"I don't know," Noah said. "But I'm guessing it has something to do with the Aspens' genes.""Their genes?""Yes, the Aspens were targeted because of their long lifespans and extremely high IQs," Noah replied, "The long lifespans could have been a result of their environment and various other lifestyle changes, but their high intelligence were a sign of special genetics. "You could probably tell from Belle herself. Despite her young age, she learns very quickly. It only takes her a very short time to master anything."Grayson didn't reply.When he learned that Belle was Henry's junior, he had already known just how smart Belle must be.It was hard for anyone to excel at a single thing, but she excelled at multiple things. It was unbelievable. "There are many things that the outside world coveted from the Aspen family. After they were exposed, the entire world was after them," Noah said, "Anyone with the slightest bit of status and power on their hands was scrambling to get the
Grayson told Noah the truth. "Yes," he said, "I have insomnia, and I used to use her scented sachets as part of my treatment. There was a slow-acting poison in those sachets that caused me to fall sick after a while. Belle saved me."In a low voice, Noah replied, "I know. It's not hard to guess the true intentions of those two. They wanted to use your power to secure their position in Maltford. She probably had her claws deep in Robert, too."You're both the most influential people of your generation, and you two are the only ones who can strike fear into the mysterious families' hearts. You two are also the only ones who pose a direct threat to the mysterious families, which is why Lena chose you two."Noah sighed. "They were certainly struggling these past few years as well. Like Belle, they stayed in the no-man's-land for a long time. The moment they revealed themselves, the mysterious families would go after them. "Lena and her mother must have grown tired of living in the sha
"Are you in front of my old place right now?" Ginger asked Belle."Yeah.""I'm so sorry, Belle. You went all that way for nothing. Take a taxi over to my new place. I'm still at home and planning to cook lunch later. Come over so we can eat together."Belle agreed and took a taxi to Ginger's house.Gabriel was home as well. When he saw Belle, he greeted her like usual. "Hi, Belle."Belle didn't reply. She just nodded in acknowledgment and looked around at the house and its' rather extravagant design. Without waiting for her to ask, Ginger said, "This house is half furnished. The family had to migrate because of an emergency. So, Gabriel rented it immediately. We really lucked out with this one."Belle didn't know whether the family in question really had left the country, nor was she curious enough to ask. All she cared about was that Ginger seemed to be in good condition.After getting kidnapped, she had to take a few days off to recover from the fright.Since Ginger had jus
"Back then, there was no such thing as loving freely," Ginger said. "There were only arranged marriages that parents decided for you. It's a blessing to be loved by Mr. Page. You should really take the opportunity."Belle didn't know what to say.However, Ginger suddenly said, "What about you? What do you think about him?"Belle thought about it carefully before saying, "I don't think I like him very much."Ginger's face broke into a smile. "You do like him! You said you 'don't think' you like him, which means that you're not sure. That's a sign that you're starting to fall! If you didn't like him, you would have said just that."Belle was taken aback by Ginger's observation. She actually felt like her argument made sense.Belle couldn't figure out her own feelings toward Grayson. She had never fallen in love before, so she didn't know what being in love felt like.However, she did care about him. She was also aware of how well he treated her.She had even taken the initiative
When Belle arrived in the ghetto, she didn't feel anything. Even when she walked into the housing area, she felt like everything was perfectly normal. However, she suddenly stopped when she approached the yard of the rented house.The sight of the tightly locked door of the neighboring house made her think of Ava.Ava's figure perfectly matched the picture Henry sent her yesterday.Belle finally realized that Ava was the woman in the picture.She couldn't see the woman's face in the picture Henry sent, but she knew her gut instinct couldn't be wrong.Belle's frown deepened the more she thought about it. She began walking to the yard next door.As she approached, the door swung open from the inside, and out walked Ava. Belle was even more sure that the person from yesterday was Ava when she saw her walking out. Belle's frown deepened even more. Ava clearly hadn't expected Belle to show up. She could tell by Belle's expression that something was wrong and grew alert. With a fal
After they were at least 50 feet away, Belle finally stopped with a frown. She took a small bottle from her pocket and gave them one pill each.They glanced at each other but ate the pill regardless. They didn't even ask what the pill was for.Lena and Ava could no longer be seen. Belle knew they must have made their escape.Belle felt a bit distraught at letting Lena slip through her grasp.After staring in the direction that Lena had escaped to for a long time, she asked the three men, "Who sent you?"One of them hurriedly replied, "Good day, Ms. Walters. Mr. Page sent us.""Grayson?""Yes, he sent us to protect you."Belle fell silent.After a brief moment, she asked, "You guys are pretty trusting. What if the pill was poison?""We trust you. Even if it were poison, we would still eat it."Belle stared at them in surprise. She could barely say anything at the sight of their solemn expressions. They must had been some of Grayson's most loyal subordinates."I gave you guys
Grayson nodded. He didn't bring Daniela up or mention the mysterious families. He also didn't mention the phone call he had with Noah.He decided to change the topic. "Why did you rent another house?"He had literally just found out about the house that Belle rented in the ghetto."I didn't want you to know my secret," Belle said honestly. "It was much more convenient to rent a house and work there.""How is the ghetto convenient?""It may be the messy part of town, but it's relatively safe. If it weren't, Lena and Ava wouldn't have also chosen to live there."Grayson didn't argue. Instead, he said, "Now that I know your secret, you don't have to go there anymore. There are plenty of empty rooms in the house. Move everything back here, and if you don't want to be disturbed, I won't even breathe near that room."Belle looked up at Grayson and nodded.She no longer needed to use that house anymore, and now that she directly confronted Lena, it was no longer safe.Rather than wor
Belle frowned in frustration.She had begun suspecting her connection with Lena since she learned that Lena knew about the Aspens' medicaments. Belle had already been almost certain when she made the call. Yet, she couldn't help but feel disappointed at the verbal confirmation.She had been an orphan ever since she was a young child. Apart from her grandfather, she had no other relatives. She should have been happy to hear about having a cousin, but …"Mrs. Sylvester Senior once said that Lena worked with my mother for a very long time. Lena killed her because of my mom and I, right?"Noah didn't deny anything. After a brief silence, he said, "I'll go to Maltford after the New Year celebrations. You're all grown up now, and there are things you need to know. Take good care of yourself in the meantime. I will tell you everything after the New Year."Belle urgently asked, "Why do I have to wait until after the New Year? Why can't you tell me now? What are you waiting for?"Belle