Never Too Far Novel

Chapter 1741-1750

In disbelief, Ellen looked at the bespectacled man and heard him say with irritation as he took off his glasses, “I can’t f*cking get used to wearing these.”

Ellen widened her eyes and realized that the accident involving Brook was intentional and it was a setup for her kidnapping.

At that moment, she heard a man in the front passenger seat making a phone call and saying, “I’ve got the person you wanted. In two hours, you hand over the money, and I’ll hand over the person.”

Just then, Ellen’s cell phone rang, and one of the men rudely opened her bag and grabbed the cell phone. Ellen saw the name on the screen and struggled excitedly because the caller was Jared.

“Decline it,” the leading man ordered.

The lackey immediately declined the phone call. Ellen wanted to kick the van door for help, but she was warned by another man who held her down, “You little brat, be obedient if you don’t want to die right now.”

Ellen didn’t know this group of people at all. It seemed that someone else was behind her kidnapping.

Who is it? Who paid to have me kidnapped?

In the head office of the Presgrave Group, Jared stared at his phone screen. He called again. The call went through but was terminated on the other end in three seconds. Ellen’s cell phone was turned off when he called again for the third time.

An ominous feeling instantly enveloped his heart.

She hung up on me twice and then turned off her phone. What happened?

Jared immediately summoned Stanley and told him about this. The latter was also surprised and asked, “Is Miss Reiss still in the residential area?”

“Call the residential area and see if Ellen has left. Hurry up,” Jared ordered.

Stanley immediately investigated. Ten minutes later, the security on the other end responded that Ellen had left the residential area an hour ago.

“Miss Reiss left the residential area.”

“Has she been involved in an accident?” Jared clenched his fists, and his strong sense of worry surged up.

“Did Miss Reiss tell you anything?”

“No. I think she does not want to bother me because I’ve been busy these past few days,” Jared said. Then, he instructed Stanley, “Contact the police for help. I’ll go back to the residential area.”

“Okay!” Stanley quickly left, not daring to waste a second.

…

After receiving the phone call, Gavin grabbed a bag and left his home. He saw the security guards from the Presgrave Group, who were still monitoring him. So, he approached them and knocked on the car window to say, “You can go back now. I’m just going for a ride.”

The security guards were startled. They had received orders from Presgrave Group to ensure that Gavin would not do anything that would harm the company. However, now that they saw him with a bag planning to go out to relax, they decided to return to the company.

However, Gavin did not notice a black SUV parked in an inconspicuous location nearby. These were Jared’s bodyguards. Gavin was an uncertain factor. With only the company’s security guards monitoring him, Jared could not relax. Ultimately, he assigned two more of his bodyguards to watch over Gavin.

After the company’s car left, Gavin walked towards his car and drove out of the parking lot. He went to a small forest on the outskirts because he had decided to hold a posthumous marriage ceremony there. He wanted to use Ellen as a sacrifice for his son. He had already lost all hope and only wanted to die quickly. Therefore, he was willing to do even the cruelest things.

“Jason, Daddy is here. Wait a little longer, and I will see you in another world. Oh, I also brought a beautiful bride for you,” Gavin muttered in the car.

He did not notice the black car following him.

When Jared returned home, he found that Ellen had bought some household items but had not yet unpacked them. She probably left in a hurry. Jared tried hard to think whom Ellen cared most about now. She had already stopped contact with Connor, so her chess master, Brook, was probably the one she cared about the most.

Immediately, Jared found the number of the chess club and dialed it.

“Hello.”

“Is Mr. Linton there?”

“He is not here. He got into a minor car accident and is hospitalized.”

“When did it happen?” Jared was shocked.

Did Ellen rush to the hospital?

“Two hours ago.”

“Can you give me his phone number, please? Thank you.”

After getting the phone number, Jared immediately called Brook, who picked up the phone in no time.

“Hello. Who is this?”

“Mr. Linton, I am Jared. Is Ellen with you?”

“She left. Hasn’t she arrived home yet?”

“Was she alone?”

“Yes, she came alone and left alone.”

“Which hospital are you at?”

After getting the hospital’s address, Jared sent Stanley to the police station to retrieve the roadside surveillance footage. Although it took some time, Stanley returned with good and bad news.

The good news was that they found Ellen, but the bad news was that she had been kidnapped.

