The Bond Between Us (Anastasia and Herman)

Hearing Anastasia's words, Feiman finally felt a wave of relief. After all, the

Salstrom family business was a gigantic empire, and trusting it to Anastasia, fresh out of high school, had made him uneasy.

Rumors had blown Anastasia's emotions out of proportion, painting her as someone who spent her days at home burning incense and making wild wishes. Meanwhile, Cynthia, who was supposedly doing something similar, attributed Anastasia's success to her own rituals.

Cynthia threw herself even more into her rituals, hoping to bring trouble to Anastasia and ensure she never found peace.

In the days that followed, Anastasia was incredibly busy. Making an example wasn't enough; she had so much to learn. Every day, she worked late into the night, and by the time she got home, Emmie and Nancy were already fast asleep.

Not wanting to wake them, she would quietly check on the kids before heading to her room to catch some rest, only to start all over again the next day with meetings and business dinners.

Anastasia managed to juggle both work and learning, earning herself the nickname "Iron Lady" in her industry.

To balance her responsibilities between the company and her kids, Anastasia sometimes ended up sleeping at the office. Other times, she would visit Southridge Estates to spend time with Pattie or return to Salstrom Manor to be with her little ones.

Henry came through as expected, securing Tristan's clients in just two weeks, which was a huge relief for Anastasia.

She was so swamped that even Monica found it hard to catch a glimpse of her.

One day, Monica was at the beauty salon, planning to visit Salma at Southridge Estates. Just as she reached her car, she spotted Jason.

She stopped, a smile spreading across her face. "Jason, fancy seeing you here!" Jason approached, saying, "I came here specifically to find you."

The message was clear-he wasn't just passing by.

Monica feigned ignorance, "What's up? Need help with a case?"

Jason paused before saying, "The cherry blossoms are blooming. Do you have a free weekend to go see them?"

Monica was taken aback. Was this a date invite?

Forcing a smile, she replied, "Jason, actually, that day I..." I'm busy.

Before she could finish, Jason cut in, "You're free that day. I checked. The salon

doesn't need you every day, and you have no other plans."

Monica was left speechless.

"Jason, I just don't think it's right. You and Alisa..."

"That night was a mistake. As a man, I know should own up, but I know how I feel. The person I have feelings for is you." Jason had been mulling over this for a long time, and for someone who took responsibility seriously, making such a decision was incredibly tough.

He knew what ditching Alisa might mean for his career-the backlash, the potential for being labeled as ungrateful.

But none of that was more important than wanting to be with Monica.

Jason said, "Monica, you know my past. If you're still willing to accept me, meet me at the cherry blossom hill's gazebo this weekend. I'll be waiting."

Jason knew this choice could cost him everything, but he was willing to risk it all for a chance with her.

He didn't want to live with regrets.

Finding someone you love is rare. Jason had seen Herman and Anastasia's love;

no matter the challenges, Herman always chose Anastasia.

Jason wasn't a coward; he wanted to fight for love too.noveldrama

With those words, Jason left, leaving Monica standing there, her mind in a whirlwind.

After leaving Monica, Jason headed back to the office.

As soon as he walked in, he saw Alisa waiting for him.

Seeing Alisa made him uneasy now. She had been clinging to him, subtly implying

he needed to take responsibility, and his bosses had already had two talks with him about it.

If he didn't sort out his personal issues, the upcoming promotion opportunity would likely vanish.

The Brown family knew about the situation and was using his career to pressure Jason into a decision.

Alisa was stressed too. Her credit

card was overdue, and she'd been borrowing from other loan platforms to cover the debts, digging herself deeper Debt collectors called Ker daily, demanding repaymentƆ

"Jason, you're back. It's Isla's birthday today, and I'm inviting you over for dinner," Alisa said with a smile. "This morning, when Isla was leaving for school, she insisted bring you. It's her birthday wish."

Jason replied with a blank face, "I'll come for dinner tonight, Alisa. But there's something I need to tell you. I'm planning to resign."

Alisa was taken aback. "Jason, why would you resign? You have a promotion coming up later this year. You've got a bright future, and so many people want your position. You can't just quit."