Never Too Far Novel

Connor gave his wife’s idea a thought and reckoned that it was reasonable. He then nodded. “You’re right. I can be in charge of her romantic future.”

“That’s right! So, we should look for a boy from a good family to woo Ellen as soon as possible. Since Ellen hasn’t been exposed to the world much, she might just agree to get married right away.” Olivia was immersed in her imagination.

After pondering for a bit, he stated, “I’ve got a friend. His son is twenty-six this year, and he seems to be looking for a wife. Perhaps I could introduce Ellen to him.”

“You should do that, then! We’ll match them up by then and have her married to him!” Olivia was relieved by the future she fantasized about.

Meanwhile, in another room, Selena no longer had the energy to do anything. Whenever the thought of Ellen and Jared’s relationship arose in her mind, she would behave as though she lost her source of happiness, feeling that no matter how marvelous of a life she led or how excellent her job was, she could never be as happy as Ellen, who got to enjoy Jared’s care.

The next morning, Ellen came to the company early. Being the diligent person she was, she wiped the surface of the desks around her even though the janitor had done that before her, perfecting the cleanliness by tidying up the desks and leaving behind a satisfying sight.

At half past nine, she took the opportunity to visit the Human Resource Department and looked for the lady manager who arranged her accommodation. The manager was surprised to see her knocking on her doors and entering her office.

“How may I help you?”

“Excuse me, Miss Curry. Has there been some kind of mistake in the living quarter the company arranged for me?” Ellen sternly inquired.

“What’s wrong? Could you not find it yesterday?”

“It’s not that. I’ve found it, but the room is too big and lavish… Why am I, a mere receptionist, assigned to such an extravagant unit?” Ellen genuinely hoped that the company was mistaken.

Hearing that, Joanna, the manager, immediately laughed aloud. It was her first time seeing someone complaining about the spaciousness of the living quarter assigned to them. “Ellen, I absolutely assure you that there is no mistake. That was indeed the living quarter we have arranged for you, so spare the doubt and settle in at ease!”

“But the unit is too big for me… Are there not smaller ones?”

“Well, that is the benefit our company offers. There are no smaller units. Just remain there. You just have to continue working hard to repay the company.”

At once, Ellen was dazed for a few seconds, after which she nodded. “Understood. Thank you, Miss Curry!”

Joanna watched as Ellen left before heaving a sigh. “Oh, she just doesn’t realize how fortunate she is!”

With that, Ellen returned to the reception, and it didn’t take long until she saw Selena and a few of her coworkers walking in a group. When Selena saw Ellen, cunning flashed across her eyes, after which she hastily grabbed the cup of coffee in her hand and walked toward Ellen. With utmost enthusiasm, she greeted, “Morning, Ellie. Here, I got you some coffee.”

“Thank you, Lena, but I had my cup earlier!” Ellen tactfully refused her offer.

“Aww, what’s wrong? Why are you being so courteous to me? Are you still mad at me?” Selena questioned.

Ellen shook her head. “No, I’m not.”

“Ellie, where are you currently staying?”

“I… rented an apartment by myself…” Ellen answered.

“Really? Then perhaps I should go hang out at your place sometimes.” Selena attempted to build a sisterly relationship with Ellen so that she could make things work between her and Jared.

“Sure.” Ellen couldn’t reject her right away, though she didn’t want anyone to visit her new place either.

As the next day would be the weekend, the reception crew was rather joyous since Presgrave Group’s best benefit to its employees was the two-day break during the weekend. As Ellen had been needing some rest recently, she wanted to take the time to relax.

“Ellen! What’s going on between you and President Presgrave?” Olive suddenly asked out of boredom.

In response, Ellen honestly replied, “President Presgrave and I know each other. As simple as that.”

Given that Ellen was an honest, innocent woman, Olive believed what she was told.

After getting off work, Ellen bought some takeout for dinner on her way home. Later, she sat by the French windows. Captivated by the distant sunset, she couldn’t help but snap a few photos of it. Then, for some reason, she felt the urge to share the photos with Jared and unconsciously sent him a text, stating, ‘The sunset glow is beautiful today. You should take a look at it if you have the time now.’

Currently, in the meeting room, the man received the message, the corners of his mouth curling upward as he read it. However, he couldn’t see the sunset in the meeting room, and it made him curious whether the evening sunset today was really that beautiful. After taking a glance at the time, he dismissed the meeting and left the room. As he stood in the hallway, he admired the evening sunset, which was even more magnificent and spectacular with the bird’s eye view. He then took a photo of it before replying to Ellen.

