The Bond Between Us (Anastasia and Herman) novel Chapter 959

The Salstrom family was throwing a lavish birthday party for their eldest daughter, and the guest list was a who’s who of the city’s upper crust—CEOs, politicians, socialites, and even a few celebrities. The ballroom glittered with crystal and gold, champagne flowed freely, and waiters glided by with trays of bite-sized hors d’oeuvres.

Not long ago, the gossip columns had exploded with news of a scandalous photo leak, but tonight, not a soul dared to bring it up. Except for Autumn—she wasn’t about to let the Salstroms have a perfect night. She’d called in a tech genius, a hacker ready to crash the party in the most dramatic way: by swapping the innocent slideshow on the giant screen with those notorious photos of Anastasia, right in front of the entire crowd.

Autumn grinned at the thought of the chaos—the stunned silence, the whispers, the looks on Herman and Anastasia’s faces. After giving her final instructions to the hacker, she slipped back into the party, her face the picture of innocence.

On stage, it was time for Pattie’s piano solo. Pattie looked every bit the fairytale princess, poised at the grand piano in her pale blue dress. As her fingers danced over the keys, the room fell utterly silent; the melody was enchanting, pulling everyone into her world.

From the audience, Herman and Anastasia exchanged a proud glance. Herman squeezed Anastasia’s hand, their fingers intertwined. Their daughter was the brightest star in the room, and anyone could see the hours of practice and her natural talent shining through.

Justin watched Pattie intently, lost in the music. He could hear Pattie’s determination in every note—her perseverance, her courage, her refusal to give in, and her longing just to speak freely. Pattie had fought her way out of the shadows, climbing higher no matter how rough things got, always holding onto hope.

She loved her parents, her siblings—she loved this family. Growing up, she’d ached for a real home, and now she cherished every moment with them.

As the final notes faded, the audience sat in hushed awe before erupting into applause. Pattie rose and gave a graceful bow. Herman was first to his feet, clapping for his daughter, and soon the whole room followed.

Pattie’s smile was radiant—she hadn’t let her parents down.

“Ana, Pattie’s incredible,” Monica gushed, eyes shining with pride. “I can’t even play ‘Chopsticks’ and there she is, playing something I can’t even pronounce. Honestly, she just reminds me how hopeless I am at music!”

Then it was time for Anastasia and Herman to join Pattie on stage. Hand in hand, they stood on either side of their daughter.

Herman took the mic and looked out over the room. “Thank you all for coming tonight to celebrate our daughter’s birthday. Pattie’s been through a lot, and her mother and I have always felt a deep sense of regret for not being there for her from the very beginning. I wasn’t there when she was born, and both she and Anastasia suffered for it. Later, fate separated us even further, and Pattie spent time in foster care…”

He paused, voice thick with emotion, careful not to reveal too much in front of the guests. Some stories were better left untold. “Nine years ago, fate brought us together.”

He turned to Pattie, his eyes full of love. “Paradise is truly a blessing to us. Now, we’d love for you all to look at the screen and share in some of our favorite memories…”

As everyone turned their attention to the screen, no one had any idea of the storm that Autumn hoped was about to break.