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

Anastasia. I owe you my life.” Wanda knew she would’ve

in detail. Why were you hunted, and who were

birth father’s conversation, to Erica pushing her into the

and broke so many laws just to keep her true parentage under wraps. All Erica ever thought

is the

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

saw Wanda’s sincere gaze. In that case, you shouldn’t blame anyone else when you’ve dug

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

her for a million. I’ll be put behind

you didn’t receive a single penny from her. I can have the lawyer defend you so that you’ll receive the most

beyond furious when she 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 her. I want the father and daughter to be put

No one should be spared,” Wanda said with red-rimmed eyes. Poor Mrs. Garner, having to suffer this kind of torment when she’s at

long as you’re willing to press charges,

brought her daughter along with her and taken over her home, but the love that was supposedly hers was also taken away from her, leaving her childhood and adolescent years helpless, alone, and aggrieved. She, too, couldn’t let go of

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

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

for Naomi to regret her

she happened to be available, why not let

had been brought to the visiting room, and when she saw the classy, stunning Anastasia through the bars, she lunged forward agitatedly. “Anastasia, Anastasia, are you here

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

she done anything

charged with

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

fattened up her ambition and courage so much that

Erica’s still your sister, no matter what she has done. Please forgive her, seeing that both of you have Francis’ blood running in your veins.” Naomi thought kinship

beneath Anastasia’s eyes only thickened after she heard Naomi’s plea. “I do have good

consciousness?! That’s great; I’ve missed

regained consciousness, he would definitely forgive her for even manipulating his will, seeing that they shared

my dad doesn’t want to see you, much less forgive you for what you’ve done. Don’t get too excited just yet.” Anastasia crushed her hopes unambiguously.

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

was so livid that she was beginning to

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

dare you, Anastasia. You can hate Erica, but

who your

filled Naomi’s

by pushing her off a cliff into the sea. But because Mrs. Garner survived, Erica allied with a man

seated on her chair, suddenly jolted and nearly fell over. Luckily she held a tight grip

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

dramatically, she seemed to be left with

years, your daughter was treated with nothing but love and affection while I—there’s nothing any one of you can do to salvage all that I’ve lost. I want to see you pay the

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

to herself.

a high-end restaurant. She was enjoying a plate of perfectly cooked steak like she was still a socialite until the

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

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

threatened me first! I

out of bed and move about; he had even gone to the gym once! He was now an agile man on

he spoke excitedly as he looked at his

got something to tell you next. Please stay

faced death in the face, so there is nothing

by Naomi with another man,”

be calm, Francis’ expression was full of shock while he was significantly stunned. “What?! Are

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 reaction also clearly indicated the authenticity of this

report back then. Was that a falsified report then?” “Miss

to run the test back then,” Anastasia

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

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

What sort of crime?” Francis

“She has the exact same personality as her mother. How can they be so heartless? I can’t believe that she

your care and you’re attached to her, but could you leave this matter in my hands? Don’t interfere in this.” She did not wish for such a dilemma upon her

“Sure, I won’t interfere in this.

interviewed by the police regarding the matter of

any of his feelings and kinship toward Naomi to jeopardize the matter. She had already made up her mind to convince

two should get a divorce once the investigation has been completed. I don’t want such a dangerous person

he was relieved that she was able to handle everything on her own. As such, he

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

he was sending a car over to pick her up as today was the day he received his latest yacht, hence he

to relax and focus on accompanying Elliot

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

response, Anastasia smiled and replied,

the boutique and looked stunning with a strong resemblance to a dark

color as much as you

you for your kind words,” Anastasia replied politely and

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

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

black car headed in the direction of the yacht and as Anastasia alighted from the car, her long hair was blowing in the wind. Her figure was mesmerizing

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

aura of a rich little young man. Furthermore, Anastasia could tell that her

was quite taken aback because her son actually resembled

tilted his head slightly as he realized that his

enjoyed

beautiful and that’s why I’m such an adorable and handsome child!” Jared chuckled

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

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

him made Anastasia feel flushed. Wow, not

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

for

him—or at times, even avoiding him, these traits had

you well,” Elliot

“Really?”

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

this! If this was something that he intended to patrol her on, then he would have his hands full as she was not conservative

I’ll head upstairs to have a game. Stay here and keep my mommy company. You guys can have some romantic time

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

she finally 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

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

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 and

taller and well-built from his stay at Presgrave Residence for the past month. Perhaps, he was even much healthier than

the same time, she also realized that Jared was a huge source of happiness for

Jared sound asleep in Elliot’s arms. Anastasia trailed along behind and stared at Elliot’s broad and strong back. At that moment,

waited outside the corridor

the door silently before he was led to Anastasia to the master bedroom. As

were too many people present tonight. Finally, I can do what I wanted to do but was too

her chin and cupped her tiny face

dominance and tenderness that he expressed. Finally, he was satiated and

for our engagement party,” Elliot spoke softly in

She agreed as she didn’t want to make him

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 for amending his will without seeking consent from

proof that he had received a bribe of a million in his bank account. Thus, there was concrete evidence

custody that morning. He trembled hard out of fear as he never expected that he would have to pay such a huge price

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. They placed Jared on the bed

after it was revealed, the news with the heading, ‘The second daughter of the Tillman Family, Erica Tillman, was involved in the

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

she suddenly saw a piece

the news, she cackled loudly and was delighted by

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

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

that he had been taken into custody, it meant that she

her face intently. The bulge on her forehead was too prominent and couldn’t be covered up despite the amount of

money. Suddenly, she thought of Elliot and wondered if she could blackmail him into giving her money for that

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

9.00AM, so she decided to wait for Elliot at the underground parking lot of Presgrave Group. She had been to the parking

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

to the underground parking lot. She hid close

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

Elliot was here.

the lights. Subsequently, she tugged at her neckline to lower it since she wanted to appear gorgeous

soon as the car pulled over, Hayley rushed forward with a bag in her hand. However, the bodyguard, who had just gotten out of the car, stopped her.

step aside,”

person who stepped out of the

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 see

your own sister into prison, so you’re definitely the most