Never Too Far Novel

Chapter 1681-1690

Seeing that, Jared was ignited with fury. “What a load of nonsense.”

Immediately, he realized that Ellen waking up late recently and her weak mental state seemed to be connected to this issue.

“Don’t worry. As long as I’m here, no one can hurt you.” Jared wrapped her into his embrace and led her back into the living room. Once they were both seated on the couch, he took her phone and dialed the number back, only to be notified that the number didn’t exist.

At the same time, he discovered that she had more than fifty missed calls, and some of them were made at midnight, making it clear that this was not just simple harassment. He then opened her text messages and was met with a pile of terrifying messages, which he deleted for her.

“Have you not been sleeping well for the past two days because these calls have been harassing you at night?” Jared asked, his eyes narrowing.

Ellen nodded. “Yes. I thought it was just a prank at first, but I didn’t expect them to go so far.”

“I’ll take care of it tomorrow and make sure that they pay the price.” At that, he turned off her phone and let out a sigh before pulling her into his arms.

“I told you to tell me immediately if anyone picks on you, no matter what it is,” he said to her in a low and firm voice.

With the warmth and security emanating from him, Ellen felt the fear dissipating from her heart, and she said with a nod, “Okay, I will!”

Jared headed to the car and retrieved her dinner while he sat next to her with his laptop, watching her eat as if he were her parent. With him beside her, Ellen felt as if nothing could hurt her anymore, and her mind was soon cleared of the horrifying thoughts that had been plaguing her.

Jared raised his head and asked, “Can you sleep alone tonight?”

After giving it some thought, Ellen nodded. “Yes.”

Jared coughed lightly at her answer. He’d hoped that she would be afraid, but she was surprisingly brave enough. In that case, there was nothing else he could say.

“Alright then. Make sure you eat more. You’ve lost weight.”

“Of course not! Look how my face got chubbier.” Ellen thought she actually gained weight in the past few days.

Looking at her delicate face under the light, Jared reached over and pinched her soft cheeks.

“That’s fine. I like it this way.” He curled his lips into a smile.

Ellen couldn’t help but mirror his smile when she suddenly realized that they sounded like a bickering couple.

At the same time, Selena was listening to the report of the person she hired in a hotel room.

“I’ve already taken things a step further. If she’s living alone, it’ll definitely be affecting her mentally by now,” they announced.

“Use all your best tactics on her; I’ll pay you,” Selena ordered, eagerly awaiting the news of Ellen losing her mind.

Back at Connor’s home, Olivia was furious as she had accidentally stepped on a pile of dung and ruined her favorite pair of brand-name shoes when she went downstairs to take out the garbage that night. Though she couldn’t bear to throw them away, she didn’t want to wash them either. But in the

end, she endured the stench and went to clean her shoes. As she cleaned, she screamed inwardly, What kind of life is this?! Is this the life I’m supposed to lead from now on?!

She was now too afraid to even leave the house for groceries, fearing the ridicule of her acquaintances, so Connor had been buying the groceries for a week while she hid away from people. She had no idea where her daughter went either, and she holed herself up in their rented house, suffering day after day. At this very moment, her husband wasn’t home yet, and she didn’t even know where he had gone.

In a certain luxurious condominium at Lockwood Village, Connor was entering an elevator. A woman holding a boy was seeing him off.

“Dad, will you come to play with me tomorrow?” the boy asked excitedly.

“Of course. I’ll come to visit you every day,” Connor replied, returning his enthusiasm.

Aida’s face, however, darkened, especially when she heard Connor telling her about his current situation, which meant that he was doing even worse than her. No matter how broke she was, she still had the 150 thousand that she’d gotten from him. However, she refused to use this money, and she now relied on him for her daily expenses.

“Nath feels like eating fruits tomorrow, so bring some of his favorites over.” Upon saying that, she took her son’s hand and went back into her house. Connor was the one who bought this house for her. He’d spent over 400 thousand for it and bought it under her name.

While he stood in the elevator, Connor, being in his fifties, sensed that Aida now looked down on him and no longer cared about him as much as before.

As he rode home on his motorcycle, he nearly ran into a car and ended up crashing to the ground himself. Seeing that, a young man arrogantly scolded him through the car window, “Learn how to ride a bike, you old geezer!”

