The Bond Between Us (Anastasia and Herman) novel Chapter 1091

Anastasia could never bring herself to admit—especially in front of her son—that those sounds she made were just the natural overflow of happiness.

And really, it wasn’t even crying.

It was just joy, pure and instinctive.

Afterwards, little Nancy snuggled up and asked sweetly, “Mommy, were you crying?”

“Mommy wasn’t crying,” Anastasia shot Herman a side-eye and quickly changed the subject. “Nancy, it’s late. Time to put away the phone and head to bed.”

Herman, feeling content, summoned his best dad-voice. “Nancy, that’s enough screen time. Hand the phone over.”

“Okay, Daddy.” Nancy obediently passed him the phone, then curled up in Anastasia’s arms and closed her eyes.

While Herman went to shower, Anastasia started telling their son a bedtime story. He was so focused, and every time she paused, he’d peek open his eyes and say, “Mommy, keep telling it!”

Anastasia just had to laugh—this little guy really didn’t want to sleep.

“Alright, alright, I’ll keep going,” she said, and continued the story.

Holding her warm, sweet son close, Anastasia was overwhelmed with happiness.

As long as he wasn’t getting into trouble, she just loved him to pieces.

But in this world, where there are happy people, there are always those less fortunate too.

The next morning, at the Stranz family estate—

Ever since Juliana’s miscarriage, she’d been a shadow of her former self: withdrawn, suspicious, always on edge.

If Scott ever came home late or spent too long on a business trip, she’d immediately start thinking the worst.

Her need to control everything was stifling. Even during the holidays, the house felt cold and joyless. Scott, pushed to his limit, had taken off on a business trip to Europe and wouldn’t be back until after the new year.

It wasn’t hard to see—Scott was avoiding her.

Justin had gone back to the port city. Layna kept up her perfect-daughter act around Juliana, but behind her back, she was as bossy and unruly as ever.

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