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 her

owe you my life.” Wanda knew she would’ve bled to death if she was brought

detail. Why were you hunted, and who

her birth father’s conversation,

Erica disregarded human life and broke so many laws just to keep her true parentage under wraps. All Erica ever thought about was money and living a lavish, comfortable life. In

you’ve told me is the truth.

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

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

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

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

you’ll receive the most lenient sentence. But if you do press charges, Erica and her birth father

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

guard is also their accomplice. No one should be spared,” Wanda said with red-rimmed eyes. Poor

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

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

made a report to the police, who immediately looked into

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

late for Naomi to regret her actions. That was if

time since Anastasia visited her stepmother. Since she happened to be available, why not let Naomi know of her precious

when she saw the classy, stunning Anastasia through the bars, she lunged forward agitatedly. “Anastasia, Anastasia, are you here to bail me out?

arms while sneering, exuding apathy. “I’ve come bearing

she done anything wrong?” Naomi turned

is charged

have the 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,

but you’ve fattened up her ambition and

seeing that both of you have Francis’ blood running

eyes only thickened after she heard Naomi’s plea.

great; I’ve missed him so much!”

regained consciousness, he would definitely forgive her for even manipulating his will, seeing that they shared a daughter, or at least she

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

turned grim in response. “Anastasia, you’ve said nothing but terrible things about me to your father, haven’t you? But don’t go thinking you can drive

beginning to sneer. How could Naomi continue to

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

can hate Erica, but I won’t allow you to question

you know who your daughter

Panic filled Naomi’s

Wanda Garner. Erica first 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

and nearly fell over. Luckily she held a tight grip on

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 warehouse this time and made another murder

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

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 I’ve lost. I want

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

to herself. Spare Erica?

restaurant. She was enjoying a plate of perfectly cooked steak like she was still a socialite until the police walked in, where she turned fearful, causing the cutleries in her hands

Madam Wanda Garner twice. We’re

on her. Her mind was a complete blank and she shivered uncontrollably. In the end,

me first! I didn’t mean to kill her…”

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

excitedly as he looked at his daughter who

something to tell you next. Please stay

say it. I’ve faced death in the face, so there is nothing I can’t handle.”

daughter. She was conceived by Naomi with another man,” Anastasia

swore he would be calm, Francis’ expression was full of shock while

very sure. You can conduct a paternity test with Erica if you would like more confirmation.” Anastasia was sure about this as she

can’t believe that she’s lied to me 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 Garner twice. We’re

blood to run the test

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

Right now, I just hope that you won’t be lenient this time. Naomi has to face the

Erica… What sort of crime?” Francis

heartless enough to commit attempted murder. “She has the

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 her

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

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

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

I don’t

toward 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 about the matter with Naomi and Erica. He would just leave

no point in him drafting a will anymore because

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 to

with such complications, she convinced herself to

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

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

and looked stunning with a strong resemblance to a

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

words,”

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

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

the car, her long hair

cabin when she heard her son’s

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

taken aback because her son actually resembled Elliot a lot after the get-up. Is this all a destined

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

that true?” Anastasia enjoyed listening

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

compliment. “I think you’re taking this chance to praise yourself more

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

made Anastasia feel flushed. Wow, not

engaged soon, she suddenly felt worried

intently with a smile on his face. She fulfilled all his criterias for a beautiful woman. Her

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

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,” he spoke up generously, as if

much more revealing than this! If this was something that he intended to patrol her on, then he would have his hands full as

have some romantic time together.” After Jared said that, he ran up the stairs on the other side since he was

voice, “Don’t you

being out at sea. The yacht sailed along the sea steadily

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

for them. The tender and juicy steak was paired perfectly with some fine wine. Jared, on the other hand,

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

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

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

Jared on the bed and Anastasia waited outside

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

can do what I wanted to do but was too shy earlier to do so,”

raised her chin and cupped

could feel the dominance and tenderness that he expressed. Finally, he was satiated

Elliot spoke softly in her ears

sure.” She agreed as she didn’t want to

in public for quite some time, turned up at his company. The first thing

he had received a bribe

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

In just one day, she had lost her arrogance, and all that was left in her was fear

matter to the press. Soon after it was revealed, the news with the heading, ‘The second daughter of the Tillman Family, Erica Tillman, was involved in the murder of their servant’, was trending in first place on the

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

a piece of news about

news, she cackled loudly

and just then, she

from Hayley’s appearances, but she knew that several spots on her face required fixing and upkeep. However, she couldn’t afford that, so she had no choice but to

few million, but now that he had been taken into

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

to obtain money. Suddenly, she thought of Elliot and wondered if she could

situation and mentally calculated that it had been several months since she did that despicable thing to Harriet, so perhaps he would forgive her by considering their past relationship. Right now, Hayley had

took a look at the time and it was only 9.00AM, so she decided to wait for Elliot at the underground parking lot of Presgrave Group. She had

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

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

saw the lights of a familiar car turning

Elliot was here.

a vanity mirror to check her makeup under the lights. Subsequently, she tugged at her neckline to lower it since

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

friend, so step aside,” Hayley replied

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

out from behind, “How can you be so shameless, huh?

took a deep breath and turned around to glare at Anastasia. “Anastasia, you’ve forced your own