There was nothing else Alexis could say to that.

It had snowed that day, and the road was covered with ice.

Fortunately, Marcus’ driving skills were top-notch.

He changed to another road where there was less snow and the car moved along steadily. When he took a turn, his eyes caught a woman standing with her back to him at a bus stop across the street.

She was just the right height, and her hair was just the right color.

Even from a distance, Marcus could see the curve of the woman's round stomach. She was pregnant.

The woman raised her head to check the bus sign, as if thinking about which bus to take.

She had to be around seven or eight months pregnant. Why was she taking the bus alone on such a snowy day?

What was her husband doing?

Marcus caught himself in a rare moment of distraction, but he couldn't afford to let his thoughts wander. Alexis and Daniel were in the back seat, and he had to pay attention to the road. He looked away quickly, and the black off-road vehicle brushed past the woman.

At the same moment, she turned around.

It was Melissa.

Once again, the two missed each other.

A bus slowly rolled to a stop in front of her, and Melissa got on.

When she sat down, she saw that she had received a call from Julie, the proprietress of the small diner in Warsew where she once worked.

Julie Wilson's husband had lost all his money to gambling, and he was neck-deep in debt. His creditors often came to harass his family, which eventually forced them to close the dinner.

It was only a matter of time before Julie's husband was taken to prison.

Coincidentally, Melissa was currently in a good place, financially.

She worked as a secretary for the Watson Group in Heron.

Last month, she was transferred to the branch on Duefron.