Never Too Far Novel

Fear enveloped Tori’s face when she saw Katrina sitting in the police station, and she reflexively hugged her arms when she sensed a chill.

How is this possible? How did Katrina get arrested? Didn’t she say it was foolproof?! Wasn’t she confident of not being caught?! It has only been less than three hours since Josephine’s scandal was out, and Katrina has already been arrested! She even sold me out! Thank goodness the cops didn’t mention my full name.

However, the words ‘female news anchor’ and ‘Alford’ made her panic, for she was the only female news anchor whose surname was Alford in the station!

Tori held her chest as uneasiness arose within her. What’s to become of me if Katrina’s been arrested?!

Just then, her phone rang. Seeing it was an unknown number, she took a deep breath and answered it, “Hello, who is this?”

“Is this Tori Alford?” the caller went straight to the point.

“This is her speaking. Who is this on the line?”

“This is the city police department. We need you to come and cooperate with us on a case and give a statement,” said the female voice on the other end of the line.

“Now? But it’s already nine,” Tori said, thinking her social status should give her some leverage.

“The station is available 24/7. Someone will be available to take your statement. I suggest you come now.”

“C-Can I go tomorrow?” Tori tried to bargain.

“We will personally go to you if you don’t come on your own. Your choice! Goodnight, Miss Alford.” With that, the caller hung up.

Tori bit her lip in anger. It seemed that her social status didn’t carry much weight with the police. She quickly thought of someone she knew and made a call for help.

“Thomas, I’m in a bit of trouble. Can you help me out?”

After getting the other person’s agreement to help her, Tori finally walked out with her bag. However, she found her colleagues staring at her as soon as she came out, and there were whispers and finger-pointing wherever she went.

No one normally dared speak ill of her behind her back. But this very day, she became a public target.

“It’s her, isn’t it? She’s the one the statement is referring to.”

“It can only be her! Is there another anchorwoman with the surname Alford in our station?”

“To think she’s an accomplice in Josephine’s scandal! Poor Josephine.”

“Tell me about it. I feel so bad for looking down on Josephine now.”

When Tori entered the elevator, she could even feel her female colleagues’ disdainful gazes on her. A bold one even deliberately asked her fellow female colleague. “Say, who do you think is Katrina’s accomplice? Do we have an Alford anchorwoman in our station?”

“Of course, we do! Do you not know?”

“Sigh! I swear these people have nothing better to do! To think they continue to frame other people when they’re already news anchors!”

“You can say that again. The wicked are still wicked no matter how pretty they look.”

Alas, Tori could only suck it up even when she had been insulted indirectly. Now, she finally realized what Josephine was capable of.

After leaving the station, Tori ultimately drove straight to the police station, and when she arrived, the man she asked for help held Tori’s hand with ill intentions from inside the car. “Don’t worry, okay, Tori? I’ll take care of this. This is nothing! Go give your statement and leave the rest to me.”

Tori endured the disgust of being taken advantage of, for the man in the car was in his sixties, and though he was well-dressed, he exuded an old man’s smell that she couldn’t stand. She would’ve rather died than ask him for help before this. But now, he was her only ticket out of this, even though she knew she would have to pay the price.

“Go on, go and make your statement. We’ll talk when you come out.” It was evident what the man was implying.

However, Tori was genuinely fearful. She worried she would end up in jail because of Katrina. That way, her reputation would be ruined. How could she continue to survive in television in the future?!

Hence, she would inevitably have to ‘serve’ this old man if she wanted to get away with it. Fear surged within her, but she had no other choice. He held the highest governmental position among the people she knew.

“Alright, I’ll go in, then. Please do speak up for me if there’s anything, Mr. Zeigler,” Tori said with a sweet smile.

“Go on!” Thomas Zeigler’s eyes beamed lecherously, surprised that Tori would one day come to him for help.

After Tori entered the police station, she was whisked away to give her statement, and the police asked her questions based on Katrina’s testimony. “Tori Alford, according to Katrina Sullivan, you’re the one who incited her to frame Josephine Jacobson, is that right?”

“Katrina’s framing me! That didn’t happen at all! Josephine and I are good friends. No way will I harm her. Besides, why would I want to do that?!”

“But Sullivan insisted that you incited her into framing Jacobson and even promised to promote her to Jacobson’s position after this.”

“What a joke! Her brother-in-law is the station’s major shareholder. She just needs to beg her brother-in-law if she wants a promotion. Who am I to promote her?! I swear I’m innocent, officer. I have nothing to do with this at all. Do you have proof of my involvement?” Tori cleared herself of any involvement in the incident.

