Never Too Far Novel

“Goodness! He is so handsome!”

“He must be buying it for his girlfriend!”

It turned out that two young ladies were secretly admiring Jared from a distance while they gossiped about him. At the same time, both of them couldn’t help but envy the lady whom Jared was buying the sanitary pads for.

Meanwhile, Jared appeared to be crouching down while looking closely at every single product to find the brand that Ellen sent him earlier without feeling uncomfortable at all. After that, he took two of every product that Ellen told him to buy and headed to the counter for payment. Then, he made his way back home as quickly as he could, unwilling to keep Ellen waiting for too long.

On the other hand, Ellen was sitting on the couch restlessly as if she had needles in her pants. At the same time, she had to use tissues as a substitute for a sanitary pad until someone opened the door and entered the place. Then, she quickly grabbed what she needed from Jared and rushed into the bedroom.

When she was finally able to heave a sigh of relief, she saw the man already waiting for her by the bathroom door. At the sight of Jared’s presence, the lady blushed in her cheeks, for it was her first time letting a man buy menstrual products for her. The next moment, Jared took Ellen to the couch and poured her a glass of warm water, which she happily took with her hands as if she no longer felt the pain with his love and care.

Later that night, Ellen went to sleep with her arms wrapped around Jared; that was the only way she felt secure and comfortably warm. When she opened her eyes the next morning, the man who lay beside her was already gone, only leaving a note behind. ‘Good morning, babe. I need to head down to the office first, but don’t worry. Someone will prepare you breakfast. Be sure to rest well.”

Ellen was stunned when she saw the note. She then got off her bed and stepped out of the bedroom, only to see a middle-aged woman cooking in the kitchen.

“Miss Reiss, I just made you some chowder and chicken soup. Would you like to have them now?”

“Um, who might you be?” Ellen asked.

“You may call me Felicia. I’ll be responsible for your meals and all the house chores from now on. Mr. Presgrave wants you to have enough rest.”

“Alright, thank you.” Ellen nodded as she was indeed hungry.

…

Meanwhile, an intense meeting was going on at Presgrave Corporation about a company that was on the brink of bankruptcy despite having a history of over a hundred years old in Xaswela. While its bankruptcy drew the attention of all huge corporations across the world, Presgrave Corporation was no exception at all. In fact, they wanted a piece of what was left of the company, so they were especially ambitious in acquiring the company.

Therefore, they came up with a meticulous plan to go about their acquisition, only to be caught off guard by a huge rival from Hogland. Thus, the people from Presgrave Corporation’s procurement department quickly found themselves in a tight spot, where they needed a quick solution to resolve their problem.

As soon as the meeting was over, Jared heard his phone ringing on the table. “Hello?” he said after answering it.

“Hello, Mr. Presgrave. My name is Hannie Quins, and I’m the person in charge of running the Quins Group. Thus, I would like to make a proposition with you on behalf of my family. When would you be free to meet up?” The young lady’s sweet voice sounded soothing, but her speech was not fluent.

Jared knitted his eyebrows, thinking it wasn’t appropriate for him to see Hannie due to their conflicting positions. “I’m sorry, Miss Quins. I don’t see a reason for us to meet up.”

“I’m sincere with my invitation, Mr. Presgrave. We may not meet today, but I’m sure we will someday. Actually, I’m more interested in you personally, so see you again soon.” Hannie hung up the call as soon as she finished her words.

Meanwhile, Jared put down his phone and went through the details that were left on his desk. When he flipped to the third page, he saw a rough introduction about the family members behind the Quins Group and set his eyes on a face under the third generation of the family tree.

It turned out that he had his eyes glued on the eldest child of the family behind the Quins Group, which was none other than Hannie, a lady who looked decently stunning in her looks and aura. Nevertheless, Jared only closed his eyes helplessly, feeling somewhat numb to the women who warmed up to him with an ulterior motive.

As he was no stranger to such circumstances, he didn’t feel surprised after receiving Hannie’s call at all. Instead, he was disgusted by her attempt to warm up to him.

In the meantime, a lady was wearing a long skirt by the window in a hotel’s presidential suite in the center of the city, keeping her ambitious eyes fixed on the building of Presgrave Corporation like a huntress spying on her prey.

