The Bond Between Us (Anastasia and Herman)

Anastasia had been hanging around Jason quite a lot over the past few months, getting to know his ways. He had this icy demeanor that masked a warm heart, and every so often, he'd crack a joke. But most of the time, he was all business, no-nonsense, and straight to

the point.

Today, though, Jason was unusually prickly, correcting her with a sharp remark: "That's your ex-husband."

Caught off guard, Anastasia glanced over at Jason. Man, he could be so... petty. She needed his help, so she didn't argue.

Jason got in touch with a buddy, exchanged brief hellos, and promptly pulled up the traffic surveillance video from the day Anastasia had her mishap.

Inside the control room, the on-duty traffic cop said, "Jason, Ms. Jewell, here we have the footage from Peace Avenue on the day in question. I'm gonna step out for a cup of instant noodles. Do you want anything?"

Anastasia politely declined, "No thanks, we're good."noveldrama

But Jason had no qualms about speaking up, "Johns, forget the instant noodles. Ms. Jewell here has kindly ordered us all a midnight feast. We'll be having a proper meal shortly." Anastasia shot Jason a puzzled look. When had she done that?

The cop, Johns, chuckled, "Well, that's mighty kind of Ms. Jewell. There are four of us on duty tonight. Don't go overboard with the order, Ms. Jewell."

With a forced laugh, Anastasia found herself going along with Jason's narrative. Everyone was taking him at his word, not bothering with pleasantries.

"Of course, thank you, Officer Johns," she replied, feeling obligated to follow through. She was the one asking for a favor, after all. Buying a late-night meal was the least she could do.

Once Johns stepped out, Anastasia sat down and began to order delivery on her phone. She had to live up to her word now.

Seeing her placing the order, Jason said, "Put the phone down. I've already ordered the late-night meal. No need for you to spend your money. You save what you make from your stand for Pattie."

Anastasia was taken aback. "You really are something," she said, unable to keep up with Jason's rapid-fire comments. She glared at him. "You know, you don't even make more than I do in a month. You're helping me out, and yet you're the one paying. I feel bad about it." Anastasia could pull in a decent sum from her market stall each month. Besides, she was also freelancing as a designer, sketching concepts for clients. Jewelry design firms, in particular, would pay handsomely for fresh ideas when their in-house designers hit a block. A good design could fetch a pretty penny, and she could easily make a sizable sum every month.

She used to be reluctant to sell her designs; each piece was a labor of love. But times had changed, and for the sake of getting by, she had to adapt.

Pattie's school expenses, rent, utilities, and all the odds and ends of life demanded money at every turn.

Jason, tired of the banter, pulled her over to the monitor. "Look, I take care of myself and don't ask for handouts. Quit the small talk and focus on the surveillance. Can you remember the exact time you passed through Peace Avenue that day?"

"I only have a rough idea," Anastasia admitted. "I was in so much pain that day, I couldn't think straight. All I remember is lying down after lunch because my stomach hurt so badly. I think we left Southridge Estates for the hospital around two." "We'll have to take it slow, then," Jason said as he scrolled through the footage. "The car only passed that intersection for a few seconds. If you can't be precise, we'll have to camp out here and wait for it to show up."

So they sat there, eyes glued to the screen. Anastasia's nerves were wound tight, afraid she'd miss the moment Gianna's car passed through the intersection. After about fifteen minutes, Gianna's car finally appeared on the monitor at the Peace Avenue intersection. Anastasia felt her heart twist. Deep down, she didn't want to believe Gianna was involved. She wanted to think it was just an accident.

But there it was on the screen: Gianna's car in the through lane, noticeably slowing down as it approached the intersection. Anastasia watched intently as the car continued, then, at the last crucial moment, turned onto the very street where the accident had occurred. Seeing this, Anastasia felt a cold wave wash over her.