don't wait for us at the house. Get back to the hospital. Her condition isn't stable, so I'm bringing her to the hospital for a full checkup."Half an hour later, Grayson and Belle arrived at the hospital.But she was being uncooperative with the checkup. She held tightly onto Grayson and would scream and glare at anyone trying to touch her.Simon was helpless. "Grayson, should we inject her with a sedative? Otherwise, it would be impossible to give her a checkup."Before he could agree, Belle had fainted. Even so, she was still holding tightly onto him.It took him a lot of effort to release her grip.An hour later, Simon came up to Grayson."Don't worry, it was just emotional fluctuation and fainting caused by extreme distress. She will be fine when she wakes up. But what had happened to cause such distress in the first place?"Grayson
"I don't believe you! The two of you definitely have secrets." Simon smiled smugly.Grayson glared at him angrily, but Simon just laughed it off."Alright, alright. I won't tease you further. But for real, your wife is a great catch. She has quite a nice physique. What is it about her that you don't like anyway? Or perhaps you're not into women?"Grayson glared at him again while flicking his cigarette."The person I want to marry isn't her."Simon was shocked. "You … You have someone in mind? No, wait. When did you even fancy someone? How come I've never heard of this?"Grayson did not reply, so Simon continued questioning him."I know! Was it that young lady from way back? I remember visiting you after you were rescued, and you mentioned meeting a young lady. You said you would marry her once you grew up. I thought you were just joking at the time. Could it be her?""It's not!" replied Grayson. He stopped talking to Simon after that. No one knew if his answer was truthful.B
Belle did not make a police report. She had insufficient evidence that June and Ingrid wanted to kill her.She calmed herself down in the rental house for a while. She turned on her computer, hacked into June's official website, and posted an announcement."In just one hour, a press conference of great significance will take place. We extend a warm welcome to all reporters."She turned off the computer after making the post and went home.She took a shower and put on exquisite makeup.She applied a rich, deep red lipstick and carefully curled her hair. Her choice of attire was an elegant, long black dress adorned with exquisite jewelry. She selected her most luxurious handbag to complete her ensemble. She paired it with towering skyscraper heels before leaving the house.Meanwhile, during a phone call with her agent, Craig Lovett, June was left in a state of shock."Press conference? When did I ever announce we're holding a press conference?"Craig replied, "You posted the an
Ingrid immediately shut her down."Absolutely not. If anything were to go wrong, we would be exposed! It's not worth it to kill her with our own livelihood. There has to be a better way where we can get the best of both worlds!""What idea do you have left anyway? It takes a long time to come up with a new idea. I can't wait any longer. "I don't want to wait even a single day more. I want her to die as soon as possible. The more miserable, the better!"June's eyes turned red, reflecting her ruthlessness.Ingrid frowned and kept silent for a while."Alright, alright. Stop worrying about Belle. You only have to focus on Grayson. Although our plan failed, at least we were not exposed. "Grayson and the others haven't suspected us yet. You should get going for your press conference. I want to calm down for now."June pouted and left to do her makeup.At this moment, the internet was exploding with discussions.June had been absent from the public eye for a considerable period. H
And because Belle said that she was June's backer, she became the center of attention! The atmosphere became even more heated, and the reporters gossiped among themselves. "Isn't June's sugar daddy a guy? Why is it a woman?""I know, right? June just said that her sugar daddy was wooing her. Could they be … lesbians?" "Huh? It can't be. June said that her sugar daddy is a guy!""Then who exactly is that? What's going on?"The crowd was in an uproar. June also widened her eyes in shock. "It's … you?"If she hadn't recognized Belle's voice, she would never have associated this person with Belle! In her memory, Belle always wore sportswear and tied her hair in a ponytail. She didn't wear any jewelry. She always dressed like some dull student. Meanwhile, the girl she was looking at was decked out in luxury brands and jewelry. She looked like a scioness and a girl boss with her charisma!June bit her lip and switched off her microphone. She lowered her voice and hissed through
June bawled her eyes out. "You'll regret treating me this way!""If he thinks I'm in the wrong, he can talk to me. I would agree to a divorce any day. However, it's up to us whether to separate. If you dare interfere with my life again, I'll make you regret it!"Belle left with her high heels clicking loudly against the floor. The crowd went into an uproar. News of June being someone's mistress immediately spread like wildfire. Grayson was going over some documents in his office when Sam came in to tell him what happened. Grayson couldn't believe his ears until he watched a livestream of the press conference. He was very shocked. He was also so used to seeing Belle's gentle and innocent side that he was surprised to see this domineering side of her! She was the direct opposite of her usual self! He frowned once the shock passed. Belle had ruined June's acting career with this whole fiasco. June was going to fall from fame and become a nobody. His peace would be disrupted ag
Grayson flung the phone at June and said, "Explain this!" June had just stood up, but her knees buckled, and she fell again. "I … I … I don't know what to say. I …"Grayson looked furious. "I'm giving you one last chance to explain yourself!" He did not raise his voice, but his tone was threatening. June was so scared that she trembled. " I… I … I never thought I would hurt her. I'm innocent …" She denied everything. "How dare you lie!" Grayson burst into rage. Even Belle raised her head to look at him.June was so terrified that she dared not say another word. She wept on the floor, and her sobs carried through the entire house.Belle pursed her lips and said to Grayson, "I think you should talk to her mother. She would know more." June was an idiot. Everything must have been Ingrid's idea. Ingrid's plan was perfect because she got away with everything, even hurting Belle.June was obviously not the mastermind. She wasn't that smart! Grayson frowned and phoned Ingrid, tell
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