The gynecologist immediately proceeded with the checkup for Belle as soon as Grayson left the room."It's your first time, and your partner was quite the strong and healthy man, so it's a reasonable damage of sorts. It's nothing serious. You will be fine as you take the medications. It would be best for the two of you to not have intercourse again for some time. And when you do … Do advise him to be gentle."Belle was so embarrassed that she wanted to dig a hole and hide her flushed face."Thank … Thank you.""You're welcome. I've been there myself, so I can relate somehow. Cheer up, though. With how strong your partner is, you'll enjoy it a lot in the upcoming days."Belle was getting even more flustered as she listened to the doctor's advice.After the gynecologist left, Grayson returned to the bedroom with a bowl of oatmeal, wearing an apologetic expression.He had just asked the doctor, who was on her way out, about Belle's condition and learned about his faults.Belle noti
Belle's anger seemed almost too genuine. "I said, never touch me ever again!"Grayson coughed and tried to change the topic. "Here, open up.""I don't want to!"He tried to console her."You don't have to worry so much about the clinic. Simon had made sure that the grand opening went smoothly in your stead. Here, I've had my men record the whole thing. Have a look."He handed his phone over to her.Belle pouted and asked, "Password?""Your birthday."She looked up at him in intrigue before trying it out, only to receive a pop-up indicating that it was the wrong password.She looked up at him again.Grayson continued, "I'm serious. It's your birthday. Your real birthday."She tried another set of six numbers and finally unlocked his phone. She was shocked and looked up to Grayson for answers. "How did you know about my birthday?"Noah had falsified Belle's birthday for her safety in mind.Belle was supposed to be only 20 years old, but all relevant documents showed she wa
"Yo, idiots! Keep those eyes open! Avoid that clinic like the plague! They're supposedly in bed with a Mandoria trafficking ring. Word on the street is they're in cahoots with a Mandoria trafficking gang. They'll clean out your savings, and when you're broke, it's off to Mandoria for a 'unique' experience—taser treats, waterboarding fun, and a surprise organ harvest!"This specific comment had a hundred thousand likes and reposts.It was evidently one of the most popular discussions.Belle could not help but ask Grayson. "What's this thing about Mandoria?"Grayson was taken aback at the sudden mention of their enemies and moved closer to check out her phone."What about it?""Take a look at this comment."He frowned as he read the comment and replied, "Mandoria is a border city next to our country. It has no regulations, so criminal activity runs rampant there. Scam call centers litter the entire city. It's probably just a lie the commenter made up to slander the Sylvesters. Don
Grayson took a moment before answering Belle's questions."Their own actions will be their undoing. Karma will come for them one way or another for all the evil they have committed. Don't think too much about it."He tried to bring the topic to a close, but Belle continued, "If only we could send in a nuke on their city and wipe it clean in one go … It would be a public service. But now that they have so many of our countrymen as hostages, it's become quite the problem."He noticed that she was furious at the injustice before her eyes and forcefully changed the topic."The grand opening of your clinic went well without a hitch, but you should still get in contact with Simon. He had been calling your phone throughout the day."Belle's attention was successfully shifted away. She let out a long sigh and closed all the news about Mandoria before calling Simon.Simon was still inside the clinic, but he sounded upset."The opening went well, but business isn't going as well as expect
Belle's eyes would instantly glow up with excitement whenever she saw the herb.Grayson placed the pot of herb next to the bed so that she could easily observe it."Let me know if you need anything. I'll be downstairs preparing dinner."Belle nodded without even looking back up at him.He was slightly envious of the pot of herb for having her full attention.But he dismissed his worries as he reassured himself that their actions last night had already sealed the deal that Belle belonged to him.20 minutes later, Grayson brought dinner upstairs to the bedroom, only to find Belle still staring at the herb."Dinner's ready. Stop gawking at the herb already."He helped her up on the bed and brought over a small table for her convenience.She continued to stare at the plant as she ate.Grayson could not help but ask, "What's so interesting about it, anyway?"Belle replied, "I'm monitoring its growth and health.""It seems just fine to me.""You don't understand how precious it
Belle quickly typed out another message."Thank you for the gift. But why aren't you picking up my calls? Who are you anyway? You should have told us your name at least."Her questions were only met with a curt reply. "Glad you liked it."She stared at the reply in disbelief for a while."Who are you? Have we met? Why did you give me such a precious gift?""It was a gift to make you happy, of course."She continued her pursuit. "How did you know I would be happy with the herb?"There was no reply. Belle waited a while before writing, "Can we meet up?""Of course, but not now. I'm currently busy.""When will you be available?""No idea. I'll contact you again when I am available. Take care of yourself."The mysterious contact ceased responding, even as Belle continued her onslaught of questions.She attempted to call several times, but the calls never got through.Belle subconsciously tried to get off the bed to look up any information about the stranger. As she tried t
Grayson was visibly jealous as he went through the chat log."You sure it's not Lovy or something?"He was conflicted as he hoped that the mysterious person was simply just Lovy and not Lovy at the same time.He believed it might turn into a competition if the herb did, in fact, originate from Lovy.The case would also be resolved if it turned out to be a harmless prank from someone Belle knew.But he could not shake off the thought that he might have an opponent in his quest for love.Belle shook her head and confidently answered, "There's no way.""How do you know?" Grayson was genuinely curious.She just ignored his question and continued to type on her keyboard.After a while, she furrowed her brows and picked up her phone for another attempt at calling the number. But it was as futile as before. She let out a long sigh and gave up on her pursuit."Well, I can't find anything. I got to wait for them to call me, I guess."Grayson frowned. He then tried to console her.
Putting away her phone, Ginger was startled by a loud crash accompanied by a woman's screams and Gabriel hissing in pain.Her heart immediately sank, and she ran out to check on things.She saw a group of people looking at Gabriel nervously as he held onto his bloody head.On the ground were shards of a glass bottle.Ginger's eyes widened from shock."Gabe! What happened? You're bleeding!"Gabriel tried to console the pale-faced Ginger. "I'm fine, Ginger.""You're not! You're bleeding! Did someone smash you with a glass bottle? Is your head bleeding?""No, my head is unharmed."She checked his head as he put his hand away and was relieved to find it unharmed.She looked down at his bleeding hand, which had taken the brunt of the attack.She was horrified to find blood flowing down his hand.Ginger began to tear up and tried to bring Gabriel out of the house but was blocked by a man."You're not going anywhere until we come to an agreement!"She was furious. "Can't you 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