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.

have thought Anastasia would one day be her

me, Miss Anastasia. I owe you my life.” Wanda knew she would’ve bled to death if

please tell me in detail. Why were you hunted,

that, Wanda recounted the first time she overheard Erica and her birth father’s conversation, to Erica pushing her into the sea, up till what happened earlier in the

All Erica ever thought about was money and living a lavish, comfortable life. In her twenty

Garner, you swear everything you’ve told me is the truth. Are you hiding anything?”

to hell if I have lied to you!” Wanda was so agitated that she

gaze. In that case, you shouldn’t blame anyone

want to press charges against Erica?” she asked Wanda. “I’ll pay for all

be put behind bars too, won’t I?”

receive the most lenient sentence. But if you do press charges, Erica and her birth father will have to spend at least

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

accomplice. No one should be spared,” Wanda said with red-rimmed eyes. Poor Mrs. Garner, having to suffer this kind of

Don’t you worry,” uttered Anastasia to comfort her. “As long as you’re

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

a report to the police, who immediately looked into her incident from that morning and

and watched her relate her mishaps. Erica will be paying

for Naomi to regret her

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

forward agitatedly. “Anastasia, Anastasia, are you here to bail me out? I’m sorry, Anastasia. I’ve

her arms while sneering, exuding apathy. “I’ve come bearing news, Naomi. It’s

Has she done anything wrong?”

charged with attempted

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

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

your sister, no matter what she has done. Please forgive her, seeing that both of

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

I’ve missed him so much!” Naomi instantly feigned

he would definitely forgive her for even manipulating his will,

just yet.” Anastasia crushed her

father, haven’t you? But don’t go thinking you can drive a wedge between us. Besides, Erica is Francis’ daughter too! He

livid that she was beginning to sneer. How could Naomi continue to

call Erica my father’s daughter?” Anastasia decided to drop the

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

know who your

Panic filled

Garner survived, Erica allied with a man to wound her with a machete. Wanna guess his

she held a tight grip on the table.

with Patrick 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

to be left with no choice. “Spare my daughter, Anastasia! I’ll

is indeed a descendent of the Tillman Family. All these years,

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

sneered to herself. Spare

was still a socialite

attempting to assassinate Madam Wanda Garner twice. We’re gonna have to take

room had their eyes on her. Her mind was

me first! I didn’t mean to kill her…” she

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

he looked at his

tell you next. Please stay

in the face, so there is nothing I can’t handle.” Francis heaved

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

full of shock while he was significantly stunned. “What?! Are

very sure. You can conduct a paternity test with Erica if you would like more confirmation.” Anastasia was sure about this as she knew that Mrs. Garner’ words were definitely worth trusting. Furthermore, Naomi’s

for the past twenty years! She showed me a paternity test report back then. Was that a falsified report then?” “Miss Erica Tillman, you’re now the prime suspect for attempting to assassinate Madam Wanda

run the test

his fist tightly and was extremely disappointed in Naomi’s conduct. He turned to look at

all in the past, so there is no point in bringing it up. Right now, I just hope that you won’t be lenient this

sort of crime?”

not believe his ears 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 in order to conceal the

this matter

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

in the investigation of Naomi’s case. You would need to be interviewed by the police regarding the

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

once the investigation has been completed. I don’t want such a dangerous person staying by your

Right now, he was relieved that she was able to handle everything on her own. As such, he decided not to bother about the matter with Naomi and Erica. He would just leave everything in

stage, there would be no point in him drafting a will anymore because there would be only one person left to inherit

a car over to pick her up as today was the day he received

convinced herself to relax and focus on accompanying Elliot and

Tillman, before we leave for the port, President Presgrave asked that you pay a visit to the

and replied, “Sure.” He’s arranged

purple gown at the boutique and looked stunning with a

much as

you for your kind words,” Anastasia replied politely

way, she enjoyed watching the lights lit up one by one, as if it was commanded by the dusk, as the night approached. She admired the scenic views along the way and her heart was never more at peace than this

illuminated yacht stood out even more in the

alighted from the car, her long hair was blowing in the wind. Her

the cabin when she

a rich little young man. Furthermore, Anastasia could

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

head slightly as he

enjoyed listening

I’m such an adorable and handsome child!”

think you’re taking this chance to praise yourself more than

he could withstand the cold. The tapered pants that he wore accentuated his long legs perfectly and the tautness of

feel flushed. Wow, not many people

she suddenly felt worried that she

and studied her intently with a smile on his face. She fulfilled all his criterias for a beautiful

him, these traits had become the reasons why

well,”

“Really?”

around tonight, so I’ll keep my jealousy to myself then,” he spoke

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 to her

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 with

voice, “Don’t you worry. There are bodyguards upstairs, so they will keep him

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

frustrations from the past few days were finally released and she felt as if

juicy steak was paired perfectly with some fine wine. Jared, on the other hand, had an exceptionally great meal course too; Anastasia had always prided herself on being a great cook

his stay at Presgrave

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

they finally arrived back at the mansion with Jared sound asleep in Elliot’s arms. Anastasia trailed along behind and stared at Elliot’s broad and strong back. At that

Jared on the bed and Anastasia waited outside the corridor for

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

present tonight. Finally, I can do what I wanted to do but was too shy

raised her chin and cupped her tiny face

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

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

want to make him

next morning, Francis, who hadn’t appeared in public for quite some time, turned up at his company. The first thing he wanted to deal with was to sue his lawyer

did not expect Francis to be able to regain consciousness and that there would be proof that he had received a bribe of a million

trembled hard out of fear as he never expected that he would

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 regret for her actions.

to the press. Soon after it was revealed, the news with the heading, ‘The second daughter of the Tillman Family, Erica Tillman,

had been detained, Hayley remained holed up in a hotel room and she didn’t dare to appear in public as she was worried that he would reveal something incriminating about her. After all,

saw a piece

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

stop cackling, and just then, she felt a dull pain on her cheekbones from

face required fixing and upkeep. However, she couldn’t afford that, so she had no choice but to continue tolerating

that he had been

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

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

calculated that it had been several months since she did that despicable thing to Harriet, so perhaps he would forgive

she decided to wait for Elliot at the underground parking lot

to Presgrave Group. She used to turn up there quite often, so the receptionist remembered her and

directly to the underground parking lot. She hid

luck there, but unexpectedly, in merely ten minutes, she saw the lights of a familiar car turning in this direction. That was a distinct, elegant feeling exuded by a Rolls-Royce and

Elliot was here.

the lights. Subsequently, she tugged

with a bag in her hand. However, the bodyguard, who had just gotten out of the car, stopped

so step aside,” Hayley

out of the car elegantly wasn’t Elliot. In fact, it was Anastasia who got

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

and turned around to glare at Anastasia. “Anastasia, you’ve forced your own sister into prison, so