Everyone in the clinic was stressed out.There was no way to keep the business running that day. Most of the Sylvester family members couldn't make it, and only a few younger doctors and security guards were there with Simon.Simon was shocked when he saw Belle. "What are you doing here?" he asked, hurriedly standing up.Belle replied, "I couldn't stop worrying about you guys, so I came over to take a look. Did you manage to catch the spy?"Simon nodded. "We caught him, and he did admit to tampering with the cameras. He said that he purposely deleted the footage, but it didn't have anything to do with the Hoffman family. Someone anonymously paid him to do it.""Alright. It's good enough that we caught him. Hand him off to the cops and let him enjoy a few years behind bars before we do anything else.""Okay."Simon called the authorities and passed on Belle's command before asking, "I haven't dared to do anything since you've been making me stay out of things recently. Do you hav
"W-What's the meaning of this?" Simon asked, bewildered."They have to suffer the consequences for their actions," Belle said. "Seven million dollars is no small feat. You should hurry up and send them a thank you letter for their generosity!"Simon stared at her silently. If he did send something like that, Jamie would probably explode on the spot.Seven million dollars!It was a huge sum of money. It must have hurt more than any physical pain that Jamie could have suffered.He was about to ask Belle how she'd done it when she passed him a pen drive. "There's some evidence of Jamie starting trouble with our clinic here. Post it online with the official public relations account of the Sylvester family. I can't post it since I promised him I wouldn't expose the evidence. I have to stay true to my word, you know."She promised Jamie that she wouldn't post it so that Simon could post it instead.Her promise had been that she would keep the evidence private.However, she never said
Grayson ignored that little jab.However, Tristan tagged him and asked, "I have some new 'educational' videos here if you catch my drift. It's all pretty exciting stuff. I bet there are positions in here some of you have never even heard of. Grayson, do you want them?"Without waiting for Grayson to reply, the others had started fighting for them. "Don't just tag him! What about us? Sharing is caring. Give them to me!""Give them to me too!""Don't forget about me! I want them too!"Tristan suddenly said, "Sorry, I can't give you guys anything. I'm not into guys, okay?"The crowd sent a bunch of vomiting emojis.Suddenly, Grayson received a personal message from Tristan. It was a bunch of links to different videos.Tristan then sent a message that read, "I know you're too much of a pussy to admit that you want these, so here you go. Study them and have fun. I wish you a good life!"After he sent the text, he followed it up with a suggestive emoji.Grayson pressed his lips int
It didn't manage to quench the thirst that was radiating from deep inside him. He got up and washed his face in the bathroom.He stared at himself in the mirror for a long moment before wiping his face and walking back to his desk.There was absolutely no way he could continue working in that state. He turned his computer off and decided to get off work early.Sam walked over with a sheaf of documents and saw Grayson walking out with his car keys. Curiously, he asked, "Are you getting off work, Mr. Page?""Yes.""It's pretty early. Some documents need to be signed off by you.""I'll look at them tomorrow."Sam froze. He had recently been on the short end of Grayson's temper, and he didn't want to dig his own grave any further. He was about to leave with Grayson.Grayson looked at him. "What are you doing?""I'm leaving with you.""I'm going to go meet my wife. Why are you following me?""D-Don't you need me to drive?""No!"Grayson stalked off after saying that.Sam fell
While the crowd admired Grayson's good looks, they were intimidated by the chilly vibe he gave off.That was why not a single person approached him despite all of them openly staring at him. No one dared to pull out their phones and take a photo of him either.The crowd only started to talk about him after he walked into the clinic. "Who is that? He's so tall and hot! Is he a model or something?""Obviously not! What kind of model carries themselves that well? He's clearly from a rich family.""Wait. I heard that Simon has ties with Mr. Page. Could he be …"Their words trailed off as the crowd's eyes widened.Everyone had come to the same conclusion and was incredibly shocked.After all, not everybody had the privilege to see him in the flesh.Grayson wasn't able to escape the stares at him even in the clinic. All of the patients were staring at him curiously.The patients who were supposed to go to the counter forgot what they were doing, while those who were supposed to get
Grayson chuckled. "How many children do you think we'll have?""I'm seeing six at the very least."Belle couldn't help herself from choking on her spit at the unexpected comment.Grayson quickly passed a napkin to her and gently massaged her back to clear her airways."Are you okay, dear?" the old lady asked in concern.Belle did her best to squeeze out an awkward smile. "I'm fine. By the way, you're all good to go. You just need to take note of the time you spend exercising. While it's good to do some light exercise every now and then, you shouldn't overwork yourself. "I'll give you a prescription to bring home just in case, but it's nothing to worry about.""Okay. I'm glad I'm alright."Grayson said, "Darling, I think it was fate that we met this woman today. Shall we cover her bill for her?"The old lady was immediately energized by the sound of that.She was smart enough to start going on and on about more things to butter Grayson up.She talked about Belle and Grayson'
Belle complained, "Shouldn't you be working during working hours?""I don't want to work. I just want to spend time with you.""You make me sound like some sort of femme fatale."Grayson chuckled. "Aren't you? The moment you show up, all I do is yearn for you. I can't put my mind to anything else.""So? Should I leave?""Yeah. You should leave and take me with you."Belle was pouting, but her eyes showed how happy she felt. "That would only add a crime to the list.""Who cares? You're not getting rid of me either way. Even death won't do us part."They continued to flirt with each other when someone suddenly knocked on the door.A young female voice called out, "Dr. Walters, I'm having some trouble breathing. Could you let me come in for a consultation?"Belle could tell immediately that she was lying.Her voice was loud enough to penetrate through the door, and she didn't sound weak at all. How could she be having any trouble breathing?Rather than a consultation with Bell
Belle wanted to argue and say, "It hasn't even been that long since we last met."However, she simply couldn't argue when faced with Grayson's sad, puppy-dog stare. Her lips twitched, and she avoided his gaze as she went to the water cooler to fill her glass.She was worried that she would give in if she stared at him any longer.Her defenses against him had completely crumbled. She simply couldn't bear to make him sad.However, she really couldn't work with him around."I'm really busy today, okay? There are a ton of patients here."Grayson said, "Simon's the main doctor here. He'll run the place fine even without you. There are more than 20 doctors here in this clinic. They won't miss just one single doctor.""That's true, but I–"Before she could finish her sentence, he hugged her from behind and leaned down to place his chin on her shoulder. Almost childishly, he murmured, "I miss you."His warm breath tickled her ear, and she instinctively twitched to get rid of the sensa
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