The Bond Between Us novel Chapter 601

When the factory in Detroit caught fire, Herman Salstrom had been quietly unraveling the mystery of who was behind it all. Recently, he managed to trace it back to an old grudge with Asher. Years back, they both competed for a piece of land. Herman snagged it at a bargain, leaving Asher with a hefty financial blow. Not one to let things slide, Asher tried to ambush Herman on the auction night, but Herman turned the tables, escaping unscathed and leaving Asher with a scar to remember him by.

Since then, Asher disappeared from the business scene, fading from Herman's memory. Holding Anastasia Jewell's hand, Herman reassured her, "I'll deal with this. You don't need to worry." Anastasia wanted to share his burdens, even if she couldn’t do much.

In that moment, she saw through Herman's polished exterior to the immense pressure he faced. "With great power comes great responsibility," she thought, considering the thousands of employees at Elysian Technologies whose futures hinged on Herman's decisions. Squeezing his hand, she said, "Let's go back and rest. Everything will work out in time."

Seeing how worn out he was, Anastasia decided not to mention her pregnancy just yet, thinking it could wait for a better moment. The next morning, Herman was out the door at dawn. With Flynn Salstrom in trouble, Feiman Salstrom and Katelyn Salstrom were too worried to visit Southridge Estates.

Tavon Morton had returned to Willowbrook, leaving Anastasia, her mother Salma Jewell, and the housekeeper as the main occupants. Although Tavon hadn’t divorced Ashley Stanton, he was reluctant to hand over the company reins to his son, feeling he still had plenty of years left to contribute.

Anastasia told him about her suspicion that his stroke was due to poisoning, prompting Tavon to investigate further upon his return. After resting at home for a couple of days due to her health, Anastasia hadn't ventured out to look for Pattie. The police, swamped with cases, hadn’t made headway on Pattie's disappearance without new leads.

As the days went by, Herman's early starts and late returns became routine, especially as a plot against Flynn threatened to expose his bribery, making headlines and causing Elysian Technologies’ stocks to take a hit. The bigger the company, the more scrutinized every decision became. Feeling overwhelmed, Herman found comfort in Anastasia’s care, often forgetting to eat if she didn’t remind him.

With Flynn under investigation and Katelyn worried, Salma revealed Anastasia’s pregnancy to cheer her up, inadvertently letting the news slip to Herman too. Upon hearing it, he rushed home from a meeting to find Anastasia engrossed in Pattie's case, unaware of Salma’s slip-up.

Bursting into the room, breathless with excitement, Herman couldn’t hide his joy about becoming a father again, urging Anastasia to focus on her health and their unborn child. Yet, in his happiness, Anastasia couldn’t help but worry about how this might impact the investigation into Pattie's disappearance, fearing it might take a backseat with the arrival of new family matters.