Connor went dumbfounded all at once. All of a sudden, he recalled that when he still drove a Bentley, he was respected everywhere he went, and now, he had fallen to the point where he was scolded for riding a motorcycle. In an instant, the contrast struck him and rendered him distressed and filled with regret. If he had taken care of Ellen and shared the money with her back then, he wouldn’t have ended up in this situation. If his wife and daughter hadn’t spent the money frivolously and exercised a little restraint, they would at least have some money left.

After crawling up from the ground, he patted the dirt off his clothes and lifted his motorcycle off the ground before heading home.

Once he returned, Olivia scurried over and demanded, “Why are you always so late? What have you been doing?”

Looking at her hideous, revolting expression, Connor boiled with anger and roared, “What I do is none of your business!”

Olivia was taken aback by the fact that he dared to raise his voice at her.

“Connor, I can’t believe you dared to yell at me. It’s just my luck that I decided to stay with you!” Saying that, she slammed the door shut and locked herself in her room to sob.

Connor slumped on a chair, realizing that life really was rough now that he was strapped for cash.

…

It was half past eleven when Ellen finished her shower and returned to her room. As her phone was switched off, she read a book to pass time, and as she was reading, she gradually grew drowsy. After she drifted off to sleep, a nightmare suddenly haunted her. In her dream, it was as if there was an evil ghost that she couldn’t get rid of, appearing in every corner of her room.

Ellen woke up with a start. When she opened her eyes and glanced at the alarm clock by her bed, it was exactly one in the morning. She instantly hugged herself close, a strong panic she had never felt before shrouding her, and once her fearful thoughts began, she couldn’t drive them away.

Feeling as if she was going to lose her mind if she didn’t find an outlet, Ellen yanked the door open and ran hurriedly in the direction of the master bedroom. When she arrived, she found that the door was ajar, and the inside was dimly lit. At that point, she completely disregarded the boundaries she should be keeping and stepped inside. However, upon seeing the man on the gray bed, she was shocked. He’s not asleep yet, and is still working?

“Y-You haven’t slept?” she asked sheepishly.

“I was waiting for you.” Jared smiled in reply, having expected that she would end up looking for him later that night out of fear. NôvelDrama.Org holds text © rights.

Ellen blinked, the courage she had just mustered to barge into his room dissipating into thin air as she flushed red, not knowing if she should enter.

“Come here.” He shifted his body, generously sharing his bed by leaving a large space for her to sleep on.

Ellen swallowed. Frankly speaking, she didn’t want to stay alone in her room now. Over the past two days, she had been highly tense and couldn’t even sleep soundly as she kept having nightmares. All she wanted now was a good night’s sleep, and the only way she could do that was to stay by this man’s side.

She bit her lips and looked at his soft bed that was tempting her intensely under the light. With a gulp, she took a step toward the bed and asked in a small voice, “Won’t I bother you?”

“In that case, you can sleep on my bed, and I’ll sleep on the couch.” At that, he lifted his sheets and got off the bed. Although he was clad in sleepwear, his figure was still as alluring as ever.

“No, no, you take the bed, and I’ll sleep on the couch,” Ellen refused. She did not dare to chase the owner of the house away, and she was more than willing to sleep on his couch anyway.

Jared raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure you want to sleep on the couch?”

Ellen nodded, thinking that sleeping on the couch was the best choice for her. She headed outside to retrieve her blanket and soon returned with it in her hands. Jared’s large couch was just as warm as a bed.

After setting up the blanket on the couch, Ellen got under it, only showing her face as she looked at the man sitting on the bed. “It’s late already. Let’s turn off the lights and go to sleep. Goodnight.”

Jared didn’t insist she slept on the bed anymore. After he turned off the light, he lay down with his arm as a pillow, but he couldn’t sleep at all. He turned to look at the slender figure on the couch through the moonlight outside the window, and his gaze darkened at once, as there was this burning desire in him.

“Are you asleep?” he asked in a hoarse voice.

“Not yet.”

“Are you still afraid?”

“Not anymore.” Ellen also felt extremely surprised. It was as though there was a strong magnetic field of safety around this man that could dispel all her fears.

“Sleep well, then,” he said warmly.

“Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

She was exhausted since she hadn’t slept well for several days. At this moment, she had no sense of fear in her mind. So, she felt tired all over and fell asleep in no time after she was completely relaxed.

When Jared heard no movements from the couch, he was slightly stunned. Did she really fall asleep just like this, with me beside her? Does my charm not affect her at all?

“Darling,” he called out softly.