Indeed, Katrina was the only culprit based on the evidence they found. She superimposed the photos and uploaded them online herself.

“Tori Alford, we reserve the right to prosecute you for this matter. You can go home for now. If necessary, we will ask you to come back.”

Tori was instantly relieved. Katrina’s verbal statement wouldn’t do her any damage. However, she wasn’t sure if Katrina had other forms of evidence.

At that, she looked through her chat history with Katrina, and much to her dismay, they had discussed the matter over text, and she was the one who asked Katrina about the photos.

‘How did it go?’

‘They’ve been superimposed and ready to be uploaded any time. Just sit back and enjoy the show, Tori!’

Tori covered her mouth in fear at once, and she deleted the messages in a panic. However, she still felt disturbed, for she would be doomed if Katrina showed the police the messages.

Later, Tori gulped when she saw Thomas still waiting for her after exiting the police station. Ultimately, she took a deep breath and approached his car.

Meanwhile, Josephine returned home at about 10.00PM, and at this point, the news had turned around as the licentious photos had all been taken down. When she checked the comments again, everyone sympathized and apologized to her. Now, it was Katrina who was receiving public condemnation.

If her hunch was right, Tori was the instigator. Hence, Josephine wouldn’t stop at only having Katrina bear the brunt. She wanted to see Tori punished for her actions and apologize to her.

The woman couldn’t be left out of this.

She had switched her phone off, for she had been bombarded with calls, and a dozen or so of them belonged to Atticus, presumably because his wife wanted him to ask her to settle do a private settlement.

No way! Josephine would pursue the matter to the end. She would have everyone involved suffer the consequences they deserved.

At the same time, the Sullivans had been thrown into chaos, with Ivanka bawling and repenting to her parents, who were also all over the place, worried that this would be the end of their younger daughter.

“Mom, Dad, I promise you I’ll sort this out. I’ll have Atticus save Kat!” Ivanka swore to her parents.

Later, Ivanka threw the responsibility onto Atticus, who had no choice but to drive to Josephine’s home.

It was already 10.00PM, so Heidi couldn’t help but be bewildered to find her daughter’s boss at their doorstep. “What brings you here at this hour, Mr. Kowalski?”

“Is Josephine home, Mrs. Jacobson? I’d like to have a word with her, please.”

“She’s upstairs. Let me get her for you.”

Meanwhile, Josephine got dressed and went down when she heard noises. “I know why you’re here, Mr. Kowalski,” Josephine said, gazing at Atticus in the garden. “But there’s no room for negotiation. Please leave.”

“Josephine, I know that Katrina has gone overboard this time, but as long as you withdraw the charges against her, I assure you that I’ll fire her, and she’ll disappear from your life. Also, I’ll compensate you appropriately and ask her to apologize to you,” Atticus promised.

Unfortunately, Josephine could feel her blood boiling in her veins this time as she sneered, “Mr. Kowalski, this matter has breached my bottom line and you can forget that I’ll ever settle this matter peacefully. If you have any opinions against me, then I’ll submit my resignation first thing tomorrow morning. I’ll leave the company!”

“No, Josephine. That’s not what I mean. I’m not asking you to leave. I just want to know if we can settle this matter in private. After all, we’re colleagues and I would like you to make an exception for my sake.”

“No, I will not. Not only Katrina but Tori is involved in this as well. Please ensure that Tori is also well taken care of. If she remains in the company, I’ll resign as well. I do not want to see these two as long as I continue working here,” Josephine threatened.

Atticus gulped. It didn’t matter who resigned, but that person should never be Josephine! Otherwise, Ethan would be the one asking for him to tender his resignation. “Is there really no other solution, Josephine?”

“No. There’s no other way aside from tossing her into prison. Also, my grandfather is still hale and hearty, so I won’t be allowing anyone to pull any connections to get her out of serving time,” she warned coldly.

Finally, Atticus understood her intentions and could only let Katrina pay the price for her actions. “Okay, the company will take action against Tori as well. Don’t worry and please come back to work.”

At midnight, Tori sobbed while cleaning herself in the hotel bathtub, retching from time to time. Even if she didn’t end up in jail, the Heavens had bestowed upon her a different punishment because of what she did with Katrina.

