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.

Anastasia would one day be her

owe you my life.” Wanda knew she

Why were

conversation, to Erica pushing her

keep her true parentage under wraps. All Erica ever thought about was

Garner, you swear everything you’ve told me is the truth. Are you

I? I shall be d*mned to hell if I have lied to you!”

to herself when she saw Wanda’s sincere gaze. In that case, you shouldn’t blame anyone else

asked Wanda. “I’ll pay for all your legal fees

her for a million. I’ll be put behind bars too, won’t I?”

you’ll receive the most lenient sentence. But if you do press charges,

near-death encounters. Therefore, she instantly agreed with little consideration. “Okay, Miss Anastasia. We’ll do as you say. I want to

their accomplice. No one should be spared,” Wanda said with red-rimmed

you worry,” uttered Anastasia to comfort her. “As long as you’re willing to press

the love that was supposedly hers was also taken away from her, leaving her childhood and adolescent

no time, Wanda made a report to the police, who immediately looked into her incident from that morning and also declared

on the other hand, stood behind the window of Wanda’s ward and watched her relate her mishaps. Erica will be paying a heavy price for her misdeeds, she thought, and all of this was due to her mother’s failed

regret her actions. That was if she even felt

been a long time since Anastasia 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

stunning Anastasia through the bars, she lunged forward agitatedly. “Anastasia, Anastasia, are you here to bail me out? I’m sorry, Anastasia. I’ve learned my lesson

sneering, exuding apathy. “I’ve come bearing news, Naomi. It’s about your

about Erica? Has she

is charged with attempted

she can’t even kill an animal? Don’t slander my daughter, Anastasia Tillman.

you’ve fattened up her ambition and courage

matter what she has done. Please forgive her, seeing that both of you have Francis’ blood running in your

heard Naomi’s plea. “I do have

I’ve missed him

had thought it through. If Francis had regained consciousness, he would definitely forgive her for even manipulating his will, seeing that they shared a daughter, or

you for what you’ve done. Don’t get too excited just yet.” Anastasia crushed her hopes unambiguously. Anastasia crossed her arms while sneering, exuding apathy. “I’ve come bearing news, Naomi. It’s

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

she was beginning to sneer.

you sure you’re right to call Erica my father’s daughter?” Anastasia

you, Anastasia. You can hate Erica, but I won’t allow you

know who

Panic filled Naomi’s

tried to kill her by pushing her off a cliff into the sea. But because Mrs. Garner survived, Erica allied with a man to wound her with a machete. Wanna guess his name? Newman. Patrick Newman. I’m sure you’re familiar with it.” Anastasia smirked as she fixed

suddenly jolted and nearly fell over. Luckily she held a tight

Newman. Mrs. Garner discovered his identity when he went to Tillman Residence a month ago, and Erica, worried that 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

words. Shrieked dramatically, she seemed to be left with no choice. “Spare my daughter, Anastasia! I’ll

these years, your daughter was treated with nothing but love and affection while I—there’s

grip on the bars and scream, “Spare my daughter, Anastasia! She’s still so young… Please have mercy on her, please, I beg

to herself. Spare

of perfectly cooked steak like she was still a socialite

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

her. Her mind was a complete blank and she shivered

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

and move about; he had even

he looked

I’ve got something to tell

face, so there is nothing I can’t

conceived by

full of shock

about this as she knew that Mrs. Garner’ words were definitely worth trusting. Furthermore, Naomi’s reaction also clearly indicated the authenticity of this

showed me a paternity test report back then. Was that a falsified report then?” “Miss Erica Tillman,

blood to run the

He turned to look at Anastasia with

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 committed

Erica… What sort of crime?”

repeated the incident regarding Mrs. Garner to Francis, who could not believe his ears that Erica was actually heartless enough to commit attempted murder. “She has the exact same personality as her mother.

