Never Too Far Novel

“I’ll hold you to that. Which day are you on?” Elliot began marking time like a hunter who had set the traps, sitting out, waiting for his game to fall into it.

At that, Anastasia hurriedly answered, “The first day…”

She had to lie no matter what.

“First day, huh,” drawled Elliot. “Six days to go then.”

She laughed up her sleeve as she buried herself in his arms, and Elliot lowered his head to kiss her cheek tyrannically yet dotingly.

“Alright, cut it out. Don’t stay up too late.” She left his arms, allowing him to return to his work, and as she left, he gave her a cheeky smack out of the blue, making her blush. Excuse me!

However, Elliot grinned, seemingly enjoying her reaction while she fled upstairs.

When morning came, Wanda hailed a cab to Tillman Constructions after having her breakfast at home, for she had assumed Anastasia would come bright and early.

“Sorry, I was wondering whether Miss Anastasia Tillman has arrived for work?” she asked after arriving at the guardhouse.

“And you are?”

“I’m looking for her.”

“Register, please.”

“I’m Wanda Garner.” Wanda gave her name.

The guard happened to be Erica’s man and he grabbed his phone, entered the guardhouse, and called Erica after learning who he was speaking to. “Miss Erica, Wanda Garner has arrived.”

“Do as I’ve told you and bring her to me,” she ordered.
“I’ll hold you to that. Which day are you on?” Elliot began marking time like a hunter who had set the traps, sitting out, waiting for his game to fall into it.

“Yes, ma’am. I’ll bring her right away.”

With that, he went out and said to Wanda, who had been waiting outside. “You’re looking for Miss Anastasia Tillman, you said? Follow me. I’ll take you there.”

Wanda was already so eager to meet up with Anastasia that she boarded the golf cart without hesitation, and it wasn’t until the guard had driven more than a mile that she began panicking. “Sir, where are you taking me?”

“Miss Tillman’s up ahead. We’re almost there.” In the security guard’s defense, he didn’t know he was handing a human life to Erica on a silver platter since he believed that Erica just wanted to see her.

“Is Miss Anastasia’s office in this area?” a curious Wanda asked.

The guard naturally wouldn’t ask why Erica wanted to see this woman. His job was only to deliver, and he wouldn’t want to offend Erica unless he wanted to lose his job.

Erica and Patrick had long arrived and they watched the guard escort Wanda to their building from the second-floor window. “Miss Tillman’s inside. Go on in!” said the guard.

Wanda was bewildered that Anastasia’s office was located in such a place, for it looked obviously abandoned.

After she entered the building, the door suddenly shut behind her, and she turned around in fright only to see a man—Erica’s birth father!

At last, she realized she had fallen into a trap. I’ve been brought to Erica!

Erica descended the stairs while sneering, “You’re one lucky woman, Mrs. Garner. Who’d have thought you could still live after falling into the sea.”

“You’re a monster, Erica Tillman. Do you really think I’ll die so easily?” condemned Wanda as she pointed to Erica. As Wanda’s focus was on Erica, it gave Patrick the perfect opportunity to grab her throat.

Unfortunately for Patrick, Wanda was strong, having gained her strength and muscles from doing house chores for years and she sank her teeth into his arm.

“Ahhhh!” he cried out in pain and kicked her away.

Seeing so, Erica immediately charged toward Wanda, who shoved Erica away in turn, making her way to the second floor. The main door was locked now; there was no way she could escape from there.

She set her sights on the windows straight away after arriving on the second floor.

“Dad, grab her. Don’t let her get away,” Erica shouted.

Patrick instantly pulled out the machete they had been setting aside for this and charged toward Wanda, scaring the wits out of her. Before she could register anything, a sharp pain came to her lower abdomen, and she fell back the next second and out of the window.

Though she had suffered an injury on her lower abdomen and also dropped from the second floor, she was still going strong, running toward Tillman Constructions while pressing on her bleeding abdomen.

“Dad, she’s getting away!” Erica shouted in terror.

As anxious as Patrick was, he still dared not jump out of the window. “She hasn’t gone far, Erica. I’ll run downstairs and chase after her.”

The area was deserted, for the warehouses here were all abandoned. Despite being seriously injured and also having fallen off a building, Wanda had one thing in mind: she couldn’t die; she had to bring Erica’s true parentage to light.

Erica has to pay the price!

“Help! Someone wants to kill me… Help!” Wanda shouted feebly.

Patrick had caught up with his machete, and his desire to kill Wanda had overthrown his reasoning at this point. No one else could know of his daughter’s true parentage; this woman had to die!

