The Bond Between Us (Anastasia and Herman)

Monica could tell that Clarissa was speaking straight from the heart. What mother would want her son to marry someone like Alisa? Marrying her meant taking on the whole Brown family-a lot of unnecessary baggage.

"Mrs. Brown, Jason doesn't know you're here, does he?" Monica asked.

"No, he doesn't. I found you all on my own," Clarissa replied honestly. "I came to Riverdale to check on Jason. He's always been the type not to tell us when he's hurt. This time, even after being discharged from the hospital, he asked me to come. Do you know why?" "Why?" Monica asked.

"To avoid Alisa," Clarissa stated bluntly. "Alisa took another thousand dollars from Jason today. Over the years, she's probably taken tens of thousands. Honestly, if Alisa's husband hadn't taken that bullet, Jason wouldn't be in this mess. Jason was wearing a bulletproof vest; I knew Alisa's husband-he was a weak man. I find it hard to believe he took a bullet for Jason without something suspicious going on."

Clarissa only shared these thoughts with Monica. If Jason heard, he'd be outraged. After all, Alisa's husband died taking that bullet. Listening to Clarissa, Monica felt a connection with Jason. He'd been swindled by Alisa, much like she had been deceived by men before. Clarissa spent some time chatting with Monica, offering advice and hoping they could patch things up.

As Clarissa was leaving, she invited Monica, "Why not come to the countryside with Jason for Christmas?" Monica hesitated; accepting would change everything. She smiled and said, "I'll come if I have the time."

And whether she had the time was entirely up to her.

After spending some time with Monica, Clarissa thought she was wonderful. If her son married Monica, it would be such a blessing.

Monica gifted Clarissa some top-notch skincare products from her store. When Clarissa returned home with her bags full, Jason immediately recognized where they came from.

"Mom, did you go see Monica?" Jason asked, feeling a bit anxious.

"Yes, I did," Clarissa said, heading to the kitchen to put on an apron and start dinner. "If I hadn't stepped in, you'd lose such a wonderful girl. Between Alisa, who's plain and divorced with a kid, and Monica, who's young, beautiful, and capable, I'd choose Monica as my daughter-in-law without a doubt."

Clarissa wasn't worried about being labeled materialistic. Marriage isn't charity; you don't marry someone just because you feel sorry for them.

Jason asked, "What did she say when you visited?"

"We had a lovely chat. Look, she even gave me all these gifts. I invited her to come to the countryside for Christmas. Whether you can bring her home is up to you now," Clarissa said. "I've paved the way. If you let Monica slip away because of Alisa, you'll have me to answer to."

Jason had no intention of letting Monica slip away.

"Doesn't she have someone she's seeing?" he asked.

"What seeing? I asked around at her shop. Monica's single," Clarissa assured him. "She was probably just bluffing. Girls have their pride, you know? Jason, you're decisive in your work, so why are you so clueless when it comes to love?" Jason: "..."

A mother's tough love.

Knowing Monica was single lifted Jason's spirits. He realized he'd been blind not to see through her act. Monica was just putting up a front; he shouldn't have taken her seriously.

Jason hurried to his room to call Monica.

Night fell. In Springfield, the temperature had suddenly plummeted, the cold biting.

Herman returned to the hotel late after a busy day. Nelson briefed him, "Mr. Salstrom, tomorrow we'll be visiting Mr. Culliver from Sunshine Factory to tour their plant. It's in a place called Three Pines Village, which has attracted several factories due to policy incentives. It'll take about an hour and a half to get there from here."

"Got it," Herman said, rubbing his temples. "It's been a long day. You should all get some rest."

Nelson and Dailey headed to their rooms to prepare for the next day.

Herman noticed a missed call from Anastasia and called her back.

Coincidentally, Sandy was staying in the room directly below Herman's. Sandy and Sean were also in town, hoping to sign contracts with several factories for their live-streaming sales.