As expected, there was no answer from her. Resigned, he sat up and looked at the moonlit spot on the couch, where a clear and blemish-free little face could be vaguely seen with a calm expression.

Seeing that, he breathed a sigh as his drowsiness was all gone. Not only could he not sleep, but he also had an urge, which he tried to control.

Half an hour after Ellen fell asleep, her good dream suddenly turned into a terrifying nightmare. It seemed like she was in a supernatural world, always seeing things that scared her.

This made her sleep uneasy. In her dream, something was entangling her, making her hand brandish in the air. “Go away! Shoo! Don’t follow me…” she yelled in her dream.

Jared, who was still awake, immediately sat up when he heard that. Oh no, she is trapped in a nightmare.

At once, he turned on a dim wall lamp and lifted the blanket to get down from the bed. As he looked at the pale girl on the couch, sweating profusely and brandishing her hands in mid-air, he softly called out, “Wake up, Ellen.”

Just then, she held his hand and opened her eyes, her dark pupils still trembling. When she saw him, she suddenly hugged his neck and said, “I’m scared.”

“It’s okay. It’s just a nightmare.”

Ellen buried her head tightly on his chest, like a frightened child, and refused to let go.

“Come sleep with me on the bed.” As he said that, without waiting for her response, he lifted her blanket and carried her to his bed. Only then did she snap out of her daze, wiping the sweat off her forehead. Her face, which had been pale just moments ago, was now blushing.

On the bed, Jared pulled his blanket over to cover her up, while he lay on his side next to her. Then, he reached out his arm and turned off the lights.

When the whole room was shrouded in darkness, she was on edge. Almost instinctively, she moved closer to the man beside her.

Just then, a big palm held her hand and placed it around his sturdy waist, while his other arm went behind her head, letting her rest on his arm.

It was an intimate and ambiguous sleeping position, but it gave her a sense of security. When she breathed in his masculine scent, her mind couldn’t process any thoughts other than him. At this moment, the man next to her occupied her heart completely.

At the same time, the terrifying nightmare from earlier had vanished. She felt that even if she had another nightmare, she would have the strength to fight against any demons that may come her way, becoming a brave and invincible person.

“Alright. Let’s sleep.” He pressed the back of her head against his chest. This allowed Ellen to listen to his strong and steady heartbeat. This is Kevin’s. Instantly, it gave her immense courage to fight against any evil that dared to come near her.

“Goodnight,” Ellen replied softly as she closed her eyes, and fell asleep while hugging him.

Now, Jared couldn’t sleep even if he wanted to. All he had in his mind now was this girl in his arms as if she were a precious gift bestowed upon him by heaven, making him cherish her deeply.

After a while, she fell asleep again, but this time she didn’t have any nightmares. Her dreams were filled with comforting events.

Around 5.00AM, he fell asleep as well. Meanwhile, the girl in his arms held onto him tightly and didn’t let go.

…

Perhaps Selena didn’t imagine that her actions would scare Ellen, but at the same time, they became a catalyst for Jared and Ellen’s relationship, bringing them even closer together.

Early in the morning, Ellen woke up first, but she didn’t move. She just opened her eyes, and a handsome and charming face came into her sight. For the first time, she boldly gazed at him, admiring him without restraint. How can there be such a handsome man in the world? Every strand of his hair exudes a charming aura. From his voluminous eyebrows to his nose, his delicate and clean skin, thick and long eyelashes, sexy lips, and graceful jawline, everything is just perfect.

She repeatedly blinked as if she were preserving her admiration for him and storing this scene in her memory, wanting to remember it forever.

As she was looking at him, his eyelashes fluttered, and the sunlight shone into his pupils. It looked like the Milky Way was poured into his eyes, making them breathtakingly beautiful.

“Morning.” His smile made her a little flustered. She dodged his gaze and accidentally touched something under the blanket.

Shocked, she blushed and lifted her head, only to see his handsome face was slightly red as well, and he unconsciously gulped. She was not a little girl anymore, so of course, she knew what she had touched.

She wasn’t sure how she had slept last night, but now the blanket was wrapped tightly around her. She tried to move, but she couldn’t budge and ended up twisting and turning, which caused the man next to her to gasp. Then, he warned her in a hoarse voice, “Don’t move.”

After being warned, Ellen froze at once. Only after he reached over to remove the blanket that she was lying on did she shyly slip out of bed and hurry back to her room.

While standing in front of the bathroom mirror, she held her hot cheeks, feeling embarrassed. What was I thinking last night? How can I sleep in his room? And even on the same bed? I trust Jared, but I caused him so much trouble.

