Never Too Far Novel

“Alright then! Let’s make a trip to a haute couture boutique that sells evening gowns.” Anastasia had no other choice but to dress up according to the dress code.

Alex had been fooling around with Hayley in his bed a couple rounds by the time the clock hit 1 PM. Her having a face like Anastasia’s made it hard for him to keep himself off of her.

After they woke up, Alex went to the bathroom as Hayley stayed in bed to use her phone. She didn’t feel an ounce of guilt for treating Erica the way she did. Alex was merely someone both Erica and Hayley used.

Hayley received a text message at this moment. ‘Hayley, how is your preparation for the annual celebration at Bourgeois coming along?”

She looked at the ID to see who the sender was, and it turned out to be May, someone whom she hadn’t contacted in a long time. She hadn’t had any use for May, after all.

Still, Hayley was surprised to see the message. She had no idea that there was an annual celebration for the company that day.

‘I haven’t received any news about it, May. Who told you that?’ she replied.

May only asked in return, ‘Didn’t President Presgrave tell you? He will be there tonight as well! Could he have forgotten to inform you?’

Hayley immediately replied to her, ‘Elliot must have forgotten to let me know because he has been so busy lately. Can I join the event?’

‘Of course you can! All the customers who purchased haute couture from Bourgeois have received an invitation card. Yours is probably in your email. Remember to get dressed in haute couture tonight, Hayley. I look forward to seeing how beautiful you will look!” Just like in the past, May was still trying hard to flatter Hayley.

A strong desire started surging inside after Hayley read the message. She didn’t think she would be seeing Elliot again so soon.

Should I take a chance? An ambitious glint flashed in her eyes then—she simply had to do it.

She could take the opportunity tonight to appear a little more pitiful and miserable. If she managed to arouse Elliot’s sympathy for her and make him look at her one more time, she was sure she would still have a chance to be cared for by him in the future.

I must go, but where do I borrow a dress from? Hayley thought of a boutique she went to before where she happened to have gotten a coupon for free rental. The old her might not have even bothered with it, but with her current situation, she prayed with all her heart that she could still redeem it.

After Alex came out of the bathroom, Hayley immediately leaned against his chest as she looked up at him. “I have no money for lunch. Alex, can you lend me some, please?” she asked pitifully.

Seeing her looking so small and beautiful in his arms, he unhesitantly took all the cash in his wallet and passed them to her. “I hope this isn’t too little for you, Hayley. Here, take it!”

“Thank you, Alex!” She stood on her tiptoe and lovingly kissed him.

Alex was suddenly hit by the thought of how nice it would be if it was Anastasia who was in his arms.

On the other hand, Anastasia was browsing through the gowns available in a boutique while Elliot patiently waited for her. He sat in the middle of the lobby, sipping on his cup of coffee.

In hopes that there was something Anastasia would take fancy to, even the boss of the boutique had personally served and introduced all the one-of-a-kind outfits she had in her store.

It wasn’t that there was nothing that caught Anastasia’s eye. In order to keep low-profile, she was actually looking for an evening gown that wouldn’t attract as much public attention as the more eye-catching gowns would.

She finally found one that was exactly what she was looking for. It was a strapless black dress that was seamlessly tailored, which was also made of thicker material that could keep her warm.

As Anastasia rarely wore this kind of dark-colored evening gown, it surprised even herself how good she looked in the gown. Her long hair was draped over her back, and when paired with her stunning features, it magnified her aura that was as pure as a clear lake.

“Miss Tillman, with elegance such as yours, you would definitely look good in any evening gown. However, I do think that this one suits you particularly well. It gives a touch of cool and noble temperament.”

The owner of the store could see at a glance that Anastasia was not a weak and soft woman. On top of her gaze that kept others at bay, she sometimes exuded a domineering aura that didn’t make anyone uncomfortable. It was only a cover she put on to protect herself.

