The Bond Between Us (Anastasia and Herman)

The handkerchief caught Anastasia's eye immediately.

Before she could pick it up, Gianna swiftly snatched it and stuffed it into her purse, looking a bit uneasy. "What should we have for dinner?" "How about hotpot?" Anastasia gave Gianna a suspicious glance. "Since when did you start using handkerchiefs?"

She could swear she had seen that handkerchief before, at her own home, no less.

To be precise, she had seen it with Herman.

Herman had a thing for handkerchiefs, always custom-made from the finest fabrics, each embroidered with an "H" or sometimes an "S."

To dispel Anastasia's doubts, Gianna nonchalantly pulled the handkerchief out of her bag. "Oh, this? A new friend of mine gave it to me. She's into embroidery, you know. This little piece didn't come cheap, all handmade."

Seeing that Herman's usual mark was absent from the handkerchief, Anastasia felt a bit embarrassed. She was being overly sensitive, linking every odd thing about Gianna to Herman.

She was being a bit paranoid, perhaps.

"The fabric's so fine, it's obviously pricey." Anastasia pulled out her phone. "I'll send you the address for dinner, can you pull up the directions?"

"Sure thing." Gianna subtly slid the handkerchief back into her purse. This wasn't the one Herman had given her, but she had another one from him hidden inside.

Gianna was worried Anastasia had seen it.

Her friend had probed twice today; suspicions were obviously brewing.

Gianna felt a flutter of panic but kept a cool exterior as she drove to their dining destination.

...

At the cemetery.

Grannie Anita was being laid to rest, and a good crowd had come to pay their respects.

Herman, dressed in black, was there to bid Grannie Anita farewell.

The weather was damp and drizzly, adding to the somber mood.

After Herman's dramatic display at the wake, Grannie Anita's maternal family and the other branches of the Salstroms had seen Herman's ruthlessness. Today, they were all cautious, not daring to give Herman any grief or blame. Once the service was over, the crowd thinned until only the Feimans remained.

Then, Joseph approached under a black umbrella, dressed in simple garb, his steps echoing on the cobblestones.

Joseph's arrival didn't please Flynn, who scowled. "What are you doing here?"

Joseph glanced at the tombstone and the Feimans before responding to Flynn. "I'm here to see my grandmother off on her final journey."

Feiman, eager to avoid a scene, quickly interjected. "Flynn, Herman, I asked him to come. Your grandmother always worried about Joseph reclaiming his roots. I invited him so she could rest in peace, without regrets."

Katelyn's expression soured at Feiman's words. He was clearly planning to resolve Grannie Anita's unfinished business.

Using Grannie Anita's name as a pretext, Feiman seemed intent on integrating Joseph back into the family fold. Flynn was incredulous. "Dad..."

Feiman cut him off. "There's another matter I need to announce. Joseph is to marry the Lindberg heiress, Julie. Julie is carrying the Salstrom bloodline. This is good news for our family. If your grandmother were still here, she'd be overjoyed, as she had hoped to settle Joseph and Julie's union." Herman, expressionless throughout, bowed thrice to Grannie Anita's grave and then left without a word or a glance at Joseph.

His stance was clear.

Dailey, holding an umbrella, hurried after him. "Boss, you're still not fully healed. Take it easy." Reaching the parking lot, Herman got into his car and commanded, "Back to Southridge Estates."

"Aren't you going back to the hospital?" Dailey asked with concern. "Your wounds..."

"I won't die." Herman's face was stoic.

Ever since waking up, Herman had become even more intimidating. Dailey sometimes felt too apprehensive to even breathe too loudly.

Starting the car, Dailey drove toward Southridge Estates. Remembering an earlier investigation, he mentioned, "Boss, about that inquiry into Grannie Anita having someone follow Ms. Jewell... It's as you suspected. The guy was lying, and there was someone behind him..."

Herman didn't let Dailey finish. "It was Julie."

Dailey was shocked. "Boss, you knew all along?"