The Bond Between Us (Anastasia and Herman)

Tears shimmered in Katie's eyes, a mix of fear and sorrow.

"Isn't it a mother's job to look out for her kids?" she thought. From the moment she became a mother, her life revolved around her child.

Salma got it. She gently took Katie's hand and asked, "How old is your daughter?"

"She's twenty-two," Katie replied. "Just graduated and started working. She's got a boyfriend, and they're planning to get married."

"That's wonderful," Salma said warmly. "Your kid's grown up now; it's time to start thinking about yourself." She paused, then added, "Actually, Ana asked me to talk to you. She knows about the situation at home and how you've been mistreated. Ana's got a heart of gold, even if she seems tough on the outside. She can't stand seeing others suffer. If you need help, Ana can get you a lawyer."

"It's Lady Anastasia who..." Katie's guilt flooded in. She had planned to harm Anastasia's child, yet Anastasia was trying to help her escape her abusive marriage.

"Whatever you need, just let us know. We'll get through this together," Salma assured.

"Thank you," Katie murmured, lowering her eyes. "If I need anything, I'll talk to Lady Anastasia. Salma, I'm feeling a bit tired."noveldrama

"Alright," Salma said. "You should rest. I've got to get up early to drop Pattie off at school tomorrow."

Back in her room, Katie pulled out the abortion pills from under her pillow. Thinking of Salma's words and Anastasia's kindness, she couldn't go through with it. She tossed the pills into the trash. Katie then called Grannie Anita, "I'm really sorry, I can't do what you asked."

She couldn't bring herself to do something so wrong.

After hanging up, Grannie Anita was livid, muttering, "Ungrateful wretch! After all I've done for her. Johnny, go find Little Cai's husband."

Driver Johnny responded, "Yes, Grannie Anita."

Johnny had always been at Anita's beck and call, taking care of her and driving her around. He obeyed without question.

...

Southridge Estates.

Anastasia was restless, unable to sleep as she waited for news from Herman.

It was nearly dawn. Seeing Pattie peacefully sleeping next to her gave her a bit of comfort.

Suddenly, her phone chimed with a new message.

It was from Herman: "Things are almost settled. Don't worry, get some rest."

Seeing the message, Anastasia immediately replied, "Take care of yourself too."

Herman was extremely busy, and after seeing Anastasia's reply, he didn't respond.

He had said things were mostly settled just to comfort Anastasia.

Only after arriving did Herman realize the situation was worse than anticipated.

The victim's family had already caused a scene at the factory. The fire had taken hours to extinguish, and firefighters were still on the scene in case of flare-ups.

Herman stood before the ruins, the air thick with the smell of burnt debris and the cries of grieving family members.

Herman's face was grim as Nelson approached, "Mr. Salstrom, we've caught the arsonist. He confessed, saying he was under a lot of stress and had a disagreement with a coworker."

Herman remained stoic, but Flynn was furious, "So he decided to take innocent lives because he couldn't handle his own problems? Is he even human?"

Nelson added, "This isn't the first time something like this has happened. When people break under pressure, they often lash out at society. The arsonist was recently diagnosed with terminal cancer; he has at most three months to live." Herman's forehead creased, "It seems like this was a planned attack."

Flynn asked, "Who on earth is sabotaging Elysian Technologies?"