The Bond Between Us (Anastasia and Herman)

The next morning, Katelyn was already on her way out the door. Her suitcase made it clear-she wasn't planning on sticking around for long. Her mind was with Emmie and Nancy, so it was obvious she wouldn't be lingering in Willowbrook for too long. With Sandy back in Willowbrook, Tavon felt a weight lift off his shoulders. But as soon as Sandy arrived, Ashley Stanton realized Tavon hadn't come back with her. She called Tavon and let him have it, giving him an ultimatum: either he returned to Willowbrook, or she'd

come to Riverdale herself.

Ashley had only agreed to Tavon's Riverdale trip because it was for a big family event, and Sandy had persuaded her. But she was adamant that Tavon couldn't stay there alone. When Tavon had a stroke, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down, Ashley hadn't worried about him and Salma. But now things were different.

Even though Tavon and Ashley hadn't officially split, Ashley was dead set against divorce. She wouldn't agree to it unless she was in her grave, and she certainly wasn't going to make things easy for Tavon and Salma.

Salma, on the other hand, wasn't interested in rekindling anything with Tavon. If it weren't for Anastasia, she'd have cut ties completely and wouldn't have given Tavon a second thought.

Tavon slunk back to Willowbrook, feeling defeated. With Katelyn gone, Pattie felt more at ease and enjoyed playing with her younger siblings. Liana stopped by daily to give Pattie lessons for half the day. Afterward, Pattie was free to play with her siblings without any stress.

Since the family gathering, Anastasia hadn't heard from Monica Franco in a few days. That evening, when Herman came home, she found out that Jason had been injured on a mission.

Jason's injury meant Monica probably wasn't in the mood to visit her. At the hospital, Jason had been shot while chasing a suspect. After surgery, his condition stabilized, and he was moved to a regular room.

When Jason woke up, Alisa was there to care for him, and Daniel and Malia also visited, treating him like their own son. Monica didn't find out until the next day, thanks to Jason's colleague Hank.

After much hesitation, Monica decided to visit the hospital. Alisa had gone home to prepare a meal, leaving her daughter Isla at the hospital to keep Jason company-a strategic move to prevent Monica from visiting.

Alisa constantly worried about Jason and Monica reigniting their old flame. In the room, Isla was doing her homework while Jason rested on the bed. He didn't dare hope Monica would come to see him.noveldrama

While discussing the case on the phone with a colleague, Jason looked up to find Monica standing at the door, hands in her pockets. He was momentarily stunned, wave of happiness washing over him, though he tried not to show it.

Staring at Monica, he told the person on the line, "You handle the interrogations, just let me know later. Something's come up here, gotta go."

After hanging up, he sat up straighter, a bit nervous. "Monica, you came."

"Even shot up, you can't forget about work, huh?" Monica teased as she stepped inside. "Looks like the precinct can't function without you."

Isla, remembering Alisa's instructions, stood up promptly when she saw Monica. "Papa Jason, I need to use the bathroom."

Jason nodded, "Sure, it's left outside the door. Don't wander off."

"Okay," Isla chirped, darting to the hallway to call Alisa on her smartwatch. "Mom, you better come quick. There's a woman here visiting Papa Jason..."

Inside the room, Monica pulled up a chair and asked, "Jason, how's the recovery going?"

"Just a scratch, I'll be fine in a few days," Jason downplayed the situation. The truth was, he'd barely escaped with his life. But at least the criminals were caught.

"That's good to hear. I heard you got hurt, so I thought I'd drop by," Monica said lightly, her eyes catching sight of the woman's jacket on the sofa, unmistakably Alisa's. "Well, if you're okay, I'll get going."

She felt awkward staying longer, unsure of what to say. Confirming he was alright was enough.

"Monica, wait," Jason called out, hesitating. "Why don't you stay a little longer?"