NovelEnglishChapter 438
Bending down, Anastasia picked up the small bottle and examined it. It had no labels or markings. "Katie," she
asked, "what is this?"
Katie fumbled for words, "They're vitamin supplements. My doctor said | was deficient, so I've been taking
them."
Anastasia didn't press further. Handing the bottle back to Katie, she smiled, "Take good care of yourself and get
plenty of rest. By the way, do you need help applying that ointment? | worry it might be tricky for you." "No
need, I'll do it at home," Katie replied hastily, taking the bottle and heading towards the kitchen. "You should rest
too, ma'am. Pregnancy isn't easy." Anastasia sensed something was off, but if Katie didn't want to share, it
wasn't her place to pry.
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Later that afternoon, when Salma picked up Pattie from school, Anastasia pulled her aside for a private chat.
That's when she learned about Katie's injuries.
"I heard Katie on the phone this morning," Salma whispered. "She was talking to her daughter. Katie's been
dealing with domestic violence for a long time." Confused, Anastasia asked, "Why doesn't Katie just leave him?"
Salma shook her head. "Divorce isn't that simple, especially with an abusive partner. They can be so
unreasonable and clingy, making life a living hell. Look at Gianna. If she hadn't ended up paralyzed, she'd still be
suffering." In relationships, women often find themselves at a disadvantage.
"There are smarriages you can't escape from and can't fix," Salma continued, her voice tinged with the
wisdom of experience. "Men are the most practical beings. They're experts at weighing the pros and cons."
Anastasia looked at her mother, relieved to see her clear-headed and realistic. Women need to be able to let go
when necessary. Her biggest fear was that her mother would be swayed by Tavon again. Taking Anastasia's
hand, Salma sighed, "You stood up forand reclaimed the dignity we lost over the years."
Using the nHerman Thomas Stanton, Tavon's business was thriving. Anastasia's refusal to acknowledge him
didn't affect his commercial success. After all, Herman couldn't just issue a statement disowning Thomas.
As long as Tavon didn't cross any lines or tarnish the Salstrom family's reputation, Herman was willing to turn a
blind eye. Tavon was clever enough to leverage this relationship to his advantage, without stepping on Herman's
toes.
Tavon's main goal was to grow the company, and he wasn't foolish enough to do anything that would upset
Herman.
To placate Salma and secure Anastasia, Tavon had indeed transferred sof his company's stocks to Anastasia.
He had also issued a statement declaring her as the company's successor.
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Now, Tavon was just waiting for Anastasia to have her baby, after which he planned to bring her into the
company and start preparing her for leadership.
Curious about her mother's plans, Anastasia asked, "Mom, what would you do if he actually divorces her?"
Her mother's response was simple, "What's past is past." Salma didn't have any expectations from Tavon, nor did
she pin her hopes on him. The more hope you have, the greater the disappointment.
While the mother-daughter duo was chatting, Nelson rushed in, greeted Anastasia with a quick "Ma'am," and
hurried upstairs.
His urgency made Anastasia uneasy. Despite her advanced pregnancy, she followed him upstairs and overheard
Nelson reporting to Herman, "Mr. Salstrom, we found out the factory fire was arson. Two-thirds of the inventory
was destroyed, and we only have three days left to meet the delivery deadline. We can't possibly put together
enough goods in time. The fire resulted in five deaths and thirteen injuries. We've managed to keep this out of
the news for now. I've booked you on the 8 PM flight tonight..."
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