The Bond Between Us (Anastasia and Herman)

Julie's heart raced as she glanced at the rearview mirror and saw a car trailing her. Why was Herman's team following her? And how did Asher know? It hit her like a ton of bricks-Asher had been pulling the strings all along, and she was trapped in his web. Panic-stricken, Julie didn't dare change lanes or make any sudden moves. She drove straight ahead, heading for the suburbs to avoid surveillance cameras. The idea of Herman finding her sent chills down her spine. Or worse, could Joseph have betrayed her? Given his dislike for her, it seemed unlikely he'd make the first move if he had discovered her secret. Behind her, Dailey noticed Julie's car speeding toward the outskirts and accelerated to catch up. Just as he was about to close in at a traffic light, a car brazenly ran the red light from the left. Reacting instinctively, Dailey slammed on the brakes, causing a cacophony of screeching tires and blaring horns, narrowly avoiding a pile-up. The offending car sped away, leaving chaos in its wake and Dailey with no sight of Julie. He quickly reported back to Herman.

Back at Southridge Estates, Herman and Anastasia had just returned from dinner when Dailey's call came through. Surprised, Herman listened as Dailey explained. \"You've been spotted,\" Herman mused. \"This Kayleigh is quite the find for Asher.\" Dailey was perplexed. \"How did she spot me? I was careful. Most people, especially women, don't pay that much attention to the cars behind them.\"noveldrama

"There's always a bigger fish,\" Herman replied thoughtfully. \"Let's not worry about Kayleigh for now. We have a situation with Devin. I've sent Nelson, and you need to go too. By morning, I want Devin out of the picture. If Devin's in trouble, Julie won't stay calm.\" "Got it, boss. I'm on it,\" Dailey said before hanging up.

Meanwhile, Anastasia was downstairs chatting with Pattie's new tutor, Liana. \"Pattie's a quick learner,\" Liana noted, \"though she was hesitant at first. She's really interested in Western herbal medicine.\"

Anastasia thanked Liana, reflecting on Pattie's past interest in Eastern medicine and her studies under a mentor. Now, with Pattie's condition, a medical career seemed out of reach. The thought of Gianna ruining Pattie's future filled Anastasia with anger. \"If Pattie's passionate, she should keep learning. It's always valuable,\" Liana encouraged.

Anastasia considered discussing with James whether to continue Pattie's education in this area.

After Liana left, Anastasia went to check on Pattie. She found Herman with her, engaged in drawing. Not wanting to interrupt, Anastasia went to see Salma and overheard her talking to Tavon about the company.

Anastasia signaled Salma to hand over the phone and addressed Tavon directly, \"If you're determined to reclaim your CEO position, who's most opposed? And who doesn't care at all?\"