The Bond Between Us (Anastasia and Herman)

The news about Anastasia's murder case shot straight to the top of the trending topics.

Monica was swamped at her beauty salon when she overheard the buzz about a murder. Curiosity got the better of her, so she peeked at the trending news and was floored to see Anastasia's name linked to the crime. It seemed unreal. But when she read further and saw that Anastasia had allegedly killed Granny Anita, it started to make a twisted kind of sense.

Monica quickly handed over the salon to the manager and dashed out, heading straight for the police station.

While driving, she called Herman. The moment he picked up, Monica burst out, "Herman, what's happening? Did Ana really kill someone? Is she at the police station? What's your plan? Is the Salstrom family going to press charges?" Monica was more concerned about Herman's reaction. His stance would decide Anastasia's fate.

Her speedometer hit 75mph. With Herman still silent, she shouted, "Herman, you can't abandon Ana. She's already in hell after losing her child. You're her last hope. You can't push her further into despair. You have to save her." Monica wanted one thing: Anastasia's freedom. Granny Anita's death? She didn't care.

Herman listened to Monica and finally said, "Anastasia is lucky to have a friend like you." And with that, he hung up.

He had no time to explain things to Monica. Salma's call came in next.

Salma, having seen the news about Anastasia, was desperately trying to reach Herman.

Herman's phone was buzzing non-stop. Calls from Flynn, Collin, Salstrom relatives, Feiman, Katelyn - they just kept coming.

After talking to Salma, Herman immediately called Nelson: "Clean up the online chatter."

Next, he called Dailey: "Gather everyone from the Salstrom family and meet at the Salstrom Manor Chapel."

Having made those calls, Herman put his phone on silent, tossed it aside, and drove towards the suburban reservoir.

With Anastasia in jail and Herman missing, the Salstrom family gathered at the chapel. Everyone was up in arms, demanding answers. Feiman sat at the head, looking grief-stricken, while Katelyn sat silently to the side. Flynn, unable to calm everyone, pulled Dailey aside and asked, "Where's my brother?"

Dailey, emotionless, replied, "I don't know."noveldrama

Flynn was frantic, "How can you not know? Why did my brother tell you to bring everyone here?"

Dailey repeated, "I don't know."

Exasperated, Flynn snapped, "How can you not know anything?"

"I really don't know. He just told me to bring everyone to the chapel. He didn't say where he was going."

Flynn gritted his teeth, "You're just as frustrating as my brother."

"Flynn, where's your brother?" Collin, who had also heard the news, arrived at the Salstrom Manor.

Flynn replied, "I wish I knew."

Collin asked, "Did Anastasia really do it?"

Flynn nodded.

Collin gasped, "Anastasia's got guts. She really did it. Isn't she throwing away her future? Herman lost his son, then his grandmother, and now his wife's in jail. Do you think he might do something drastic? Where could he go with something this big? The Salstroms are demanding an explanation. This is a mess."

The commotion from the chapel could be heard outside. If Dailey and his bodyguards hadn't corralled everyone inside and confiscated their phones, it would've been even more chaotic.

"Where could my brother have gone..." Flynn muttered, then suddenly had a realization. "I think I know where he is. Collin, quick, get in the car."