Gabriel swiped to answer the call. The person on the other end of the line said something, and he nodded. "Alright."After the call ended, Ginger hastily asked, "What's the matter?"Gabriel said, "They notified me to go to the police station last night. But just now, they told me that I don't have to go anymore.""Our statements are already recorded. Why would they tell you to go to the police station again?"Gabriel knew very well that they must have suspected him, and that was why they had summoned him. He lied, saying, "I'm not sure either. But now, they said that I don't have to go anymore."Either way, they've caught the culprit, so we're not suspects anymore."Ginger nodded. She said in amazement, "The police are quite efficient nowadays. They managed to catch the culprit so soon. Kudos to them."A faint smile appeared in the corners of Gabriel's eyes. He then said to Ginger, "This incident is over, so let's not think about it anymore."Ginger, you should wash up first, a
Belle said, "What do I have to do with him canceling your engagement? Shouldn't you ask yourself instead? Or just ask him straight away. Why are you asking me that?"Xenia gritted her teeth."I've already asked him about it. He said that Mr. Page Senior wished for it. But before Dawson and I were engaged, Mr. Page Senior didn't object to it at all."If you weren't the one who persuaded Mr. Page Senior, who else would've done it?"Belle said, "Even if I said that it wasn't me, you wouldn't believe me anyway. Still, you like Grayson, don't you? Why are you mad that your engagement with Dawson is canceled?""You … You brainless idiot!"Belle frowned. "Can you not insult people when you talk? You'll get beaten up."Xenia knew that she was no match for Belle. Gritting her teeth, she said, "You're such a vile woman! You'll pay for it someday!"With that, she turned around and left.Belle still hadn't figured out what was going on when she heard sounds of argument coming from the hou
Grayson said, "This is a question of signals. With the cancellation, Grandpa wants to end his alliance with the Sanchez family."The Sanchez family must have certain intentions in this area. That's why they came here today to make a fuss."Philip isn't mad about the cancellation of the engagement. Instead, he was taking advantage of this incident to cause trouble. It's to announce their current relationship with the Page family."Belle asked, "So this means that the Sanchez family refuses to help the Strauss family, right?""Yes. At the banquet held by the Sanchez family last time, he invited Mr. Strauss Senior's enemy on purpose."It was also a signal that he wouldn't be standing on the side of the Strauss family. He wants to replace them instead."Belle frowned. She wasn't concerned about the schemes between the great families. But she wanted to protect the Strauss family and the Page family.Thinking of something, Belle said, "The Sanchez family is considered a wealthy family
Grayson's lips moved a little."I'm not sure about the details. I only know that you have grudges with those mysterious families."For the moment, he didn't say that her parents had died at the hands of those people. He feared that it might ruin Noah's plan.Belle let out a long sigh. She muttered to herself, "Mysterious families, huh …"Grayson said, "Don't let them affect your life. Don't bother with them for now, and just live your own life well."Belle sighed again before saying helplessly, "I can't bother with them even if I wanted to. Grandpa refuses to say anything.""He didn't tell you anything because it isn't time yet."Belle shrugged in exasperation. Then, she changed the topic."Oh, right. You said that Xenia doesn't like Dawson at all. Why did she react so strongly after her engagement with Dawson was canceled?"Her grandfather is mad because it concerns their family's benefits, but why is she angry?"Grayson responded, "Hm?""She found me when I was feeding the
Grayson had already gone to the closet, leaving Belle to stare in the direction of the closet.She felt that Grayson wasn't just weird these days. He was exceedingly weird.All his behavior and mannerisms were abnormal.She felt as if … he was extra caring and gentle to her, and he cared about her more than usual.Moreover, he kept mentioning that he was her husband.But they weren't a real married couple at all.In the past, Grayson would never admit that he was her husband. But recently, he kept bringing it up …Belle had no idea what was going on with Grayson or what he was trying to do. But she felt that she needed to remind him of their real relationship.So, Belle put her phone away as she walked up to the cabinet. She wanted to take out their marriage agreement.There were two copies of the agreement. She had one while Grayson had the other. They had both signed the copies.But when she opened the cabinet, she didn't find the agreement anywhere.She remembered that it
As Xenia spoke, she bit her lip hard. Then, she got up and went to the bathroom.After about ten minutes, she emerged from the bathroom. She looked like a completely different person.She had changed her clothes and put on some light makeup. She grabbed her bag, looking like she was about to go out.The household staff didn't know where Xenia was going, so they asked, "Ms. Xenia, where are you going this late at night?"Mr. Sanchez Senior fought with the Page family and the Strauss family today. If you go out now, you might be in danger.""Get lost!" Frowning, Xenia shouted at the household staff. Then, she left.She drove to the Wallers' residence.Meanwhile, Phil was still in the reception room, chatting with the other families. "Patrick doesn't know how to speak. He's mute. This is the truth that nobody can change. Let's see how the Strauss family explains this to everyone tomorrow!"They continued talking.The person who was in the foulest mood that night was none other
Tom glanced at Robert with a meaningful gaze. Then, he let out a long sigh."She's from the Aspen family."Robert was shocked, and his expression instantly changed. The words "Aspen family" echoed in his mind.It was her!Robert was so overwhelmed that his breaths turned a little rapid. A long while later, he spoke up."So she's the girl from back then?"This information was too important to him, so he had to make sure.Tom gave Robert another meaningful glance. "You know about the Aspen family?"When the incident took place, Robert's and Grayson's generation were still kids.Also, the information was kept a strict secret back then. Other than the older generation like Tom, the others didn't even know it happened.Also, even if they knew, they would be quite curious about it, so they would ask questions. But Robert didn't, so Tom was intrigued.Robert didn't mention his past with Belle. He only said, "I once heard about it by accident.""What do you know about it?" Tom aske
"So, if there's danger, Grayson will protect Belle, right?" Robert asked.Tom nodded. "Most probably. Finneas had asked Grayson to marry her, which already proved his standing. The Page family will always be on Belle's side."When Robert heard that, he felt much better.Grayson was a strong man. With him around to protect Belle, Robert didn't have to worry so much.Tom continued, "Phil must know Belle's identity as well. When he turned against us, he was also taking a stand against Belle."He's getting bolder by the day. He's not even worried that the people behind Belle might assassinate him!"Back then, Belle's mother jumped off a cliff with Belle. The people who raided them went to look for their bodies in a hurry, but they found nothing."Everyone assumed that they wouldn't be alive after jumping from such a high cliff, but they couldn't be sure. After all, the Aspen family had their secrets."So, the great families must be looking for Belle's whereabouts. On her own, Belle
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