The Bond Between Us novel Chapter 477

When Herman walked in, a wave of disapproval hit him like a ton of bricks from Grannie Anita's side of the family.

"Herman, what’s the deal? Your gran passed under suspicious circumstances, and word is you're shielding the culprit. Poor Gran must be rolling in her grave."

"That's disgraceful, Herman. We're talking about your own grandmother. Today, you owe us all an explanation. The killer has to pay."

Some started putting on a show of grief, crying, "Oh, dear Anita, such a devoted woman, tirelessly slaving away for this family, only to meet such a cruel end. Herman, how can you stand by the murderer?"

The speaker was old man Fu's brother, and by the family tree, Herman was obliged to call him Uncle.

Confronted with the barrage of condemnation, Herman didn’t say a word. He sat down, expressionless, and listened to their tirade.

Seeing Herman stay mute, the elders played the authority card.

“Herman, speak up, will ya? Your wife offed Grannie Anita. An eye for an eye – it's as simple as that.”

“When you married that girl, I heard Anita had her reservations. Turns out she was spot on. That kind of woman has no place as the matriarch of the Salstroms.”

“If a spat leads to knives out, how can we ever feel safe speaking our minds?”

“This whole mess is tarnishing Elysian Technologies' name, Herman. As the head honcho, you've got to level with us here.”

As the elders piled on the pressure, even Flynn started sweating bullets for Herman. These folks were baying for Anastasia's blood to quell their anger.

Herman's gaze cut through the crowd, his tone icy as he asked, “Are we done here?”

The room fell silent under Herman's formidable presence. The temperature seemed to drop, and the atmosphere froze over.

Every eye turned to Feiman, signaling him to take a stand. After all, it was his mother who had died, and it was his duty to respond.

The thought of the late Grannie Anita filled Feiman with genuine sorrow. He slammed the table, fuming, “Herman, how dare you speak to your elders like that? Anastasia killed your gran, and that’s the ugly truth. If you’re still defending her, you’re no Salstrom. Remember your name, son. Don’t forget where you come from.”

Feiman, in his rage, was blind to the fact that he was being used as a pawn. He wanted Anastasia to pay for Anita’s death and for Herman to acknowledge his place.

Sensing the tension, Flynn quickly interjected, “Dad, cool it, will ya?”

Katelyn also chimed in, “Lay off him. No one wanted this to happen. Whatever punishment Anastasia deserves will be decided by the law, not by us kicking up a fuss.”

Feiman, still livid, shot back, “A soft mother breeds a useless child. You’re still defending him? Look at his attitude! Herman, you need to give us an answer today. Are you going to press charges against Anastasia?”

As Herman faced the music, his buddy Collin also started to worry. But Herman just smirked coldly and fixed Feiman with a piercing look, “I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again – nobody lays a finger on her. You all want an explanation? I’ll give you one.”

He signaled a man sitting nearby, a legal eagle from Elysian Technologies and his personal attorney. Herman’s voice was chilling, “Tim, hand out the documents, please.”

“Right away, Mr. Salstrom,” Tim distributed a set of papers to each person. They were looking at a mental health evaluation from a psychiatric hospital. According to the report, Anastasia had been diagnosed with a severe mental disorder, and everyone was shocked because they knew the evaluation wasn’t legit. This was Herman’s way of getting Anastasia off the hook by having the hospital issue a fake evaluation.

“Calm down, everyone,” Herman said, his voice cold as steel. “This is Anastasia’s psych evaluation. She’s been battling severe depression for years, and her doctor warned it could flare up again. Losing her child devastated her, and it triggered a relapse. Any action she took was out of her control.”

Feiman was livid as he read the report, “Herman, is this your idea of an explanation? How can you face Gran now? If you won’t press charges, I will.”