The Bond Between Us (Anastasia and Herman)

Pattie had vanished into thin air.

Salma and Monica had turned the place upside down looking for her, confirming the unnerving truth: something had happened to Pattie.

Herman had been busy playing the perfect host to the guests and hadn't caught a glimpse of Pattie.

When he learned she was missing, Herman immediately sent people to search for her and personally checked the hotel entrance to see if she might have wandered off. Pattie was always sensible and wouldn't just run off, especially not now. To avoid worrying Anastasia, Herman decided to keep the news from her until they had more information.

He had the security team scour the building and review the surveillance tapes, but there was no sign of Pattie leaving the premises. She was still somewhere within the hotel, but no one could find her.

When Katelyn heard Pattie was missing, she said, "Herman, you take care of the guests. I'll organize a search team. Pattie's probably just found a quiet spot to play."

Herman and Anastasia were the stars of the wedding banquet, and their absence would certainly set tongues wagging. Only Herman could keep Anastasia calm. "Okay, Mom. Let me know the moment you find Pattie."

"Don't worry, I'm on it." Katelyn coordinated a team to comb every corner of the hotel.

As time dragged on, Salma grew more frantic, at a loss for what to do.

"It's not like Pattie got snatched by some child trafficker, right?"

"Don't scare yourself," Tavon reassured her. "Everyone here is a high-profile guest. Traffickers couldn't possibly infiltrate this."

Monica chimed in, "It's highly unlikely traffickers would dare to snatch someone here. They're not about to risk their necks for cash. I'll get Jason on it."

Jason was a cop. With a missing child on his watch, he had to step in.

Everyone was discreetly searching for Pattie, careful not to alarm Anastasia.

But the truth has a way of surfacing. Cynthia sensed something was amiss, and after a toast with Anastasia, she sidled up to her and said, "Ana, Pattie's missing. Your mom and I have been looking everywhere. She might've been taken by traffickers." "What?" Anastasia panicked. "What do you mean she's not found?"

She couldn't care less about the reception and rushed to Herman, "Is Pattie lost?"

With Anastasia in the know, Herman couldn't keep it under wraps any longer. "Everyone's looking for her. Maybe she found a quiet spot and fell asleep. Don't panic."

"Pattie wouldn't be so careless. Something must have happened."

Anastasia remembered the last time she saw Pattie, "Before the wedding started, Pattie came to the resting room to see me. Has anyone seen her since?" An hour had passed since then.

Anastasia couldn't focus on the ceremony any longer; she joined the search for Pattie.

The building was turned inside out, but Pattie remained elusive.

Whispers of Pattie's disappearance spread amongst the guests, fueling speculation and concern.

Cynthia watched as Salma and her group desperately searched for Pattie, while she casually sat back, cracking sunflower seeds.

Two hours into Pattie's disappearance, Anastasia, gripped by urgency, called the police.

The investigation by the authorities took a serious turn, initially labeling Pattie's case as a missing child, but not ruling out abduction or foul play.

After the police took statements and searched the hotel, there was still no sign of Pattie.

The second half of the wedding reception was a blur for Anastasia and Herman, while Feiman and Katelyn stepped in to attend to the guests.

Cynthia left the luncheon early, grinning from ear to ear as she entered Gianna's room, "Gianna, you wouldn't believe it. It's like divine justice. Anastasia's daughter is gone, vanished during the wedding. Everyone's out of their minds looking for her." Her smile faded as she caught sight of the hairpin in Gianna's hand.

"Gianna, where did you get that hairpin?" Cynthia recognized it as the very hairpin Pattie had worn that day.

Gianna looked vacantly at the hairpin, a chilling smile creeping across her face, "Mom, does it look familiar? I took it from that child. I thought it was pretty."

Cynthia's heart skipped a beat, a surge of fear washing over her, "Did you leave the house today? Were you at the wedding? Did you take Pattie?"