The Bond Between Us (Anastasia and Herman) novel Chapter 724

Herman had been off on a business trip for a few days, and it seemed like he was busier than ever. The calls and texts from him had noticeably slowed down. Anastasia tried calling him, but there was no answer. Over the past couple of days, she couldn't shake off a feeling of unease, like a storm was brewing that she couldn't quite pinpoint. Since Herman wasn’t picking up, she figured he was swamped with work and decided to check on her daughter Pattie’s schoolwork instead.

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Meanwhile, Monica left Anastasia’s place and headed back to her beauty salon. As soon as she walked in, the receptionist said, "Monica, there's a lady waiting for you in the lounge upstairs."

"A lady?" Monica asked, puzzled. "Is it my mom trying to set me up again?"

The receptionist shook her head. "No, it’s not her."

"Alright, I’ll go see who it is," Monica replied, heading up to the lounge. Inside, she found Ashley and Clarissa sitting comfortably. Monica had never met them before and greeted them with a polite but curious smile. "Hi, I’m Monica, the owner of this salon. How can I help you?"

Clarissa turned around, her face lighting up. She stood up with a warm smile. "You must be Monica! I’ve seen your pictures on my son Jason’s Facebook. I’m his mom, Clarissa."

Clarissa had done her homework, thanks to Hank from the precinct. She knew about Monica’s salon and decided to drop by for a chat. Before Monica arrived, Clarissa had already taken a good look at the salon’s history and was impressed. She admired Monica for running such a successful business at a young age, thinking that Monica was quite the catch—certainly a better match for Jason than Alisa.

Hearing she was Jason’s mother, Monica was taken aback but quickly composed herself, warmly welcoming Clarissa. "Oh, I'm so sorry to have kept you waiting! Let me get you a fresh cup of coffee." With that, Monica signaled to her staff to bring Clarissa a new cup of coffee and some fresh fruit. She specifically asked, "Bring the freshest imported fruits we have."

Monica’s hospitality made Clarissa even more pleased. She could tell that Monica still had feelings for Jason; otherwise, why would she be so welcoming? Once the coffee and fruit arrived, Monica eagerly continued, "Please, have a seat. Do you often get spa treatments? Your skin looks amazing! Feel free to come by anytime for free treatments. We’d love to have you as often as you like."

Clarissa was all smiles. "That sounds wonderful, thank you, Monica. I’ve been wanting to meet you for a while now. Jason mentioned he wanted to bring you home over Christmas so we could meet you. We were really looking forward to it."

Monica felt a twinge of awkwardness. "Well, Mrs. Ledford, Jason and I have broken up."