The security guard tried to chase them away, seeing as they were still just kids.Perhaps due to the fact that they were still students, they thought the security guard would go easy on them. Instead of leaving like they were told to, they started picking a fight with the guard.He didn't waste any time spouting nonsense with those kids and calmly defeated them before dragging them out by their collars.The bratty kid who started it began to cry and wailed, "They're bullying kids! They're taking it out on kids! Someone help me! Look at what the Sylvesters are doing! Help me!"While they weren't in the busiest part of town, there were still plenty of passersby walking about.When they saw the kids crying and wailing, many stopped to ask what had happened.The leader of the kids sobbed, "We got injured during P.E. class and came to this clinic for help, but they refused to help us and even chased us out!"The passersby immediately started making a scene and berated the guard. "How
The man didn't want to give up his phone, but his wrist was hurting too badly to fight back. "Here you go."Belle glanced at his phone. He had recorded everything.He had started recording since the security guard dragged the teenagers out.It really did look like the Sylvester family's security guard was purposely beating up the high school students.If the video were uploaded online, it would gain much attention.Ever since the clinic opened, the Sylvester family's name hadn't left the top online searches.Belle glared at the middle-aged man coldly. "Explain yourself.""Okay, okay," the man spat out. His face was drenched in cold sweat from the pain. "I'm just a paparazzi. No one knows who I am, but someone contacted me yesterday and told me that a bunch of high school kids would be picking a fight in front of the clinic today. They told me to take a video and sell it afterward.""Who contacted you?""I don't know.""Why would you let a stranger tell you what to do?" Bell
Simon said, "Also, you're all high school students. Don't you know there are such things as surveillance cameras? You're accusing us of denying you treatment because you're poor and that our guard physically attacked you, but do you really think your word is enough to go off of?" Simon shook his head and continued, "Evidence exists for a reason. Your false accusations are actually breaking the law. Do you know that? "If we choose to go easy on you, we'll talk to your school about it and have them punish you severely. If I wanted to take it more seriously, I could very well sue your family. In fact, you guys could even go to juvie."The student argued with a red face, "So what? We didn't do anything wrong!""It may not have been extremely serious, and luckily enough, we didn't suffer any losses from it. You guys are still young, so nothing too serious would happen at juvie. However, it will become a permanent strike on your record," Simon said. "Good luck finding jobs in the fut
Belle watched in satisfaction from a few feet away.Dorothy had taught Simon well. It was a huge nod to his character for being able to let the students go so easily.Belle believed that the Sylvester family would flourish under Simon's lead. After the students left, Simon chatted with the police officers before managing to get rid of them.Only then did Belle walk over.Simon was taken aback. "Ms. Walters?"The other workers turned to look at her when they heard her name.Most of them had never seen Belle before, but they knew that Belle was their boss and the person who had given them both a job and hope for the future.Belle smiled at Simon. "You don't have to be so formal with me, remember? Just call me Belle."Simon smiled as well. "I'm still getting used to it. Aren't you busy today? When did you get here?"Before Belle could reply, the young lady working at the front desk had run over. "Are you Ms. Walters?""Yes. Please, just call me Belle."The young lady was clea
Belle didn't say any of her thoughts out loud. Instead, she carefully put the picture frame back on her desk."What do you think about what happened today?" Belle shifted the topic back to the problem at hand.Simon sighed and frowned. He started, "Someone tried to use students to start trouble with us, but there are so many people who dislike us now that it's hard to figure out who it could be." Simon added, "I only talked about the surveillance cameras to scare the students. I already asked the security department to check the footage, but it was tampered with. We can't find any footage of what happened.""Let's go to the security room again.""Alright."The two of them went to the security room. There were people from the security department who were checking the cameras."Here. Let me check."The security department didn't know who she was, so Simon said, "This is Ms. Walters, our boss."Their expressions immediately changed. None of them had expected their boss to be
Simon frowned and said, "No wonder. Quantum Health Clinic only started its business after what happened to the Sylvester family. Before we were forced out of business, nobody knew about them."I heard that the Johnson family from Lostaria are the real owners of the clinic and that the Hoffmans only own it as a front. It's like how you own this clinic, but everyone thinks it's the Sylvesters'.""The Johnsons?""Yes, from Lostaria.""Are they also a medicine-based family like the Sylvesters?""No. They dabble in everything. Medicine's only a small part of it.""I see. Do they have a personal vendetta against the Sylvester family?"Simon shook his head. "They're rivals with the Strauss family, not us, but they don't like us either since we're on good terms with the Strauss family.""Does that mean they purposely tried to start trouble because they didn't want us to steal their business?""Yes. At least that's what I think it is."After a brief pause, Belle said, "That just means
After mentally cursing Grayson out, Belle told Simon, "Take me around the clinic for a bit. I'll do a quick round and go back to work.""I don't think Grayson wants you to quit," Simon muttered."He's a busybody. Once I finish the work given to me, I'll quit. He can't stop me.""Wow. You're still going to finish your work?""Yeah. It's company-mandated. I can't uproot the Page family's rules."Simon's mouth twitched. Grayson had clearly dug a special trap for Belle.If she had to wait until she finished her work before she could quit, she was never going to leave. Grayson was never going to give her a chance to.Simon wanted to remind her about it, but he decided not to after thinking about it. After all, it was between them and for them to settle among themselves.He also wanted Belle and Grayson to end up together.The two of them walked out. Belle suddenly thought about something and asked, "Grayson told me a bit about you and Sabrina. Are you guys doing alright?"Simon's
Lovy was still in the mountains, and he would always be in the mountains. If he never left, then she had to go back. She couldn't just abandon him, not after the promise she made.Apart from Lovy, there were many other reasons, too.No matter what, she had to go back to the mountains.Even though Grayson had told her that he could follow her back, what would happen to Finneas? What about Yolanda and Alfred? What would happen to Page Corporation?What would happen to all those people who depended on him for a living?She was young, but she knew more than she should. It would never be easy for anyone to toss their family and loved ones aside to live in a completely foreign environment. Human beings were never meant to be individual creatures. Most people had much more to think about than just themselves.Whether it was her, Grayson, or most people, it was hard to live and never care about other people.Was it possible for them to throw everything away and just live without attac
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