After Ethan left the hotel, he went to the TV station. As the biggest shareholder of the station, he had a spacious and bright office that he didn’t usually use for work. Instead, he was here for fun. Right after he arrived, he checked the list of phone number extensions next to the phone. He narrowed his eyes as he carefully scanned the list until he found Josephine’s extension number and dialed it with his slender fingers.

farce of a meeting when the phone on her desk started ringing, and she instinctively picked it up.

upstairs,” a husky male

beautiful eyes widened a

Eighteenth floor,” he

here

company was

upstairs,” he repeated once

she pressed the button for the eighteenth floor and went all the way up. The eighteenth floor was reserved for higher management, and she didn’t know which way to go. Just as she

him. Her entire demeanor made him grin in amusement as he complained, “Why are you acting like a

you call me here?” she asked

closed the door, slumped back lazily on the couch, and answered, “I just

feel her face burning. “I’m

sports car for you,” he said with

Is this guy okay? Why did he buy me a sports car? “No! I can’t and won’t be

back to her. “I’ve already placed my purchase and it will be delivered in the afternoon. What am I going to do if you won’t

blinked as she bit her lip and tentatively inquired, “Can

“Nope.”

should’ve asked for my opinion in the first place before making such a

spot in the basement parking lot, and you can use it whenever you want.” Ethan had always been a rather overbearing person, so he would never take back the gift that he had specifically bought for someone else. The instant it was out of his hands, it wasn’t his problem any longer. The other party could

had never met one such as Ethan, who was completely unreasonable. “Return it! My car still works, and I don’t need a

Plus, if you refuse to use it, I’ll just let it park at that

and felt her heart racing. This man can

and she saw that it was Luke calling her. So, she hastily scrambled to the window

I’ll pick you up after work later,” he said over the

she readily agreed as she

that they could only ever be friends.

him verbally. If she let him know that her heart belonged to someone else and that she already

more outstanding, better looking, and richer than him, she thought, and there was only one person around her

his

favor?” she asked, her eyes

To her surprise, he seemed

you to pose as my boyfriend and make

heard that, he became excited, and a look of delight flashed

truly hoped that Luke would come to his senses today. That way he would not waste his youth on her. “Mr. Quarles, I’ll be going back to work and will call

“Sure, go ahead!”

pictures

that standing in the VIP parking

I think it costs at

Will someone in the group tell me

so she turned to Josephine next to her and whispered enthusiastically, “Joey, do you know whose Ferrari is that? Just look at what a commotion it is causing

she stared at that sports car displayed on the iPad in utter astonishment. Is this the car Ethan bought for me? It’s parked on the VIP

a gift. Could it belong to Tori? She has had many

a renowned host in the company, she was

blurted, “It’s not

it be if not Tori’s?” Immediately, Wren became more

face burning in embarrassment, an assistant placed a paper bag on her desk. “Josephine,

shock. Just as she feared, there was a box with the Ferrari logo emblemed on it. Then, as she shakily opened the box in the paper bag, she found the car key laying

sighed inwardly as she felt a throbbing pain in her head. What am I going to do now? The entire office is talking about this and if I admit that it’s my car… Given everyone’s current guesses, they’ll think

Next to her, Wren narrowed her eyes and pondered

discretely slipped the bag under her desk and held her aching head in

day, Josephine’s issue was completely solved while Katrina became the public’s target of verbal abuses. The Sullivan Family could barely sleep that night, especially Ivanka, who couldn’t sleep a wink at all because she was busy blaming herself. In the meantime, Katrina was in the lockup. The beautiful makeup she wore in the morning now looked utterly ghastly. She wrapped her arms around herself as she

despised Tori to the core. If Tori hadn’t instigated her, she would have never made such

ridicule yesterday, but some who scorned her were avoiding her like the plague today, and some even greeted

they were now genuinely afraid

sigh of relief as she stated, “Katrina is completely rotten. I

another person besides her,” Josephine said.

such a person. I just assumed that she was just a little arrogant. I could

was rather happy that Katrina made such a dumb move. Because of this, she didn’t have to face the two people she hated the most on a daily

several netizens deliberately waited to watch her news broadcast just to see how talented the framed host was. By the end of it, some of them were even smitten with her looks and professionalism and turned into her fans. In addition, her broadcast rating went up by ten points,

afternoon slot was replaced by another female host as Tori was placed under investigation and suspended without pay. Meanwhile, Katrina was given the boot and

idea how people are complimenting your voice

they said you’re pretty, graceful, and have a

face. “Really? I’ll do my best to

appeared to be in a rush, but when she saw Josephine, she glared at

in disdain as she retorted mercilessly, “You brought this upon yourself. Why should I be delighted when I’m the

with an old man and was now facing such criticism from Josephine, she felt the very last strands of her sanity snap. “Don’t get so cocky, Josephine. You’ll receive your retribution,” she

entered in a flurry of skirts. “Just what are you doing here? Didn’t

I can host the news. This doesn’t affect my work in any

done to Katrina!” Atticus was furious. Because of this

I’m begging you. I can’t lose this job. I promise that I won’t cause any trouble

clear about this. If you keep pestering me, I’ll fire you effective immediately,”

anything to save her job as she suddenly dropped to her knees in front of Atticus and said humbly, “Mr. Kowalski, I’m begging you. I can do anything you say. Please let me continue

here, it would spell the end of her career in the industry because none of

opened the door to deliver a document and caught her kneeling on the floor. The assistant jumped in surprise at the sight, and

car is ready. Are you leaving now?”

