Sam was taken aback. "What? I-I don't know."How was he supposed to know what Belle was thinking?Grayson frowned and tossed his schedule to Sam. "There's something wrong with this. Go redo it."Sam's eyes widened in shock. He had spent the whole morning on it.Before finalizing it, he had gone through all the meeting times with Grayson himself. How could there be something wrong with it?"May I ask what exactly is wrong with it?"Grayson snapped, "Why should I point it out to you? Are you going to make me do it myself next?"Sam shuddered at the sudden outburst and said, "Of course not. I'll redo it immediately. "He ran off with the schedule in hand.He couldn't help but scoff inwardly about how quickly his boss' mood changed.Sam had never dated before, nor had he ever had a reason to be jealous of anyone, so he left in confusion and with a suppressed rage.Grayson was stressed out because his wife had gone to another man for help instead of asking him.Did she forget ab
Belle frowned slightly. The more Ginger spoke, the more Belle began to fear that her hunch had been right. She was worried that Gabriel was actually a murderer.She was worried that Ginger wouldn't be able to handle that.Ginger was Belle's first-ever female friend and also her best friend. She didn't want anything to happen to her.Despite her nerves, she didn't say anything. After all, it was only a suspicion. She didn't have any evidence to actually accuse him of anything.Besides, Ginger had finally cheered up after a long time. Belle wasn't about to be the one to ruin her mood. After all, Ginger had been worried that Gabriel had done something illegal for her own sake.As long as Ginger was happy, that was good enough.Belle lightly patted Ginger around the shoulders to show concern.Ginger breathed in and exhaled deeply before chuckling, "Luckily, it was just me being paranoid."Belle replied, "Well, now that you know you were being paranoid, try not to overthink so much
Belle walked out of the elevator when she reached the top floor. She walked straight toward the president's office.Rosa was surprised to see her. "Belle?"Belle smiled and greeted her back politely. "Hello, Rosa.""What are you doing here at this time?""I'm here for work.""I see. Why didn't you come after lunch? It's almost time for our lunch break."Mr. Page called me. He said it was urgent."Rosa looked at Belle meaningfully and said, "Alright, go ahead. Don't delay his lunch break.""I will."The moment Belle walked away, the secretarial department started to gossip. "I told you! Mr. Page definitely has something for Belle!""Yeah! We got a 300% revenue last year, but he didn't give us a raise or anything. This year, he started off with a 200% pay rise! He's definitely met something that makes him happier than earning money!""He's in love!""Well, love does drive people crazy.""Does that mean Belle was the one he confessed to during the New Year?" Rosa asked.The
The temperature in Grayson's office slowly became warmer and warmer until it was almost unbearable.Their breathing became frantic and urgent while their bodies became hot. They knew they were about to completely let go soon.Suddenly, someone knocked on the door.Sam called out, "Mr. Page, I already remade your schedule. Please take a look."Belle immediately jolted out of her stupor.She didn't know what to do and hurriedly pulled her hands out of his grip before clutching at his shirt and burying her face into his chest.She was embarrassed.Grayson frowned as he pressed his thin lips together. He glared at the door as if he wanted to kill Sam with his stare alone.Sam knocked again since he hadn't gotten a response. "Are you in there, Mr. Page?" "Go away!" Grayson yelled.His voice was raspy, and Belle could tell he was holding himself back, but Sam couldn't hear anything unusual. "What's wrong, Mr. Page? The schedule—""Do it again!""I already did. I just need you to
They were still in the office!Belle screamed inwardly. She was trying to calm herself down and tell herself not to rush into anything."Grayson, we're still working! Quit it!""We're on our break.""Alright, then, I'm hungry. Didn't you say you prepared lunch? I want my lunch."Grayson stared at her lips hungrily. "I prepared a ton for you. I'm sure it will fill you up."He lifted Belle, put her on his desk, and started kissing her again.Belle was shocked. "Grayson, let me down! You're shameless!"Grayson continued as if he couldn't hear her. The files on his desk had been swept onto the ground, but he didn't care.He pressed himself between Belle's legs and made her wrap her arms around his neck for support. He grabbed her waist and began to kiss her recklessly.The position was too much for Belle to handle. Her face was bright red."W–Wait! What if someone comes in?"Grayson kept kissing her urgently while he replied breathlessly, "No one is coming in without my permiss
Belle quickly said, "Go back in!"Without giving Grayson the chance to say anything, she said, "If you try anything else, I'm going to ignore you for the whole day."Grayson frowned deeply. He almost looked pitiful, as if he was getting bullied. "Belle, it hurts. I want to do it."His voice was low, raspy, and even sounded pitiful.Belle's heart softened, but she said, "I-I don't care. We're in the office. Hold it in.""I can't. See?"Grayson guided her hand to where his problem lay.Her hand brushed against something stiff, and blood immediately rushed into her face.She tossed his hand away. "You … You … You're shameless!"Grayson lightly bit her ear and whispered, "It's been three days."After their first night together, the two hadn't done anything because of Belle's condition. Grayson was desperate for more.Belle gritted her teeth. "Not now!"Grayson looked like a kicked puppy.Belle immediately felt her heart soften at the sight, so she relented and said, "Whatever
Grayson dried his hair with a towel as he walked over, smiling brightly. "What are you suddenly so busy with? Aren't you hungry?"Belle ignored him."Are you mad at me?" Grayson asked.Belle remained quiet.Grayson said, "I'm not mad even though you locked me in the bathroom.""You deserved it," Belle said with a scowl.Grayson chuckled and pinched her cheek.Belle shook her head to get rid of his hand. "Why are you so annoying?""I love you."Belle was stunned at the sudden confession. She looked up at him in confusion.Grayson's smile was big and bright. He gently said, "Belle, I love you."Belle remained quiet.What a scoundrel. She didn't want to say anything to him. In fact, she wanted to ignore him and continue throwing her tantrum, but he just told her he loved her.Even though her heart was going a mile a minute, her expression was a picture of calm.She pouted and said, "If you ever do that in the office again, I'll beat you up."Grayson was as handsome as ever
Belle and Grayson finished up their lunch. While Grayson tidied up the table, he told Belle, "There's a break room back there. You can go rest for a bit."Belle immediately stared at him warily from the sofa.Grayson purposely teased her by standing close to her and bending down to whisper, "I can offer you some premium services."Belle slapped him immediately. "How dare you? Grayson, do you really think I won't lay a hand on you?"Grayson massaged his cheek tenderly. "Ouch.""You deserved it.""Look. It's swelling up.""Don't be so dramatic.""I'm serious. It hurts."Belle looked at him wincing in pain, and felt a twinge of worry. She blinked and leaned closer to him. "Let me see."Before she could react, Grayson grabbed the back of her head and kissed her."Grayson!" Belle hissed."Don't hit me again, okay?" Grayson said cheekily. "I wouldn't want you to feel bad for me.""You—""Calm down, calm down. I'm just teasing you. I have a lot of work to do, so I won't have any
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