A smile tugged on the lady’s red lips as she held a glass of red wine in her hand. When she unlocked her phone, it displayed a photo of Jared. It was the perfect airport photo, showcasing his handsome and captivating image.

Just then, her phone rang, and she glanced at it before answering the call. It was her father speaking in Hoglandish. “Hello, Dad.”

“Are you sure about this? I’m feeling a lot of pressure from your grandfather’s side.”

“Dad, trust me. My goal isn’t to take down that company. I just want to get close to Mr. Presgrave using this way. Don’t you want a son-in-law who is rich and powerful? He possesses all the qualities that I desire. I want to attract him.” The lady’s voice was filled with confidence as if capturing Jared’s heart was an absolute certainty.

“Alright, I’ll give you six months, and you can use the company’s resources to approach him.”

“Dad, if I don’t win him over, how is Grandpa going to give you the inheritance rights? Uncle Owen has already gained Grandpa’s favor. With Grandpa’s health failing, he could pass away at any time. I must fight for your inheritance rights while Grandpa is still alive,” Hannie firmly declared since marrying Jared was the best way to prove herself.

“Alright. I’m counting on you now.”

After Hannie hung up the phone, her assistant pushed the door open and walked in, holding the latest set of airport photos. “Miss Quins, this was just taken by our people.”

When Hannie took the photos and saw the photo of Jared holding hands with a young girl, her eyes narrowed a little.

“It seems that Mr. Presgrave has a girlfriend.”

“So what? I won’t let her get in my way. Compared to her, I have the upper hand.” Her eyes brimmed with confidence.

“Indeed, you’re not any less pretty than her. You will surely win him over.”

Hannie put down the photos, her eyes flashing with ambition and cunningness. Judging from how she was using her family’s power to compete in the acquisition, it was clear that she was serious about this. She was not just playing around. Therefore, no one could stop her. “Investigate her background. I want to know who she is,” she ordered.

…

On the other hand, Ellen had plenty of free time, so she spent the day learning how to cook from Felicia, trying to acquire a skill.

However, Jared had a social engagement tonight and said he would be coming home late. As such, she enjoyed her dinner alone, and Wanda left at 8.00PM after cleaning up.

Then, she waited for him on the balcony, looking out at the sea of lights outside. Although she was alone in such a large home, her heart was warm and full. This was because she knew that no matter how late it was, he would come back to her side. Sometimes, waiting was a happy thing for her.

Finally, around 9.30PM, the sound of the door opening came from outside. Hearing that, she quickly got up from the balcony and went to welcome him.

The man who came back had a slightly red face and a faint smell of alcohol on him. While feeling sorry for him, she hugged him and asked, “Are you tired?”

Jared hugged her waist and kissed her forehead affectionately. “Not anymore the moment I see you.”

In fact, Ellen could feel that he was under a lot of work pressure, but he never discussed work in front of her. How can he not be tired when he’s managing such a huge business empire? Yet, she could do very little, which made her feel rather guilty.

“I’ll take a shower, and then I’ll be with you.” Jared didn’t want to accompany her with the smell of alcohol on him for fear of affecting her.

He went to the bathroom, leaving his clothes on the couch. While hanging up his clothes, she noticed that there was a message notification on his phone. She reached for the phone and just wanted to take a glance, but when she swiped the screen, it unlocked at once.

A message then came into her sight. ‘Good evening, Mr. Presgrave. Would you like to go out for a drink tonight?’

The tone of the message sounded like it was from a girl. Startled, she placed the phone on the table and hung up his suit on the hanger.

However, the phone beeped again just as she returned to the couch. When she heard that, she wondered if it was the same girl from earlier.

Ellen reached out her hand and picked up Jared’s phone for another glance. Sure enough, a message with a somewhat sad tone came in. ‘Mr. Presgrave, I came from another country to invite you for a drink. Don’t you feel sorry for ignoring me like this?”

After reading the message, she felt her heart wrench a little. This girl is pursuing Jared so aggressively. Who is she?

When Jared came out of the shower, she was watching TV, so he approached her with some moisture on his body and pulled her into his arms. The fresh scent of the shampoo mixed with his masculine scent was enticing.

“Piggy,” he called her nickname as he kissed her.

However, she could only look at him apologetically. “I accidentally saw a message from a girl on your phone. She seems to be flirting with you. Do you want to explain?”

