The handkerchief caught Anastasia's eye immediately.
Before she could pick it up, Gianna swiftly snatched it and stuffed it into her purse, looking a bit uneasy. "What should we have for dinner?"
"How about hotpot?" Anastasia gave Gianna a suspicious glance. "Since when did you start using handkerchiefs?"
She could swear she had seen that handkerchief before, at her own home, no less.
To be precise, she had seen it with Herman.
Herman had a thing for handkerchiefs, always custom-made from the finest fabrics, each embroidered with an "H" or sometimes an "S."
To dispel Anastasia's doubts, Gianna nonchalantly pulled the handkerchief out of her bag. "Oh, this? A new friend of mine gave it to me. She's into embroidery, you know. This little piece didn't come cheap, all handmade."
Seeing that Herman's usual mark was absent from the handkerchief, Anastasia felt a bit embarrassed. She was being overly sensitive, linking every odd thing about Gianna to Herman.
She was being a bit paranoid, perhaps.
"The fabric's so fine, it's obviously pricey." Anastasia pulled out her phone. "I'll send you the address for dinner, can you pull up the directions?"
"Sure thing." Gianna subtly slid the handkerchief back into her purse. This wasn't the one Herman had given her, but she had another one from him hidden inside.
Gianna was worried Anastasia had seen it.
Her friend had probed twice today; suspicions were obviously brewing.
Gianna felt a flutter of panic but kept a cool exterior as she drove to their dining destination.
...
At the cemetery.
Grannie Anita was being laid to rest, and a good crowd had come to pay their respects.
Herman, dressed in black, was there to bid Grannie Anita farewell.
The weather was damp and drizzly, adding to the somber mood.
His stance was clear.
Dailey, holding an umbrella, hurried after him. "Boss, you're still not fully healed. Take it easy."
Reaching the parking lot, Herman got into his car and commanded, "Back to Southridge Estates."
"Aren't you going back to the hospital?" Dailey asked with concern. "Your wounds..."
"I won't die." Herman's face was stoic.
Ever since waking up, Herman had become even more intimidating. Dailey sometimes felt too apprehensive to even breathe too loudly.
Starting the car, Dailey drove toward Southridge Estates. Remembering an earlier investigation, he mentioned, "Boss, about that inquiry into Grannie Anita having someone follow Ms. Jewell... It's as you suspected. The guy was lying, and there was someone behind him..."
Herman didn't let Dailey finish. "It was Julie."
Dailey was shocked. "Boss, you knew all along?"
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: The Bond Between Us (Anastasia and Herman)
Author pls Pls don't separate Ana and Herman once again because of Sandy. There must be an ending to Ana's sufferings!...
Yes yes yes!!! Thank you!!!...
How comes the twists are becoming uninteresting and unrealistic? Readers will prefer cleaner straight happy endings. Please don't go far beyond otherwise readers will lose interest. Time to end the story like we want it to be....
Please give us a happy ending for Anastasia and Herman with Pattie recognized as Herman's daughter, thank you!!!...
Pls update. This novel is really good....