At the same time, Jared had already entered the bathroom. The water temperature in the morning was cold, but this coolness was just what he needed to extinguish the burning desire inside him all night long.

At 8.30AM, as Ellen opened the door, her heart skipped a beat when she saw Jared standing outside her room in formal attire. He looked like he was waiting for her.

“Come to the office with me today,” he said. From now on, he wanted her by his side, no matter if it was day or night. This could prevent her from being harassed again.

“Will I disturb your work?” she asked while blinking. In fact, she wanted to go with him too since she was quite bored of staying at his house these few days. So, she wanted to experience something new.

“You not being by my side is what disturbs my work,” he replied seriously.

She didn’t react for a moment, but when she realized the meaning behind his words, her face flushed. Am I really that important to him?

“Let’s go have breakfast.” He reached out his hand to take her downstairs.

After breakfast, they arrived at the floor where the president’s office of the Presgrave Group was. Ellen was familiar with this place; it was just that this time she was not coming as an employee.

She was invited to rest in Jared’s spacious room, where there was food, entertainment, a gym, and a movie theater. She could do whatever she wanted there.

After that, he summoned one of his employees and handed her phone to him. “Find out the IP addresses of these numbers.”

The employee took the phone and confidently announced, “I can handle this in a few minutes.” He then took out his computer and began working on Jared’s couch. Within two minutes, he sent an address to Jared’s phone. “I’ve sent you the address of this person, President Presgrave.”

Jared looked at the address and immediately dialed another number. “Find the person at this address.”

A black SUV drove toward the address and arrived in less than half an hour. It was a run-down residential area. When they arrived, two bodyguards went to the front door and knocked. Instantly, the door opened, and a middle-aged man with a scruffy beard peeked out and asked, “Who are you guys?”

Right away, the bodyguards pushed him back and entered the house.

“W-Who are you guys?” Fear crawled all over the man’s face. When the bodyguards tried to enter his room, he immediately rushed over to stop them. “This is my room. You can’t go in!”

However, the bodyguards pushed him aside like he was nothing and entered his room. Inside the room, there was a whole set of equipment on the desk. Seeing that, they video-called Jared and reported,

“We found him, Mr. Presgrave.”

When Jared saw the equipment on the screen, his eyes flashed with anger. “Let me ask him a few questions.”

The middle-aged man was immediately pinned to the couch by the bodyguards to let Jared personally interrogate him on the video call.

The moment the man saw a dignified young man on the screen, he asked in shock, “Who are you? I-I didn’t mess with any of you. Why are you treating me like this?”

“I am Ellen’s boyfriend,” answered Jared coldly. Then, he questioned him, saying, “Answer me honestly. Who paid you to threaten Ellen?”

When the man heard that, his heart skipped a beat. Ellen has a boyfriend? Then, why did the client tell me that she’s a girl living alone?

“Answer Mr. Presgrave now.” The bodyguard exerted some force on his grip, causing cold sweat to pour out of the man from the pain. How could he not answer?

“I-It’s a female client who commissioned me. She asked me to threaten this girl named Ellen and gave me three thousand.”

“What’s her name?” Jared’s black pupils were filled with anger.

“S-Selena Aguirre.” The man had no choice but to answer. He had seen Selena privately, and Selena told him her real name as well.

Hearing that, Jared gritted his teeth. He didn’t expect that Selena would still not give up and dare to use such a despicable method to harm Ellen.

“I’m sorry. I’m just an amateur. I was originally a programmer. I-I promise not to do it again. Please let me go!” The middle-aged man immediately begged for mercy.

However, how could Jared let him go? If he let him go, how could he track down Selena and make her pay the price? “You will pay for your actions.” He coldly snorted.

15 minutes later, the police arrived and arrested the man on charges of harassment, confiscating all his equipment.

His name was Toby Fletcher. He was unemployed, so he chose to do illegal deals to make a living.

The police’s next target for arrest was Selena. Jared reported to the police on behalf of Ellen and provided the harassing messages she had been receiving in the past two days.

At this time, Selena was still staying in the hotel since she had no intention of returning to her parents’ home.

She was playing with her phone in the hotel room when someone suddenly rang her doorbell. Immediately, she went to the door and saw that it was the cleaning staff. So, she reached out to open the door.

Just as she was about to invite the staff in to clean her room, three police officers suddenly appeared behind the staff. Without a word, they handcuffed her.