“President Presgrave, we found through surveillance that Ellen was pushed into an MPV with a fake plate. The police are currently tracking the van.”

Jared’s heart almost jumped out of his throat.

Ellen is kidnapped? Who did it?

“President Presgrave, I think I know someone who might harm Miss Reiss.”

“Who?”

“Gavin Turner. I heard that he’s been mentally unstable since his son died, and he’s been saying that you killed his son. Do you think he could have kidnapped Miss Reiss to get revenge on you?” Stanley guessed.

“Damn it.” Jared clenched his fist.

Gavin might be the one.

He hung up the phone and immediately made another call.

“Hello, President Presgrave.”

“Where is Gavin Turner?!” Jared yelled.

“H-he’s driving out of town. We’re following him. He seems to be going to the outskirts to do something.”

“Follow him closely, don’t lose him. He kidnapped Ellen. Share with me your location and keep in touch.”

“Understood, Young Master. We will do everything to rescue Miss Reiss,” the bodyguard responded.

On the road in the direction of the new city, a black sports car raced towards the direction of the elevated road like lightning. Three black SUVs followed at the same speed.

Ellen, who was being tied up in the van at the moment, was in despair. She couldn’t figure out whom she had offended.

Thinking about how these people deliberately hit Brook with their car to kidnap her, she became even angrier.

She didn’t know how long she had stayed in the van, but she felt they had already left the city. The scenery outside the window was lush as if they were driving towards an uninhabited forest.

Finally, the van stopped by an abandoned reservoir. She was pushed out of the van and tied to a tree by this group of people. It seems they are waiting for the person who asked them to kidnap me.

Their eyes scanned her maliciously, making her very uncomfortable, and they occasionally let out nasty laughs.

However, Ellen soon calmed down. She remembered that these bandits had hung up on two phone calls from Jared.

Would that have caught Jared’s attention? Will he be looking for me now?

Ellen used not to fear death, but now she was scared. She suddenly couldn’t bear to leave this world, couldn’t bear to leave Jared, and couldn’t bear to let her baby in her belly disappear with her.

In the meantime, Gavin’s car was also on the way, and he was driving fast. He wanted to finish this as soon as possible and not let anything go wrong. Soon, he drove into a small road with a reservoir name written on it.

When the bodyguards behind caught up to this intersection, they stopped first. They knew that following too closely would attract Gavin’s attention. He would most likely call the kidnappers to kill the hostage if he found he was being followed.

The bodyguards immediately checked the map of this road and found that it was a dead end. The map showed that a big river, the reservoir, was at the end of the road after six miles.

“It looks like they’re planning to trade by the reservoir.”

“Let’s wait for a while before driving in. We’ll hide the car, and then we’ll go and rescue her.”

After the two bodyguards finished discussing, they waited five minutes before driving down the dead- end.

Their decision was right because after entering the road, Gavin kept an eye on whether any cars were following him until his car drove through a bend, and he felt relieved.

At this moment, he was single-mindedly focused on finishing his plan and not particularly vigilant. Finally, after about fifteen minutes, he arrived at the reservoir and saw the kidnappers’ van, which he then parked his car next to.

Ellen had been waiting for the mastermind behind her kidnapping to appear. She was staring at the car and the person in the driver’s seat, waiting for him to come down.

Finally, the car door opened, and the person who got out surprised Ellen. She couldn’t believe her eyes when she saw the person.

Gavin?

Ellen couldn’t believe it, but she understood why he had kidnapped her. It was because Jared had refused his son’s request for promotion, and then his son committed suicide by driving his car into the river.

Gavin handed a suitcase to the waiting kidnappers, saying, “The money is here, but one-third is still at my house. You can pick it up after I finish my work.”

The kidnappers were initially taken aback but quickly calculated how much money they could get and asked Gavin, “When can we get the money?”

“Midnight tonight. I’ll text you the location of my house key, but you can’t leave now. You have to keep watch for me,” Gavin instructed.

“We’ll need extra money to keep watch for you,” the leader said.

Gavin looked at them and said, “I have some collectibles at my house that you can take with you.”

Instantly, the kidnappers grew more willing to do whatever he asked. They wondered why this old man wanted to kidnap such a delicate and beautiful woman.

Ellen looked at Gavin, and he looked back at her. After sizing her up, he smiled satisfactorily and said, “Not bad. My son will like Jared’s woman in the afterworld.”

