The Bond Between Us (Anastasia and Herman)

Asher never really explained anything to Julie. His reason for keeping her around had nothing to do with helping her. In fact, he was using Julie as leverage. Devin owed Asher a big debt, and taking his daughter seemed like a fair trade to Asher. Asher had warned Julie to stay out of sight if she wanted to stay alive. After giving his warning, he left.

Asher was always cautious in his dealings. He never stayed with Julie longer than necessary. To him, she was just a pawn, a tool. He had no intention of getting himself tangled up in unnecessary trouble.

After Asher left, Julie lost whatever courage she might have had to pay her last respects to Devin.

Suddenly, Julie remembered she had befriended Anastasia online. If Herman ever found out she was Julie, then surely Anastasia would reach out.

But Anastasia hadn't sent any messages, which meant she was still in the dark about Julie's true identity.

Deciding to continue using her alias 'Leonora', Julie planned to get closer to Anastasia. Without Asher's help, she was on her own.

She knew better than to approach Anastasia directly as it would raise suspicion. Instead, Julie pondered how she could engineer a 'chance' meeting to better infiltrate Anastasia's circle. Meanwhile, news of Devin's passing was spread, and the funeral arrangements began that afternoon. Herman had his people mixed in among the mourners, waiting for Julie to take the bait.

Of course, Devin wasn't dead. The announcement of his death was a ruse to lure Julie out.

Herman had moved Devin to a different location and kept him under surveillance.

Three days passed, and 'Devin' was buried, but Julie didn't show.

Herman had his people watch the cemetery, sure that Julie would come to pay her respects eventually.

Months went by, and there was still no sign of Julie. Gianna's trial concluded, and despite Cynthia's refusal to trade information about Pattie's origins for a lighter sentence for Gianna, the latter was sentenced to fifteen years. Anastasia skipped the court proceedings, but Salma attended and relayed everything to Anastasia. Cynthia left the courthouse without a word, not even glancing at Salma.

The sisters were now irreparably estranged.

Cynthia had promised Gianna she'd remain silent, even if it meant Gianna serving a full fifteen-year sentence.

After Gianna's case closed, life seemed to return to normal.

Both Kayleigh and Julie vanished without a trace as Riverdale transitioned from winter to spring.

Anastasia, now six months pregnant and expecting twins, found it increasingly difficult to move around. She spent most days lying down, with Salma and Herman helping her take short walks in the yard. Pattie, under the guidance of James and Liana, was thriving in her medical studies and had become much more outgoing. She frequently listened to her soon-to-be siblings' movements in Anastasia's belly.

James, with his knack for predicting gender, had already announced that Anastasia was carrying boy-girl twins, much to Pattie's delight.

As Anastasia's pregnancy progressed, Katelyn decided to move in to help care for her, joining Salma in the daily routine.

Katelyn's marriage to Feiman had all but ended, existing in name only now.

As Anastasia focused on her impending motherhood, the rest of the world seemed to fade away. Tavon, aware of Anastasia's condition, laid low, opting for a quieter life of social gatherings and occasional golf, though he still visited Riverdale to see how Anastasia was faring.

Sean and Sandy, seizing the moment, expanded their business further, thriving on the success of their social media ventures.

Despite her condition, Anastasia remained slim everywhere but her belly, leading to surprised comments from visitors like Monica about her size.

As they chatted about the challenges and joys of pregnancy, Katelyn jokingly suggested her son as a potential match for Monica, causing a flurry of laughter and playful banter among the group.