“W-What are you doing?” Terrified, she started struggling.

“Selena Aguirre, you are suspected of criminal behavior, and we have the right to arrest you.”

“What? I didn’t commit any crime. This is a mistake!”

The police arrested Selena without hesitation. As they passed through the lobby, she wished she could bury her head in her chest. This was the most panicked moment in her life. What crime did I commit? Did Ellen report me to the police?

At the police station, the police immediately questioned Selena and Toby. When faced with the recording evidence presented by the police, she was left speechless. She had no idea that Toby had recorded all of their conversations on the phone.

“Do you have anything else to say, Miss Aguirre?”

“I-I just thought it was fun. I didn’t know it was a crime. It was a prank, and Ellen is my cousin,” she explained in a panic.

“Are you not ashamed to say that you threatened your own cousin?”

“Where’s Ellen? Let me meet her. I want to apologize to her.” She hoped that Ellen would come forward now so that she could be forgiven because her world was crumbling, as being put behind bars was her nightmare.

However, the police told her the harsh reality. “Miss Reiss will not come forward. This case was a commission by the lawyer. You should face the facts now, Miss Aguirre. You must pay the price for your mistakes.”

At once, panic crawled all over her face. Forgetting that she was a criminal, she stood up to grab the police officer’s sleeve. “No, no! Please, let me see Ellen! I really need to see her.”

The police immediately pushed her back to her seat without hesitation. “If you continue to obstruct our law enforcement, you will be charged with an additional crime.”

At this moment, Selena was trembling all over. She had only just realized that her mistake could lead to imprisonment. Before this, no matter how bold she was, she had only made minor mistakes. Sh*t! I’ve committed a crime!

“I want to see my parents. Please contact them.” She pleaded. Of course, it was necessary to inform her family about the situation. Meanwhile, the police took her to a small cell in the detention center.

When Connor received the call from the police, informing him that his daughter had been arrested and was suspected of criminal behavior, he was stunned. He couldn’t believe that his daughter, whom he had sent to study abroad, would break the law.

“Okay, okay, I’ll be there soon. I’m coming right now.” He was so shocked that he couldn’t speak properly. After he hung up the phone, he called out to Olivia, “We need to go to the police station in the city.”

“What for?” Olivia was taken aback.

“Lena has been arrested for breaking the law,” he answered anxiously.

“What? Lena broke the law? What did she do?” Likewise, she was also so shocked that she didn’t know what to do for a moment. Immediately, she grabbed her bag and left with her husband.

The couple stood by the roadside waiting for a car when Connor saw an acquaintance. So, he asked the acquaintance to give them a ride since he happened to be going to the city for something.

On the way, the couple didn’t dare mention why they were going to the city. Olivia was so anxious that her hands were shaking. Lena is my only hope for the rest of my life! If she has any criminal record, how can she get married in the future?

Finally, they arrived at the city center and quickly took a taxi toward the direction of the police station. By the time they arrived, it was already 4.30PM.

“Officer, our daughter is very well-behaved and obedient. She’s a person who wouldn’t even dare to kill a chicken! How could she commit a crime?” Olivia started wiping her tears and talking about her daughter’s good qualities as soon as she saw the police officer.

“Crying here won’t do you any good. The fact remains that she committed a crime. No matter how many good things you say about her, it’s useless. Besides, if she were really a good person, she wouldn’t have malicious harassed her own cousin,” the officer said seriously.

“What? Was my daughter charged with harassment? Did she threaten a woman named Ellen Reiss?” Connor asked hurriedly.

“Yes, that’s right. Miss Ellen Reiss. Your daughter has both witness and material evidence against her, so be mentally prepared,” explained the officer.

“Be mentally prepared? For what?”

“For your daughter to go to jail.”

“No way! I can’t let my daughter go to jail! She’s so young. She still has so much life ahead of her. She can’t be stuck in jail!” Olivia started ranting like a madwoman.

Connor, on the other hand, appeared to be calmer. While he was furious with his daughter for threatening Ellen, he also wanted to protect her reputation and prevent her from having a criminal record.

Soon, the police had a full conversation with the couple and showed them all the evidence of Selena’s criminal activities. During the conversation, Olivia kept crying and secretly blamed Ellen for everything.

It’s just a few phone calls and some scary pictures. Is Ellen really suing Lena for that? This is so unfair! It’s so obvious that she is being this ruthless to Lena just to play revenge on us.