Anastasia was also satisfied with the black dress while she looked at herself in the mirror. As she sat before the dressing table to let the owner do her makeup, the latter couldn’t help but marvel at Anastasia’s facial features. She then completed Anastasia’s look with a light makeup that matched her temperament.

Anastasia walked down the stairs from the second floor after she got dressed. When the man on the sofa heard the footsteps, he immediately raised his head and his deep eyes widened in surprise.

Elliot couldn’t help but muse about how this woman whom he called his looked good no matter what she wore.

Anastasia walked to his side, but she was somewhat timid as she asked, “Does it look good?”

“Absolutely gorgeous,” he complimented her in a low voice.

She then held up two purses with sequins on them. “Which one do you think looks better?” she asked again.

Elliot looked at the purses with a serious gaze for a few seconds and eventually chose one for her. She, too, didn’t bother agonizing herself over this anymore and proceeded to use the one he chose.

There would be two uninvited guests at the anniversary celebration tonight—Aliona and Hayley.

Hayley and Alex had just arrived at an apartment complex at this moment. This was a small apartment unit that Alex had just bought not long ago for investment purposes. Now, however, it was where Hayley would be living after she had become his woman.

“Hayley, we have no choice but to let you live here in order to not let Erica find out that we are together,” Alex told her rather bluntly.

“Don’t worry!” She apologetically said, “I feel sorry for stealing Erica’s boyfriend.”

Alex somehow felt a sense of accomplishment at that. With his arms around her, he dotingly scolded her, “What nonsense are you saying? You don’t need to apologize. Between you and Erica, of course you are the one that I like. The relationship between Erica and I is purely professional.”

“Alex, you have to help Erica.”

Hearing that, he couldn’t help but ask, “Hayley, do you know Erica’s sister, Anastasia?”

“Of course! I heard from Erica that she is dating the young master of the Presgrave Group!” Hayley then added, “I also heard that she had a child out of wedlock five years ago. ”

His face froze when he heard those words. “Did she have a messy private life?” he probed.

“Didn’t you know? She used to work in a club!” Hayley spat with a contemptuous look on her face. “She worked at one to earn enough money to study abroad!”

Needless to say, Alex was shocked to learn that Anastasia had such a troubled past.

“Alex, let’s not talk about her. I am your woman from now on.” Hayley’s eyes looked glazed as she gazed at him with eyes full of admiration.

Alex was looking at Hayley’s face, and yet Anastasia was the one his heart longed for.

The afternoon soon came. The banquet this time around was held in the big banquet hall of a seven-star hotel. As Bourgeois had shown tremendous improvement in their overall performance this year, the annual celebration was naturally held at a size that corresponded to the employees’ achievements.

The staff of Bourgeois started arriving one after another at 5 PM. Their haute couture’s customers were amongst the invitees tonight too. The event was both the annual celebration and the time to engage with their customers.

Someone must have spread the word that Elliot was going to attend the celebration, as even the female guests who weren’t going to attend had all come, which was why the banquet was bound to be extra lively.

Elliot had undoubtedly become the target of the unmarried women in the crowd. Tonight was finally their chance to approach the man who barely showed his face in public even on a normal day.

Anastasia was sitting in his car when she received a message from Felicia.

‘Anastasia, you have to keep a close eye on President Presgrave tonight. Many female guests are here for him.’

Anastasia couldn’t help but laugh when she read the text message. Felicia must really care about her for her to remind Anastasia of something like this.

“What are you laughing at?” The man beside her glanced at her, his hands gracefully controlled the steering wheel.

She was held a little flustered as she subconsciously grabbed onto her phone. “Nothing,” she mumbled.

Anastasia would be embarrassed to death if the man were to see the message.

However, the more she tried to hide it, the more suspicious the man’s gaze became. Could she be chatting privately with some other man? he wondered grumpily.

After they arrived at the hotel, Larry was the one who came down to personally receive them. “There you are, President Presgrave and Anastasia. I have prepared a room for you to rest.”

Since it was still early, Anastasia and Elliot made their way to a suite to rest first, and they would only go downstairs when the celebration had started.