Ellen widened her beautiful eyes, and upon hearing these words, she thought of necrogamy.

Oh my God! Gavin wants to kill me and arrange a posthumous marriage for his son!

Ellen was agitated. She struggled to free herself from her bound hands and feet.

“You can’t escape. Jared owes me. You’re his woman, and there’s no better way to make him suffer than to hurt you. I want to make him suffer.”

Ellen wanted to curse out loud.

It is clearly your unreasonable request that caused your son’s death! Why do you blame Jared for it?

Gavin then took out a whetstone from the trunk. Then, he placed the whetstone near the water and started to sharpen a dagger.

The kidnappers were also stunned. They never expected that Gavin would kidnap such a delicate and beautiful woman just to perform a posthumous marriage for his son. It creeped them out, and they looked at each other, uneasy.

Ellen felt a sense of despair and helplessness. She had encountered someone crazy like Gavin, but there was nothing she could do but feel hopeless. She watched Gavin solemnly perform the ritual and

knew she would soon die.

At this moment, a black sports car rushed out of the overpass and sped forward. The man behind the wheel had dark hair that was already damp with sweat. He tightly gripped the steering wheel, and veins bulge on his hands.

His sports car finally arrived at the spot the bodyguards had given him. He quickly charged down, and even though the road below was uneven, causing sparks to fly from the car chassis several times, he did not slow down.

At this moment, the two bodyguards were already hiding behind the reservoir. They saw Ellen still tied to a tree and breathed a sigh of relief. Soon, they heard the sound of a car and turned around to see Jared’s car.

Finally, Young Master Tillman arrived.

Jared’s sports car charged onto the flat land beside the reservoir, frightening the kidnappers out of their wits. The sports car narrowly brushed past them.

Several screams echoed, and the kidnappers frantically dodged to the side.

When they regained their senses, they discovered a top-of-the-line sports car parked in front of them. The three SUVs behind it did the same stunt and scared them all over again.

Ellen breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the sports car. He’s here.

She subconsciously knew he would come. Right at this moment, a cold and sharp object was pressed against her neck.

It was a dagger.

Gavin did not expect Jared to find them, so he swung the dagger he had already sharpened and pressed it against Ellen’s neck.

The only step left in his ritual was to take Ellen’s life. Jared stepped out of the car, slammed the door, and barked, “Gavin, let her go!”

“Young Master Jared, you’re here too. Are you here to keep my son company in the afterlife?” Gavin remained calm and was even pleased that Jared had come to witness his masterpiece.

“Yes, I’m here to keep your son company. Let her go. If you want to kill someone, kill me!” Jared replied calmly.

Instantly, Ellen panicked. With the cloth stuffed in her mouth, she couldn’t even speak. At this moment, her little face had turned pale as tears welled in her eyes, and in her heart, she cried out to the man approaching her, Don’t come over. I don’t want to exchange myself for your safety.

The kidnappers next to them realized that the situation was dangerous. The person who came to save Ellen was driving a luxurious sports car with ten bodyguards, so the thought of escaping popped up in their minds.

Before they could flee, the bodyguards took them down with a few punches, and they were tied up individually.

“Gavin Turner, you old b*stard, who the hell did you offend?” the leader cursed angrily.

Now, the kidnappers couldn’t get the money, and they couldn’t escape either.

Gavin could care less about them. At this moment, he was thinking and considering whether to sacrifice Ellen or Jared to mourn his son. It’ll be an honor to sacrifice the nobleman Jared for my son!

“Why did you kidnap her, Gavin? To me, she’s just a plaything. I will get tired of her soon. Isn’t it better to let her go and kidnap me instead?” Jared sneered, trying to provoke Gavin to choose him.

Gavin wasn’t easy to deal with and immediately saw through Jared’s trick. “If she’s unimportant, just let me kill her.”

After saying that, he was about to use force. Jared finally panicked and shouted, “Stop!”

Gavin laughed heartily. “It seems this woman is significant to you and more important than your life, isn’t she?”

Ellen looked at Jared. He hadn’t looked at her much since he exited the car. She knew he was pretending not to care about her, but at this moment, looking at his panicked appearance, her heart was hurting like a knife slicing her.

“As long as you let her go, I’ll do anything you want,” Jared said in a deep voice.

