Scott had given her an intricate princess figurine made out of pure gold with features and clothes dotted with gemstones.It was finely made and almost breathed with life. It was so pretty and delicate that Belle knew it must have cost a fortune.The figurine appeared costly on its own, not to mention the expense involved in having it crafted by hand.It was extremely heavy as well, and with the amount of expensive gemstones on it, it must have cost an arm and a leg."What the hell is that? It's hideous. Get rid of it!" Grayson said in disgust.Belle couldn't help but glare at Grayson. How could he think about getting rid of something so precious?Even if he hated Scott, it was clearly a costly present. Belle would rather sell it than just throw it away.As expected, rich people just had a different mindset. However, Belle had noticed something.Belle narrowed her eyes and looked at Grayson. "You know what? You're pretty similar to Scott."Grayson immediately exploded. "What di
Grayson studied it closely. He didn't notice anything wrong with it, nor could he find the sender's information.Grayson tossed the box aside and made a call. "Find out who sent the parcel to our house this afternoon."He felt a little bit uneasy after hanging up. He could tell how much Belle loved the gift. She was even happier than when she had received his gift, let alone Scott's.Belle was utterly surprised and moved when he presented her with his gift.When she got Scott's present, she merely admired it. However, neither present had managed to make her eyes sparkle like the plant had. She looked as if she had just discovered a new universe. She clearly loved and treasured the gift a lot.Grayson had to admit that he was jealous. He felt jealous regardless of whether the sender was male or female.Grayson composed himself and completed the cooking. After hesitating briefly, he finally knocked on the guest room door. "Belle?"Belle didn't respond. When she suddenly opened t
If even Belle didn't have a suspect in mind, Grayson truly had no idea who it could be.Robert could have been behind such an extravagant gift, but he wasn't a doctor, and Grayson knew that Robert couldn't have known she wanted something like that.Robert could have been as clueless as he had been when it came to knowing about it.Who else would be willing to spend so much on Belle besides him and Robert?Whoever it was, they seemed to know Belle better than he or Robert did. At the very least, they knew what she liked and what she wanted."Who knows about you wanting this herb?"Belle replied, "Only Grandpa does, but he would have called to tell me if it was from him. I'll just call him to make sure."Belle called Noah and asked if he had delivered any New Year presents to her.When Noah denied having given anything, both Grayson and Belle were even more confused.Grayson explained everything he had deduced from the gift to Belle. "Whoever gave it to you must know you really
After hanging up, Grayson told Belle, "We ran a quick check on the delivery guy. But we couldn't find anything. Whoever sent you that is probably pretty powerful."Belle was also confused. She wasn't lying about having zero idea of who sent it.The two people who knew her the best were Noah and Lovy, but Lovy would never have given her that.Since it wasn't Noah either, she really didn't know who it could be.Besides, what was the meaning behind sending an anonymous gift?It was an excellent gift, and if she knew who had sent it, she would be extremely grateful to them. She would have returned their generosity to the best of her abilities, yet the sender had chosen to be anonymous.Belle didn't really understand why.Suddenly, her stomach grumbled loudly. She was hungry.Grayson heard it as well. He put aside his confusion and said, "Since we can't think of anything, let's just forget about it for now. It's time to eat.""Okay." Belle nodded and followed Grayson to the dining
Simon said, "I know. Grandma said the same thing before she passed. By the way, about the advertising—""No need to worry about that. If the flowers smell good, the bees will come naturally. As long as we keep the quality of our clinic high and our prices fair, we'll have customers," Belle interjected. "Okay. Another thing—the Sylvesters aren't exactly the most popular right now. I'm worried that people will boycott the clinic if they learn that the nurses and doctors are all Sylvesters.""Now, that's really nothing to worry about. The Sylvesters didn't do anything wrong. There's no need to scurry around and hide like you guys are criminals. "Take a picture of every single Sylvester family member and hang it up on the clinic walls," Belle said, "If they don't want to get treated by the Sylvesters, they can leave. If they come in and still have things to say, we won't just take their crap."Simon was extremely grateful for that. The Sylvesters' reputation was pretty bad, and if i
Grayson had already gone back to his study when Ginger arrived.Although Ginger was in a bad mood, she was taken aback right as she entered the house.Grayson's house was thoroughly decorated with various ornaments and trinkets that were noticeably stylish and expensive.She was being very cautious around her boss' house.Belle gave Ginger a pair of slippers. She also helped Ginger remove her jacket and hung it at the side."Relax, Ginger. Grayson is reading in his study on the second floor, so he won't be coming out for a while. I told him that you were coming."Ginger felt relieved after listening to Belle's words.She changed into the pair of slippers and followed Belle into the house as her eyes started tearing up.Belle restrained herself from asking Ginger what had happened just yet. "Want any drinks?"Ginger promptly wore her heart on her sleeve. "Do you have any wine? I'd like some wine."Belle was taken aback for a moment before nodding her head. "Of course."She re
Ginger continued, "I visited my parents once more to get to the bottom of this. I wanted to return their land as it was Gabe's only recollection of his grandfather."It turns out that my parents knew about the house Gabe and I bought in Maltford, so they offered me a deal. They would return the property to Gabe in exchange for transferring our house to Flynn. "On top of that, I still have to pay for the mortgage. And that's not all. My parents wanted me to buy another house for them for their retirement."I disagreed with their terms, so we argued, and I left. The same day that evening, my parents called me and asked me to come back to talk about it again. They asserted that they had deeply reflected and acknowledged their wrongdoings and their requests' unreasonable nature."I reluctantly agreed, as I really wanted to help Gabe reclaim his childhood home."I didn't expect that they would try to poison me with a drink once I went back. They had wanted to sell me to the village th
Belle asked, "What was Gabriel doing when you left the house earlier?"Ginger started tearing up as she thought about Belle's question."He was in the middle of preparing lunch. He had even prepared my favorite food."Belle could tell that Gabriel truly cared for Ginger."Did he not ask you why you were leaving the house?"Ginger shook her head. "I only told him I had an appointment. He had simply reminded me to come home for lunch when I'm done."After a moment of silence, Belle spoke up, "Do you want to see your parents?""Yeah, the police had advised me to return to the house for a look. Now that my parents and Flynn are gone, I also wanted to take a good look at the house in peace.""I can ask Grayson to help arrange your trip home if you want."Suddenly, Ginger's phone started ringing.She pulled out her phone and started crying when she saw Gabe's name on the screen. She had yet to answer his call. "I don't know what to tell him. I'm afraid that if I wrongly accused
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