Standing in front of the French windows, Anastasia noticed how the atmosphere outside was feeling a lot more like Christmas. She was staring into the night view in a daze when a pair of arms wrapped her around her waist. The man then propped his chin on her collarbone without a word, and their intimacy happened naturally.

“It is Christmas Eve tomorrow. Are you going to celebrate it at the Presgrave Residence?” Anastasia asked, to which Elliot hummed in response. “I always celebrate it with my grandmother.”

Anastasia would be going back to her father’s house tomorrow. Although there was no place for her in that house, it was still a place she called ‘home’ as long as her father was there.

“Would it be okay if I invited both you and Jared to Grandma’s place on Christmas?” Elliot asked in a low voice after a slight pause.

She gave it a thought and decided that she wouldn’t be home during Christmas if she were to be there on the eve.

“Sure!” She nodded in reply.

The arms around her waist soon tightened as she was pulled even more tightly into the man’s chest. The man then made a move to kiss her, but she reached out to cover his thin lips just in time. “No kisses,” she squeaked. “Don’t mess up the makeup I have on.”

Anastasia had to face her rivals in love tonight, so she had to make sure her makeup would put her at an advantage.

The man nibbled on her collarbone unhappily at that. “It should be okay to kiss you here, shouldn’t it?” he growled.

It immediately felt like electricity coursed through Anastasia’s body as she allowed the man to punish her with a kiss. At this moment, Elliot’s phone began to ring. He glanced at it, thereafter going to the sofa and sitting down as he picked up the call. “Hello?”

“Everything has been arranged as per your instruction, President Presgrave,” Rey reported from the other end of the call.

Elliot grunted in agreement and his eyes showed a glint of satisfaction.

Without them realizing, it was already 6.30 PM, and all the invited people were present. At this moment, a woman clad in a sensual dress walked in from the entrance. It turned out to be Aliona. All the effort she had put into her appearance tonight was for the sake of catching Elliot’s attention.

Felicia, who had seen her walking in, came over to her. “Aliona, why are you here?”

“Why can’t I come, Felicia? I am also an employee of Bourgeois.” Aliona answered in a prickly tone because she knew that Felicia and Anastasia were on good terms.

Felicia was unperturbed by her rudeness, and she only calmly replied, “I don’t think your name is on the invitation list.”

“My relationship with President Presgrave allows me to come if I want to.” After she said that, Aliona turned to the manager standing at the side. “Go get a seat for me!”

Felicia was at a loss for words after hearing what Aliona said. Even though she was a registered employee at Bourgeois, she had no sense of responsibility for her work. She had never even submitted a usable draft from the time she joined the company.

At the same time, May was welcoming Hayley in the hall downstairs. As soon as the former saw Hayley walking in from outside, she immediately jumped up in joy. “There you are, Hayley!”

The evening gown Hayley rented from the boutique wasn’t bad at all. At least, it was worth the price she paid for it.

“Hayley, you look so beautiful!” May noticed at a glance that the other woman had undergone plastic surgery.

“Has the event started? Did you arrange a seat for me?” Hayley asked May.

“It is done.” May still wanted to curry favor with her. She was expecting Hayley to one day place an order with her, and she would then get a huge amount as commission.

an inconspicuous seat for guests. The only reason she came tonight was just to find her chance to put on a pitiful act in front of Elliot and make him

had started

Felicia sent the former a message to notify her that the performance was about to start. Felicia also asked Anastasia when she would go down to

the live performance of her favorite singer, Anastasia quickly urged Elliot, “Let’s

only nodded in reply before and he accompanied

been dimmed, Elliot managed to bask everyone present in his aura the moment he and Anastasia stepped in.

“President Presgrave is here.”

is President Presgrave!

