Meredith had been waiting for the couple ever since she prepared breakfast. She assumed the couple had gone back to sleep due to their absence. She then turned to Sam, who was still idling in the living room."Sam, if it's not something urgent, I think you should get a move on. Mr. Page and Ms. Walters had been building snowmen in the front yard when I got here this morning. I think they've just gone back to sleep."Sam glanced upstairs as he agreed with her words.He was here to talk to Grayson about work. But now, he figured that he should leave Grayson to rest up, considering that it was already New Year's Eve.Grayson had been working himself to the bone back then. He used to work even on New Year's Eve. He would return home for a family dinner and would be back at the office on New Year's.He had nothing but work and his family at the time, with no hobbies on the side. All of his energy and time had been spent on his career.Times have changed. Belle appeared in his life,
Belle could tell what Grayson was planning. She became embarrassed as they were entwined on the bed. "Get lost!"He pressed his body onto hers and whispered, "Belle."Her ears started to tingle as she tried to change the topic. "What about your wounds?""I don't know, but I guarantee that I could still satisfy you regardless."Belle cringed at his unusually shameless behavior."Do you know how old you are?""I'm 30 years old.""You're wrong. You're just a three-year-old child!"He smiled. "Being a child means I can do whatever I want, right?"Belle was in disbelief. "I'm hungry! I'm heading downstairs for a meal. Fuck off!"Grayson seemingly ignored her cries."Remember when you mentioned you wanted to make our relationship official?"Her eyes widened with surprise. "I've never said something like that! You'd better not be putting words in my mouth."She tried to push him away to escape."You're hurting me. Stop pushing."Belle was afraid of actually hurting his wounded
Grayson was taking off his clothes by the bedside, revealing his robust and perfect naked body to Belle.His waist was slender yet defined by firm muscles. His abdomen was wrapped up in gauze to cover his wound, but it only served to enhance his masculinity further.Belle stared at him with disbelief. She initially doubted her feelings, but she could not deny the fact that she was aroused.All sorts of emotions raged within her as she began to think about pushing him down onto the bed herself.Her instincts and feelings for Grayson were in unison, signaling for her to make a move.She subconsciously swallowed and tried to clear her mind by running into the bathroom.Grayson was surprised.He didn't anticipate Belle to emerge from her reserved demeanor as he was finally done teasing her and was on the verge of heading into the bathroom for a shower.Despite his injuries, he could still wipe down his body to keep himself clean.He was surprised that Belle suddenly popped out of
"Don't forget, you haven't quit yet," Grayson reminded Belle.He didn't want Belle to quit. If Belle were to quit, he wouldn't be able to see her at the company anymore.Moreover, if Belle kept going to the clinic every day, she would be by Simon's side all day long.Simon was Grayson's best friend, and he also knew that Simon didn't have any feelings for Belle. Still, he didn't want Belle to be with Simon 24/7.It wasn't as if Belle didn't have a husband. Why would she stick to another man every day?At that thought, Grayson still felt a little regretful. If he knew that he would fall for a woman skilled in medicine, he should have learned more about medicine back then.Belle didn't know what he was thinking about. When she suddenly heard him mention that, she said, "I know. I'll go to work after the New Year's. How many days do we have off?""Seven days, as usual.""Does it start today?""Yes.""Then we'll be going to work on the 6th.""Yes."When Belle thought about goin
Ginger saw the message in the group chat as well. Before this, her annual bonus was three to five thousand dollars at most. But this year, she could get tens of thousands of dollars.She was elated as well.After a brief look at the messages in the workgroup, Ginger hastily called Belle."Belle, did you see the messages in the group?""What messages?""In the workgroup. Mr. Page was being benevolent today. He not only extended our holiday, but he also doubled our bonuses!"Belle was eating. When she heard that, she couldn't help but look up at Grayson."I haven't seen it. I'm eating lunch now.""Everyone in the main group is discussing it. They said that something good happened to Mr. Page this year, and he's letting us celebrate it with him. Say, is Mr. Page happy because of you?"An odd feeling flashed across Belle's heart. But she denied it. "No way.""Why not? Mr. Page was still single last year, but he had you this year. He must be happy about it."Belle's lips moved a
If it weren't for Belle, this year would probably be just like last year.So, before Meredith left, she gave Belle a gift.Belle didn't want to accept it at first. "I didn't even prepare anything for you. How can I accept your gift?"Smiling, Meredith replied, "In Maltford, it's customary for elders to give gifts to the younger generation. I may be only a maid, but I'm still older than you."I know that your relatives aren't here, so you won't be able to get any gifts from them. That's why I prepared one for you. It's not worth much, but it's a sincere gift from me. I hope it could bless you a little."When Belle heard that, she was moved. It was true that her relatives weren't there. Also, she didn't have any relatives either. Her grandfathers weren't related to her by blood, including Noah."Thank you, Meredith." With that, Belle accepted the gift.Belle heard that Meredith's husband had problems with his leg. She took some medicine for leg pains, giving them to Meredith so
Belle chatted a little more with Noah. She also asked about Lovy. Then, she ended the call.She skipped around in the snow with Sixteen. After the snow in the yard had more or less been trampled, Grayson brought her out of the yard to step on more snow.There was a golf course in the area. It was snowing, and it was also the New Year's. So, the people in the residential area had either gone home or to the south for vacation.If not, they would be at home, in the warm indoors, swiping their phones. So, there weren't many people out and about.The golf course was already covered in white snow. The scene was completely white, and there were no traces of anyone anywhere.Belle and Sixteen played happily in the huge area.Belle and Sixteen left a trail of footprints in the snow.Meanwhile, Grayson stood on the side, watching them. From time to time, he would take out his phone and snap a few photos to preserve the wonderful memories.When Belle's shoes, socks, and pants were drenche
After throwing out the water, Grayson went to the living room to clean up.The bags of snacks Belle ate were lying on the coffee table. Grayson threw the bags into the trash can. Then, he took the plate used to serve fruits into the kitchen, washing it clean.Lastly, he used a disposable tablecloth to clean the table.Meredith was on leave right now, so only he and Belle were home.If he didn't clean up, the task would fall upon Belle.With Belle's careless attitude, she might just make things dirtier. Grayson knew that he couldn't count on her, so he could only be the one cleaning up.Moreover, he couldn't bear to let Belle clean up.Then, he went to the guest room to see Belle. He found her staring at a small box, so he asked, "What are you looking at?"Belle showed it to Grayson. "Can I give this to Mr. Page Senior as a gift?"Grayson leaned in to have a look. "What is this?""It's a stone I found in an underground river back then. It's warm in the winter and cold in the s
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