The Bond Between Us (Anastasia and Herman)

Cynthia's heart was pounding so hard, she could hardly breathe.

If Gianna was behind this, they were in serious trouble.

Gianna, staring at a Peppa Pig plush toy in the corner, flashed a creepy smile. "Yeah, I did it."

"Where is she?" Cynthia's grip tightened on Gianna's arm. "What did you do with the child? Gianna, this isn't a joke."

Cynthia was known for her sharp tongue but would never cross into criminal acts.

Playing with a hair clip, Gianna said, "She can't have it all-get a man and keep her daughter. Mom, do you think Anastasia's losing it over Pattie being missing? Is she worried sick?" "The police have been called," Cynthia said, her voice shaking with fear. "Gianna, how could you do this? Tell me where the child is. We need to return her before the police get here." "We're not giving her back," Gianna whispered, a secretive tone in her voice.

"Why not?" Cynthia then noticed the blood on Gianna's clothes. The thought that Pattie might be hurt made Cynthia's face go pale, and her voice trembled, "Did you... hurt the child?" Gianna had been unstable since her disfigurement, and Cynthia feared what extreme actions she might take.

Gianna stayed silent, giving no hint about Pattie's fate.

Cynthia knew she couldn't let Gianna out of her sight. She locked the door, praying the police wouldn't come knocking.

Five hours after Pattie disappeared, Anastasia was on the brink of panic.

A living, breathing child had vanished without a trace, and no one could make sense of it.

Anastasia, racked with guilt, lamented, "I should never have let Pattie go out alone. I should've had her wait for me. Where could she possibly be? What if something terrible has happened?" She had already lost a son; the thought of losing her daughter was unbearable.

Herman tried to console her, "Don't scare yourself. We'll find her soon, and there's no evidence to suggest foul play yet."

Anastasia's head pounded with anxiety. "Where could Pattie be? Have you checked the hotel's security footage?"

Flynn responded, "We've reviewed it all, Anastasia. Pattie was last seen on camera heading towards the lounge, an area without surveillance. We have no idea how she disappeared from there." The hotel wasn't fully covered by cameras; key areas lacked surveillance.

The corridor where Pattie went missing was one such blind spot.

Since there was no footage of Pattie leaving the building, it was possible she was still in the hotel. But that was the most baffling part. Despite the police and Herman turning the place upside down, there was no sign of her. As time ticked away, the silence on Pattie's whereabouts only fueled Anastasia's panic.

The mystery of Pattie's disappearance led Julie to suspect Rowan. Back at the villa, she probed, "Did you have anything to do with Anastasia's child going missing?"

"Missing child?" Rowan furrowed his brow.

"It wasn't you?" Julie's confusion grew. "Then who else hates Anastasia enough to snatch her kid?"

Regardless, Anastasia's pain was Julie's pleasure.

With venom, Julie declared, "I hope that brat never comes back. Better yet, if she's dead. It's poetic justice. Anastasia's daughter goes missing right after her big wedding. Karma."

Rowan inquired, "You weren't spotted at the wedding, were you? Or did the Salstroms get suspicious?"

"Don't worry," Julie scoffed. "I barely recognize myself in the mirror these days. How could anyone else?"