and you’re attached to her, but could you leave this matter

I won’t interfere in this. Just do what’s best for

the investigation of Naomi’s case. You would need to be interviewed by the police regarding the matter of how she forced medications

want any of his feelings and kinship toward Naomi to jeopardize the matter. She had already

completed. I don’t want such

Anastasia intensified at that point. Right now, he was relieved that she was able to handle everything on her own. As such, he decided not to bother

had arrived to such a stage, there would be no point in him drafting a will anymore because there would be only

phone call from Elliot. He mentioned that he was sending a car over to pick her up as today was the day he received his latest yacht, hence he wanted to bring her and Jared out to sea

she convinced herself to relax and focus on accompanying Elliot

that you pay a visit to the

Anastasia smiled and replied, “Sure.” He’s

gown at the boutique and looked stunning with a strong resemblance to

much as you

your kind words,” Anastasia replied

admired the scenic views along the way and her heart was never more at peace than this moment; it no longer felt

had just darkened and the illuminated yacht stood out

black car headed in the direction of the yacht and as Anastasia alighted from the car, her long hair was blowing in the

entered the cabin when she heard her son’s voice ring

fitted tuxedo while radiating the aura of a rich little young man. Furthermore, Anastasia could tell that

same time, she was quite taken aback because her son actually resembled Elliot a lot after the get-up.

so beautiful today!” Jared tilted his head slightly as

that true?” Anastasia enjoyed listening

why I’m such an adorable

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

Elliot strode out from behind a door looking tall and mesmerizing. Although it was early spring, he was merely dressed in a white shirt paired with a dark-colored vest as he could withstand the cold. The tapered pants that he wore accentuated his long legs perfectly and the tautness of his legs was extremely charming. “Thank you for

flushed. Wow, not many people can resist

be engaged soon, she suddenly felt worried that

intently with a smile on his face. She fulfilled all his criterias for a beautiful woman. Her imperfections naturally become perfections to him and ever since he fell in love with her,

closer to him—or at times, even avoiding him, these traits had become the reasons why he felt

suits you well,” Elliot

“Really?”

I’ll keep my jealousy to myself then,” he spoke up generously, as

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 as she was not conservative when it came

have a game. Stay here and keep my mommy company. You guys can have some romantic time together.” After Jared said that, he ran up the stairs on the other side since he was already familiar

Anastasia glanced at him as Elliot comforted in a low voice, “Don’t you

relaxed and enjoyed the feeling of being out at sea. The yacht sailed along the sea steadily and they remained close to the shores so that they could see the buildings all beautifully lit

felt as if she was located in

dinner for them. The tender and juicy steak was paired perfectly with some fine wine. Jared, on the other hand, had an exceptionally great meal course too;

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

care of Jared so well. At the same time, she also realized that Jared was a huge source of happiness for everyone at Presgrave

with Jared sound asleep in Elliot’s arms. Anastasia trailed along behind and stared at Elliot’s broad and strong back. At that moment, there was a sense of security that welled up within her and

on the bed and Anastasia waited outside the corridor

stepped out of the door silently before he was led to Anastasia to the master bedroom.

I wanted to do but was too shy earlier to do so,” he mentioned

already raised her chin and cupped her tiny face to kiss

satiated and released her as she snuggled

preparations for our engagement party,” Elliot spoke softly in her ears in a

agreed as she didn’t want to make him wait any

hadn’t appeared in public for quite some time, turned up at his company. The first thing he wanted to deal with

Francis to be able to regain consciousness and that there would be proof that he had received a bribe of a million in his bank account.

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 he hadn’t even met for the

day, she had lost her arrogance, and all that was left in her was fear for her future and regret for

the news with the heading, ‘The second daughter of the Tillman

she was worried that he would reveal

scrolling on her phone when she suddenly saw a piece of news about Erica. At that

murdered someone?” After she finished reading the news, she cackled loudly and was delighted by

this state!” Hayley couldn’t stop cackling, and just then, she felt a dull pain on her cheekbones from laughing too much. Instantly,

required fixing and upkeep. However, she couldn’t afford

few million, but now that he had been taken into custody, it meant that she had wasted

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

her brain to find a way to obtain money. Suddenly, she thought of Elliot and wondered if she could blackmail him into giving her

Harriet, so perhaps he would forgive her by considering their past relationship. Right now, Hayley had no other option but to

underground parking lot of Presgrave Group. She had been to

Presgrave Group. She used to turn up there quite often, so the receptionist remembered her and didn’t stop

elevators and went directly to the underground parking lot. She hid close to

car turning in

Elliot was here.

her makeup under the lights. Subsequently, she tugged

Hayley rushed forward with a bag in her hand. However, the bodyguard, who

Elliot’s friend, so step aside,” Hayley

that moment, the car door was opened, and the person who stepped out of the car elegantly wasn’t Elliot. In fact, it was

and she turned around to leave. However, there was a mocking voice that rang out from behind, “How can you be so shameless, huh? I can’t believe you actually have the cheek to come and

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