Grayson didn't dare to think any further. He yelled at Jake, "Contact the bomb disposal experts and get the best ones here as soon as possible! If something happens to Belle today, nobody can survive!"Grayson sprinted toward where Belle had gone as if his life depended on it.Jake followed closely behind Grayson. When he heard Grayson's yelling, he was taken aback. It had been a long time since he had seen Grayson so panicked.The people on Grayson's side were in chaos.The people on Robert's side were also in chaos.At this moment, the entire banquet had fallen into eerie silence.They were still unaware of the bomb on Patrick's body. They were amazed by the fact that Patrick could speak. They thought it was a miracle that Patrick could speak again.People gradually regained their composure and looked toward Tom, awaiting his words.At this moment, Tom was still sweating on his forehead. He didn't have time to say anything to the crowd. He rushed out in a hurry with his walki
Meanwhile, Belle had brought Patrick to a bridge. "Patrick, you're going to jump into the water with me. Close your eyes if you're scared. Hold on tight," she told him."Okay." Patrick closed his eyes obediently while clinging to Belle's neck.At that moment, Grayson and Robert rushed over. "Belle!" they yelled in unison when they saw that she was about to jump into the water with Patrick.Belle seemed to not hear their cries. Instead, she jumped down from the several-meter-high bridge with Patrick in her arms.Robert and Grayson were stunned.They widened their eyes. Without a word, they leaped over the barrier and jumped down.Sam, Robert's subordinates, and the bodyguards had been following behind them. When they saw what was happening, they sucked in a deep breath.Without thinking, all of them jumped down the bridge.All the clueless passersby were stunned.It was rare to see one person jumping off a bridge, not to mention a group of people all at once!In the eyes of
Belle didn't even bother looking at Grayson and Robert. "It's fine, Patrick. You're safe now. Let's go. I'll bring you to the shore," she told Patrick.While saying that, she swam toward the shore with Patrick in her arms.Belle was about to reach the shore when she saw that Grayson and Robert weren't following suit. "Aren't you guys going to leave?" Belle turned around and yelled at them.Grayson and Robert were still in a state of shock.Although the two had experienced many things before, they were still surprised.Belle knew how to defuse a bomb, and at such a fast pace too!After all, she was only a 20-year-old woman."If you guys don't head to shore now, your nerves will grow numb from the cold water. At least swim around if you don't want to get to the shore. Don't just stay there. It's dangerous."After Belle reminded them, she turned around and brought Patrick to the shore.Grayson and Robert finally realized that their legs were almost numb after staying in the water
Stunned, Grayson turned to look at Belle again. However, he quickly averted his gaze.Robert was also shocked. "So, you're the one who saved Patrick! Our family made a huge effort to find you but to no avail. The surveillance cameras were all destroyed due to the bombing. Nobody managed to remember your face as it was too chaotic. "The only person who could recognize you was my mother. However, she never really attended banquets after Patrick's accident, so she never had the chance to meet you. Thus, nobody knew it was you."Belle replied, "I only knew that I saved your younger brother after I met you. If I had known Patrick would feel safe enough to talk when he was with me, I would've met with him earlier."Robert secretly let out a sigh.If Robert knew Patrick would speak after seeing Belle, he would've arranged for the two to meet earlier.After many twists and turns, it turned out that Belle was the savior they had been looking for all along.Robert had promised to protect
Belle asked Sam, "Did you manage to find anything out of it?""No, but I'll investigate once again using your method. I'll tell you once I find anything.""Okay."Belle kept her phone.She opened the door, only expecting to see Patrick. However, she found three people waiting for her when she walked out the door.There was Patrick, Robert, and Grayson.The three of them had already changed into clean clothes and were looking at her.Belle was puzzled. "Why are you guys standing by the door instead of waiting for me in the hall?"Patrick pursed his lips, refusing to say anything. Meanwhile, Grayson kept quiet with a grim expression. Robert was the only one who spoke. "Patrick wanted to come and find you after showering. I wanted to lead him to the hall, but he refused. He was adamant about coming to your room."Belle smiled and patted Patrick's head.Robert added, "We're going back to the banquet. You can head home and rest if you don't wanna go."Belle replied, "I'll accom
Grayson gritted his teeth. "Isn't it the same thing? What do you think I'll do to you now that you've made it known that you like her?" His expression was dark.Robert couldn't explain anything. His feelings toward Belle were complicated.He couldn't say that he didn't like Belle.Robert had already treated Belle differently before he knew she was the person he was looking for. Now that he had confirmed that she was the one, he would naturally treat her even better.Robert could do everything for her!However, his feelings for Belle were different from Grayson's.Grayson only felt love for Belle. However, Robert's feelings were mixed with something else.If Belle was a princess, it could be said that he was her knight!After thinking for a while, Robert replied, "I only want her to be happy. I'll give my blessing to both of you if she likes you. However, I hope you won't be persistent if she doesn't like you or do things to pressure her and make her unhappy.""I won't make her
Phil looked at Tom. "Huh?" The former tried his best to appear calm.Tom replied, "Why don't you investigate who's the culprit? Patrick has some health issues, so I want to bring him overseas for a check-up. Thus, I can't focus entirely on this incident. Plus, you have the most connections in Maltford. You have the highest chance to find out who's the culprit."Phil was shocked. "Me?"Everyone also looked toward Tom and Phil with weird expressions.After all, Phil was the most suspicious in the entire venue. There must be something fishy going on. Otherwise, Tom wouldn't have asked him to find the culprit.Phil didn't want to get himself involved. "I'm old, and I have several health conditions. Thus, I'm afraid that I can't accept such an important task," he rejected.Tom replied, "You could even think about replacing my position. How can you say that you're unfit to do this? Stop being so modest. It's settled, then."Phil furrowed his eyebrows. His expression was extremely grim
Everyone looked over and saw Grayson, Belle, Robert, Patrick, Scott, Tristan, and Simon.Belle was walking in the middle while carrying Patrick. Meanwhile, all of the others followed behind her.They were the ultimate lineup! Nobody would dare to disagree with this fact!Maltford's most well-known wealthy young men were inside this group.Finneas and Tom were stunned to see them. Tom paused for a moment before furrowing his eyebrows. "Why did you guys bring Patrick here?" he questioned.Belle knew what Tom and Finneas were worried about. "Today is Patrick's birthday, so everyone must want to see him. That's why we brought him to say hello to everyone." She smiled."But …" Tom looked worried.Belle turned around to look at Patrick. "Patrick, tell Grandpa not to worry and that you're fine."The next second, Patrick's childish voice sounded in the hall. "Grandpa, don't worry. I'm fine."Tom looked at Patrick in shock. The former was so emotional that his eyes reddened.He had
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