Startled, he quickly took his phone, and after reading the two messages, his expression became serious. “Her name is Hannie Quins, and she’s the successor of a competing company. There’s no need to pay attention to her.”

“It seems like she’s interested in you.” Ellen blinked.

At that moment, Jared lowered his head and rubbed his chin against her cheek affectionately. “The only woman in this world who interests me is you.”

When she heard that, her heart melted, and the hint of jealousy that had just arisen in her disappeared upon his gentle and firm gaze. “I believe you.” She snuggled into his arms. He’s the person I trust the most in this world.

“No matter what you see or hear, don’t be pissed first. I will explain everything to you,” he said as he stroked her head. Although he couldn’t control those outsiders, he knew that his heart would always firmly love her.

Warmth filled Ellen’s eyes as she nodded again. Suddenly, she hissed in pain as her lower abdomen ached again.

Immediately, Jared placed his warm palm on her lower abdomen, using his temperature to relieve her pain. His large palm was more effective than a heating pad.

After a while, she felt much better.

“It’s late already. Let’s go to bed.” After saying that, Jared reached out his hands and carried her with ease. “You’re too skinny. You need to eat more at home during this time.”

Ellen protested, saying, “No, I want to lose weight.”

not allowed to lose any more weight!”

arms. “Are you going to turn me into

Jared didn’t deny

him and said, “I’ll

on the bed, a strong sense of restraint showed

a grand charity dinner was held in Averna, and Jared was planning

also received an invitation. Although she was not in her home country, her influence and connections were very extensive, especially in

dinner, she didn’t hesitate to join in. Perhaps she could even become his dance partner! Growing up with too much confidence, she believed that winning over

the protection of Jared’s bodyguards, and the entire store was solely at

once provided Ellen with specialized service, and over a year had passed since they last met. She found that

pure and naive, but now, she exuded a mature and gentle aura; there was a calm and delicate look in her eyes. Her every movement emitted a mature and dignified aura. Moreover,

clean and refreshing aura that had a healing effect. She was the type that would be loved by both

way, Miss Reiss.” The store manager

and the store manager recommended the latest evening gowns. She believed that Ellen had her own eye for fashion, so

a keen eye for fashion and chose a green evening gown with a unique texture that

perfectly suited

This evening gown suits you so well,” the

looked refreshing and noble on Ellen. It appeared elegant at first glance, yet upon closer inspection, it revealed a calm and

a green evening gown that seemed to embody the early spring,

that this girl could always make him feel like he was falling in love for the

beautiful?” Ellen gently twirled the hem of her dress before

tinge of jealousy as he knew his woman would attract many envious glances tonight.

store, Hannie was dressed in a gold evening gown that accentuated the perfection of her figure, giving her a sexy yet

tonight, even though she knew he might bring his girlfriend. That feeling of excitement was even

bones—she loved taking what belonged to

tonight, Jared.” Hannie smirked as she looked at his photo

wealthy and powerful gathered at the

and truly deserving of an invitation. Tonight, there was also a rare jewelry auction taking

at the hotel entrance, and as the security guards approached, the bodyguards behind the black car quickly stepped out to stop them

knew the people in the car were VIPs

of the car before it was followed by a young man

gown out of the vehicle. Her skin was as smooth as jade with beautiful

girls who came tonight were all beautiful, but this one was particularly unique

of the guests as she confidently waved at the camera. Throughout the year of her

initial nervousness to her current composure every time she went to a chess competition

back then, he might have hindered her growth instead of helping her.

they entered the elevator, his gaze fell on her affectionately, and

really grown up

The stars were shining brightly tonight, and the air was filled with the fragrance of red wine and

waiter led them to a sofa exclusive to

and handed a glass of juice to the girl

a girl in the nearby crowd with two young men immediately locked her eyes on the man sitting elegantly on the couch. Her gaze showed a hint of surprise as she looked at

murmured in her native language, “Not bad.