Just then, a motorcycle was passing by, and when the man heard Wanda’s cries for help, he immediately turned in. “Help, help…” Wanda called out at once, seeing there was finally someone.

“What’s wrong, ma’am?” the man asked when he saw that she was covered in blood.

“Someone wants to kill me. Please take me to Tillman Constructions’ front gate…”

Coincidentally, the man was an employee of Tillman Constructions. Without another word, he helped Wanda to his motorcycle and sped away.

Meanwhile, Patrick had hidden away, and cold sweat gathered on his forehead when he saw that Wanda had been taken away. Alas, he had failed his daughter.

Not minutes after Wanda had been taken to the front gates that a black Rolls-Royce pulled over, for a crowd was blocking the path.

“Dad, she’s getting away!” Erica shouted in terror.

As anxious as Patrick was, he still dared not jump out of the window. “She hasn’t gone far, Erica. I’ll run downstairs and chase after her.”
“Miss Tillman, something seems to be going on in front,” the bodyguard notified Anastasia, who was seated at the back.

Worried about the commotion, Anastasia got out of the car and hurriedly squeezed into the crowd. Just then, someone shouted, “Miss Tillman’s here!”

Anastasia discovered the weak woman lying on the ground was none other than Mrs. Garner, who had been working in Tillman Residence for the longest time.

“Mrs. Garner?” She squatted down and couldn’t help being taken aback when she saw her bloody lower abdomen.

“Miss Tillman… I want to tell you a secret… Erica isn’t your father’s daughter…” The next second, Wanda’s eyes rolled upward, out cold.

It took Anastasia a few seconds to recover from the shocking revelation, and she hurriedly turned to her bodyguard behind. “Take her to the hospital.”

With that, the bodyguard dashed to the nearest hospital. While Wanda was taken to the emergency room, Anastasia waited right outside, mulling over what Wanda had just said.

Erica isn’t Dad’s daughter… Does that mean Naomi had her with some other guy? Dad definitely wouldn’t be stupid enough not to do a DNA test before accepting Erica into the family. So Naomi tricked Dad, didn’t she?

Anastasia was too little to remember anything at that time. So if Naomi really did do something, it would’ve been using Anastasia’s blood in replace of Erica’s to successfully pass her father’s test.

Anger flashed across Anastasia’s eyes as the thought crossed her mind. Even her father had been deceived for twenty-over years. This despicable woman, who had no blood relations with her family, drove her out of her own home and even seized her father’s love for years!

Anastasia was so livid that her body started shaking. Also, why had Wanda suffered such a serious injury? Who did it to her?

Anastasia stayed outside of the emergency room alone. She had wanted to tell Francis about it but decided against it in the end, for she worried something would happen to him if he couldn’t take the news since he had just woken up.

Meanwhile, Erica drove back downtown with Patrick in nothing but fear and worry. Wanda had once again slipped from her fingers, so it was only a matter of time before Anastasia discovered the truth of her parentage.

And now, the one thing she had to do was to return to Tillman Residence, take all her mother’s precious jewelry and bank cards, and hide them somewhere.

She had Patrick lie low in the meantime, asking him not to find anyone lately and steer clear of the police lest he dragged her down.

Never had Patrick imagined in all his life he would kill someone for his daughter. Worst of all, he had bloodied his hand without finishing the job. He would definitely be doomed if Wanda ever regained consciousness.

In the Tillman Residence, Erica charged into Francis’ bedroom and ransacked the place, searching for anything she could immediately exchange for money.

However, it never occurred to her if she would ever have the chance to spend them after seizing them.

All Erica ever thought about was money and living a lavish, comfortable life. In her twenty years of living in Tillman Residence, she only ever learned one thing—spending.

Life would be a living hell for her if she didn’t have money. All credit to Naomi as well for successfully producing an incompetent daughter.

Lastly, Erica opened Francis’ watch case and took everything in there away without hesitation.

She decided that she would leave Averna and hide in a different town. For all she knew, Wanda might not actually hold her liable.

Back in the hospital, the doctors managed to revive Wanda. Fortunately, the wound wasn’t on her vital organs, or she actually might not have survived.

