Bending down, Anastasia picked up the small bottle and examined it. It had nobels or markings. "Katie," she asked, "what is this?"


    Katie fumbled for words, "They''re vitamin supplements. My doctor said I was deficient, so I''ve been taking them."


    Anastasia didn''t press further. Handing the bottle back to Katie, she smiled, "Take good care of yourself and get plenty of rest. By the way, do you need help applying that ointment? I worry it might be tricky for you." "No need, I''ll do it at home," Katie replied hastily, taking the bottle and heading towards the kitchen. "You should rest too, ma''am. Pregnancy isn''t easy." Anastasia sensed something was off, but if Katie didn''t want to share, it wasn''t her ce to pry.


    Later that afternoon, when Salma picked up Pattie from school, Anastasia pulled her aside for a private chat. That''s when she learned about Katie''s injuries.


    "I heard Katie on the phone this morning," Salma whispered. "She was talking to her daughter. Katie''s been dealing with domestic violence for a long time." Confused, Anastasia asked, "Why doesn''t Katie just leave him?"


    Salma shook her head. "Divorce isn''t that simple, especially with an abusive partner. They can be so unreasonable and clingy, making life a living hell. Look at Gianna. If she hadn''t ended up paralyzed, she''d still be suffering." In rtionships, women often find themselves at a disadvantage.


    "There are some marriages you can''t escape from and can''t fix," Salma continued, her voice tinged with the wisdom of experience. "Men are the most practical beings. They''re experts at weighing the pros and cons."


    Anastasia looked at her mother, relieved to see her clear-headed and realistic. Women need to be able to let go when necessary. Her biggest fear was that her mother would be swayed by Tavon again. Taking Anastasia''s hand, Salma sighed, "You stood up for me and reimed the dignity we lost over the years."


    Using the name Herman Thomas Stanton, Tavon''s business was thriving. Anastasia''s refusal to acknowledge him didn''t affect hismercial sess. After all, Herman couldn''t just issue a statement disowning Thomas.


    As long as Tavon didn''t cross any lines or tarnish the Salstrom family''s reputation, Herman was willing to turn a blind eye. Tavon was clever enough to leverage this rtionship to his advantage, without stepping on Herman''s toes.


    Tavon''s main goal was to grow thepany, and he wasn''t foolish enough to do anything that would upset Herman.


    To cate Salma and secure Anastasia, Tavon had indeed transferred some of hispany''s stocks to Anastasia. He had also issued a statement dering her as thepany''s sessor.


    Now, Tavon was just waiting for Anastasia to have her baby, after which he nned to bring her into thepany and start preparing her for leadership.


    Curious about her mother''s ns, Anastasia asked, "Mom, what would you do if he actually divorces her?"


    Her mother''s response was simple, "What''s past is past." Salma didn''t have any expectations from Tavon, nor did she pin her hopes on him. The more hope you have, the greater the disappointment.


    While the mother-daughter duo was chatting, Nelson rushed in, greeted Anastasia with a quick "Ma''am," and hurried upstairs.


    His urgency made Anastasia uneasy. Despite her advanced pregnancy, she followed him upstairs and overheard Nelson reporting to Herman, "Mr. Salstrom, we found out the factory fire was arson. Two-thirds of the inventory was destroyed, and we only have three days left to meet the delivery deadline. We can''t possibly put together enough goods in time. The fire resulted in five deaths and thirteen injuries. We''ve managed to keep this out of the news for now. I''ve booked you on the 8 PM flight tonight..."