Sam had been waiting for Grayson by the door. He hurriedly opened the car's rear passenger door as he noticed Grayson exiting the house.He politely closed the car door after Grayson got in. He then climbed into the driver's seat to start up the car. He drove the car out of the neighborhood before finally speaking up."Mr. Page, we've received confirmation that Gabriel had arrived alone. No one is following him."Grayson remained silent.He thought that Gabriel wouldn't have been allowed to act independently and likely would have been closely monitored. However, he also believed that Gabriel could have effortlessly eluded anyone tailing him."Any news about Lena?"Sam replied, "We believe she's still in the café in hiding."Grayson lit a cigarette and remained deep in thought.When he arrived at the bar, he ran into Tristan.Tristan was a night owl who slept the day away, only to wake up and enjoy the nightlife. It was a surprise that he had come to the bar at such an early ho
The Aspen family's influence within the aristocracy was unparalleled. No other family had ever come close to causing a scale of impact similar to that of the Aspens.Not even the Page and Strauss family could replicate such an event. And neither could the mysterious families working in the shadows.Although Tristan's investigation led him to conclude that the Aspens were wholly eradicated, he somehow thought about Belle.Grayson frowned and glanced at Tristan without giving a reply.Suddenly, fear shook Tristan to the core when he realized the indication."Is … Is she really an Aspen?"Grayson launched his own question. "What were they saying about the Aspens?"Tristan composed himself by gulping down his saliva before answering, "Everyone thought that the Fleming family was against the Strauss family when they suddenly appeared at Phil's party. "But recently, more and more information and rumors about the mysterious families were popping up, each with a different explanation
Gabriel was the first to break the silence, asking, "Can you keep Ginger safe?" Grayson replied, "If I can't, nobody else could.""Can you keep her safe with everything you have?""I will keep her safe, but only because she's a good friend of Belle. My wife cherishes Ginger as a good friend, and a friend of hers is a friend of mine. So long as you are willing to make a deal with me, I will keep her safe for as long as I live."Gabriel paused momentarily before asking, "What do you want me to do for you?"Grayson flicked the ashes from his cigarette and said, "I want to know all about the mysterious families. And I'll need your help with dealing with information."Gabriel took a moment to collect his thoughts before replying."I don't know a lot about them either. They are independent families, each with their own lives and professions."From what I was allowed to know, there are a total of four families, namely mine—the Fleming family, the Ash family, the Hannibal family, and
"This is what I have compiled about the mysterious families, basically transcripts of what I have just told you about," Gabriel said as he pulled out a piece of paper from his bag and handed it to Grayson.The single piece of paper had very few words and content on it.Grayson accepted the paper and scanned through it multiple times.He noticed that the information given by Gabriel matched the information from Noah, essentially proving that Gabriel was being honest about the deal.Furthermore, Gabriel's information was more comprehensive than what Noah had known.Grayson sighed as he stared at the paper in his hand. He realized he would still need to gather more intel through his own means.It was a testament to their secrecy when not even someone like Noah could gather much intel about the mysterious families. The amount of information he had just obtained showed him just how much he did not know about his enemies. He could not launch the offensive without knowing what his ene
Tristan entered the private room right as Gabriel walked out of the door."That young man appeared as though he could kill me with just a glance. I almost felt like I had murdered his family or something," Tristan remarked. Grayson calmly replied, "He would be thankful if you could do that, honestly.""Huh? What are you talking about? Does he hate his own family or something?"Grayson puffed on his cigarette without giving a reply.Tristan decided to drop the topic as well. "So, how did you become friends with him?"Grayson remained silent as he put out the cigarette in the ashtray and stood up to leave.Tristan tugged at Grayson with dissatisfaction. "Sit down and talk to me, buddy."Grayson pushed away Tristan's hand. "It doesn't concern you."Tristan could tell that Grayson was keeping him at arm's length to keep him safe."It hurts to be treated like a stranger when I treat you like my own family, you know? What will I do if your kids grow up to hate me just as much? Jee
Tristan felt that it was too risky for Grayson to fight against the Hannibals. He believed that even if Grayson could win, he would still be rendered permanently injured.Grayson flicked the ashes from his cigarettes."Keep your ears out for any news about Mandoria for me."He snuffed the cigarette on the ashtray and got up to leave.Tristan followed suit and stood up with a dreadful expression. "You need to think this through, Grayson."Grayson simply nodded and left the private room.He had already made up his mind long ago when he decided to investigate the mysterious families.He initiated the move in an attempt to keep himself and Belle safe from their enemies. He realized that eliminating their opponents would also be considered a public service, considering the vile nature of their activities.He had decided that the Hannibals would have to be eradicated.He would rather make a move than wait for danger to come crawling toward him and his wife.…Meanwhile, Belle was
Grayson was heartbroken even though Belle did not think much about it. He brought her to the sofa and took out some ointments for her burns."Everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses. Don't worry too much about not being able to cook. It's alright."Belle was still visibly upset. "It seemed really easy when I watched the videos online, though.""Masters of their craft make everything they do look easy. Cooking is either something you know how or not at all."Belle pouted in protest, still upset over the debacle.Grayson smiled and gently pinched her cheeks. "Don't be sad. Your husband can always cook for you, okay?"She continued to pout as she looked at him. After applying the ointment to her injuries, he went into the kitchen and returned with a durian.He used to hate the smell of durian more than anything, but he had slowly gotten used to it for Belle's sake. He had even been able to have a bite of it just to accompany Belle for a snack sometimes.He cleaved the du
The couple enjoyed a relatively simple yet cozy dinner. They cleaned up the kitchen and dining room together afterward. Belle turned toward Grayson as they finished cleaning up. "Let's go to the terrace and watch the stars! Look! The sky is beautiful tonight, isn't it?"She had already dragged him upstairs to the terrace on the third floor by his hand before he could even muster a reply.Belle was visibly excited on the terrace. "Look! It's pretty, isn't it?"Grayson was not looking at the night sky at all as he was fixated on his wife. "It really is."She quickly noticed his gaze and started blushing. "Look at the sky! Not me!"He took a glance at the night sky and retracted his gaze. "It's beautiful, but nothing compared to you."She sheepishly blinked as she felt her heartbeat begin to speed up. She realized she was especially vulnerable to his flirting at this very moment.She decided to ignore him and sat on the chair to enjoy the sea of stars in the night sky.He smile
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