Regardless of how much they begged, they were unable to see Selena. However, Connor knew what he had to do next. He had to find Ellen and convince her to drop the charges against his daughter. No matter what, they needed to settle the matter privately to avoid any prison time.

“That little b*tch! We gave her five million. What more does she want? She’s still not sparing us!” As soon as Olivia left the police station, she vented her anger.

Hearing that, Connor turned and glared at her. “Shut up! We still need to beg Ellen now! Lena is just like you, stubborn and refusing to admit her mistakes.”

Suddenly, she felt helpless. Besides her husband, she didn’t have anyone else to rely on. When she was rich, her relatives from her mother’s side kept asking her for money, but she never lent them any. Eventually, her relatives stopped talking to her altogether. Now, she realized that she had no reliable people to turn to other than her daughter and husband.

“I’m just frustrated, Connor. Find a way to save Lena. She can’t go to jail!”

After Connor left the police station, he immediately took out his phone and dialed Ellen’s number. However, the prompt on the other end said that her phone was turned off.

“Ellen’s phone is off. Who knows where she is at this time?” He sighed in frustration.

“She must have done it on purpose. She just doesn’t want to help us bail out Lena,” she said furiously.

But at this moment, Ellen was resting in Jared’s office. As for her phone, Jared had asked her to turn it off for a few days and gave her a new one with only his number stored in it. If there was anything, she just needed to contact him because there were no good people around her.

However, she knew that Jared had helped her find the culprit and left the matter for the lawyers of the Presgrave Group to handle. She didn’t need to participate, but the culprit would still need to pay the price.

She came out of the room and wanted to go to the washroom. It was not a problem since she was familiar with the place. Just as she entered the washroom cubicle, she heard footsteps coming in. It was two female employees who were chatting as they entered.

“I heard that President Presgrave brought Ellen here. Who would have thought she had such an ability? She actually became President Presgrave’s girlfriend!”

“I’m also puzzled. What did she do to capture President Presgrave’s heart? You know, there are plenty of women out there who are prettier, wealthier, and more accomplished than her. Other than being young and pretty, she seems to have nothing else going for her.”

“I know right! She was just serving tea and coffee when she was working here last time, but she got paid so much and was treated the same as us. This is so unfair!”

“Sigh! Women who rely on their looks to get ahead never end up well. There’s a saying, ‘those who use beauty to win love will lose both beauty and love’. I bet in a few years, President Presgrave will tire of her.”

“I think so too. After all, being the wife of a wealthy family isn’t something that an innocent person can handle. And if you want to capture a man like President Presgrave, besides being beautiful, you need to have tricks up your sleeve and be capable on your own. Otherwise, when he dumps you one day, all you’ll be able to do is cry.”

“Let’s bet, then. We’ll see how long Ellen can stay by President Presgrave’s side.”

“Okay. I bet three thousand on five years!”

“I bet three years.”

Frozen, Ellen stood in the cubicle, but she didn’t blame these two people for saying that about her because she seemed to be incapable. She had been working hard for a living these years, striving to have enough food on the table. In the future, she really should improve herself and become someone who can shine on her own without relying on others.

Only after the two women left, did she push open the door and walk out. Her expression was very calm, and she wasn’t ashamed of being ridiculed. Instead, she was made known of her weakness. A few years later, she might be grateful for their ridicule today.

Coming out of the restroom, she didn’t return to Jared’s office. She stood at the floor-to-ceiling window on the aerial corridor, looking out at the distant scenery. At this moment, she was seriously contemplating her future because too many things had happened to her recently, making her unable to focus on planning her future.

In terms of money, she no longer lacked. For a girl like her, who had over five million in savings, learning financial management could increase her income, and the interest could support her daily life.

However, she needed to find her passion, one that didn’t involve making money.

Ellen had a lot of thoughts in her mind. Just then, she heard footsteps coming this way, along with many people talking.

She couldn’t help but hide behind a pillar. When she sneaked a peek, she saw a group of middle-aged men surrounding the young Jared. They were all listening attentively to what he was saying. Their expressions were respectful and serious, not daring to show any hint of negligence.

When Jared stopped to contemplate something, the people behind him instantly stopped as well, not even daring to step within half a yard behind him. One elderly man even bowed and stepped back when he leaned slightly forward.

These individuals were all top managers of the Presgrave Group. In terms of wealth and status, they were all top-tier members of society. Yet, in front of Jared, they all assumed such humble postures.