“Okay, then go there and kneel to my son’s picture. Then, I’ll consider letting her go,” Gavin ordered.

Ellen shook her head in tears. No, don’t do this. It is too insulting. Copyright Nôv/el/Dra/ma.Org.

However, Jared didn’t hesitate to walk to the photo and kneel to it.

Her tears soiled her face and her eyes showed her heartache toward him.

The bodyguards behind them also clenched their fists in anger but were helpless. Gavin was threatening the most important person to Jared, and they could only watch as he was humiliated.

“Can you let her go now?” Jared was done kneeling and turned to face Gavin.

Gavin’s dagger was still against Ellen’s carotid artery. With just a little force, Ellen’s life would be in danger.

To Jared, the dagger against Ellen’s neck felt like it was against his heart. If Ellen were hurt, his heart would shatter at the same time.

At this moment, Jared’s heart rate was beyond normal, as if he was reacting to Ellen’s life-threatening situation with worry.

Gavin was struggling inwardly at the moment. He would rather kill Jared so that he could face his son when he went to the afterworld. Killing Ellen was irrelevant, but killing Jared would give him more satisfaction.

Gavin looked at the leader pinned to the ground and said, “Let him go and bring him over here.”

With a signal from Jared, the bodyguard released him, and the leader immediately said to Gavin, “What the f*ck do you want me to do?!”

“Tie this person up and bring him to me,” Gavin ordered.

“Why should I listen to you?” The leader hated Gavin for having offended such an influential person.

“Everyone has to listen to me here. Now, do as I say!” Gavin shouted.

The leader came over reluctantly. Jared took the initiative to take a rope from his bodyguard and handed it to the leader.

The leader took the rope and a gleam of slyness in his eyes. He knew Gavin was doomed, but he might be spared if he helped Jared.

Moreover, this young man who drove a top-notch sports car was from a wealthy family, so they couldn’t afford to offend him. If this young man suffered any injury, they would be doomed.

The leader had practiced many rope-tying techniques, one of which could be easily untied. At the moment, he used this technique while tying the rope and deliberately told Gavin, “We want to get out safely. Once we leave, you can kill whomever you want. Otherwise, I won’t help you.”

Gavin agreed, “Okay, just tie him up and bring him over. I’ll get them to release you.”

After the leader finished tying him up, he deliberately shouted to Jared, “Die, b*tch!” After that, he secretly signaled to Jared where his rope was located and finally revealed a pleading look.

Jared received his message, turned to Gavin, and said coldly, “Let her go. I’ll walk over now.”

Ellen looked at Jared pleadingly. She would rather die than let him come over to Gavin.

“Ellen, this has nothing to do with you. Go back!” Jared said indifferently.

Ellen thrashed around fiercely. She didn’t want him to die. Gavin was completely irrational and crazy, so he would never let Jared go.

Now that Jared was tied up and powerless, Gavin would not let go of this opportunity to hurt him.

Watching Ellen cry, Jared clenched his fists. He couldn’t bear to let her cry, but now her tears kept falling because of him. How could he not feel sorry for her?

“Bring him one meter away from me,” Gavin commanded the leader.

The leader immediately pulled Jared to a spot one meter away from Gavin. Gavin was tense, afraid of unexpected events, but he still took the dagger off Ellen’s neck and moved towards Jared, preparing to press the dagger against his neck.

Jared’s eyes sank, and just as Gavin’s knife was about to touch him, he broke free from the rope binding his hands, grabbed Gavin’s hand holding the dagger, and pushed him hard to the ground,

shouting, “Now!”

Dozens of bodyguards rushed over in an instant, saving Ellen and Jared.

Gavin almost went crazy. Although his hand holding the dagger was held by Jared above his head, no one expected that he still had a small knife in his other hand. He reached out and stabbed Jared’s shoulder twice. When the bodyguards rushed over, they quickly grabbed his hand and removed the knife.

“Young Master!” The bodyguards exclaimed.

Jared’s back of the suit was covered in blood, but he seemed to forget the pain as he looked at Ellen, who was safe and sound, and smiled.

When Ellen was untied, she rushed over to Jared. She gazed at him but couldn’t speak for a moment. Finally, she choked up and said, “I don’t want you to die.”

Jared wiped her tears with his hand and smiled softly. “Silly girl, we won’t die.”

