Grayson didn't say a word. He didn't succeed, and he even made things worse.He was the domineering president of a company. If it were any other person, they wouldn't dare expose him if they realized what was going on.Knowing that he was the one who put the drug, they would just eat it without another word!But the person in front of him, who looked like a police officer interrogating a criminal, was Belle. She was the woman he couldn't do anything about.So, Grayson said, "It's for your sake that I don't want you to go.""In other words, you're worried for my safety, right?"Grayson didn't retort. He remained silent.Belle asked, "Is it because someone at the banquet will target me? Or will everyone at the banquet be in danger?"Before Grayson could reply, Belle said, "It must be the former. If not, even you wouldn't be going, right?"Moreover, the Strauss family isn't the only one attending. No one can be that powerful that they'd put every guest in danger."For a moment,
Grayson fell silent. He couldn't tell Belle about this right now.Noah had risked his life to raise Belle carefully and anxiously in fear of danger. He must have a grand plan in mind. So, Grayson shouldn't foil it.As for Belle's background, he would only tell Belle when Noah gave him permission to.Moreover, he didn't know much. He only knew the things his grandfather had told him, but he didn't know the more important parts.For example, the secrets of the Aspen family or the secrets surrounding Belle herself.Why was the Aspen family in chaos as soon as she was born?Also, why would the Aspen family willingly be destroyed just to protect her?The mysterious families moved collectively as if they were crazy, trying to be the first to find her. They even searched for her body in a frenzy after they thought she was dead. Why was that?There were many key questions, but Grayson didn't know the answer to any of them.He gulped discreetly. Then, he changed the topic."If you tru
Robert said tentatively, "There'll be many people there, and it'll be a mess. I suggest you don't come.""I know that.""Besides, aren't you and Grayson married in secret? People will definitely take photos, and you'll become the center of the spotlight. "People will gossip about you, and it'll be difficult for you to live a low--profile life after this. You're such a low-profile person. It's best that you don't come today," said Robert.Belle felt impatient and said, "What's up with you guys? Are you and Grayson in cahoots with each other? You two even used the same reasons to stop me from attending the banquet."She turned to look at Grayson. If he wasn't so adamant that he was straight, then she would be Grayson and Robert's biggest shipper. She'd drag Grayson out of the closet!"Are you also aware of me and my involvement with those mysterious families?" asked Belle.When Robert said nothing, Belle continued, "You're definitely aware of it already, and that's why you don't
Belle stared at Grayson with her eyes wide and blinked. For a moment, she didn't know what to say.The last thing Grayson had said gave her a strange feeling, but the feeling faded before she could identify what it was. Besides, the look in his eyes was too gentle.Belle composed herself and looked away. Coughing softly, she said, "I've always known that you don't like Robert, so I never thought you'd help him."Grayson narrowed his eyes slightly. "It's for the bigger picture."Belle couldn't help but look at him again. A person who looked at the bigger picture always held a charm that made people look up to them.It suddenly grew quiet in the car, and Belle felt awkward for some reason. She had never felt like this when she was with Grayson before.Gulping, she looked out the window. Grayson looked at her affectionately and found something to say. "Just focus on enjoying the food and drinks tonight. Be careful of people who might want to hurt you and don't worry about anything
Grayson and Belle became the center of attention the moment they stepped inside. Apart from Grayson's status, everyone was awed by their looks.Grayson was handsome and intimidating while Belle was gorgeous and charismatic. People couldn't help looking at them.It wasn't Belle's first time attending a banquet with Grayson, and she faced the attention calmly. She smiled as she walked ahead while holding Grayson's arm.She was dressed in a gown with a scarf to go with it, and her hair was half up. She looked gentle and classy, the complete opposite of her usual sharp-tongued self.Her nice figure and appearance made her the perfect partner for Grayson. She did not seem overshadowed by him at all.Although the atmosphere was tense, some people still couldn't help but comment when they saw the couple. "Mr. Page has such great taste. His girlfriend is such a good match for him.""He's handsome while she's sweet and pretty. What a match made in heaven.""I heard that Ms. Walters gre
Belle was about to ask more questions when she heard a familiar voice call out her name."Belle!" Scott greeted her enthusiastically the moment he saw her. He was greeting guests by the entrance. Robert was beside him.When Belle saw Robert's gaze linger on her and Grayson's interlocked hands, she understood immediately. Grayson was using her to make Robert jealous.Belle pursed her lips and ignored Scott. She looked at Grayson instead. She had no words for him. He knew that there was nothing going on between Robert and her, but he just had to cause drama.He just loved to overthink. He didn't like her anyway, so Belle was really starting to suspect that he had a crush on Robert! Belle cursed him out in her thoughts before greeting Robert. She asked, "Did Patrick come?"Robert stared at her with a complicated expression. Excitement, nervousness, and panic were mixed in his gaze. He felt happy and relieved too. He was tongue-tied for a moment because he was overwhelmed with
Belle got surrounded by a group of rich ladies before she could get far. They showered her with compliments and started talking about Grayson.Belle felt tired of them, but it wasn't right for her to ignore them. She didn't know any of their names, but they looked familiar. After all, Belle had attended many banquets with Grayson, and the circle of rich people was quite small. She had seen some of the women before.For the sake of the Page family's reputation, she couldn't give them the cold shoulder. She had no choice but to smile awkwardly.Meanwhile, the person who had approached Grayson said, "You're a very lucky man, Mr. Page. Your girlfriend is beautiful."Another man said, "Mr. Page seems to be deeply in love with her. Just look at him. He can't take his eyes off her.""Hahaha, are you worried that something will happen to her? Don't worry, Mr. Page. Nobody dares to bully your girlfriend.""I'm just worried that someone will make her unhappy. She has a hot temper and is
Trent kept quiet for a few seconds before he smiled and said, "I've always been unlucky. I've been bullied since I was a kid. I've cheated death countless times, so I'll never regret a path I've chosen. The worst-case scenario is just death, isn't it? Haha, I'm not afraid!" Trent's men started yelling too. One of them said, "Exactly! We peasants are nothing compared to the Strauss family anyway. It's so easy for you to kill us, but we're not afraid. We'll help the people of Maltford get the truth even if we have to risk our lives!"Scott was so angry that his face became as red as a tomato. He shouted, "Who gave you the fucking right to represent the people of Maltford? You're just a bunch of gangsters who do nothing but bully the citizens. Why are you playing the good guys now? Just tell me what you really want and stop using the people of Maltford as an excuse."The man who spoke earlier was struck speechless, and he was furious. He wanted to retort, but a look from Trent made
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