President Presgrave in the

is that woman

sounds of admiration of the female guests below the

she had been thinking about these days was right

who was amongst the guests, was so excited her eyes lit up. Elliot was

Larry was planning the seating arrangement, he made sure that Elliot and Anastasia were in the first row. Even the spokesperson Cecilia Acre, who was seated next to him, was so excited she found it hard to breathe as she started busying herself with doing

felt to be Elliot—she had become the focus of all women tonight. She could feel the intensely envious eyes along the way that seemed like they could poke holes in her any

President Presgrave. I am Cecilia Acre, the spokesperson for Bourgeois. It is a pleasure to

nodded slightly at

Elliot, she subconsciously reached out to tug on it slightly, making it

a glance what the female artist was

when she saw that, but she had to admit that Cecilia had a

she only wore it for Elliot to see, and not anyone

event stepped onto the stage. After he gave a passionate introduction, Larry took the emcee’s place, and he gave a

other than the performance, what everyone was looking forward to tonight was the lucky draw session. It was said that both the prize money and winning rate tonight were

began at

favorite singer, Hank O’rion. He was dressed as handsomely as a prince. Among the

he was deeply attracted by the woman beside him who was clapping with all her might. His dark eyes were filled

was completely enthralled by Hendrix, who was on the stage. The song he was singing was also coincidentally

cold gaze first glanced at the singer who blew kisses to his audience, and then the former turned back to looking at

attending the banquet? he

goosebumps from the intensity of Elliot’s stare, so she turned to look at him as she

woman had obviously made his mood sour, and

him a

more piercing than the cold air outside. She couldn’t help but gulp in fear as she thought, He would

him with a clever answer. “I like his

him, huh?” There was a trace of displeasure as

to appease him by reaching under the table and holding his hand in hers. His eyebrows finally

even though she was listening to Hendrix singing live. All she could focus on now was the

on the third row, Aliona didn’t once watch the performance on stage. She was constantly finding

be embarrassing for her if she rashly approached Elliot and ended up

find a time when she would be alone

which was to meet Elliot alone.

time, she was a little worried that Anastasia would notice her. Hence, she could

was finally time for the first round of the lucky draw session after

names as the winners of

who were picked flashed across the big screen, and those who were drawn automatically knew that the grand

was a sensual female singer who sang. And after she

stage and sang a love song, and she made sure to keep her eyes on Elliot the entire time. It was as though she was senerading him and him

hit by a rage that appeared out of nowhere and she began to angrily

she didn’t even look at him as she pretended like

him a second time whereas he could only quietly accept his fate. What a cruel

was a faint smile playing by the corners of her eyes and mouth, but the

him with

next programme after the performance was the lucky draw for the second

prize

“Most of you might not be aware of this, but tonight’s grand prize

words came out, the audience immediately fell into a commotion as they gasped aloud, “A sports car worth 5 million?!” Wow! Does this make the winner wealthy overnight? What a motivating prize this

was also stunned to hear Larry’s words. She quickly turned to look at Elliot for answers, but all she could see was a face that

hearing several voices

It would be great if I

sports car worth five million! I don’t even need the car. Just give

employee of Bourgeois, Hayley was excited like the rest of them were. How she hoped at this moment that she worked for

clenching her fists out of hopes that she was the

was the only one who glared at Anastasia with envious eyes that seemed to know what was going

8.30 PM was also an entertaining one before it was followed by the lucky draw for first prize. There would be three winners who would take home

overjoyed the three winners were when they went on stage to get their prizes. There was another performance after that, but everyone was nervous now that they were nearing the time for the announcement of the grand prize

that she would be the lucky winner. The atmosphere thick with excitement was making her anticipate winning

draw the name of the winner for the grand prize. I do wish that it was me. I haven’t

air, he pointed to the screen behind him and announced, “Everyone, please look at the screen and

start counting down now! 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4,

Larry was done with the countdown, a

other than Anastasia

these two words immediately set the crowd off into

as she stared at her name on the

Tillman, please come up to the stage,” Larry called for her

within the dark crowd from earlier, but now that her beautiful face was directly under the spotlight for everyone to see, there were only more jealous eyes looking