‘I saw it. It’s beautiful.’

After sending the message, Ellen was filled with sudden regret. He was busy, so how could she send him trivial text messages? Wouldn’t that take up his time?

Either way, it was too late to think about deleting her message now. Ellen was just berating herself for not doing something as thoughtless as this anymore when she heard a message notification and saw his reply. Instantly, her earlier frustration disappeared, and the corners of her mouth curled up in a smile.

So, he was looking at it too! He even sent a picture.

‘Are you still at work?’ Ellen asked, noticing keenly that the place he was standing at was a hallway in the company.

‘Yeah. I left work after my meeting ended earlier. Have you eaten?’

Ellen looked at the bread she was eating in amusement before replying, ‘Yes.’

What an honest girl, he thought. If it were anyone else, they’d be able to tell that he was going to treat her to a meal, while she told him that she’d already eaten instead, making him somewhat embarrassed to invite her out.

‘All right. I’ll treat you to a meal next time.’

Upon seeing his text, Ellen lost interest in the bread in her hands. She couldn’t help but let out a forced laugh. Was he planning to treat her to a meal earlier?

‘No, no, I only ate some bread, so I’m still hungry. Why don’t we eat together?’ Ellen replied, attempting to salvage the dinner he mentioned.

Jared was just about to enter the elevator when he heard the notification. His lips curled up into a smile, making Dean, who was trailing along next to him, curious about whom he was texting.

‘Okay, I’ll pick you up,’ he replied.

Ellen asked, ‘Do you know which neighborhood I’m staying in?’

‘Of course, I do. I won’t take long, so come to the entrance in ten minutes.’

Ellen sent a smiling emoji in reply. ‘Okay.’

After their texts ended, Ellen couldn’t help but blush and cover her face happily. She couldn’t believe she had taken the initiative to ask him out for dinner so boldly. If he’d refused, she did not know how she would face him again. Upon looking down, she realized that she was still wearing her uniform. As she was going to have dinner with him, she decided to put on something casual.

Therefore, Ellen went digging through her clothes. Soon, she found a white dress that she was most satisfied with and put it on. Although its design was nothing out of the ordinary, fortunately for her, she had a pretty face and a decent figure, so it didn’t look too bad on her. With that, she took her bag and went out quickly.

Ten minutes later, a gray sports car slowly came from the driveway, and she reached out to wave at it before heading over. The door of the car opened and revealed Jared in a black suit, who was exuding the charm and elegance befitting of a business elite.

“You look really good in a suit.” Ellen praised him. In fact, she wanted to tell him that he was the best-looking man she had seen so far.

“Is that so?” Jared was in a good mood as well. He was tired of hearing compliments from others, but he felt exceptionally happy when this girl praised him.

He took her to the restaurant they had been to in the past. As it was her second visit, she didn’t feel constrained. Besides, it had a homey and warm atmosphere, and it was quiet and private.

“Are your relatives still harassing you with phone calls?” he asked, his eyes narrowing.

“Not anymore. Speaking of it, it’s all thanks to you. I wouldn’t have known what to do otherwise.” She looked at him thankfully. As soon as he made a move, even people like Garrett obeyed him wholly.

“If you find yourself in a tight situation in the future, you can just tell me and I’ll solve it for you,” Jared assured readily.

Ellen smiled. Of course, she hoped that she wouldn’t have to bother him in the future.

“By the way, did you know how big the apartment unit that the company assigned to me was? It’s at least two thousand square feet!” She nearly forgot to tell him about this.

Jared froze for a beat before he played dumb and replied, “Is that so? The company randomly assigns the units sometimes. You should take it.”

“But I’m just a receptionist. How can I stay in such a nice place?”

“Just enjoy your stay!” Jared assured her, worried that she might notice something.

With a sigh, Ellen continued, “I even asked Miss Curry if she gave me the wrong unit, but she said she didn’t make a mistake.”

