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
Grayson's expression was dark. He was about to fly into a rage when he suddenly thought of something. Suppressing his anger, he asked, "You think he's old, and that's why you don't like him?"People would be more honest after getting drunk, after all. He would grab the chance to ask her why she didn't fancy him despite her rich experience in love.Belle nodded, then shook her head. She nodded again, then shook her head again. It went on and on. There was no end to it.Grayson said in a cold voice, "Speak up!"Pouting, Belle said, "Yes, but also no. I do hate that he's old, but just a little. That's not the main point."Grayson frowned. "So what's the main point?""The point is, I don't like him!"She wasn't quite answering the question. Glaring at her in disdain, Grayson asked again. "What do you not like about him?"Belle replied, "Everything! He's a useless stick in the mud! I'm telling you, there's nothing good about him other than his looks."He's old and fierce, and he ha
"I don't need you to protect me! Go to bed! Right now!" Grayson roared.Belle pouted again."What's wrong with you? I said I'd protect you, but you shouted at me instead. If you do it again, I'm leaving you alone. I'll let the beasts eat you up! I'm telling you, this mountain has tons of wild beasts!"Grayson was speechless. They weren't even on some mountain. This was his home, and they were in his bedroom!Grayson was so pissed that he didn't even know how to get mad at her. He had also gotten tired of asking, so he pointed at the bathroom."Go to sleep right now, Belle. Don't make me do it.""Sleep. Yes, I'll go to sleep."Muttering, Belle walked in the opposite direction. Instead of going to the bathroom, she walked to the bed.Grayson glared at her. "Is she truly drunk?" he wondered, "If she's drunk, how can she figure out where the bed is?"Belle was about to flop onto the bed when Grayson hastily pulled her back. She smelled terrible right now. If she touched the bed, h
The thought that crossed Grayson's mind instantly disappeared. Gnashing his teeth, he tossed Belle into the bathroom with a murderous look on his face. He shouted angrily, "Don't you dare dream of touching alcohol ever again. Don't even think about it, at least when you're still with me!"Standing in the bathroom, Belle looked at him pitifully."Why are you so mad at me? What did I do?"Her voice was soft. As she spoke, her eyes turned red. She looked like she had faced the worst mistreatment in the world."You're a man. How can you treat a woman like this? You're not a gentleman. Boohoo."Pouting her lips, Belle pointed at him. Tears welled up in her eyes."I—" Frowning, Grayson spoke in a cold voice, "Stop crying. I'm not falling for it. You did this to yourself. You should behave if you don't want people to get mad at you."Right now, your behavior alone is bad enough, and I'm already being nice by not chasing you out."Belle asked, "What did I do?""You …""Tell me. Wha
More than an hour later, Meredith knocked on the guest room door."Mr. Page, I've bathed Mrs. Page."Grayson had already put on a fresh change of casual clothes. Walking out, he said, "Thanks."Meredith hastily said, "It's my duty. Mrs. Page is resting now. I've prepared some hangover soup and put it in the thermal pot. Mrs. Page can drink it as soon as she wakes up.""Alright."After Meredith left, Grayson returned to the master bedroom.Meredith had changed the bedding and cleaned up the bathroom. The stench was gone from the room, and only the usual smell of air freshener remained.Grayson felt much better.He wasn't a clean freak, but he liked to be tidy. He couldn't stand odd smells or dirty things.Seeing Belle sleeping on the bed, Grayson frowned. It was his turn on the bed tonight.He would have let her have the bed if he were in a good mood. But not today.He was very upset today. He was already being merciful to her by not forcing her to sleep in the bathroom.Gra
Belle was so pissed that she wanted to beat him up, but she couldn't. So, she could only shout angrily, "You're shameless! You took advantage of me! You villain!"Grayson gritted his teeth. "What did I do?""You … You … You're a pervert!"Grayson was exasperated. "I'm a pervert? I'm shameless? When did I take advantage of you? And I'm a villain too? Who was the one who got drunk first and tried to take advantage of me yesterday?"Thinking of what had happened in the car, Grayson was sure that she was taking advantage of him.Also, there was that time when they fell on the bed. She had been lying on his chest as she touched him with her eyes closed. She even touched his throat and lips. Wasn't she harassing him?"I got drunk and took advantage of you?"Before Grayson could say anything, Belle rambled on, saying, "It's not like I've never gotten drunk before. I can handle alcohol well, so I won't ever go crazy when I'm drunk. "And I definitely wouldn't take advantage of you! I d
Belle still hadn't understood anything when Grayson came downstairs. He was wearing a dark tailor-made suit. He looked handsome and sprightly.There wasn't a trace of emotion in his well-defined features. He looked very much like a king.When Grayson saw Belle, he frowned. He was still mad. Then, he spotted June. His frown deepened. He was annoyed.He didn't want to meet either of these women, for he would get mad at them on sight. But they just had to appear at the same time.He was both mad and annoyed. His mood was quite foul."Grayson!" But June was elated. When she saw Grayson, she quickly changed her expression. She ran over to him happily, then showed herself off."Grayson, look at my face. My skin is in extremely good condition! Touch and see!"With that, June tried to take Grayson's hand to guide it to her face. Shoving her aside, Grayson spoke in a cold voice, "Who let you in?"His tone was fierce. It was obvious that he was in a bad mood.But June was quite shameles
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