"Stop visiting that mountain."Belle hurriedly replied to the message, "How did you know?"She moved to her computer as she sent the message. She booted up the computer and then began to try to track where the message came from.The man simply brushed off her question. "That place is too dangerous for you.""For me? What do you mean? It's probably more dangerous for everyone but me."The man replied, "Don't forget about your lineage… your secret."Belle was utterly confused. "What do you mean?""Listen to me.""What's with my lineage? What's my secret?""I'll tell you later."Belle couldn't help but think that the man sounded like her grandfather.She decided to change the topic. "What's on the mountain?"But she received no response.She decided to press on. "Does my lineage and secret have anything to do with that mountain?"The man remained silent.Belle tried again and again but to no avail as the man had evidently stopped the conversation.She furrowed her brows
Noah picked up the call from Belle and answered her questions."I sent someone to look after you because I was worried about you ever since you left for Maltford. I never told you about it since you didn't like being followed.Belle replied, "Who is it?""He's one of ours. You may not have seen him before, but he's considered your classmate as you both share the same teacher.""Mr. Murray had other students besides me? I thought he said I was a special student he accepted secretly?""Well, it's not like he could only accept a single special student at a time.""But … Why didn't Mr. Murray tell me about the other students?""Have you ever asked him about it? Besides, why are we talking about this?""We could have been friends and studied together! Students have classmates, don't they?""You can't, Belle. You're special, after all."Belle was left speechless.She felt annoyed about her lineage being the reason she was kept away from the others.She understood Noah's sentiment
Belle exclaimed, "That doesn't make sense. How would he know what I've been doing if he wasn't following me? Some advanced technology? I don't think so. Considering my familiarity with computers, it would be harder for him to try and track me through technology."Do you think he's actually a ghost of sorts? That explains why he could follow me wherever I go without being found out. How else is he following my every move if he wasn't physically following or tracking me with technology?"Grayson was at a loss for words.He simply pulled Belle into his arms. "He'll show up sooner or later. It doesn't really matter if he's actually a ghost or not. Don't worry about it."Belle laid on his shoulders and sighed."You're right. Besides, it's not like he's trying to harm me or anything."She suddenly sat up straight as if remembering something. "Oh, yeah! I wanted to say that something's wrong with that mountain!"Grayson nodded his head in agreement. "If what the man said was true, then
Belle tried to speak up against Grayson, but she reluctantly agreed with his words so as not to worry him further."Let me know right away if you find anything. Oh, and please send some men to look after Hunter. I believe he has problems that he couldn't bring himself to tell me.""Sure, I'll arrange it right away," replied Grayson as he stroked her hair affectionately.He then switched on the television and placed the remote in her hand. "Alright. Just relax, okay? Here, watch some TV while I go and whip up a meal."Belle tried to speak up but fell silent once more. She merely nodded.She came to the realization that dwelling on Hunter, Mount Moriah, or the enigmatic figure who provided her with the medicinal plant was only draining her energy, especially considering she had no leads on any of them.Even so, she couldn't properly relax and would occasionally think about them.Her eyes were fixed on the television while her thoughts returned to the previous topic.Suddenly, Gra
Grayson lit up a cigarette on the balcony. "Go ahead.""We suspect that the hooligans were related to the recent incidents of child disappearances. One of our informants stationed at Mandoria identified one of them as a hitman from Mandoria."Grayson frowned at the mention of Mandoria.His suspicions regarding the children's disappearance being related to Mandoria were finally confirmed."The restaurant owner also revealed that they had been ordering extra food recently. We think they are most likely for the kidnapped children."Unfortunately, none of the children could be found when we went to check on the men's hotel room. We're afraid that someone, attempting to evade capture now that the hooligans have been fatally poisoned, may have disposed of the children."Grayson took a while to gather his thoughts before responding, "Very well. Continue your investigation in the shadows. Don't alert our targets.""Of course."Grayson took another puff on his cigarette after hanging up
Belle was surprised. "Dead? Aren't they still in the hospital?"Grayson elaborated, "They were poisoned to death.""Who poisoned them?""We don't know yet."Frowning, she responded, "I don't believe it's Gabriel. He wouldn't have spared them to make it to the hospital if he meant to kill them. Is it a possibility that one of their own eliminated them to prevent them from talking to the police after recovery?""Most likely, yes.""Do those men have any criminal records?"Grayson didn't want to mention Mandoria in front of Belle. "I'm not sure."Belle sighed. "It was probably karma for all their sins against the public. They had it coming for them. It's best just to live life as an ordinary person."Not everyone gets the chance to redeem themselves once they venture into the shadier parts of life. They would be considered lucky to be poisoned to death as there are fates worse than death for people like them."Once again, she sighed, pondering the thoughts that occupied the mind
Grayson ended the call and stared at Belle in his arms. Belle was sound asleep right now as she couldn't sleep well last night due to overthinking about Hunter's problems.Grayson let out a sigh. He wondered why Belle was so concerned about Hunter when they weren't even close friends.He came to understand that her kindness was entirely genuine. However, a benevolent soul like hers carried the weight of a generational blood feud—an ongoing conflict tied to the secrets she inherited from birth. It seemed almost fated for her not to experience a tranquil and joyful life.Grayson pitied her as he held her in his arms.He carefully withdrew his arm and kissed Belle on the forehead before heading to the balcony, thinking about Mount Moriah.He made a call and ordered his men to survey the mountain. He then assigned another batch of his men to follow after Hunter.Grayson found himself questioning whether Hunter was an ally as he contemplated the link between Hunter and Mount Moriah.
Lucia enthusiastically shared, "It might be hard to believe, but Ms. Nina reached out to me first. She came across a video of my dance routine online, and understandably, she was displeased with my mistakes. So, she contacted me to discuss it, and that's how we became acquainted."Hunter asked, "Why did she choose you instead of the many others who had imitated her dance routine?"She smiled awkwardly and replied, "She's very strict about her image and was pissed off when she saw how bad I was at imitating her. She was furious when she first approached me.""Are you sure she's the real deal?""Of course! We've been having private lessons through video calls already! I've made significant improvements with her guidance. I've even surprised my current dance coach with my improvements."But you can't tell anyone about this, okay? Ms. Nina made it clear that she didn't want to be bothered by too many people while here in Mandoria for her vacation."Hunter furrowed his brows. "Does yo
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