beauty that he couldn’t help but

do a short interview with you, Miss Anastasia Tillman. Is your heart aflutter

Anastasia calmly replied as

was intended as a gift for her from the start and the person who wanted to

was not wrong, Elliot was

I would immediately start

Anastasia couldn’t help but let out a giggle, which also made a certain man

teasing her, “How about you sing us a song, Anastasia? Or you could

about it. I can’t sing at all, and I am even worse at

what people say about how a gorgeous car

very handsome man, Vice-president Young,” she smoothly

sweat when he heard the words. “Oh, no! President Presgrave has got to be the most handsome

a laugh, he asked, “President Presgrave, would you

it. Anastasia came back to her seat after she took her

we have prepared a cocktail party for

in the hall were turned on, the attendees began moving to another hall for wine tasting. Elliot’s phone began to

“Just look at how much effort President

did go out

“Do you know that Aliona

caught by surprise when she heard that. She looked around the hall, and seemed to have remembered something as she turned to Felicia again. “You will have

must have taken the chance when Elliot went off to pick up his

that Elliot had gone to, she saw Aliona speaking as she stood beside Elliot at the end

up her words when she got closer to

Elliot. I was drunk the other day. I only made such a mistake because I was

stated, “I don’t mind letting this matter go, but I don’t wish to see you. Please be on

you please forgive me just this one time for my father’s sake?” She then held up her hand, and with a pitiful expression on, she swore, “I promise I

felt like now was the right time for her

someone, and she came running to Elliot when her eyes landed on him. “There you are, Elliot. Vice-president Young was looking for

saying that, she laced her arm through Elliot’s before acting as though she had just noticed Aliona’s presence. “You are

could muster earlier, Aliona quickly turned

she proceeded to

this, Aliona immediately threw a glare at the other woman. She knew that Anastasia had interrupted her apology on

the nerve to see Elliot again, Miss Dora. You are surprisingly thick-skinned!” Anastasia added in

“Anastasia Tillman! You—”

even begin her sentence. “You should thank me

dare you?” Aliona’s face had turned

“Forget it! There

the cold gaze he had on just moments ago, he was now

much I could kill you! My plan

she only said in a calm voice, “Miss Tillman, I have something to say to Elliot.

I

further by wrapping his arm around her waist, thereafter humming in

Aliona could

are a dead woman, Anastasia! I will make sure you pay for

flesh, the

rescued Elliot out of Aliona’s clutches out of the kindness of her heart, but before they even got back

on her face, and

to tell me? I’m all ears.” He looked excited as

help but laugh when she saw the man

to save you! Why would I have anything

all sensual and seductive in her black

will do the

approaching her, she raised her hands to push him back. “Just

lips raised ever so slightly as

she had no choice but to arch her neck. Her nostrils were

a few times. “Just say it. I

“You look gorgeous tonight.”

she replied in a humorous yet

have any idea

delicate face in one hand, while the other forced her chin

sealed hers off the next

draw session, to him colding rejecting Aliona’s advances only showing this special side of his to Anastasia alone, she didn’t

in the hallway without returning to the banquet hall. Now that she had felt Elliot’s indifference, it seemed impossible for

to follow Riley’s plan to kidnap Elliot, and have the

let Anastasia get off easy as well, as she was the reason Aliona had to

lights came back on, she hid herself in the bathroom as she told May to notify her as soon as Elliot had

her to

who was making out in the private room was starting to lose control as they sucked on and nibbled each other’s lips and tongue. When Anastasia realized that Elliot

gasped,

bites on her thin lips, and he finally glanced at the sofa in the room

speechless at that as she thought,

banquet hall to find Felicia, whereas Elliot sat in the room

Anastasia left the room. She couldn’t help but feel envious as she watched Anastasia brush out the wrinkles on her gown. May

asking her

ask Felicia something when she returned to the banquet hall, but when the former couldn’t find her, and seeing as to it was time to go back to pick

out excitedly holding

the door of

hasty steps. As she hid behind a door, she saw that Hayley and May were together whispering about

sight. She still remembered vividly how May was the one who helped