The Bond Between Us (Anastasia and Herman) novel Chapter 1180

Scott couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He stared at Tavon, searching his face for even the smallest sign of a lie.

But there was nothing.

Tavon’s face, lined with age and worry, was full of pain—his voice honest, his advice heavy with concern.

No father would ever speak badly about his own daughter unless it was the truth. Scott downed a glass of whiskey in one gulp, hoping to calm his nerves. “Why? Why would Sandy do something like that?”

Even in his thoughts, he realized he was calling her “Sandy” in a colder, more distant way. Something inside him had quietly changed.

The Sandy Tavon described sounded like a stranger. The girl he knew was gentle and kind, but Tavon’s Sandy was cold and unfeeling.

If anyone else had told him these things, Scott would’ve laughed it off. But this was Tavon.

Tavon went quiet for a moment, then gave a bitter, self-mocking laugh. “I wish I knew why Sandy did what she did. We’re her family—we raised her. If I hadn’t been lucky, I’d have died on Nabb Mount. But she’s my daughter. I could never truly turn my back on her. Still, I can’t just watch her marry into your family and bring disaster with her. That would haunt me forever.”

Tavon could already see what would happen if Sandy married into the Stranz family. Maybe it was guilt, but he really couldn’t bear to watch Scott walk straight into a trap.

Scott’s mind was reeling. He kept refilling his glass, one drink after another.

Tavon looked back, his voice softer now. “I don’t even know when Sandy changed. She was such a sweet kid when she was little. She was sick a lot, in and out of hospitals. Her mother and I were always busy with work, but we tried to spend as much time with her as we could. Her brother adored her—always gave her the best of everything. Sandy was so lovable… so kind…”

Tavon seemed lost in the memories, as if hoping to find where things went wrong—was she always like this, or did something change along the way?

Scott listened quietly. Through Tavon’s words, he saw a side of Sandy he’d never known.

Scott was no fool. He knew Herman didn’t approve of Sandy—otherwise, why go through all this trouble?

The old Scott had been full of passion, but after Aiden threw cold water on him, and now Tavon too, his enthusiasm had faded. With Herman’s doubts added in, his confidence took another hit.

Seeing Scott’s mood sink, Herman poured him another glass. “Drink up. Wash all your worries down with it. Once you’re drunk, everything’ll make more sense.”

The business at hand was done, but the drinking continued.

Tavon, weighed down by his own regrets, kept pouring whiskey, looking for comfort in the bottom of the glass.