Wanda had also woken up in no time, finding Anastasia standing by her bed. Because of Naomi, Wanda also snubbed Anastasia in many ways.

who’d have thought Anastasia would one day be

life.” Wanda knew she

Why were you hunted,

Wanda recounted the first time she overheard Erica and her birth father’s conversation, to Erica

just to keep her true parentage under wraps. All Erica ever thought about was money and living a lavish, comfortable life. In her twenty years

you swear everything you’ve told me is

be d*mned to hell if I have lied to you!” Wanda was so agitated that she nearly

gaze. In that case, you shouldn’t blame anyone else when you’ve dug your

asked Wanda. “I’ll

be put behind bars too, won’t I?” asked Wanda

I can have the lawyer defend you so that you’ll receive the most lenient sentence. But if you do press charges, Erica and her birth father will have to spend at

consideration. “Okay, Miss Anastasia. We’ll do as you

said with red-rimmed eyes. Poor Mrs. Garner,

guard. Don’t you worry,” uttered Anastasia to comfort her. “As long as you’re willing to press charges, none of them will

Naomi brought her daughter along with her and taken over her home, but the love that was supposedly hers was also

police, who immediately looked into her incident from that morning and also declared Erica and Patrick

be paying a heavy price for her misdeeds, she thought, and all of this was due to

be too late for Naomi to regret her actions. That was if she even felt

visited her stepmother. Since she happened to be available, why not let Naomi know of her precious baby girl’s fate and that Anastasia’s father had

the bars, she lunged forward agitatedly. “Anastasia, Anastasia, are you here to bail me out?

crossed her arms while sneering, exuding apathy. “I’ve

she done anything wrong?”

daughter is charged

guts to do that. How dare she kill a human when she can’t even kill an animal? Don’t slander my daughter, Anastasia Tillman. You’re bullying her behind my back, aren’t you?!” Naomi

dare to murder in the past, but you’ve fattened up her ambition and courage so much that she can do anything

both of you have Francis’ blood running in your veins.” Naomi thought kinship could persuade Anastasia to overlook

Anastasia’s eyes only thickened after she heard Naomi’s plea. “I do have good news for you,

That’s great; I’ve missed him

regained consciousness, he would definitely forgive her for even manipulating his will,

excited just yet.” Anastasia crushed her hopes unambiguously. Anastasia crossed her arms while sneering, exuding apathy. “I’ve come bearing

to your father, haven’t you? But don’t go thinking you can drive a wedge between us. Besides,

so livid that she was beginning to

Erica my father’s daughter?”

and shrieked, “How dare you, Anastasia. You can hate

know who your daughter attempted to

Panic filled Naomi’s

a man to wound her with a machete. Wanna guess

over. Luckily she

her parentage would be exposed, lured Mrs. Garner to the coast and mercilessly pushed her down. After Mrs. Garner was saved, Erica then sought help from her birth father, Patrick. They lured Mrs. Garner to an abandoned warehouse this time and made another murder attempt. Mrs. Garner has already pressed charges,

began heaving upon hearing Anastasia’s words. Shrieked dramatically, she seemed to be left with

years, your daughter

death grip on the bars and scream, “Spare my daughter, Anastasia! She’s

herself. Spare

steak like she was still a socialite until the police walked in, where she turned fearful, causing the cutleries in her hands to slip and

Erica Tillman, you’re now the prime suspect for attempting to assassinate Madam Wanda Garner twice. We’re gonna have to take you into custody

pale as a sheet and everyone in the room had their eyes on her. Her mind was a complete blank and she shivered uncontrollably.

didn’t kill anyone. I did not! She was the one who threatened me first! I didn’t mean to kill her…”

get out of bed and move about; he had even gone to the gym once! He was now

spoke excitedly as he looked at his

I’ve got something to tell you next. Please

say it. I’ve faced death in the face, so there

isn’t your biological daughter. She was conceived by Naomi with

of shock while

paternity test with Erica if you would like more confirmation.” Anastasia was sure about this as she knew that Mrs. Garner’ words were definitely

me for the past twenty years! She showed me a paternity test report back then. Was that a falsified

used my blood to run the test back then,”

and was extremely disappointed in Naomi’s conduct. He turned to look at Anastasia with remorse filling in his eyes. “Anastasia, I’m so sorry for neglecting

past, so there is no point in bringing it up. Right now, I just hope that you won’t be lenient this time. Naomi has to face the consequences of her actions. Erica has also

Erica… What sort of crime?” Francis asked

that Erica was actually heartless enough to commit attempted murder. “She has the exact same personality as her mother. How can they be so heartless? I can’t believe that she killed Mrs. Garner

could you leave this matter in my hands? Don’t interfere in this.” She did

in agreement. “Sure, I won’t interfere in this. Just

You would need to be interviewed by the police regarding the

her father as she did not want any of his feelings and kinship toward Naomi to jeopardize the matter. She had already made

completed. I don’t want such a dangerous person staying by

intensified at that point. Right now, he was relieved that she was able to handle everything on her own.

