Grayson would be very serious as soon as he started working. He frowned a little as he concentrated on work.Belle lay on the bed, eating snacks as she scrolled through short videos on her phone. She wasn't focused on her phone, though.From time to time, she would look up at Grayson. The more she looked at him, the more attracted she felt toward him and the more she liked him.Serious women looked the most beautiful, and the same went for serious men. They looked the most handsome.From her angle, Belle could only see Grayson's side profile. His features were well-defined, and his nose was tall. His eyelashes were thick and long, and his whole face seemed to have been blessed by the heavens.He was too handsome.He not only looked handsome, but he also had a noble air about him.He wore ordinary, dark-colored casual clothing with a round collar. Still, he looked like a nobleman.With his legs crossed, he leaned against the couch. He had placed a stack of documents on his legs.
Belle was stunned for a moment. She panicked when she came to her senses. "Why are you here? Are you okay?"Grayson returned the question. "Why can't I be here? Who else can get into your bed and hug you?"Belle said, "I'm reading the news on Mandoria, so I was feeling angry. Someone suddenly popped up next to me, so by reflex, I—""Took it out on me?""No, I was just … Never mind, I give up on explaining. Does it hurt?""What do you think?" Grayson took the chance to behave coyly around her."Let me have a look." Without another thought, Belle lifted Grayson's clothes, looking at the spot she hit.With his chest exposed, Grayson gulped and didn't say a word.Belle frowned. "It's getting red."Belle felt bad when she saw the reddened area of his skin.Grayson said, "You're so cruel. You even hit your husband.""I didn't do it on purpose.""It doesn't matter. You've already hit me, anyway. It hurts.""W-What do I do, then?""Rub it for me."Belle turned silent.Grayson h
Belle felt bad for Grayson. When she saw the thin layer of sweat on his forehead, she even gently wiped it away for him.A long time later, Grayson finally woke up.Belle was excited. "You're up!"Grayson frowned a little. He felt a little sore on his neck."Your neck feels a little sore, right? Don't worry. It will heal soon," Belle explained.Gra stared at her for a moment. When he recalled what had happened before he passed out, he asked in disbelief, "You knocked me out?""Yes.""Why would you do that?""You felt uncomfortable, didn't you?""You knocked me out just because I felt uncomfortable?""Yes. If you fainted, you wouldn't feel uncomfortable anymore. Look, you're alright now, aren't you? Do you still feel discomfort? If so, I can knock you out again."Grayson was speechless. He fainted, and his passionate fire was also put out. So, it wasn't wrong that he felt fine now.Still …"Who even solves problems like that?" Grayson mumbled."You were the one who asked m
Just like that, the two spent three days alone at home. They were very much like passionate newlyweds.Grayson had no idea how to treat Belle well. It was his first time being a husband, so he would doubt everything he was going to do. He feared that he would do something wrong and make Belle sad.He tried everything he could do to make her happy. He would also get creative with the food he made, trying to plump her up a little.He hadn't had any thoughts about her figure in the past, but now, he felt that she was a little too slender. When he hugged her at night, his heart ached when he saw her tiny frame.Belle also had the experience of being an extremely pampered princess in those few days.On the fourth day, Belle's body had recovered, so she got ready to go out.Before she left, Grayson seemed reluctant to let her go.First, he kissed her passionately in bed. He was worried about her physical condition, so he dared not act recklessly. If not, he would have tried to do it a
Belle glared at Grayson. Then, she explained, "I didn't have much of an appetite in those two days, so I didn't feel like eating."Meredith was puzzled. She asked, "Did you fall sick?""No, I just suddenly didn't feel like eating. But I'm okay now. Meredith, what did you cook? It smells so good!"Belle hastily changed the topic, walking into the kitchen first.It was only then that Meredith shifted her focus. Smiling, she said, "We returned to our hometown this year, so I brought back some local specialties."I even captured two hens, so I'll make chicken soup for you later. They were raised at home and fed organic food over long periods. They taste the best in soups."Belle replied, "Sure."The couple ate a wonderful breakfast at home. Then, they went out.As soon as Belle walked out the door, she took a few deep breaths. She hadn't gone out in days, so she relished her long-awaited outing.Grayson was going to the company, whereas Belle was headed for the clinic. Their desti
Sam was deeply troubled. Grayson didn't go to work in the past few days. Even though he did part of his work, a lot more was still piled up. Those employees kept pestering Sam and asking him questions."When is Mr. Page coming to work?""When is the boss coming?""Mr. Ateno, can you give us an exact time? I urgently need to see Mr. Page!"Sam was extremely exhausted in the past few days. He was answering calls if he wasn't talking to someone in person.He was nothing but busy. Busy became his middle name. He was so busy that he would die. He felt like he was the exact definition of busy.So, when Grayson said he would be going to work today, Sam was happier than anyone else.In the end, Grayson refused to go to work as usual. He kept clinging to Belle. Now, he was already running late for work.Grayson had an extra urgent international meeting at 9:00 am and had to meet Mr. Fisher from Lostaria at 9:30 am.He also had a board meeting at 10:00 am and an executive meeting at 11:
Looking at the members of the Sylvester family, Belle suddenly felt her nose turning warm. She missed Dorothy.After Belle came to Maltford, Dorothy was the first person she sincerely wanted to get close to.Dorothy had taken care of Belle's mother before, so she was considered Belle's family. But now, this family member was gone.When Belle thought about it in detail, she knew that Dorothy's death had something to do with her. It was also closely linked to her background.Even though the house was blown up on the day Dorothy died, Belle could still survive. Dorothy must have predicted something early on, so she had arranged a way out for Belle.Belle didn't know much about her background, but she would get revenge for Dorothy. She wouldn't let Dorothy die for nothing!Her phone beeped. It was a notification for a new message.Calming herself, Belle read the message. It was from the person who sent her the herb. "Are you feeling sad because you miss Dorothy?"Belle was shocked.
Belle sat on the lounge chair for more than ten minutes. After she had completely calmed down, she got up.She couldn't find the person for the moment, anyway, so there was no point in thinking about it. She decided to stop thinking about the person as she continued walking inside the clinic.There weren't many patients at the clinic at this hour. There were only a few of them, so it was a far cry from the usual large hospitals.In large hospitals, people would be lining up to take their numbers early in the morning.If there weren't many people, it meant that the clinic wasn't doing well in business.But the Sylvesters had decent attitudes at work—be it the young woman at the triage desk, the doctors at the pharmacy, or the workers at the registration counter, they were all quite spirited.None of them looked tired, nor did they yawn even a little.They were all members of the Sylvester family. They knew that this job was hard to come by, so they treasured the chance very much.
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