Leah smiled and replied, "I'm here to deliver some groceries for Mr. and Mrs. Page."Meredith took a look at the basket by her hand and saw that it was full of freshly plucked greens.She didn't think much about it and just opened the door for her old friend.Meredith told Leah to put the basket in the kitchen and went to pour a cup of water for her."Have a cup of warm water before you go, Leah. You've grown quite a lot since I last saw you. I still remember that we used to be the same height, but now you're taller than me by a head!"Leah narrowed her eyes in excitement as she thoroughly scanned the interior. She didn't seem to realize that Meredith was talking to her.Meredith couldn't help but feel that Leah was acting weird.Leah had always refused to enter the house back then. And when she did, she would never dare to snoop around the house as she was afraid of Grayson.But now, she was carefully examining everything within the house without any sign of fear. It was almos
"Of course, it's only natural for a medical professional like me to carry medicine with me at all times. For better or for worse.""But I never noticed any when I took off all your clothes yesterday. Where do you even hide them?"Belle instantly turned bright red when Grayson mentioned last night's events."Shut up! It's a secret! I'm not telling you!"Her phone then started ringing. She pulled out her phone and answered the call from Ginger. "Belle, are you at work?""No, I'm not. What's up?""Oh, it's nothing. You didn't reply to me after you went home last night, so I just wanted to check on you.""I forgot about it. You sound really happy, though. What's the good news?"Ginger's tone was uplifting and cheerful.Smiling, she replied, "The good news is that Gabe isn't leaving anymore.""He's not leaving anymore?"Beller could only wonder what happened to Gabriel.The last she had heard of him was that he was leaving Maltford. Ginger explained, "He told me that he had
Belle spoke up for Grayson, "He's actually quite the gentleman.""Haha … I mean, of course, he would be one with you."Belle was at a loss for words as Ginger merely stated the truth.Grayson would naturally treat Belle really well. But that couldn't possibly be the case for anyone else.Ginger suddenly shouted, "Wait, Belle! Your neck… Oh God… You… You did that with Mr. Page already?"Belle was startled and quickly looked into the mirror.In the area below her neck and around her collarbone were plenty of hickeys that were obviously caused by Grayson.He had been nibbling and biting at her throughout the night.Blushing, she tried to hide them with her clothes.Ginger laughed out loud as she realized what had happened."I can't believe you've actually gotten him to fall in love with you. Is he good in bed? I assume he must be good at it considering he works out every day."Belle's face was bright red as she forcefully changed the topic."What about Gabriel?"…Meanwhile,
The caller was none other than Daniela, who sounded really worried."You need to come back, Lena. I just heard about the café going up in flames. I believe the mysterious families are onto you now. They're not folks you can deal with yourself. Come back to safety!"Frowning, Lena replied, "What about Belle? Why doesn't she need to hide from the mysterious families?""She has Grayson supporting her, and you're the easier target between the both of you. If only our plans had succeeded, we would've had both Grayson and Robert supporting us instead, and you wouldn't need to hide! But now, I need you to listen to me and come back.""And then what?""Hide until everything settles down.""What if it never settles down?""We've been alive for 20 years. They won't be able to find us.""What if they do find us?""Then … we'll fight back with all we got.""Why don't we just fight back now?""We can't possibly fight them all by ourselves. Besides, they haven't really found out about you
Lena was shocked as she began to frantically search for the plant.Ava tried to ask her what happened. "Ms. Cahill, what are you looking for?"Lena replied, "Help me look for a potted plant. It's an extremely rare specimen."Ava bent down and joined the search but to no avail."Ms. Cahill, are you sure you put it here?""Of course!'Lena continued the search and practically went through every possible nook and cranny but still found nothing.Ava continued, "Ms. Cahill, could it have been taken away after someone happened to see it?"Lena didn't reply and just stood up to monitor her surroundings.Their café hideout was at the base of the mountain, and they were now in the middle of it. The place was such a remote area. There wasn't even any surveillance around.Under normal circumstances, not a single soul would pass by this location.Even if someone happened to pass by, they couldn't have found the well-hidden plant.The only possible outcome was that she was being watched
Lena's heart began to race. "Who are you? Why do you know Belle's real name?"The man remained quiet to her questions.He was evidently uninterested in answering her.Lena continued, "What's your relationship with Belle? Why would you give her such a precious item?""A gift is for the person to be happy, of course. I gave it to her since she had been looking for it. I'd try my best even if she wanted the stars from the night sky.""Who are you to her?"The man remained silent once more."Are you also an Aspen?"Lena continued as the man remained silent. "I don't care who you are, but that plant is very important to me. Give it to me and I'll reward you with whatever you want.""I want Beth to live a peaceful and happy life. Could you help me with that?"Lena was left speechless.She hated Belle so much that she wished for Belle to meet a fate worse than death.The man suddenly approached her along with a strong gust of wind.Before Lena could react, her finger was snappe
Lena felt that fate was unfair, but she seemed to have forgotten what she and her mother had done back then.Noah and those hidden big shots helped Belle out of justice and gratitude.Robert helped Belle out of justice and responsibility.Grayson helped Belle out of love.And the person today also had his own reason.…At the same time, Gabriel was feeding stray cats on the roadside.He remembered the promise from yesterday. After Ginger went to work, he also went out.First, he bought two bottles of whiskey for the security guard and then went to a pet store. He emptied the shelves of cat food and canned food.With food available, the stray cats gathered, scrambling to eat.The number of cats increased, ranging from 40 to 50.They surrounded Gabriel, eating and meowing. Some even rubbed against Gabriel's trousers.Gabriel didn't mind. He squatted down, occasionally rubbing their heads."I'm a man of my word. I said that I'd buy you delicious food, so I'd definitely buy it
Wilbur fell silent for a moment and then said, "Now is not the time to care about this. Capture Lena and investigate Belle. Both tasks need to proceed simultaneously."Frowning, Gabriel asked tentatively, "I heard that the Aspen family has a very important person. Obtaining her could mean obtaining the world. Do you suspect that Belle is that person?""That's none of your concern. And don't think that obtaining her will really mean obtaining the world. Before obtaining the world, you need to consider whether you can withstand the pressure."If obtaining her means obtaining the world, the Aspen family wouldn't have been exterminated. Not only would they have survived, but they might have already become the world's overlord."She's like a double-edged sword, with both advantages and disadvantages. She can bring great honor but also great destruction.""If that's the case, why do so many people still want to get her?""Because she represents hope. Without her, becoming the world's o
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