Chapter 1123

Herman always adapted quickly, but Anastasia? Not so much.

It was the middle of the night. A gust of cold wind swept through, spinning a few dry leaves down the empty street. Anastasia stared at Tavon standing right there in front of her, and every hair on her body stood up.

"Hold-hold me," Anastasia stammered, her legs turning to jelly as she clung to Herman for dear life. If he hadn't been there, she'd have run screaming.

It was nighttime, and the man in front of them was supposed to be buried six feet under.

Back from the dead-seriously?

Herman held Anastasia steady, just as rattled as she was. Tavon's miraculous reappearance was a shock to them both.

“Dad, when did you get back to Willowbrook? Where have you been these last few days?" Herman asked, his voice careful.

Tavon grinned, looking proud to be called "Dad.” Having his son-in-law as the boss of Elysian Technologies was definitely bragging rights.

"I just got back to Willowbrook today," Tavon said, puffing up a little. "Spent a few days at the abbey next town over. Wouldn't you know it, I got bitten by a snake up in the hills-thought I was a goner! The nuns patched me up and saved my hide. Guess I'm too stubborn to die. Even poison can't finish me off!"

He let out a couple of hearty laughs, clearly amused with himself.

No kidding—his luck was ridiculous. Sandy tried to poison him and only managed to give him a mild stroke. Then a snake bit him and, after two days in a coma, he came back swinging.

Anastasia glanced at the floor. The lamplight threw Tavon's shadow long and clear across the tiles.

A shadow meant he was alive.

She looked from Tavon to Herman. "So... my dad's really not dead?"

Herman nodded.

Tavon frowned. "Ana, I'm perfectly fine-why do you two keep acting like I'm a ghost?"

"Let's go talk at the hotel," Herman said.

Standing there in the cold, swapping ghost stories, just wasn't it.

They led Tavon back to the hotel. On the way, Anastasia slowly got her head around

the fact that her dad was, in fact, alive.

When she'd first gotten the news Tavon had died, she'd been

stunned and full of regret for never openly making things right with him. Now here he was, alive and well Suddenly, there was nothing deft to regret.

Her voice softened, her attitude warmer than it had been in years.

Herman and Anastasia listened as Tavon told his story: After the snake bite, he'd been living it up at the abbey, recovered, and then made his way back to Willowbrook. He hadn't heard a thing about anyone falling offa off a cliff.

He didn't go home right away, just wanted to catch up and have a drink with a friend. The friend wasn't there, but he bumped into Sandy instead.

Actually, good thing he didn't find his friend first-the poor guy probably would've fainted dead away.

At this point, everyone in Willowbrook who knew Tavon thought he was long gone, buried and mourned. Seeing him alive would've been enough to send half the town running for holy water.

Anastasia gave Tavon a quick rundown of what had happened. Only then did Tavon realize why Sandy and Anastasia had freaked out so badly earlier.

"But I'm right here," Tavon said, confused. "How could I be dead? Who was it that fell off the cliff?"

Good question. Who was it?

Why did Sandy go identify the body?

Why did everyone think it was Tavon?

Turned out, it was a series of coincidences. A monk from Nabb Mount, about Tavon's height and build and wearing the same robes, had fallen from the cliffs, Tavon had been staying at the abbey, in monk's clothes. The fall left the body unrecognizable, and with Tavon missing, everyone just assumed it was him.

Sandy got a call, heard her plan had "worked," and didn't ask questions. She went

to the police, identified the body, and that was that.

Back at the hotel, Anastasia had Tavon sit on the sofa and poured him a glass of water. "I'll go next door and get Mom," she said.

Anastasia and Herman shared a suite one bedroom, a living room, and a small dining area. Salma was in the room next door.

Herman stayed to chat with Tavon while Anastasia went to prepare her mom for the shock.

A few minutes later, Anastasia came back with Salma. Even though Anastasia had

tried to warn her, Salma took one look at Tavon and fainted on the spot.

"Salma!" Tavon yelped, panicking.

"Mom!" Anastasia cried, rushing to catch her.

Tavon hovered nearby, looking like a guilty schoolboy. "Ana, I swear, I didn't mean to scare your mom."