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

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

me in detail. Why

time she overheard Erica and her birth father’s conversation,

Erica ever thought about

is

d*mned to hell if I have lied

sneered to herself when she saw Wanda’s sincere gaze. In that case,

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

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

indeed blackmailed her, 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

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

security guard is also their accomplice. 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

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

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

who immediately looked into her incident from that morning and also declared Erica

relate her mishaps. Erica will be paying a heavy price for her

be too late for Naomi to regret

which, it had 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 had

through the bars, she lunged forward agitatedly. “Anastasia, Anastasia, are you here to bail me out? I’m

sneering, exuding apathy. “I’ve

Erica? Has she done anything wrong?” Naomi turned

is charged

My Erica doesn’t have the guts to do that. How dare she kill a human when she can’t even kill an animal? Don’t slander my

murder in the past, but you’ve fattened up her ambition and courage

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

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

regained consciousness?! That’s 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,

forgive 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 about

you’ve said nothing but terrible things about me to your father, haven’t you? But don’t go thinking you can drive a wedge between us.

was so livid that she was beginning to

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

panicked in response and shrieked, “How dare you, Anastasia. You can hate Erica, but I won’t

know who

Panic filled Naomi’s

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

her chair, suddenly jolted and nearly fell over. Luckily she held a tight grip on the table. “I don’t know

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 attempt. Mrs. Garner has

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

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

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

sneered to herself.

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

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

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

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

as he could now get out of bed and move about;

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

I’ve got something to tell you next. Please stay

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

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

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

confirmation.” Anastasia was sure about this as she knew that Mrs. Garner’ words were definitely worth trusting. Furthermore, Naomi’s reaction

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

my blood to run the test back then,”

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

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

of crime?” Francis asked in

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

up under your care and you’re attached to her, but could you leave this matter in my hands? Don’t interfere in this.”

I won’t interfere

would need to be interviewed by the police regarding the matter of how she forced medications on you before you passed

father as she did not want any of 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 person staying by your side,”

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

the situation had arrived to such a stage, there would be no point in him drafting 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

complications, she convinced herself to relax and focus on accompanying

pay a visit to the gown

Anastasia smiled and replied,

boutique and looked stunning

own this color as much as you do! It looks

for your kind words,” Anastasia

dusk, as the night approached. She admired the scenic views 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

as Anastasia alighted from the car, her long hair was blowing in

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

of a

taken aback because her son actually

today!” Jared tilted his head slightly

Anastasia enjoyed listening to

I’m such an adorable and handsome child!” Jared chuckled

entendre compliment. “I think you’re

in a white shirt paired with a dark-colored vest as he could withstand the cold. The tapered pants that he wore accentuated his

sight of him made Anastasia feel flushed. Wow, not many people can resist his

soon, she suddenly felt worried that she might not be

studied her intently with a smile on his face. She fulfilled all his criterias for a beautiful woman. Her imperfections naturally become perfections to

him, these traits had become the reasons why he

suits you well,” Elliot praised

“Really?”

tonight, so I’ll keep

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

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

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

steadily and they remained close to the shores so that they could see the buildings all beautifully lit

days were finally released and she felt as

The tender and 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 and satisfying his meals every

stay at Presgrave Residence for the past month. Perhaps, he was even much healthier than when he was with

gratitude toward Harriet for taking care of Jared so well. At the same

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

on the bed and Anastasia waited outside the

of the door silently before he was led to Anastasia to the master bedroom. As soon as they entered the

tonight. Finally, I can do what I wanted to

already raised her chin

Finally, he was satiated and released her as she snuggled into his arms shyly

start making preparations for our engagement party,” Elliot spoke softly

want to make him wait any

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

Francis to be able to regain consciousness and that there would be proof that he had received a bribe of

he was taken into custody that morning. He trembled hard out of fear as he never expected that he would have to

was 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. They placed Jared on the bed

this 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

to appear in public as she was worried that he would reveal something incriminating about her. After all, she had been by his side

her phone when she suddenly saw a piece of news about Erica. At that moment, she sat upright

reading the news,

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

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

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

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

as she racked her brain to find a way to obtain money. Suddenly, she thought of Elliot and wondered if

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

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

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

parking lot. She hid close

merely ten minutes, she saw the lights of a familiar car turning in this direction. That

Elliot was here.

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

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

so step aside,” Hayley

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

to leave. However, there was a mocking voice that rang out from behind, “How can you be so shameless, huh? I

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