The Bond Between Us novel Chapter 509

Hank was growing increasingly anxious about his brother Flynn's tendency to blab, fearing he'd let something slip to the folks over at Salstrom Hall.

Feiman Salstrom was preoccupied with orchestrating the grand wedding of his son, Joey, to Julie—a match that had the whole town buzzing.

"Why all the secrecy, Hank?" Flynn mused as they lounged in their shared bachelor pad. "Dad's practically rolling out the red carpet for Julie. After all, she's carrying a Salstrom, isn't she?"

Flynn suddenly paused, eyes widening with realization. "Of course, the baby's a Salstrom! Dad's head will explode once he figures it out. Is it more about preserving the Salstrom lineage or avenging Grandma's death?"

"Julie won't be walking through those doors as long as Joey has anything to say about it. He's no pushover. He won't let the Browns get the upper hand," Hank said. He'd pieced together Joey's intentions from his stalling the wedding and his nights out on the town. Joey was no fool.

The Browns thought they could use Joey as a stepping stone, but they had sorely misjudged their mark.

Flynn pondered aloud, "Hank, what's Joey playing at? If he doesn't want to marry, why doesn't he just refuse? And it's not like he's itching to be the prodigal son returning home. He and Dad are practically at a standoff."

Hank sighed heavily. "He's feeling cornered and discontent. I've done my digging—Joey's birth mother, Tina, was Dad's secretary. She fell into a depression and took her own life. Joey's got a bone to pick with Dad, and it extends to the whole Salstrom clan. But at the same time, he can't escape the fact that he's got Salstrom blood. It's a constant battle for him, being the black sheep for all these years. He's got a chip on his shoulder."

"Guy's a real trip, always butting heads with you, Hank, and never winning," Flynn scoffed. "I can't fathom what Dad was thinking back then, betraying Mom like that. She's been giving him the cold shoulder for months over his insistence on acknowledging Joey."

Katelyn Salstrom couldn't stop Feiman from recognizing Joey, nor did she try. But she had since given her husband the silent treatment, sleeping in separate rooms under the same roof, as if they were strangers.

Hank's brow furrowed in thought. "I need to step out for a bit."

Flynn called after him, "Hank, if it really was Julie who took out Grandma, would you still bring Anastasia back into the fold?"