more interesting. The stronger her opponent

time. She was trying to find a strong husband for her father’s inheritance. Since her father had no sons and only one daughter, her

could bring back an influential son-in-law to the family, she

I offer you another drink?” A young man beside her tried to please Hannie, who was known as Hogland’s first lady. Many men wanted to marry

coming for them. “No, thank you. I need to greet other guests,” she said as she picked up her red wine and headed toward Jared. She wore

by step, Ellen quickly noticed her. This young girl emitted an

Good evening,” Hannie greeted in

he narrowed his eyes slightly. He asked in

and we spoke on the phone yesterday!” Her smile was full

the matter?” He had an icy expression, and

was dampened by his gaze. She never thought that her polite greeting would be

Hannie left cleverly, not realizing how she had offended

to Ellen, looking more cautious than before. “Don’t misunderstand.

to seduce Jared, just like the

fight for and protect

be frustrating and annoying, Ellen realized that she

that the interest isn’t mutual, so

felt relieved and touched. The feeling of being

meet some elders.” He

heart skipped a beat; this meant that he would publicly announce their relationship within

who had watched Jared grow up. They were friends of his father and had worked under him, but now, they had made a name for themselves

your girlfriend, right?” a wealthy middle-aged woman said. As a woman, she could tell that a man introducing someone in this situation

Madam Hurney. She is

her eyes fixed on Ellen. Then her expression turned to one of delight.

smiled and nodded.

also like you so much.” Madam Hurney gushed with admiration, which

you for your kind words,”

to see such an excellent girlfriend,” Madam Hurney praised, noting that true inner beauty

Meeting Ellen is the greatest blessing of my life,” Jared

truly amazing, especially in that final game. I was watching the whole time! You’re incredibly talented!” an elderly

Everyone around me speaks

hold your wedding, we’ll definitely be there to

While thinking about this, her face was

away, Hannie observed quietly as Ellen walked with the esteemed elders alongside Jared. Hannie was surprised to see the warm welcome that Ellen received from these

Hannie’s attention. She was unwilling to lose to this ordinary girl. Hannie had investigated Ellen’s background and discovered that she was not from a wealthy family, and her education and

Hannie missed a recent piece of news as she was only interested

the restroom, perhaps due to having too much juice. She noticed Jared and the elders

me to come with you?” Jared asked in

to inconvenience him with such a thing. “You can chat with

Meanwhile, Hannie saw this

touch up, but at that

Reiss!” Hannie

her and replied, “Hi. Miss Quins,

Hogland. I learned English

she had some understanding

heard of my family.”

“Yes.” Ellen nodded.

Reiss, can we

with you, Miss Quins. Sorry.” Ellen

you want to know why I’m here? I’m here to collaborate with Jared,” Hannie said and continued, “We are competitors, but we can also be

but she

Reiss, I really like Jared and want to date him. Do you

said,

was stunned. She thought that by saying this, Ellen would panic. After

be with me?” Hannie directly offered money as she thought that Ellen was

she was only dating Jared. Thus, she quoted a price of one

aside her polite attitude and said coldly, “Miss Quins, please don’t insult people with money. Your money has nothing to do with me, and I don’t need it even if I’m poor. Also, he

background. You’re just an ordinary girl. Are you overestimating

felt that there was no point in

I were you, I’d be smart and take the money instead of competing with me,” Hannie threatened with unprecedented confidence as if she

was crazy. Does she think that every man in the world would

look in her eyes; it was clear that these were tricks she had honed through her experience in

in the corridor outside the restroom. He approached her and said, “Let me

since there was a buffet nearby, she nodded in

she attempted to showcase her charm. Meanwhile, Ellen had already taken her seat by the time

bumped into him, causing him to flinch and her to bump into the table. She immediately displayed a

warned coldly, “Don’t play tricks in front

Hannie said shamelessly as she just wanted

anger brewing inside her.

down, Ellen saw that Hannie had chosen a seat next to them, eating and staring at him with fiery eyes.

another man, a girl like Hannie would’ve

to splash the water in her cup on Hannie’s face to let her

attention to her,” Jared said, feeling extremely annoyed. He was concerned that Ellen’s emotions

couldn’t stand it anymore. She wanted to teach this girl a lesson and

you get me a glass of juice?” Ellen

Jared still got up and went to get her one. When Jared

walked past Ellen, Hannie naturally walked through the aisle next to

on him. A pair of legs stretched out from

She panicked, but it was too late because she had fallen to the ground.

as she crawled up in pain and stared at Ellen angrily. “How dare

innocently and said, “It’s not my fault you don’t pay attention when

She knew that Ellen did it