The Bond Between Us (Anastasia and Herman)

Pattie's usually bright eyes were dull and lifeless, but when she heard news about her mom, a flicker of hope sparked within them.

Being locked up for so long and enduring Gianna's abuse had drained her spirit. Now, she was just a shell of her former self.

Opening her mouth, she tried to speak, but only a shattered whisper came out. Her voice had been poisoned silent.

"Missing your mom, huh?" Gianna sneered, staring at Pattie's face, which was a haunting reminder of Anastasia. It filled her with hatred, but the resemblance to Herman in Pattie's eyes brought her some twisted solace. Gianna glared at Pattie with pure contempt. "You'll never see your mother again. She left me to rot in the dark, so now it's your turn to pay for her sins."

Pattie shook her head, yanking at the iron chains that tethered her to the bed frame. Her world was confined to just a few square feet of mattress. Dropping to her knees, she begged Gianna for mercy.

Gianna watched her coldly. "I'm not letting you go, Pattie. Be grateful you're Herman's daughter, or you wouldn't even have this sliver of a chance to breathe." Pattie stopped her pleading and knelt there, her eyes fixed intensely on Gianna.

Gianna let out a hollow laugh, leaning back against the wall, her gaze drifting to the ceiling of the windowless basement room, lit only by artificial light.

After a moment, Gianna stood up, glanced at Pattie, and said, "There's food if you're hungry. I won't be coming down for a few days."

She didn't come every day; sometimes, a week would pass before she'd return.noveldrama

The room was stocked with snacks and water, which had kept Pattie alive for three months.

Gianna treated Pattie like a caged animal, a pet.

The door locked once more, and the light went out, plunging the room into complete darkness.

Pattie was terrified of the dark. She burrowed into the bedding, wrapping herself tightly in the covers. She had thought about escaping, but she knew it was impossible.

Hidden beneath the blankets, she called out in her mind: "Momma, Momma..."

Her longing to see her mother was the only thing keeping her going.

At Southridge Estates, Anastasia suddenly felt a sharp pain in her chest.

"Pattie," she murmured, her daughter's name escaping her lips.

"Ana, you're exhausted. You need to rest," Salma said, handing her a glass of water. "Finding your child isn't going to happen overnight."

Clutching her chest until the pain subsided, Anastasia took a sip and asked, "Mom, has Aunt Cynthia come by recently?"

Salma replied with a chill in her voice, "She hasn't been back since she spewed all that venom last time. She went around to other relatives, badmouthing us, saying that since you married into wealth, I look down on her poverty. She claimed I drove her out. It made my blood boil."

After being turned away, Cynthia had slandered Salma and Anastasia to their relatives, exaggerating stories and claiming Salma was basking in her daughter's success and had forgotten her sisterly bond.

Anastasia scoffed, "That's people for you afraid of your poverty, but even more afraid of your wealth."

"We can cut them off if it comes to that," Salma declared. "We've managed without them for years. I cared about family ties once, but I see through it now. Apart from our own, who really wishes us well? We just need to live our lives."

"I saw Gianna today," Anastasia revealed. "Mom, I can't help but wonder if Gianna's involved in Pattie's disappearance. Maybe you should go to Aunt Cynthia's, play nice, and see if you can dig up anything."

"You think Gianna took Pattie?" Salma asked, stunned. "Would she do such a thing? I'll go to your aunt's right now and find out."

"No, mom, don't ask directly. Just feel her out. We don't want to spook anyone," Anastasia instructed. "It's just a suspicion. If I went, I'd definitely stir things up. You go and suss things out, but keep it under wraps."

Salma nodded gravely, "I understand. I'll head over now, take her some peace offering, and apologize. I know how to handle your aunt; I'll stroke her ego, and she'll spill everything."