In the end, Dorothy's personal maid interrupted and said, "Mrs. Sylvester Senior, you and Ms. Walters shouldn't be standing around. Please take a seat, and I'll get someone to make tea.""Yes, yes, bring us the best tea! Break out my Earl Grey tea!""Understood."Dorothy quickly sat Belle down and asked with teary eyes, "Belle, all these years … how did you survive them?""Grandpa took care of me," Belle said respectfully."Mm-hmm. How's Noah?""He's good. He's still quite healthy. He just doesn't want to come to Maltford, so he asked me to visit you."Dorothy discreetly wiped her tears. When she saw a scar on Belle's wrist, her expression changed immediately. "How did you get this? Were you hurt? How did you get a scar?"Belle looked down. That was the scar she got from running around the safari park. "Oh, it was an accident. I'm fine."Dorothy frowned. "Do you have any other injuries?" Belle hesitated. She didn't expect to be asked that question, so she said, "I used to be
Dorothy closed her eyes and internally sighed for a long time to suppress her anger. She couldn't think about some things because they would just piss her off on behalf of dead people.After a long moment, Dorothy said, "It was your parents' good karma that saved you. Stay alive, child. Anything's possible as long as you're still alive."Belle used to hear Noah say that a lot when she was growing up. He thought her parents were the best people in the world, but that elder from the Reese family said … Belle wanted to ask more about her parents, but the maid was already back with a wooden box containing a white ceramic bottle.Dorothy opened the bottle, took a pill, and gave it to Belle. "Eat this, child. You'll heal quickly after that and won't have any scars anymore.""My scars are fine, Mrs. Sylvester Senior. Besides, I've seen the pill before, and I know the formula. If I needed one, I could make it myself. Keep this, please."Dorothy was shocked. "You know the formula?"Be
The Aspen family might have been wiped out, but the Aspen blood runs in Belle's veins."Did your grandfather tell you why you had to marry Grayson?" Dorothy asked tentatively. "He said Grayson was a successful man and the grandson-in-law he wanted, but he didn't mention anything else."Dorothy was silent. She'd guessed by now that the marriage was arranged to secure Belle's future. "Your grandfather has good taste. Grayson Page is indeed a successful boy."Belle thought, "But what good is he if he's successful but doesn't like me?"After that, they chatted for a while before Belle left. Dorothy's personal maid, Ethel Cole, asked confusedly, "If I may ask, Mrs. Sylvester Senior … what is Ms. Walter's relation to you?"She assumed they were grandmother and granddaughter, but they didn't look like each other. Dorothy seemed too polite to her and not kind like a grandmother should.Dorothy stared wistfully in Belle's direction, then said, "She's my master, and I'm her servant."Et
To Grayson, it sounded more like it was unlucky to have Belle. He hadn't had a day of peace since he married her. However, he didn't argue and simply nodded before he continued, "Mrs. Sylvester Senior, can you do me the honor and sell me the pill? You can name any price.""I'll be honest. I've just gifted the frostle pill to someone else. However, I have a new pill called the froston pill with the exact effect. Would you like to gift that instead?"Grayson was shocked upon learning that Dorothy had gifted such a precious thing to someone else.But she didn't seem like she was lying, so after some thought, he asked, "Did you invent the froston pill?"Dorothy shook her head. "No, but don't worry, there's nothing wrong with the pill. I've checked."After another pause, Grayson asked, "How much would one pill cost, then? I'll get Sam to transfer the money." He trusted her character and skills, so any pill she recommended must be alright.Dorothy smiled. "Just take it, free of charge.
Grayson found Belle and Sixteen in front of a barbeque food truck inside a fairground, sitting at a table piled with grilled food and surrounded by beer bottles.Belle was stuffing her face at the table while Sixteen gnawed on a chicken drumstick at her feet. The nearby tables were occupied by people either smoking, drinking, or causing a raucous commotion.One of the tables even had shirtless men trading dirty jokes and swearing like sailors, with scantily clad women wearing heavy but cheap makeup that made them look like monsters.Some tattooed men were shouting and boasting at another table, each exaggerating their abilities more shamelessly than the last."Who the hell does the boss think he is? I'll fire him if he dares give me a pay cut!""Yeah! We're all future hotshots here. Why should we let him walk all over us? When I'm rich, I'll be the first to snap up his company." The man wiped his mouth with a tissue as he talked, then tossed it on the ground just like that. The
Grayson didn't ask any further questions. It was getting late, so he demanded that Belle go home again. "Stop drinking! Get up!" he snapped."No. I haven't gone drinking in ages. Let me have two more bottles." Belle didn't want to leave and kept downing bottle after bottle. Clearly, she was drinking to her heart's content now that there was someone to drive her home.Grayson was furious now. "Belle Walters! You'll get drunk if you keep drinking!"Belle pouted. "Why so fierce? That's not very gentlemanly at all. Hmph!" Her voice was a bit whiny, like a little girl's. She was obviously drunk.Grayson was about to drag her away with an angry face when the tattooed young men got offended. "Hey, what are you doing, bro? Can't you tell the lady doesn't want to go?" A blonde guy patted Grayson's shoulder, alcohol on his breath.Grayson moved away and ignored him before asking Belle, "Are you going or not?""No.""Why you—"The blonde guy shoved Grayson before he could finish. "I t
After getting into the driver's seat, Grayson took off his suit jacket and tossed it into the trash can on the spot. It smelled like grilled meat and was stained with sauce from Belle's mouth. He found it utterly gross. After Grayson got in the car, he glared at Belle with rage before finally starting the car. Not only did his bedtime get delayed, he got into a fight with a bunch of thugs. He couldn't believe how his night had turned out. "It hurts!" Belle suddenly whined.Grayson looked at her. She was probably feeling uncomfortable now that the alcohol's effects had kicked in. She was tugging at her seatbelt with a frown, still whining.Grayson ignored her and kept driving.With a clack, Belle suddenly undid her seatbelt. Before Grayson could react, she fell right over and leaned on top of him.Grayson hated this. "Belle, get off!" He shrugged his shoulders to push Belle away. It was hard enough that her head knocked into the passenger seat's window. She hissed in pain.Th
Gritting his teeth, Grayson drove forward a little. Then, he stopped the car and undid his seatbelt.Getting out of the car, he moved Belle to the backseat so that she was huddling with Sixteen instead.He had remained celibate for decades. He couldn't believe he was reacting to Belle's flirting. Grayson was annoyed at this fact.Once home, he moved Belle into the bathroom.Ignoring her, he turned around to leave. But Belle tugged at his pants.Grayson frowned. "What?""I want to throw up," Belle said.Grayson's expression shifted. "Just throw up if you want to. Why are you holding onto me?""I …" Unable to hold it in, Belle threw up. Her vomit got onto the floor, Grayson's pants, and his shoes.Grayson fell silent.Two seconds later, he shouted, "Belle Walters! What is wrong with you?"Grayson was pissed. He hastily dragged Belle to the toilet bowl, letting her vomit there. Then, he took off his clothes and started the shower.When Belle was done, her whole body reeked as
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