Immediately, Jared coughed and said, “The HR team is usually in charge of these things. Since there weren’t any mistakes, you should just make the most out of it and stop overthinking things.”

as she asked, “President Presgrave, don’t

was drinking from his glass and nearly choked on a mouthful of water. After hurriedly controlling his expression, he denied, “I don’t

any further, so she propped up her chin and said, “In that case, I’ll work hard in the future

finally let out a sigh. It seemed that she had her bright moments at times as

dropped her off at her house. After getting out of

and said, “I’ll leave

around and went in, looking back with each step she took. Meanwhile, Jared

the nearby square, feeling inexplicably lonely. She knew that after her grandmother’s death, she was really all alone now. Her uncle, Connor, the only one

she made up her mind to spend the rest of her life alone. In any case, she had enough money in her account to live comfortably, and as long as she worked earnestly every day and

she was doing her laundry, she received a call from

out for lunch today,” Connor said on the other end of

it’s

haven’t seen each other for some time,

no choice but to agree. “Okay, Uncle

you

the address, and I’ll take

to you later.” Upon saying

be by herself as eating with her uncle’s family was

sent the address and urged her to be there on time. She agreed, and at eleven o’clock,

traffic, she arrived a little late and was led into a private room by the waiter soon after. There, she saw three other people that looked like a family at the table in addition to Connor and

seat.” Connor greeted her enthusiastically, pulling out a chair

the sight. Wasn’t she supposed to eat with Connor and

“Good to see

said to her, “This is my old friend, Murray Fuller, and beside him is his wife, Christina. And this man here is

glancing at the young man. “Nice to

praised, grinning from

course, she is. All of the girls in our family are pretty,”

been glued to her face. He thought his date today would be just an ordinary girl, but he didn’t expect the

in a better mood at first glance. Moreover, he had been informed about Ellen while he was on his way to

and the two families ate while chatting. Ellen only had a few bites when she heard Connor’s voice. “Ellie is

explained, “Uncle Connor, I’m

have someone to take care of you and protect you, to give

Connor invite her for a meal to set her up on a blind date? Was he trying to introduce her to

has the personality and looks, and he’s capable too. He’s definitely the best candidate

He looks talented to me.” Although Olivia inwardly despised this family, she enthusiastically agreed with

heard that you’re working in Presgrave Group, and

to refuse, but Olivia immediately picked up her phone and said, “Oh! I have Ellie’s phone number here. I’ll give it to

but didn’t have the nerves to lose her temper. Hence, she watched as Olivia gave Harvey her phone number, who

you’ve been relocated. You’re so lucky! That place used to be worth nothing, but I heard that many

her an awkward yet

Ellie has always been lucky.” Olivia could tell that the Fullers were happy with Ellen, and she quickly

wine, Connor began to speak more bluntly, saying to Ellen, “Look, Ellie, I’m going to be honest with you. Murray has been my colleague for many years, and his son, Harvey, is a good boy, so I want to match you two together. Once you get married, both

mind went blank, and she hurriedly waved her hands in disagreement. “Uncle Connor, I’m not looking to get into a relationship any time soon,

eventually! How nice is it to have someone you can rely on and

anger. She

son, we promise to treat you like

“Although our family is not that well off, we’ll

see that the Fullers were dressed averagely, and that Murray always had a sense of inferiority in front of Connor, as if he was not confident and was constantly trying to

picky at your age. As a girl, it’s about time for you to get married.” Connor was still a chauvinist in some ways,

Ellen’s meek appearance, no one could figure out her emotions and they assumed that she was an easygoing person and that she would even agree to marry someone on a whim. However, while she was indeed an easygoing person, when it came to marriage, she

attend to, so I’ll be leaving first.” Upon saying that, Ellen

longer, she might forget about maintaining Connor’s pride and

a glance, and the latter immediately

benevolently. “Oh, it’s fine. Girls are always shy! I’ll just tell Harv to contact her more in

clear from a glance that Harvey was a mommy’s boy. Knowing this, Olivia sneered inwardly. If Ellen married into this family, her days would definitely be difficult as Christina

her frustration and her tears flowed out. Why was Connor doing this? Couldn’t she just live a good life alone? Had they

their leave, while the Fullers still remained seated. Without any outsiders around, the family no longer had

the down payment, then you can pay your mortgage off together. Since she’s rich, you don’t have to worry

make her

that well off, but things will get easier if we have

she was also wealthy. He had to win her over

“Ellen is so ungrateful! We’re just doing this for her own good, but all she does is give us that

