The Bond Between Us (Anastasia and Herman)

Here is the text from the image, cleaned and formatted:

Anastasia hadn't seen Herman this sharp in ages.

When was the last time he'd put someone in their place like that? Oh, right—itnoveldrama

must've been when her hopeless ex, Cason Kirkwood, managed to get on

Herman's bad side. Cason was still behind bars, and honestly, he'd probably be

there for a few more years.

After Cason got locked up, Demi—the girl who used to compete with Anastasia for

his attention—vanished without a trace. Monica mentioned that Demi had

probably gone overseas. As Monica put it, "With Cason in jail, if Demi didn't take

off fast, she'd be in there with him soon enough. No point crossing you, Ana."

"You all chat. I need to finish the soup," Anastasia said, leaving the brothers to

their conversation.

Pattie jumped up. "Mom, let me help!"

Anastasia's smile was full of warmth. "No need, sweetheart. Go play with your

siblings. Or, if you're bored, go to the lab and remind your mentor to eat—he's

been in there so long he might actually turn into a mushroom."

Sometimes Anastasia wished Pattie weren't quite so grown-up. It was sweet, but it

made her heart ache a little.

Pattie grinned. "I'll go get him!"

With Pattie off to the lab, Herman handed the kids over to Flynn without a second

thought and rolled up his sleeves to join Anastasia in the kitchen.

She arched an eyebrow. "What are you doing in here?"

"Helping out. Back at Harmony Meadows, wasn't I always the one carrying the

dishes?" Herman said, cool as ever.

Anastasia felt her eyes go warm. "You remember?"

He gave her a gentle smile. "Bits and pieces. I'll take these out first."

"...Okay." Anastasia's heart soared.

If he was starting to remember, that was definitely a good sign.

Herman carried the dishes out, and Anastasia went back to her soup, the kitchen

filling with the comforting smell of home cooking. For a moment, it felt just like the

old days at Harmony Meadows—everything so perfect.

It wasn't long before Herman wandered back in, leaning against the counter. "That

stock you bought dropped again?"

Anastasia had been dabbling in the stock market, mostly following Monica's lead.

The Salstroms weren't exactly hurting for money, so losses didn't really matter,

but Anastasia still played it safe. For her, it was just something to pass the time.

"It was up last week," she said with a sigh. "Now it's down again. I lost fifteen

grand."

In their world, a hundred grand was like buying a round of bubble tea—no big

deal. But Anastasia still felt the sting; she'd grown up watching every penny.

Herman teased, "Last time you said that stock was a sure bet, said it had staying

power. I think your husband's got it beat in that department."

Anastasia caught his meaning instantly and burst out laughing. "Who brags about

themselves like that?"

This guy, honestly. So confident about everything—even that.

He reached out, brushing a stray hair from her forehead. The move was gentle,

but his look sent her heart racing.

He raised an eyebrow. "So—are you satisfied?"

Her cheeks flushed pink. "Very. Now go watch the kids. After dinner, I need your

help with something."

She'd decided to finally figure out what was on that chip. If she couldn't crack it,

Herman definitely could.

Dinner tonight was simple and light; the housekeepers had the day off, so it was

just them.

"Oh, by the way," Herman said, "there's a jewelry brand gala this weekend. Want

to come with me?"

"One of those parties with all the celebrities and socialites?" Anastasia asked,

grinning. "Is this a sales event?"

Real luxury jewelry brands always

brought in A-listers for their galas. At

these events, the stars would wear

the brand's latest pieces and mingle

with the rich and famous. If a

socialite bought something, the

celebrity got a nice commission.

No matter how big a star you were, in the world of big money, you were just

another accessory.

Not long ago, a famous jewelry

brand threw a gala in Beverly Hills.

Some heiress hit it off with a young

heartthrob and dropped half a

million on a necklace—said it was

just like treating him to a fancy

coffee. Wild.

Anastasia used to count every dollar before buying a latte. Now, seeing how the

wealthy did things, she was honestly speechless.

Herman nodded. "There'll be a lot of big names. You love jewelry design—this'll

be good for you."

"Alright, I'll go with you," Anastasia agreed.

Being part of this world meant these kinds of events were unavoidable. As

Herman's wife, she belonged at his side.

She'd been to plenty of high-society

gatherings, so she didn't think much

of it. What she didn't realize was that

this particular gala would bring her

one step closer to a nightmare she'd

never seen coming.