and walk out. Unfortunately, Tori followed closely behind like a piece of gum and

instant she caught sight of Tori holding her husband

Slap!

over to check out the situation, and they seemed to be enjoying the show when they saw that

had such a

sister? Are you trying to snatch my husband as well? You b*tch, I’m going to kill you!” Ivanka showed the masses just how shrewd she could truly be as she ruthlessly grabbed Tori’s hair, pushed her to

as she had never encountered such a situation before. Since she had no experience in this, all she could do was

on the sidelines as

jail instead?! How could you still have the cheeks to show

Ivanka was venting all her frustrations on her, Wren dragged Josephine over to watch the show. When Josephine silently watched the sight of the disheveled Tori as Ivanka rained hits on her, she only had

Atticus couldn’t allow things to escalate any further. So, he pulled his wife away. “That’s enough. Let’s talk in the

staggered to her feet as she glared at everyone with her bloodshot eyes. Usually, she always had her nose up in the air and barely looked anyone straight in the eye. Now, she could clearly see that the people she thought were nothing but nobodies, were mocking and criticizing her. Amongst the crowd, she even found Josephine with her hands crossed over her chest as she watched the scene in triumph. Thus, she glared at Josephine with daggers in her eyes as though she

over. Not long afterward, someone uploaded the video of Tori receiving a beating on the Internet, causing a heated round of discussion in an instant. The one who uploaded the video was an assistant whom Tori had bullied in the past. The assistant had nursed a grudge of rather massive proportions due to Tori’s abuse. So, there was no way she would let go of this golden opportunity when she finally had the chance

dumps. The top searches of major websites were dominated by Katrina and Tori. Not only do they have to endure public criticism, but

this bad press completely distorted Tori’s fans’ opinions about her, and she no longer had a future. She could continue living in reality, but she had lost her favorite job. Even if she was

had to pay a high

anything. Now, besides

was easy to achieve, but it was difficult to go from luxury to simplicity. She couldn’t

hate you, Josephine. I really hate you,” Tori exclaimed, venting her collapsed

from Ivanka still visible on her face. She looked

confined in custody, suffering more than Tori. She not only lost her

open from outside. Shortly after, Ivanka entered with a bunch

But Ivanka immediately extended her arms to stop her.

Mrs. Kowalski.” Josephine was unwilling to talk,

apologize on behalf of my sister. She is foolish and naive, just a young woman in her twenties. Josephine, I beg you to

“Mrs. Kowalski, please don’t do this. My stance on this matter is clear—I

be forgiving and spare my sister? I promise she’ll never appear in front of you again,” Ivanka pleaded, no longer concerned about her image.

caused harm to her, she didn’t consider the consequences. So now, Katrina should pay the price for her

is an adult, and she knows very well what is right and wrong. If

my sister for his sake?” Ivanka tried to appeal to Josephine through her

know about your sister’s actions? If you were

of guilt flashed in her eyes. How could she have stopped it when it was her idea to begin with? Otherwise, Katrina wouldn’t have come

her! I’m sorry, I apologize on behalf of my sister.” Ivanka kept

“Mrs. Kowalski, take your things and

with Josephine. Usually, she was an arrogant person who didn’t care about others,

are also partners. Are you purposely trying to make things look

statement, thinking it was blatant moral blackmail. She looked at Ivanka and said, “Mrs. Kowalski, if you want my boyfriend and your husband to maintain a working relationship, it’s important to separate the company matters from personal issues. Let’s keep them separate and not let personal grievances

said, “I spent over three hundred thousand on these gifts just to apologize to you. Can’t

She even suspected that Ivanka and Katrina were

would be best if you leave now. Let’s avoid escalating things further.” Josephine gestured toward the door, indicating her desire for Ivanka to

awkwardly picked up the gifts and left. As

phone to send a message to Ethan.

Apparently, he was unaware of what had happened to

been deleted, and they couldn’t be found

you leaving for

signal once I arrive at the Arctic, so I won’t be able to stay in constant

Just occasional communication