“Young Master, treat your wounds before we go back.” The bodyguards came over with a medical kit. They were all on edge during the dangerous moment just now, but they didn’t dare to act without Jared’s command.

Moreover, they would not take the chance if Ellen was still in danger. They knew how important she was to Jared.

“Detain these people and hand them over to the police,” Jared ordered in a low voice.

“Hey! Young Master, did I do a good job just now? Can you let us go?” The leader immediately pleaded, hoping that Jared would spare them.

Jared turned his head and looked at him coldly. “You kidnapped my girlfriend and expected me to let you go? Dream on.”

The leader instantly fell silent. He realized that even if he hadn’t helped, the young master wouldn’t have been seriously injured. He would have only suffered minor injuries at best, just like now, because he had the upper hand of having a lot of bodyguards.

Jared removed his suit jacket and shirt, revealing two deep wounds bleeding profusely. Ellen had never seen anything like this before. Tears instantly filled her eyes, and she didn’t want to look, but she had to.

The bodyguards were used to dealing with bloody scenes and calmly handled Jared’s wounds. They cleaned and disinfected the wounds, stopped the bleeding, bandaged them, and wrapped them with bandages. Then, they gave him a clean set of clothes to wear.

After changing into clean clothes, Jared looked as if nothing had happened. He walked over to Ellen and noticed that her eyes were swollen from crying. He hugged and comforted her, “It’s okay, it’s all over now. I’ll never let you experience this kind of fear again.”

Ellen closed her eyes and nodded gently in his embrace. Just now, she experienced something more profound than love. She had never known how important she was in his heart.

Why shouldn’t she love this man? She was also sure of one thing. Jared was more important to her than her life.

He was willing to die for her, and she would do just the same.

On their way back, Jared and Ellen shared a car. Back in the city, the car went straight to the hospital owned by the Presgrave Group.

The doctor rechecked the wound and advised Jared to stay in the hospital for two days.

Ellen followed him to a special ward. Although it was called a ward, it was more like a cozy suite with everything needed. It was specifically for hosting the Presgraves.

“Stay in the hospital for two days with me,” Jared told Ellen.

“Okay.” Ellen nodded. As long as she was with him, she would be happy wherever she was.

Ellen pursed her lips. I have something else to tell him! But she was too shy and embarrassed to say it.

As soon as Jared was about to lie down on his side, he saw Ellen looking troubled, so he immediately sat up again and reached out to rub the back of her head. “What’s wrong? Is there something else you want to tell me?”

“Do you want to hear it?” Ellen looked up and asked him.

“Of course. I want to know anything about you,” Jared said in a domineering yet gentle tone.

Ellen’s heart seemed protected with a safe, and she took a deep breath to say, “Do you remember that night?”

This was the man with whom she shared a deep connection. Jared immediately knew which night she was referring to. He hoarsely asked, “What about that night?”

Ellen could feel her cheeks on fire, so she averted her gaze. “I didn’t think it could happen, but it turns out I’m pregnant from that night.”

The moment she turned back to look at Jared, resignation and confusion replaced the emotions in her eyes. This wasn’t in the plan. What should I do?

He was overjoyed at her words. At that moment, he forgot about his injuries as he reached out his hands to wrap around her body. “What did you just say? Are we expecting a child?”

“Hey, your wounds! You might hurt yourself. You won’t want them to reopen.” She tried to push him away.

He only tightened his arms around her as surprise fully dawned on him. “Don’t worry. It doesn’t hurt at all. I’m just too happy.”

Ellen drew her hands back and leaned against him at ease, celebrating the good news with him. However, a little confusion welled within her. “What are we supposed to do?”

“I’ll give you a wedding as soon as possible. We’ll build a happy family for our child,” Jared replied in a low tone.

Ellen couldn’t help but worry. “B-But I haven’t even met your family.”

“Rest assured. They’ll be back soon once I tell them.” Jared rested his forehead against hers with a smile. “They are going to love you.”

His words gave her reassurance, so she nodded. “All right.”

At night, after Ellen went to bed, Jared headed into the study room with his phone and dialed a number.

“Jared, hello? Are you staying up late for work again?” the callee asked on the other side of the phone, apparently a little vexed.

“Mom, I have good news to share.”

“What is it about?”

“You and Dad are going to be grandparents soon.”

