Here is the text from the image, cleaned and formatted:
Anastasia hadn''t seen Herman this sharp in ages.
When was thest time he''d put someone in their ce like that? Oh, right—it
must''ve been when her hopeless ex, Cason Kirkwood, managed to get on
Herman''s bad side. Cason was still behind bars, and honestly, he''d probably be
there for a few more years.
After Cason got locked up, Demi—the girl who used topete with Anastasia for
his attention—vanished without a trace. Monica mentioned that Demi had
probably gone overseas. As Monica put it, "With Cason in jail, if Demi didn''t take
off fast, she''d be in there with him soon enough. No point crossing you, Ana."
"You all chat. I need to finish the soup," Anastasia said, leaving the brothers to
their conversation.
Pattie jumped up. "Mom, let me help!"
Anastasia''s smile was full of warmth. "No need, sweetheart. Go y with your
siblings. Or, if you''re bored, go to theb and remind your mentor to eat—he''s
been in there so long he might actually turn into a mushroom."
Sometimes Anastasia wished Pattie weren''t quite so grown-up. It was sweet, but it
made her heart ache a little.
Pattie grinned. "I''ll go get him!"
With Pattie off to theb, Herman handed the kids over to Flynn without a second
thought and rolled up his sleeves to join Anastasia in the kitchen.
She arched an eyebrow. "What are you doing in here?"
"Helping out. Back at Harmony Meadows, wasn''t I always the one carrying the
dishes?" Herman said, cool as ever.
Anastasia felt her eyes go warm. "You remember?"
He gave her a gentle smile. "Bits and pieces. I''ll take these out first."
"...Okay." Anastasia''s heart soared.
If he was starting to remember, that was definitely a good sign.
Herman carried the dishes out, and Anastasia went back to her soup, the kitchen
filling with theforting smell of home cooking. For a moment, it felt just like the
old days at Harmony Meadows—everything so perfect.
It wasn''t long before Herman wandered back in, leaning against the counter. "That
stock you bought dropped again?"
Anastasia had been dabbling in the stock market, mostly following Monica''s lead.
The Salstroms weren''t exactly hurting for money, so losses didn''t really matter,
but Anastasia still yed it safe. For her, it was just something to pass the time.
"It was upst week," she said with a sigh. "Now it''s down again. I lost fifteen
grand."
In their world, a hundred grand was like buying a round of bubble tea—no big
deal. But Anastasia still felt the sting; she''d grown up watching every penny.
Herman teased, "Last time you said that stock was a sure bet, said it had staying
power. I think your husband''s got it beat in that department."
Anastasia caught his meaning instantly and burst outughing. "Who brags about
themselves like that?"
This guy, honestly. So confident about everything—even that.
He reached out, brushing a stray hair from her forehead. The move was gentle,
but his look sent her heart racing.
He raised an eyebrow. "So—are you satisfied?"
Her cheeks flushed pink. "Very. Now go watch the kids. After dinner, I need your
help with something."
She''d decided to finally figure out what was on that chip. If she couldn''t crack it,
Herman definitely could.
Dinner tonight was simple and light; the housekeepers had the day off, so it was
just them.
"Oh, by the way," Herman said, "there''s a jewelry brand g this weekend. Want
toe with me?"
"One of those parties with all the celebrities and socialites?" Anastasia asked,
grinning. "Is this a sales event?"
Real luxury jewelry brands always
brought in A-listers for their gs. At
these events, the stars would wear
the brand''stest pieces and mingle
with the rich and famous. If a
socialite bought something, the
celebrity got a nicemission.
No matter how big a star you were, in the world of big money, you were just
another essory.
Not long ago, a famous jewelry
brand threw a g in Beverly Hills.
Some heiress hit it off with a young
heartthrob and dropped half a
million on a ne—said it was
just like treating him to a fancy
coffee. Wild.
Anastasia used to count every dor before buying atte. Now, seeing how the
wealthy did things, she was honestly speechless.
Herman nodded. "There''ll be a lot of big names. You love jewelry design—this''ll
be good for you."
"Alright, I''ll go with you," Anastasia agreed.
Being part of this world meant these kinds of events were unavoidable. As
Herman''s wife, she belonged at his side.
She''d been to plenty of high-society
gatherings, so she didn''t think much
of it. What she didn''t realize was that
this particr g would bring her
one step closer to a nightmare she''d
never seening.