"What woman?" Grayson asked her."The Wallers' daughter.""What happened?""Your little pet, Xenia, started it. They all hate me and are always trying to start fights with me. How did she go missing?" Belle mumbled."I don't know. Sam said they'd already contacted the police and reporters. It might be to target you."Belle pressed her lips together. "Did Sam call you to tell you that?""Yeah. The Wallers came over to look for you but got held back by the guards. Go to sleep. You don't have to worry about them. I've asked Sam to get rid of them. They won't be coming over.""How do you know I didn't hide her somewhere?" Belle asked."You wouldn't be that bored. You also don't have that much free time," Grayson said.Belle shrugged. Grayson was right. He really did understand her.His trust in her was also pretty touching.That was why she didn't immediately chase him away that night when he lay on the bed again."Should we buy another bed?" Belle asked.Grayson leaned agains
Belle tossed and turned a little bit more before finally finding a comfortable position to sleep in.Grayson gulped nervously. He didn't dare to move, and after gulping a couple of times, he finally lifted a hand to stroke her hair gently. He kissed her on the top of her head and fell asleep with her in his arms.He woke up early the next day to prevent Belle from making a fuss when she woke up in his arms again. He also didn't want to hear her talk about buying another bed.Meredith noticed his good mood and said, "You slept well last night, didn't you? You seem to be in a great mood."Nodding, he asked Meredith to make some oatmeal for Belle's breakfast before heading out for a jog.By the time he came back from his jog, Belle was already awake. She was sitting in the living room and telling Sixteen off.Grayson had forgotten to close the door before going for his morning jog. Sixteen had run into the house and jumped excitedly on the bed, which woke Belle up.That was why she
"I drank way too much last night. I was almost late this morning. Gabriel turned my alarm off! He didn't even wake me up," Ginger said.Belle checked the time. "You're not late, though. It's not time for work yet.""Did you forget? Receptionists need to clock in earlier."Belle said, "Oh, right. Now that you're at work, what's Gabriel doing?""He was still at home when I left. I told him to feel free to go out and look around. If he wants to stay home, I'll order some lunch for him in the afternoon."Belle asked, "You guys haven't met in so long. Why don't you ask for a couple more days off?""Do you think I have your guts?" Ginger retorted helplessly. "I can't take so many leaves. I only just got a promotion. I shouldn't slack off now, so I'd better get back to work."Belle didn't understand why Ginger was so ambitious. She didn't see Henrietta and asked, "Where's Henrietta?""Who knows? She has the morning shift today. I wonder if she overslept. In fact, she's already conside
Belle didn't vocalize her gratitude. All she said was, "Hold on to that money for now. I'll let you know if I really do need any.""Alright. Don't be so formal with me, alright? We're best friends."Belle looked at Ginger and smiled. She was in a great mood. "Okay."The two of them chatted for a couple more moments before Belle headed to the secretarial department.First, she went to talk to Rosa about quitting.When Rosa heard that Belle wanted to quit, she was shocked. "Why do you want to quit? Mr. Page has been pretty nice to you recently, right?""I just don't want to work here anymore."Rosa couldn't understand. Just like Ginger, she started telling Belle all about how hard it was to enter Page Corporation.Belle said, "I can't do much here. I want to quit and do something else. I want to do something I really like."Rosa thought she wanted freedom. With a pained expression, she said, "You're still young. When you're my age, you'll realize how important a stable job with
The head of the human resources department cleared his throat lightly. Since Belle couldn't stop asking questions, he said, "Your work isn't done yet. Based on our standard protocol, you should've put in your notice a month ago. If you leave now, who's going to be in charge of your work?"I'm in the secretarial department. I don't have much work to do," Belle said."That's impossible. This isn't how things work in Page Corporation. Go back and finish all your work before quitting. Also, you have to rewrite your letter. I can't hand this in. It doesn't fit the criteria."Belle frowned.She had downloaded the template online. How could it not fit the criteria?"Why doesn't it fit?" she asked.He replied, "Go back and read it again. I'm still busy, so I'm afraid you'll have to go back now."The head of the human resources department was afraid that he'd make a mistake the more he spoke.He didn't know why Belle wanted to leave, but he was sure as hell that he wanted to stay. He wa
The policemen began to take Gabriel's statement.Gabriel only got to meet Ginger after a long time. Ginger's eyes began to tear up again at the sight of him. "Are you okay, Gabriel?"He said with a slight frown, "I'm okay. The police just asked me the usual questions. I told them everything I knew. Don't worry."Ginger nodded, and the three of them left the station.Ginger kept lamenting, "I didn't know that would happen to her. I was still talking shit about her this very morning! I was even thinking about how I would scold her when she arrived late.""Don't beat yourself up over it. Her death isn't worth mourning," Gabriel said."I do hate her, but I never wished for her to die. She's useless, but she didn't deserve to die—especially not in such a cruel way."Gabriel replied, "You don't have anything to do with her death. You didn't do anything wrong. Don't waste your emotions on her."Belle glanced at Gabriel.The police definitely wouldn't say a word about how Henrietta di
Sam had started the car and was on his way back to the company.Belle seemed to have suddenly thought of something as she turned to Grayson."I thought you had a very important meeting this morning? How did you find the time to come out?"Grayson wanted to explain that she was more important than any meeting that could exist.But the words never came out. He had never been one to flatter others, and he decided that spilling the truth would only do more harm than good.He remembered that she mentioned that she would shun anyone coming to her with unsolicited affection.Thus, he decided to gloss it over with an excuse."The meeting was already over."Sam was dumbfounded as he wondered what the stakeholders waiting for Grayson in the meeting room were doing at the moment.He glanced at Grayson through the rearview mirror but did not dare speak up.Belle did not probe further and just stared out the window, deep in her thoughts.Grayson explained, "Henrietta's death will be hand
Belle frowned as she approached the old couple. "I heard you were looking for me?"As soon as Margaret saw Belle, she swiftly stood back up and tried to pounce on her.Belle was about to dodge the strike when Grayson appeared to shield her from danger.Grayson grabbed ahold of Margaret's hand as his expression turned for the worst. "What are you trying to do?"His terrifying gaze snapped Margaret back to her senses. After a few seconds, however, she began to cry again."I just want to find my daughter, please … I just want my daughter …"He let go of her hand in response. "And who are you trying to find right now?""Her! I'm looking for her because she hid my daughter away!"Belle frowned as Margaret's finger pointed at her.Grayson quickly intercepted. "What evidence do you have to prove that she hid your daughter away?""I do have evidence! Monica gave me a call before everything happened! We were chatting when all of a sudden, she said Belle's name!"I tried to ask who sh
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