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.

thought Anastasia would one day be

I owe you my life.” Wanda knew

please tell me in detail. Why were you hunted, and who were

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

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

told me is the

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

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

charges against Erica?” she asked Wanda. “I’ll pay for all your legal fees

a million. I’ll be put behind bars too,

but you didn’t receive a single penny from her. 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 least ten years in

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.

spared,” Wanda said with red-rimmed

to comfort her. “As long as

her and taken over her home, but the love that was supposedly hers was also

made a report to the police, who immediately looked into her incident

mishaps. Erica will be paying a heavy price for her misdeeds, she

regret her actions. That was if she even felt

happened to be available, why not let

to the visiting room, and when she saw the classy, 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

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

about Erica? Has she

charged

doesn’t have the guts to do that. How dare she kill a human when she can’t even kill

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

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

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

consciousness?! That’s great; I’ve missed him so much!” Naomi instantly feigned

thought it through. If Francis had regained consciousness, he would definitely forgive her for even

Don’t get too excited just yet.” Anastasia crushed her hopes unambiguously. Anastasia crossed her arms while sneering, exuding

don’t go thinking you

was beginning to sneer. How could Naomi continue to act

are you sure you’re right to call Erica my father’s daughter?” Anastasia decided to drop the

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

do you know who your daughter

Panic filled

Erica allied with a man to wound her with a machete. Wanna guess

jolted and nearly fell over. Luckily she held a

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

words. Shrieked dramatically, she seemed to be

married my father with a daughter that has no blood relation to him whatsoever and used my blood to trick my father into thinking Erica is indeed a descendent of the Tillman Family. All these 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

Anastasia turned and left, leaving Naomi to hold a death grip on the bars and scream, “Spare my daughter, Anastasia! She’s still so young… Please have mercy on her, please, I beg

sneered to herself. Spare

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

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

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

I did not! She was the one who threatened me first!

and move about; he had even gone to the gym

allowed to be discharged,” he spoke excitedly as he looked at his daughter who had

something to tell you next. Please stay

faced death in the face, so there

She was conceived by Naomi with

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

more confirmation.” Anastasia was sure about this as she knew that Mrs. Garner’ words were definitely

then. Was that a falsified report then?” “Miss Erica Tillman, you’re now the prime suspect

used my blood to run

He turned to look at Anastasia with remorse filling in

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 a crime and she’s been taken into police custody

sort of crime?” Francis asked

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

understand that she grew up under 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

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

you to cooperate in the investigation of Naomi’s case. You would need to be interviewed by the police regarding the matter of how she forced medications on you before you passed

his feelings and kinship toward Naomi to jeopardize the matter. She had already made

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

able to handle everything on her own. As such, he decided not to bother about the matter with Naomi and Erica.

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

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

with such complications, she convinced herself to relax and focus on accompanying Elliot and

pay a visit

smiled and replied,

looked

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

you for your kind words,” Anastasia

along the way and her heart was never more at peace than this moment; it no longer felt heavy and she was

the illuminated yacht stood out even more in the sea. It was very luxurious

her long hair

entered the cabin when she heard her

a rich little young man. Furthermore, Anastasia could tell that her son’s outfit was tailor-made for

her son actually resembled

look so beautiful today!” Jared tilted his head slightly

Anastasia enjoyed listening

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

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

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

flushed. Wow, not many people can resist

were about to be engaged soon, she

criterias for a beautiful woman. Her imperfections naturally become perfections to him and ever

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

suits you well,”

“Really?”

issue with the dress is the low neckline, but there aren’t that many people around tonight, so I’ll keep my jealousy to myself then,”

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

Stay here and keep my mommy company. You guys can have some romantic time

at him as Elliot comforted in a low voice, “Don’t you worry.

that 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 up under the

frustrations from the past few days were finally released and she felt as if she was located in another realm,

something worth being happy about and Elliot had arranged for a highly-ranked top chef to prepare dinner for them. The tender and juicy steak was paired perfectly with some fine wine. Jared, on the other hand,

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

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

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 moment, there was a sense of security that welled up within her and she felt as if she could safely depend on him for

and Anastasia waited outside the corridor for Elliot

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

I can do what I wanted to do but was too shy earlier to do

chin and cupped her tiny

was satiated and released her as she snuggled into his

for our engagement party,” Elliot spoke

as she didn’t want to make him

first thing he wanted to deal with was to sue his lawyer for amending his will without seeking consent from

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

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 he hadn’t even met for the

arrogance, and all that was left in her was

with the heading, ‘The second daughter of the Tillman Family, Erica Tillman, was involved in the murder of their servant’, was

in a hotel room and she didn’t dare to appear in public as she was worried that he would reveal

piece

news,

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

several spots on her face required fixing and upkeep. However, she

that he had been taken into

still quite beautiful. However, she panicked as she studied her face intently. The bulge on her forehead was too prominent

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

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

for Elliot at the underground parking lot of Presgrave Group. She had been to the parking lot plenty

to turn up there quite often, so the receptionist remembered her and didn’t stop

directly to the underground parking

trying her 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

Elliot was here.

her long hair and took out a vanity mirror to check her makeup under the lights. Subsequently, she tugged at her neckline to lower it since she wanted to appear gorgeous in front of

hand. However, the bodyguard, who had just gotten out of the car, stopped her. He

so step

person who stepped out of the car elegantly

there was a mocking voice that rang out from behind, “How can you be so shameless, huh? I can’t

“Anastasia, you’ve forced your own sister into prison, so you’re definitely the most