“What?” exclaimed Anastasia. The next moment, Jared heard hurried footsteps from the other side. “Elliot! Our son has something to tell you.”

Meanwhile, Anastasia was walking toward a manor garden in Dansbury with her phone. Elliot was playing fetch with a Doberman on the lawn.

Turning around, he saw Anastasia rushing over to him. He immediately tossed the frisbee aside to greet her. She wasn’t watching her step at all. Thus, when she tripped over something, she fell forward at Elliot. He reached out his hands to help her stand on her feet before affectionately expressing his concern, “You’re quite clumsy for your age.”

Jared couldn’t help but curve his lips into a smile when he heard Elliot’s voice. As his parents were this lovey-dovey since young, he wasn’t surprised to hear Elliot express affection to Anastasia.

Anastasia put the phone on speaker and gestured for Elliot to pay attention. “Your son has good news to share. Go ahead, Jared. Tell him.”

“Dad, Mom, you are going to be grandparents soon,” Jared repeated.

Anastasia covered her mouth with a hand in joy. Noticing the shocked look on Elliot’s face, she burst into laughter. “All right, Jared. We’ll come home right away. I can’t wait to see my grandson. Willow is coming along too.”

“I’m looking forward to that! By the way, if you feel like learning more about her, you can search ‘Ellen Reiss’ in domestic news online.”

“Geez, Jared, I don’t even know you have a girlfriend. How dare you hide it from us?” Elliot feigned anger but he couldn’t hide the joy in his tone.

“Don’t worry, Dad. I inherit my good taste from you. You can believe in me.”

Jared’s words put Anastasia in a good mood. She reminded him, “All right. We believe in you. We’ll be back soon.”

“All right. I’ll see you at home.” After that, Jared hung up the phone. A big dog pushed its body against Anastasia and asked for pets. After giving him a good pat, she pulled Elliot to the chairs on the side and began to search for domestic news online. Struggling to contain her excitement, Anastasia typed Ellen’s name in the search bar before proceeding with her search. Countless search results that showed up on the screen left her dumbfounded. Is this Ellen girl a celebrity? It seems like she’s quite popular in the country.

However, she widened her eyes in disbelief when she saw Ellen’s title. A champion? She took a closer look. More precisely, a chess champion.

She randomly clicked on one of the images. A high-definition picture popped out, showing a woman with a gentle but determined face sitting opposite her opponent. The woman had delicate facial features and a lean body. She’s a lovely girl!

“Check this out. The girl in the picture is your future daughter-in-law.” Anastasia passed her phone to Elliot.

He took it from her and studied the woman in the picture before he smiled satisfyingly to himself. Jared indeed shares the same good taste as me. It’s all showing on his significant other. The girl looks like a good person.

“Do you know she’s already a chess champion at such a young age? I can tell she’s an excellent woman.” Anastasia was already growing fond of Ellen since first sight.

She then urged him, “Let’s return to them as quickly as possible. The kids deserve a grand wedding, so our grandchildren will be born into a happy family.”

“All right. Whatever you say.” Elliot decided to let her make all the arrangements.

Anastasia was only forty-eight years old even though Jared was already twenty-eight. Besides, with the extra care to her face and Elliot’s love, she looked a lot younger than her actual age. She seemed like an elegant and charming woman around her mid-thirties with her black curly hair and delicate facial features. By looking into those clear eyes of hers, a person would feel like they could see into her past.

It was as if she didn’t age a day over the years, and even time was reluctant to leave any traces on her.

As for Elliot, he became more charismatic with his chiseled face as he aged. Even though there were a few wrinkles around his eyes, they turned out to be a bonus to his handsome face, making him look even more mature and composed.

Anastasia must admit that Elliot was more popular among women nowadays compared to his younger days. The fact bothered her a lot, but he could always find the right way to ease her worries before she took any action to get rid of the women around him.

She was well aware that if someone dared seduce Elliot, she would never hold it against them because she would take revenge right on the spot.

“Woof!” The Doberman barked at them as if protesting that they made a plan without involving him.

“Don’t worry, Duke. You’re going back with us.” Anastasia wrapped her hands around the dog.

Even after all the hardships, Anastasia maintained a youthful spirit within. Elliot watched her playing with the dog in affection. Warmth seeped into his heart as the morning sun shone down brightly on the villa, turning the beautiful view into a memorable sight in his mind.

