Jake nodded expressionlessly and walked forward.He walked toward the nearest guy and knelt down. Without giving him a chance to speak, Jake grabbed his wrist and crushed it. A loud snap echoed in the air. The man's scream was bone-chilling.Jake didn't even blink. He simply walked to his next victim.The crowd could only stare in shock.Tristan's eyes were huge from surprise. He wanted Grayson to come and break them apart, not make things worse. Beating up Trent's subordinates in front of Trent was a huge insult to him. If it was someone who didn't know who he was, it might still be a light offense.However, Grayson was intentionally embarrassing him in front of a huge crowd. Trent would definitely hold a grudge."Calm down, Grayson," Tristan said.Grayson didn't listen to him. He held Belle's hand as he glared at the people writhing in pain on the floor. He looked exactly like an angry husband who was getting revenge for his wife.Even though Belle hadn't been hurt, he wa
The sound of bones breaking and loud screaming echoed through the bar. Trent stayed quiet.No one knew exactly how strong Grayson was. Trent was on the dark side, but Grayson wasn't exactly the most innocent person. Trent didn't dare to underestimate Grayson.All he could do was admit defeat after hurting the apple of Grayson's eye.He knew Scott and Grayson weren't on the best terms.If Trent only settled things with Scott, he could protect his pride.Trent said, "I'm sorry, Mrs. Page. My men were foolish not to recognize you. They deserve to be punished by Mr. Page. I must apologize to you on their behalf."Grayson ignored him with a frown.Trent looked at Scott. "Should we settle our differences between us, Mr. Quinn?"Scott's bodyguards immediately surrounded Scott at the sound of that.Without waiting for Scott to reply, Grayson said, "You can't touch him either."Trent frowned. "What do you mean? I don't understand.""What I'm saying is, you can't touch my wife, and yo
Belle wanted to push him away, but Grayson's grip was too tight. She couldn't shake him off and called out to Robert, "I'll be going now! Call me if anything happens."Robert nodded. "Alright."He only turned to look at Scott after Grayson and Belle left. "Are you okay?"Scott replied with a sour expression, "I'm fine. It's just a scratch.""We'd better go for a check-up."Robert looked at Tristan. "Sorry, Tristan. I'll pay for all the damages."Tristan sighed. "That's nothing. The problem here is the rivalry between Scott and Grayson. They really are sworn enemies. They're both so aggressive! Belle is also terrifying. Birds of a feather really do flock together. "Neither of them care much about consequences, do they? They fight at the smallest inconveniences."Scott frowned. "If he dares to start anything, I'll guarantee his downfall! I don't think he'll be invincible against everything money can buy. There are plenty of professionals who are willing to be hired."Tristan sh
While Scott got his check-up done, Robert was getting the rundown of everything that happened. He was also checking the surveillance camera footage from the bar.He hadn't imagined that Belle would be such a good fighter. Her technique strongly reminded him of Mr. Bunny.Mr. Bunny had used the exact same techniques the other day in the fighting ring.Grayson had also defended Belle exactly like how he defended Mr. Bunny the other day.What if?Robert wanted to assume that Belle was Mr. Bunny, but after quite a few tests, he'd proven that Belle wasn't the person he was looking for.Robert didn't know where the problem lay.Grayson and Belle were already on the way back home from the bar.Grayson was furious because Belle had helped Scott fight. He was also pissed because of the last thing she had said to Robert. His expression was sour the whole way home. He didn't speak to her at all.Belle looked at Grayson, not knowing what he was angry about.After they had been on the r
Belle said, "They can't hurt me. Also, it was their fault in the first place. It was bad enough that they were talking shit about Robert, but Patrick's just a kid. Why would they say things like that about him? I'm on Scott's side. He did nothing wrong.""If you thought they were being unfair, you could've called me!" Grayson said. "You're just a girl. What are you doing running headfirst into a fight like that?""It's not like I couldn't handle it. Why would I call you? You make it sound like I'm weak and incompetent.""If you could handle it, then why are you injured?""Am I? I'm not injured."Grayson held up her hand. "It's red!"She remained silent in disbelief. "Is this really an injury?" she thought.The corners of her mouth twitched. She felt as if she had really become a weak, fragile little lady in Grayson's eyes."Is this what the Page family deems an injury?"Grayson glared at her with a frown.Belle pressed her lips together. She knew Grayson was simply worried ab
Phil frowned and sighed. "There's nothing to be afraid of. The Aspen family was wiped out by them back then. She's the only one left. What can she do?""Still, you know what happened that year. If the mysterious families want her, that means there has to be something valuable about her. I'm worried that she has some kind of superpowers. If she has powers, she'd be a very dangerous enemy."Phil replied, "Everyone was talking about how mysterious the Aspen family was back then, but no one knew why. No one's ever seen the Aspen family in action. Maybe all those rumors are really just rumors. Maybe the Aspen family are just normal people like you and me.""That's not entirely unlikely, but I'd rather believe that they are truly powerful," his confidant replied. "After all, the mysterious families shouldn't be taken lightly. If they really didn't have any powers, they wouldn't attack all at once."Phil sighed again. After a minute of silence, he said, "Let's not think about the Aspen fa
Belle had just met with Ginger.She had no idea that Xenia and Monica were planning to ruin her reputation."Over here, Belle!" Ginger called out excitedly when she spotted Belle.Ginger was still dressed in the uniform of Page Corporation's workers. She had obviously rushed out of the company without going home to change clothes.It was probably because she was super excited to find the brother she had lost for years.Belle walked over to them. Her glance shifted from Ginger to Ginger's "brother". His stare made her feel uncomfortable. She felt like there was more to him than met the eye.That didn't necessarily mean that he was a bad person, though. She didn't think too much of it and asked Ginger, "Have you been waiting for a long time?"Ginger said with a bright smile. "No, we just reached. Here, let me introduce you guys. This is my brother. He's 18 this year. Gabe, this is my best friend. I talked about her this afternoon. Her name is Belle, and she's 20 this year, so she'
Henrietta frowned. It was just a random lie she'd come up with, so she didn't have a name.Besides, even if it was the truth, she wasn't about to expose any real names of the higher-ups at the company.If she mentioned names, she wouldn't just be getting on Ginger's bad side. She would be offending a bunch of important people at the company. It was a bad move.Still, she wasn't about to give up her game. "You know better than all of us. Quit embarrassing yourself."Ginger scoffed coldly. "If you don't give me a name, I'm not leaving."Henrietta spat, "Are all whores this cocky nowadays? What kind of bitch asks other people for the names of people she fucked? I've seen shameless people, but you really take the cake."Ginger picked up the bowl of beef stew on the table, throwing it all over Henrietta. "Say it! You'd better give me a fucking name today. If you don't give me a name, that means you're just spreading rumors!"Henrietta hadn't expected that Ginger would actually do any
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