The Bond Between Us (Anastasia and Herman)

Alisa's hands were getting clammy as Jason stood at the door, carefully scanning the area. He turned to her and asked, "Did you see the guy my uncle mentioned?"

"I... I didn't see anyone," Alisa stuttered, unable to muster the courage to confess the truth.

She was in deep trouble, nearly drowning under a mountain of debt that had ballooned to almost ninety grand, with the interest alone becoming unbearable. She'd lost track of how much she'd borrowed. It all began with splurging on luxury items, then taking out a loan for cosmetic surgery to get those double eyelids she had always wanted. The beauty clinic had taken her for a ride, and then convinced her to take another loan for a membership card.

She thought Jason might find her more appealing if she had a figure like Monica's, so she splurged on a hundred yoga classes, sinking another hefty sum.

Now, Alisa was completely entangled in her debt, with calls coming in daily, either demanding repayments or offering more loans. She was trapped in a relentless cycle, robbing Peter to pay Paul, and if anyone, especially Jason, discovered her secret, it would all come crashing down.

After looking around, Jason didn't say much, just reassured them, "Uncle, Anastasia, let's leave it for now. I'll check into the identity of the suspicious guy and get back to you if I find anything."

Daniel replied, "Thanks, Jason. We appreciate it."

Jason nodded and left, but he didn't head back to the station. Instead, he went to the supermarket where Alisa worked. Something about her demeanor suggested she was hiding something.

Isla's disappearance seemed somehow linked to Alisa.

Jason didn't confront Alisa directly; he chose to talk to her coworkers instead. They might offer more honest insights.

He found Audrey, a woman who had worked alongside Alisa for over two years. Jason recognized her from before.

Seeing him, Audrey looked puzzled, "Officer Lucas, looking for Alisa? She took the day off, said she had a family emergency."

"I'm not here for her, Audrey. I wanted to ask you a few things," Jason explained. "Could we chat somewhere private?"

Audrey, knowing Jason's position, felt a bit nervous. "Officer Lucas, am I in trouble? I haven't done anything wrong."

"Audrey, it's nothing like that. I just want to chat," Jason reassured her. "I need to know if Alisa's been acting strange or if she's been hanging out with anyone new. Whatever you know could help."

Audrey had plenty to share about Alisa. "Is she in trouble? I've noticed she's been dressing up, wearing all this fancy jewelry. She must've hit the jackpot. Her dresses alone Cost thousands. She's had some work done on her eyes and face too, and she bought a bunch of yoga classes, tried to get me to sign up too..."

Jason hadn't known any of this. How was Alisa affording such a lifestyle?

"Thousands on a single dress?" Jason asked, eyebrows raised. "Any other changes?"

"Yeah, she's got a whole new wardrobe of designer stuff and brags about it being legit. We joked she must've found a sugar daddy Her phone keeps ringing, and she's all secretive about it. Plus, there's a guy who keeps visiting her

"What kind of guy?" Jason inquired.noveldrama

Audrey described, "About five foot nine, long face, and a mole on his chin..."

Jason was taken aback. This matched the description Daniel had given.

Alisa had lied. She knew the man with the mole.

"Thanks for the info, Audrey," Jason said, grateful for the lead.

Audrey pressed on, "Officer Lucas, is Alisa in trouble? Is her money dirty?"

"Not at all, and let's not jump to conclusions," Jason replied. He didn't want to tarnish Alisa's reputation.