When Ellen saw that, she was completely shocked. No wonder those female employees were discussing me in that way. In the eyes of outsiders, Jared was a young king of the business world, someone who was admired and looked up to by everyone. So why did she deserve to stand by his side?

At this moment, she was also questioning herself. That’s right. Why do I deserve his affection? Is it just because Kevin’s heart was donated to him? If not for this connection, I’ll be nothing more than a low- level employee in his company, without even the qualification to see him every day.

She watched as Jared and the group of men walked away, feeling a sigh escape her lips. Soon after, her phone rang, and it was Jared calling. “Hello?” she answered.

“Where are you?” he asked gently.

“I’m in the washroom. I’ll be back soon,” she replied, then put her thoughts to the back of her mind before heading toward his office.

At this moment, Jared was resting on the couch, his handsome face showing a hint of fatigue and sluggishness. Despite this, he exuded a charm that could mesmerize any woman.

“I’ve made a dinner reservation at your favorite restaurant,” he told her.

With a nod, she answered, “Okay.”

“Oh, and by the way, I’ve taken your old phone. From now on, you’ll use the new phone I’ve given you with a new number.” He was kind enough to inform her about his arrangements.

She had no objections and nodded in agreement. “Okay.”

When he received her affirmative reply, he smiled in satisfaction. With the old phone gone, the Aguirre Family won’t be able to track her down. It’s time for Selena to pay for what she has done!

At this moment, Connor was using all of his connections to find Ellen, but she seemed to have vanished completely. Her former classmates and colleagues had no idea where she had gone.

That night, Ellen followed Jared back to his home while Connor and Olivia were troubled by their daughter’s crime.

“Ellen must be hiding from us! She wants Selena to be in prison. How can she be so ruthless?!” Oliva cried. While crying, she was also throwing profanities around, seemingly as if this was the only way for her to vent her anger on Ellen.

However, Ellen knew nothing about what had happened to the Aguirre Family, nor would Jared let her know about it. He wanted the Aguirres to pay for what they did. Otherwise, they would think of Ellen as a pushover.

The next morning, Ellen sat in Jared’s car and told him that she was going to meet a friend. Initially, Jared wanted to send some guards to protect her, but she refused. Thus, he respected her decision and told her to call him if anything happened.

Then, Ellen went to where her grandma used to stay and discovered it was being demolished. As she walked down the road, she came across a park. She had walked past this park every time during her school years since it was the only road to school. The park was also where her grandma would always play poker before she passed. Thinking about it, Ellen walked into the park and sat on a bench.

At that moment, she visioned a little girl carrying a backpack while crossing the street. Slowly, the little girl turned into a teenage girl and then a woman.

Just as she was immersed in her thoughts, she heard a voice calling out for her. “Are you Ellie?”

Ellen raised her head and saw an older gentleman looking at her. Immediately, she recognized who he was. “It’s me, Mr. Linton. I am Ellie.”

“It’s been a long time since I last saw you. Come here. Mr. Rowlsey has to go to the bank, so why don’t you take his place?” said Brook Linton, the polite gentleman.

It was only then Ellen saw they were playing chess! Then, she walked toward them shyly and sat in front of Brook. “I might have forgotten the rules, Mr. Linton.”

“I’ll teach you again then. You are the only girl who has won against me in chess at this park!” After Brook finished his words, he moved a black chess piece on the board.

Looking at the board and the white pieces, she grabbed one of them and placed it on the board. At that moment, she was calm. Ever since she was born, she had lived in that area. Brook used to be the champion of chess. Then, he became a coach. However, his career ended due to a lack of management, and he could only play chess in the park as a hobby. This was when he found a little girl with a talent for chess. Hence, he taught the little girl how to play chess when she was seven. Whenever she came to the park, he would teach her patiently. During the girl’s high school years, she played six rounds with him and won four. Unfortunately, the little girl was nowhere to be seen after she had gone to college.

And that little girl was, in fact, Ellen.

Ellen had a unique talent. Whenever she played chess, she was able to clear her mind and focus on the pieces.

Ellen had lost the first round, but Brook encouraged her to try again. In the next round, she focused and won only by a fraction. Again, Brook praised her, saying, “I knew you were gifted since you were young, Ellie. Do you know that? If not for your Grandma’s opposition, I would have taken you as my apprentice.”

“Really?” Ellen was shocked.

“Of course. I want to train you as my successor, so you can compete in local tournaments as I did!” Brook was not lying to her.