Francis nodded. Since the situation had arrived to such a stage, there would be no point in him drafting a will anymore because

received a phone call from Elliot. He mentioned that he was sending a car over to pick her up as today was the day he

herself to relax and focus on accompanying

Tillman, before we leave for the port, President Presgrave asked that you pay a visit to the gown boutique and change into a

and replied, “Sure.” He’s arranged

boutique and looked stunning

see anyone being able to own this color as much as you do! It looks perfect on you!” the boss of

for your kind words,” Anastasia replied politely

admired the scenic views along the way and her heart was never

had just darkened and the illuminated yacht stood out even more in the sea. It was

yacht and as Anastasia alighted from the car, her

cabin when she heard

the aura of a rich little young man.

she was quite taken aback because her son actually resembled Elliot a

you look so beautiful today!” Jared tilted his head slightly as he realized that his

Anastasia enjoyed

beautiful and that’s why I’m such an

after hearing his double entendre compliment. “I think you’re taking this chance to praise yourself more than

as he could

sight of him made Anastasia feel flushed. Wow, not many people

realized that they were about to be engaged soon, she suddenly

criterias for a beautiful woman. Her

him, these traits had become the reasons why he felt attracted

suits you well,” Elliot praised

“Really?”

I’ll keep my jealousy to myself then,” he spoke up generously, as if she needed his permission on

that moment, Anastasia was speechless. I’ve worn dresses that are much more revealing than this! If this was something that he intended to patrol her on, then he would have his hands full

keep my mommy company. You guys can have some romantic time together.” After Jared said that, he

as Elliot comforted in a low voice, “Don’t you worry. There are bodyguards

finally relaxed and enjoyed the feeling of being out at sea. The yacht sailed along the sea steadily and they remained close to

days were finally released and she felt as if she was located in another realm, embracing

top chef to prepare dinner for them. The tender and juicy steak was paired perfectly with some fine wine. Jared, on

he seemed to have grown much taller and well-built from his stay at Presgrave Residence for the past month. Perhaps, he was

Harriet for taking care of Jared so well. At the same time, she also realized that

at Elliot’s broad and strong back. At that moment, there was a sense of security that welled up within her and she felt as if she could safely depend

on the bed and Anastasia waited outside the corridor for Elliot

silently before he was led to Anastasia to the master bedroom. As soon as they entered the doors, he

can do what I wanted

already raised her chin and cupped

and tenderness that he expressed. Finally, he was satiated and released her as she snuggled into his arms

start making preparations for our engagement party,” Elliot spoke softly in her

didn’t want to make him wait any

for quite some time, turned up at his company. The first thing he wanted to deal with was to sue his lawyer for amending his will without

there would be proof that he had received a bribe of a million in

Newman, he had been in a residential area before he was taken into custody that morning. He trembled hard out of fear as he never expected that he would have to pay such a huge price at this age for a daughter

station, Erica’s face was as pale as a sheet, and her eyes were lifeless. In just one day, she had lost her arrogance, and all that was left in her was fear for her future and

heading, ‘The second daughter

she was worried that he would reveal something incriminating about her. After all,

piece of news about Erica. At that moment, she sat upright in

she finished reading the news, she cackled loudly and

believe Erica would somehow end up in this state!” Hayley couldn’t stop cackling, and just then, she felt a dull pain on

appearances, but she knew that several spots on her face required fixing and upkeep. However, she couldn’t afford that, so

was going to give her a few million, but now that he had been taken into custody, it meant that

the bathroom and took a look at her face in the mirror, which was still quite beautiful. However, she panicked as she studied her face intently. The bulge on her forehead was too prominent and couldn’t be covered up despite the amount of foundation she applied to it. It was even more prominent

money. Suddenly, she thought of Elliot and

the situation and mentally calculated that it had been several months since she did that despicable thing to Harriet, so

at the time and it was only 9.00AM, so she decided to wait for Elliot at the underground parking lot of Presgrave

used to turn up there quite often, so the receptionist remembered

elevators and went directly to the underground parking lot. She hid close to Elliot’s specific parking space and

saw the lights of a familiar car

Elliot was here.

to check her makeup under the lights. Subsequently, she tugged at her neckline

over, Hayley rushed forward with a bag in her hand. However, the bodyguard, who had just gotten out of the car, stopped her. He warned, “Lady,

so step aside,” Hayley

stepped out of the car elegantly wasn’t Elliot. In

from behind, “How can you be so shameless, huh? I can’t believe you actually have the cheek

forced your own sister into prison, so you’re definitely the most heartless and ruthless person