for not telling her about the blind

that she can marry a millionaire now that she’s gotten

met, so things are up to them now,” he

surge of joy. Upon hearing that Ellen was a relocatee, the Fullers nearly had their eyes bulging out of their sockets. They’d definitely not let her

reached home when she received a text from Harvey. ‘Miss Reiss, are you free tonight? Let’s have dinner with just the two of

she felt nothing but irritation, not wanting to be disturbed at the

son of Connor’s friend, she put up with it

Harvey sent her yet another text. ‘Miss Reiss, I had a really good

she decided not to respond, thinking that her indifference would drive

grabbed it and took a look at it. Seeing that it was Jared who called her, she couldn’t help but suspect whether she was still in her dreams. Quickly, she answered the

weather’s nice today. Wanna

was still feeling

on the

her bed and widened her charming eyes. “You’re already

Take your time

dare to take her time and make her boss wait for her. Hastily, she replied, “Okay. I’ll head down

you soon, then.” Finished, Jared hung

the mirror and pondered whether to put on some subtle makeup, but since she was to go hiking for the day, her sweat would only ruin the

put on some sunscreen. Despite having no makeup on, her skin looked as delicate and smooth as a baby’s. Moreover, it accentuated the tiny mole on her nose, adding to

the sunlight approached her. The car window slid down, revealing a man in gray sportswear that was shrouded in unrelenting masculinity in the driver’s seat. Ellen was used to seeing him in his expensive suits, but now that

little girl but a twenty-two-year-old woman, so it was understandable if she were to take a few more glances at such an impeccably dashing

dreaming and get in, will you?”

into the car. Thereupon, she pulled open the car door and got into the car,

that moment, Ellen curiously asked, “Where are we

once we’re

the one speaking was another man, her alertness would have gone off the charts. Nonetheless, because Jared was the very man who uttered those words, she felt only one

drove up the viaduct, his car phone rang, to which he accepted the

tensely furrowed his brows. “Do you not

Ellen slightly startled, after which he comforted, “Don’t worry. My bodyguards wanted to follow us as per my father’s arrangement. They can be unwantedly persistent

us. Just in

too many on his trip. Essentially, his destination was a mountain his father brought him to hike back when he was a child. Although it was

hour of high-speed drive, they reached a county road near Averna, before proceeding for another twenty miles from the county road. Eventually, they arrived at a hiking

Jared took out a map and said, “I brought some food over. We’ll be hiking for about

and

so, the two began their hike from the foot of the mountain. In the beginning, there were man-made stone steps, but as they ventured deeper, the steps faded away,

were also couples hiking, as well as

mountain. Perhaps we can pay our respects when we

hike, they arrived at a slope, which not only challenged one’s legs but their arms as well since they would have to hike with the support of the branches by the sides. After climbing up the slope,

over, Ellen was dazed for a moment before bashfully reaching for his hand. As her petite hand was grasped by the man’s massive palm, a force dragged her upward, allowing her to borrow

shriek. Fortunately, Jared had yet to unhand her, and the moment he sensed that she was going to fall, he exerted an even greater force to lift her up.

sixty-degree slope. As Ellen was shocked, she hugged Jared especially tightly, while he comfortingly patted the woman in his arms as he encouraged, “It’s okay.

this tightly, let alone the fact that the man was her very

fresh air. As a chilly breeze blew over, they were highly invigorated, since such a sensation couldn’t be felt in the city. Ellen felt exceptionally relaxed,

one of them and pulled out two water bottles from his backpack and delicately twisted open

extended her arm to receive

him a call for her

and took out her phone to snap pictures of the surrounding scenery. At the same time, Jared’s

more photos of the scenery, Ellen suddenly felt thirsty again. She then grabbed an opened bottle and

When he reached for his bottle the next moment, he realized that the bottle he drank from disappeared as there was only a bottle that was sipped a few times left. Then, he was stunned to find Ellen drinking from the bottle he drank from. Taking a huge gulp, he pretended as though nothing happened and grabbed Ellen’s bottle before naturally chugging down the

clueless about the awkward matter. Otherwise, if she knew that she

box of chocolate, which he brought over specifically for Ellen, stirred up her desperation. “Here.

bring this just for

“Mm-hmm.” Jared nodded.

pieces and handed it to him. “Do you want one?

Although it wasn’t his

where they were. When their gazes fell upon Jared, their hearts palpitated. They saw this perfect specimen of a man back when they were at the foot of the mountain,