Ginger smacked Gabriel. "You brat. What are you saying? You don't live in Maltford, so you don't know Grayson's status here! I'm not trying to scare you, but he's so influential here that nobody can match his power."Gabriel scratched the back of his head and pouted. "You actually hit me because of him. Do you admire him that much? Who's more important to you in your heart? Me, or him?"Ginger pursed her lips. Then, she pinched his slender cheek like he was a child. "You, of course! You're all I have. However, Mr. Page did save me. So, we still need to respect him and not call him by his name. "You need to refer to him as Mr. Page, okay?""Okay. I understand. Ginger, I'm hungry. Please cook something for me." Gabriel tried to divert her attention by giving her something to do.Once Ginger's attention was diverted, she would stop thinking about that incident. Soon, she would also stop fearing it.Ginger heaved a sigh and said, "I'll go and do it right now."Pulling off the cover
Ginger inquired, "Is everything sorted out?"Gabriel affirmed, "Yes, we can move in now."Ginger remarked, "I should talk to the landlord here. It's not appropriate to leave so abruptly.""Don't worry," Gabriel reassured. "I've already informed the landlord.""What? When?""When you were cooking just now. There isn't a single surveillance camera in here. It's way too dangerous. Also, after we leave, we can keep an eye on the renovation of the new house."Ginger still felt like it was much too rushed, but she couldn't argue with Gabriel's reasoning.She was oblivious to the fact that the landlord for their new place had requested an additional 50 percent in rent, citing the urgency of the move, and she was also unaware that Gabriel had only recently found the new residence. Additionally, she remained unaware of the half month's rent that Gabriel had forfeited for their old place due to the urgent move. All Gabriel desired was to relocate Ginger from that old, dilapidated hous
"You-You bastard! Beat him up! Teach him a lesson!"As the individual on the other side of the call shouted, Gabriel soon found himself enveloped by a cluster of burly men."Apologies, Mr. Gabriel."During the exchange of words, they initiated a barrage of punches toward Gabriel, who skillfully ducked and dodged their attacks. In retaliation, he fought back vigorously. By the conclusion of their skirmish, Gabriel bore a few bruises and scratches. Nonetheless, he emerged victorious. While his opponents collapsed, he remained standing, undefeated by any of them.Clearly, the individual on the other end of the conversation had a way of seeing everything that transpired. "Bastard! You bastard! You'd better not step out of line. If you go overboard, you'll never see Ginger again. I'll ruin the rest of her life!" the caller shouted. "You'd better not cross me either!" Gabriel yelled.Suddenly, a woman's crying voice emerged from the speaker. "You guys haven't been fighting recen
Grayson spotted Belle's pictures almost immediately. He zoomed in and noticed that they had all been taken secretly.Phil had done a thorough investigation on Belle. He had even written down some pertinent details about her background. "This has to be fake. Finneas would never let Grayson marry some village girl. She looks just like Wendy and is probably her long-lost daughter. She's the girl everyone was looking for back then."Grayson frowned at the long hand-written paragraph and continued reading.Phil's documentation of the events from that time closely aligned with Finneas's account.Back then, the news of the Aspen family had been accidentally leaked and caused an upheaval among the mysterious families.Various different organizations from across the world began to attack the Aspen family. They were all looking for the same person—a little girl named Bethany.Apparently, she wasn't built like a normal human being. If they could get their hands on her, they could rule the
Belle didn't mention that she was the victim. She just said that her friend had gotten into trouble.Henry didn't know that Belle was his boss' wife. He didn't think to make the connection between Belle and Grayson after watching the video.After sending all the information, he sent a text. "Whoever attacked your friend is a very intelligent professional. She had picked a very good place and avoided every surveillance camera nearby. "That's why we couldn't see who got into her car first. However, I spotted a very familiar silhouette near the accident site. She's likely the killer. I've captured a screenshot from the footage. It's not very clear, but I hope it's useful.""Alright. Thank you." Belle texted back."No worries. You don't need to stand on ceremony with your senior," Henry replied.Belle didn't reply anymore. She kept rereading his messages and looking at the two pictures he had attached after his message.The pictures were taken at different places. One of them was f
Could it be Xenia?However, Phil was already dead. Xenia had also been arrested because of what happened with Monica. The Sanchez family was done for, and there was no one who would do anything for Xenia anymore.Grayson racked his brains but still couldn't figure out who it could be.Neither he nor Belle could figure out who the suspect could possibly be. After a moment, she finally tucked her phone away and said, "Whatever. Let's forget it for now and sleep."Belle was exhausted from everything that had happened that day.Grayson nodded. "Let's sleep."Belle said, "If you start feeling sick tonight, tell me. Don't worry about waking me up or anything.""Okay."Belle returned to her room to rest while Grayson lay awake, completely unable to sleep.Not being able to figure out who the suspect was gave him a lot of stress. After all, it had a lot to do with Belle's safety.If that person could plant a bomb on that taxi today, then they could just as easily shoot Belle the next
There was no solid proof that Xenia was behind Monica's murder, but Xenia was definitely involved since Monica's corpse was inside Phil's coffin.Anyone with a brain could figure out that Xenia was behind it.Some "detectives" had theorized that Xenia and Monica tried to get Belle in trouble—that Xenia was so determined to send Belle to jail that she decided to kill Monica and pin it on Belle.That theory was pretty solid, so a lot of people liked it and left positive comments on the post.Apart from mourning Monica's death, they were all cursing Xenia. Everyone was saying that she was the most vile bitch out there. Belle couldn't help but marvel at those comments. "I always knew that Xenia wasn't a good person, but I didn't know she could go to such lengths."Grayson also saw all the articles online. "She had it coming."Belle replied, "Monica had it coming, too. I feel bad for her parents, though. They're already so old."Even though Margaret had stabbed Grayson in the back,
Grayson swallowed subtly to prepare himself and called out, "Grandpa."Noah knew who he was. Still, he asked, "Is this Grayson?""Yes. It's me.""To what do I owe this pleasure? Did Belle piss you off again?"Grayson could tell from Noah's tone that he was being sarcastic, but he sincerely replied, "No, she didn't.""That kid has quite the temper.""Not really.""She's reckless and mischievous.""I find she's neither of those things.""She's not easy to like.“"I like her."Noah chuckled. "I heard that you weren't her biggest fan when you got married."Grayson replied, "I was immature back then. I didn't know any better.""And now you do?""Yes, now I do. Belle's the best. I love her."Noah didn't reply.Grayson said, "I should have treated her better back then. It's all my fault. I hope you can give me a chance to redeem myself. I promise that I'll treat her well for the rest of our lives. I'll give up my life for her."Noah sighed gently. "I practically forced 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