Chapter 382
âHey, bro, whatâs up?â Flynn was just going back to the office to grab some stuff. Suddenly, Flynn felt a bit uneasy sensing Hermanâs serious demeanor.
Herman didnât answer, but walked directly towards his office, with Flynn quickly following behind.
Gianna was left standing there alone, and seeing this, Nelson said, âPlease, come with me to the lounge and wait a bit.â âThank you,â Gianna said with a smile, grateful for Nelsonâs words that helped ease her awkwardness.
Gianna followed him to the lounge. This was her first time visiting Elysian Technologies, and it was quite impressive.
After a long talk in the office with Herman, Flynn suddenly remembered, âHerman, Anastasiaâs cousin, Gianna, stopped by earlier to see you.â
âWhere is she?â Herman asked casually, as he didnât notice Gianna when Flynn arrived.
Flynn smirked, âDo you have eyes for any other woman besides your wife? Gianna was right in front of you.â
Herman responded calmly, âI didnât see her. What did she want?â
âShe seemed to want to thank you for something. If thereâs nothing else, Iâll head out,â said Flynn. âOh, and grandma has been asking about your wife. She called me today to ask how Anastasia is doing. You should take her to visit Salstrom Manor when you have time.â
âYou donât need to worry about that,â Herman replied seriously. âWe will move to Southridge Estates this weekend.â
Flynn sighed, âOkay then, Iâll be going.â
After Flynn left, Herman asked Nelson where Gianna was and found out she was waiting in the lounge.
Herman went to the lounge, and Gianna, who had been waiting for over an hour, quickly stood up when she saw him. âMr. Salstrom, I came to thank you for helping me last time. This is my thank you gift.â
Gianna handed over the gift, an expensive designer tie she had carefully chosen. When she was buying the tie, she imagined how handsome Herman would look wearing it.
âThank you,â Herman replied out of politeness, but didnât accept the gift. âIt was nothing. You are Anastasiaâs cousin, thereâs no need for formalities. Please take your gift back.â
Without Anastasiaâs request, he wouldnât have helped. To him, Gianna was just a stranger.
âMr. Salstrom, please accept it. Otherwise, I wonât feel right,â Gianna insisted. âItâs just a small token of appreciation.â
With Giannaâs persistence, Herman reluctantly accepted and said, âThank you.â
Gianna was overjoyed and said, âMr. Salstrom, Iâll be going now.â After giving Herman her gift, she didnât want to overstay her welcome.
âAlright,â Herman replied indifferently.
Gianna left. Herman looked at the stylishly packaged tie and frowned. Nelson, noticing the situation, said with a smile, âMr. Salstrom, if you donât like it, you can just give it to me. I could use a new tie.â
âTake it.â Herman casually tossed the tie to Nelson. Except for the ties bought by his wife, Herman would never wear a tie given by even a cousin.
Nelson caught the tie with both hands. âThank you, Mr. Salstrom.â This was a designer tie, worth thousands of dollars.
Nelson laughed. âMs. Anastasiaâs cousin is quite generous.â If it were not for the familial connection, he would have mistaken Giannaâs gesture for a romantic interest in Mr. Salstrom.
Herman patted Nelsonâs chest. âLetâs go.â He had a business dinner to attend that evening.
Herman tried to cancel all the events he could, but for those he couldnât, he had no choice but to go. He was eager to finish up and go home to spend time with his wife.
Whatever he did, he would report to Anastasia. Even for his business dinners, he would let her know who he was meeting and whether there were any women present.
Anastasia thought he was being overly worried, but he said, âThis is my way of providing you with a sense of security. I hear pregnant women tend to feel insecure.â
As she sat at Harmony Meadows, Anastasia looked at the messages Herman sent. Seeing the photos he took at the dinner and his detailed texts, her lips curled into a smile.
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08:22
Pattie asked, âMom, is that a message from Dad?â
Anastasia put away her phone. âYes, honey. Daddy has a dinner to attend and will be late. Now, why donât you go to sleep, and Iâll tell you a story.â
âOkay,â Pattie said, snuggling into Anastasiaâs arms with a sweet smile. âI love your stories, Mom.â
Anastasia smiled and began to tell Pattie a story, unaware that Layna had run away from home and was on her way to them, asking for directions along the way.
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