The Bond Between Us (Anastasia and Herman)

Sandy had a long day. Exhausted, she found herself just staring at Herman until, without realizing it, she drifted off to sleep.

Meanwhile, Anastasia couldn't catch a wink of sleep. Katelyn and the Salstroms were all on edge, each one praying hard that Herman would be alright.

At the crack of dawn, as the rain finally stopped, Anastasia, Flynn, and Christen rushed back to the landslide site.

The rescue teams were back in action, with more volunteers and local authorities joining in.

It took about six hours to clear the road and the tunnel, finally rescuing those trapped inside.

Sadly, only two made it out alive. The others had already succumbed to their injuries by the time they were found.

It had been too long an entire day and night under such dire conditions. Survival was a miracle few could achieve.

Many were unrecognizable, crushed by the rocks. In the end, the toll was heartbreaking: eighty-six dead, twenty seriously injured, a dozen with minor injuries, and eight missing.

The scale of the tragedy caused an uproar online, prompting many to travel from far and wide to pay their respects.

By the afternoon, the disaster site was covered in flowers, left by mourners-some brought personally, others ordered online by those who couldn't make the trip.

Among the bodies and those hospitalized, Herman was nowhere to be found. He was listed among the missing.

When Mr. Culliver from Sunshine Factory heard about Herman's disappearance, he personally visited the hotel to comfort the Salstrom family.

Katelyn's eyes were swollen from crying, while Anastasia sat silently, tears streaming down her red-rimmed eyes.

Feiman and Flynn were wrapped up in their own grief.

News of Herman's presumed fate spread online, causing chaos within the company. Yet, the Salstroms were too consumed by their own sorrow to care about the corporate fallout.

As a public figure, Herman's accident drew intense media attention, turning it into a widely covered story.

Seeing the news, Monica quickly called Anastasia to comfort her. "Ana, are you okay? Please, don't be too upset..."

Anastasia could barely speak, her voice choked with emotion. She regretted not going with Herman to Springfield. Even faced with disaster, she wished she could have been with him.

Far away, in a place few dared to venture, Asher and Rowan watched the news in disbelief.

Asher was furious, leaning over the table, fists clenched. "Herman's dead? How could he die?"

He hadn't even had the chance to face off against Herman properly. How could it end like this?

Rowan, too, felt a stirring of emotions, his thoughts instinctively turning to Anastasia. With Herman gone, what about her?

"Boss, maybe I should head back and check things out," Rowan suggested. "The Salstrom family is in chaos right now, too distracted to pose any threat."

"Yes, go now," Asher replied, his expression twisted with anger. "I want to know if Herman is truly dead."

"Alright."

Rowan set off immediately, making his way toward Springfield.

Back in Riverdale, Cynthia had spiraled deeper into her own madness after Gianna's passing in prison. She cursed Herman and Anastasia with a frenzied intensity.

Cynthia had taken things to the extreme, even adopting superstitions-like keeping a Thai amulet at home, which she worshipped and performed rituals for, descending into a near-maniacal state.

Her home was a chaotic mess, filled with a foreboding atmosphere that made even Colton hesitant to enter the bedroom.

The news of Herman's accident brought Cynthia a twisted sense of joy, almost pushing her into a fit of hysteria. "Gianna's father, I did it! Look, Herman's dead. I cursed him to death!"

Colton had seen the news too. Considering Cynthia's recent behavior, a chill ran down his spine. "Could that amulet actually be working? What if the police find out? Could we get in trouble?" Colton wasn't superstitious, but this was too coincidental to ignore.

Cynthia waved off his concerns. "The police can't pin anything on us. Herman's accident happened in Springfield, and we're here in Riverdale. How could they connect it to me? I need to tell Gianna the good news."

She retreated to her room, speaking to the urn on the table as if Gianna could hear her. "Gianna, Herman's dead. He's gone to be with you. Are you happy now? Just wait, I'll send Anastasia to join you soon-no, wait, I can't do that. What if she steals Herman away from you again..."

She rambled on for quite some time, her voice echoing through the house. Colton stood at the door, a growing unease creeping over him.