Hearing his words, Ellen giggled and said, “You think too highly of me, Mr. Linton.”

“Don’t be humble now. You are gifted. It’s not too late if you want to learn it now. This new generation only wants to make big bucks, and little are they interested in searching for inner peace!” Brook sighed. “If you want, I can train you. I’m already an old man, so I hope that someone will be able to carry on my legacy.”

Ellen looked at him in pity. At the same time, she was also looking at the board. When she put down the final chess piece, Brook’s eyes widened, and he exclaimed, “You won again! How can this be? You must have found a loophole while I was talking. Let’s play again.”

“It’s getting late, Mr. Linton. I’ll come by another time.” Ellen smiled.

Although Brook was reluctant to let her leave, he still obliged, promising they would play again next time.

Then, Ellen took a cab and headed toward the Presgrave Group. When she entered the hall, the receptionists looked at her enviously. After all, everyone in the company had considered Ellen as Jared’s girlfriend.

Just as Ellen arrived at the head office and was going to enter Jared’s office, a female assistant approached her. “Please wait for a moment, Miss Reiss. President Jared is entertaining someone.” She stopped Ellen from entering the office.

“Okay.” Ellen nodded. Then, she headed toward the washroom. Just as she entered the cubicle, she heard footsteps coming in. Two women were talking as they walked into the restroom.

“Oh my god! You saw it too, right?! President Jared’s friend is so beautiful!”

“I heard that he had hugged her as soon as they saw each other. They almost kissed.”

“Really?!”

“I saw it with my own eyes. That woman looked like she came from the riches. Like, OMG! I never knew President Jared had so many girlfriends!”

When Ellen heard their words, she froze. A woman in Jared’s office?

“Oh! Have you seen the news about Ginovia? She had the perfect wedding, but now she is miserable. Her husband was out drinking and flirting with other women while she raised the children and took care of him. In the end, although she had raised her three children to be outstanding, she was kicked out of the house. Then, her husband married another woman who had the same status as him. Aren’t the tycoons complicated?”

“That’s right! I heard she became married into Prusle Family because her father had lent a helping hand to Old Mr. Prusle. Thus, the Prusles took her in to repay Ginovia’s father. I remembered it was shocking news! Everyone thought that she would be living in her dreams. Unfortunately, even she couldn’t escape the fate of being dumped!”

“That is why you can’t choose a wealthy man as your husband. You can only think of them as your lover. After hooking up with them, take the money and leave. Sometimes, it’s better to do this than being a wealthy man’s wife.”

“You’re right. I think Ellen might be the second Ginovia. She is beautiful when she is still young but will have nothing after she becomes old.”

“Too bad she is busy enjoying the love President Jared gave her. Hence, how will she be able to think about her future? If I were her, I would have left after taking a huge amount of money from him.”

“No way. I would have enjoyed it for some time before leaving. After all, President Jared is eye candy!”

“You’re right. I haven’t thought about it.” The two women giggled while leaving the washroom.

After they left the restroom, Ellen walked out of the cubicle with a pale face. Then, she left the restroom and went back to the lounge. Sitting on the couch, she took out her phone and searched about the Prusle Family. At that moment, the news about Ginovia’s divorce was trending. The media expressed their opinions on this matter, and one of them touched Ellen. ‘Women must never fall in love with a man they can’t subdue. Otherwise, there will only be a bad ending,’ it wrote.

While looking at the news, a female assistant approached her with some desserts and placed them on the table. Before she left, she looked at Ellen pitifully and said, “You might still need to wait for a moment, Miss Reiss. President Jared is still entertaining the guest.”

Hearing her words, Ellen nodded. However, just before the assistant could leave, Ellen took her purse and stood up. “Can you help me with something, Miss Reese?” she asked.

“Yes, Miss Reiss.”

“I suddenly remembered that I have some urgent business to attend to. Can you not tell him that I have been here?” she asked.

Miss Reese was startled by her words, but she soon understood and nodded. “Okay, Miss Reiss.”

Then, Ellen walked toward the elevator with mixed feelings. Maybe it’s better if I leave without saying goodbye! she thought.

When she left the building, she went back to Jared’s mansion. Since she didn’t have many belongings, she quickly finished packing her things. She put everything in a big box and decided to leave. Although this was a sudden idea, she had thought it through.

Ellen wanted to leave, as she knew Jared was not a man she could be with. Although she couldn’t control his life, she could control her own.