A peculiar look flashed across Xenia's eyes when she heard that. She wanted nothing more than her group of friends to mess with Belle.Although she supported them, she still pretended to be worried."I know you guys are angry. I am, too. I really want to punch Belle when I recall Monica's sticky situation back then. However, her relationship with Grayson … I'm scared you guys will be at a disadvantage. Plus, you guys know how good she is at fighting.""Don't be scared. We won't fight her. There are so many ways to take revenge. Why should we only resort to violence? Let me tell you about our plan. We …"The few women chattered on for some while. Upon hearing that, Xenia was overjoyed. "This is a good plan.""Right? Just sit back and watch. Today's going to be quite a show! I'll make Belle kneel and apologize to me. How dare a country bumpkin like her dare to oppose us. She's really asking for trouble!"While the group of women chattered back and forth, Xenia listened quietly.Co
When people from the elite social circle saw Tom and Finneas, they came over and greeted them.Although everything seemed normal, one would notice that everyone treated Tom differently if they looked carefully.Patrick was the reason behind their change of attitudes toward Tom. As the successor of the Strauss family, he was a mute. That sparked an uprising among prominent families. The Strauss family was like an ancient royal family. Although they seemed powerful and influential in public, many schemed for power behind the scenes.Thankfully, Robert was still holding down the fort for the Strauss family. Otherwise, the Strauss family would no longer exist!Tom knew exactly what was happening. However, he acted like nothing had happened. He chatted with everyone smilingly, seemingly in a good mood.Tom's expression turned peculiar when he saw the Johnson family from Lostaria.The Johnson family held a dominant position in Lostaria, much like the Strauss family in Maltford, but t
At the banquet, the crowd talked among themselves. The sound of discussions filled the air. At that moment, Tom sat in the private room with a grave expression. Even though he could not hear what they were saying, he could well imagine. Finneas was seated beside him, advising, "You know people have a habit of currying favor with the powerful while looking down on the weak. "You're well aware of the Strauss family's situation. So, there's no need to get angry. You can't control what they say anyway.""I don't care about the others. I just didn't expect Phil to join them," Tom complained. The Johnson family had arrived at the banquet brazenly. Tom felt that their presence was clearly a provocation to the Strauss family. Finneas replied, "You know Phil is the kind who thinks far ahead.""I'm sure he had invited the Johnson family on purpose! He's putting on a show for others," Tom snapped."I truly didn't expect this level of ambition at his age."Phil had always wanted to r
Finneas knew that Tom had asked because he had already chosen a side. Robert was also on his side. "Let's stay put for now. We'll wait till they make a move," answered Finneas."Belle had already made an appearance at my birthday banquet. Right now, I'm sure many have their suspicions about her identity. "That group of people will discover something soon. I want to see what they have in mind. We'll take action once they do!"Tom replied in a low voice, "Patrick's birthday is in two days. I believe something will happen. They'll most likely show up, too.""We'll find ways to adapt and overcome the problems that come our way," Finneas assured him."We might be ordinary folks who don't know how to handle them, but the people supporting Belle are not to be messed with."After all, they managed to raise her right before their eyes. This shows how extraordinary they are!"Tom was confused and asked, "Are you saying there are others behind her apart from Noah?""Of course. No matte
Tom and Finneas looked at Gabriel with complicated expressions. Then they slowly nodded and responded, "Hello."Gabriel glanced around at the crowd. He flashed a smile and then commented, "Why is everyone looking at me like this as soon as I show up? Am I not welcome here?""N-No, of course, you're welcome," they hurriedly replied. They were startled after hearing what he said."In that case, everyone, please enjoy yourselves. Don't stare at me. It's making me feel awkward."Upon hearing his words, everyone promptly averted their gazes. After that, Gabriel turned to look at Phil again, saying, "My grandfather wants me to stay till the banquet ends. I'm not allowed to leave early."He said it's a sign of the Fleming family's respect for you. But look at me. I'm a young man. I don't know anyone here, too."So, I don't think I can stay for long. If you don't mind, I'll take my leave."Phil was so shocked that he was almost at a loss for words. "S-Sure. Take care … "Gabriel smiled
The crowd saw Robert as he entered the banquet hall. Their respect for him was clearly greater than when they saw Tom. Everyone was well aware of the reason behind the Fleming family's presence. They also knew that the Strauss family's status was diminishing. Despite that, they could not help but feel a sense of awe in Robert's presence. It was no doubt that they feared him. Moreover, there was Scott, too. His grandparents, Basil Quinn and Ruth Moore, had long passed away. In addition to that, his mother had also passed. The Quinn family now only consisted of Scott and his father, Louis Quinn. Even though they were a small family, they were financially strong. Most of the Quinn family's businesses are based overseas in small, wealthy countries. They mainly focused on high-profit areas. So, although Louis was often abroad, the Quinn family still held a prominent status in Maltford. Since Scott was the only heir of his family, one could easily imagine his position in the city
Tom replied gravely, "They presented a gift to Phil." Robert's frown deepened upon hearing that. However, Scott was still unaware of the situation. He pressed on, "What's wrong with that?"Tom and Finneas were still frowning and did not answer his question. Bewildered, Scott turned to look at Robert. "The Fleming family is sending a message. They're supporting the Sanchez family and suppressing the Strauss family," Robert calmly explained. "Suppress the Strauss family?" Right then, Scott furrowed his brows, too. "So, you're saying that the Fleming family wants to support the Sanchez family to be the most prominent family in Maltford?""Yes."Scott was instantly displeased. He hissed, "Who does the Fleming family think they are? How dare they want to suppress the Strauss family!"Besides, what qualifications does the Sanchez family have to rise to a higher position? Who in the family can take place?"He angrily continued, "Are they hoping Xenia or Mr. Sanchez Senior will take
Grayson and Belle's appearance brought on another commotion.The crowd's reaction was even bigger than when they spotted Robert.Grayson walked into the hall and immediately got surrounded by a bunch of people.Everyone came over to greet him, including people he knew and complete strangers as well. He was surrounded like a king among his court.Belle was attending as Grayson's plus-one. She hated going to events like that. As she silently cursed at the event and the crowd, she continued smiling politely at the random people approaching Grayson with her arm around his.None of them knew Belle's true identity. In order to get on Grayson's good side, they were complimenting her as well.She knew they were all being fake, but she couldn't be rude. Her face was almost about to cramp from smiling.After greeting random people for a while, Belle subtly pinched Grayson to indicate that she was getting tired of smiling.It only took a brief glance for him to know exactly what she meant
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