…

In a prestigious university in Yelina, Willow, the daughter of the Presgrave Family, received a call from Anastasia when she was in the middle of painting something.

“What? Did you just say that I’m going to have a little nephew soon? Mom, you aren’t pulling my leg, are you?”

“Why would I lie to you? Your father and I will pick you up. I can’t wait to see your brother’s soon-to-be wife.”

“All right, good! Thanks, Mom.” Willow was a pretty girl. Her sweet smile and beautiful face gave her a girl-next-door vibe. As the product of a pair of parents with good genes, she effortlessly made it to the top with her appearance.

Her black hair was down to her waist. She maintained a casual and relaxed manner, but her confidence and calmness were deep in her bones. Even though there were many beautiful women in today’s society, her otherworldly elegance and refined temperament could make one fall for her at first sight.

Shoving the drawing board into her bag, she bid farewell to her classmates. After leaving the room with it, she walked down the historic passageway. She stretched a little under the winter sunlight. Her facial features softened at how comfortable it was to bathe in the sunlight as it put her at ease as a fawn would feel when it strolled in the wilderness.

Willow only turned twenty not long ago. It marked her transformation from the little princess of the Presgrave Family to a beautiful young woman.

Not far away stood a young man from a wealthy family with a bouquet in his arms. He was waiting outside for her to finish the lesson. To his surprise, she left the lecture hall earlier than he expected. He jumped out of the chair in surprise at the sight of her. Then, he picked up the bouquet and greeted her.

“Willow, these flowers are for you. I specially asked them to send the flowers by air transport this morning. Look how fresh the flowers are! There is dew on them.” This man was her loyal pursuer. He started pursuing her when she was eighteen, and it had now been two years.

However, Willow didn’t see the chemistry between them. She shook her head as she murmured, “Thank you, but I can’t accept it. Why don’t you give it to someone else?”

“I won’t. The bouquet is dedicated to you, Willow. You should have it,” the man adoringly explained.

“It’s been two years. Haven’t you had enough? Instead of wasting your time on me, you should spend it studying. It’ll do you good.” Willow finished her words with a resigned look on her face before brushing past him to leave.

“Willow, even if you said so, I’m not giving up. I believe that one day you’ll change your mind!” the man shouted from behind, a determined look on his face.

Willow could only sigh at his confession. As she was still young, she wanted to spend her time pursuing her dream instead of falling in love with a man.

Even though her family background could provide her with the best educational choices and resources, she chose a different path.

She was now studying to become a cultural relic conservator-restorer in the future, and it was a long way to go. As she came from a wealthy family, she didn’t even need to work to sustain her family. She could have gone after her interests and hobbies to find meaningful and valuable things to do in life.

At first, Elliot disapproved of her dream due to it being a hard and risky job. After all, she was his only daughter and he was reluctant to see her risk her life pursuing her dream.

However, Willow overpowered her parents with her charm. After much persuasion, Elliot and Anastasia gave in and agreed with her.

Willow had to put a lot of effort into her studies to make her dream come true. There’s not enough time to study. I won’t waste time pursuing a relationship!

She happened to be making a trip back to her hometown to study in a cultural relics restoration project. What a coincidence! I can take this opportunity to see Jared and my future sister-in-law.

I can’t wait to see them.

…

The next morning in the Presgrave Hospital, Ellen was told that Elliot and Anastasia would be coming back soon. As such, she was rather nervous about their meeting.

Jared shared his family’s photos with her, and she couldn’t help but be surprised at how they looked. They’re so young!

Jared’s sister is beautiful too. She seems like a nice person.

The hospital gave her a check-up. Her child was almost two weeks old, and everything was going fine. In the meantime, Ellen had to consume a balanced diet to provide her child with the necessary nutrition.

Jared decided to hire a nutritionist to keep tabs on her health. Furthermore, they were preparing for their wedding. Trivial details such as trying out their wedding tuxes and dresses had been on their mind lately.

Ellen waited for the day of their wedding to arrive at ease.

After the recent incident, Jared made Ellen his top priority. Even if she only planned for a stroll outside, she had to tell him, so he could assign bodyguards to accompany her. After all, she was now pregnant with his child.

Ellen gladly accepted his gestures. In the past, she worried that she would disturb his work, so she never brought herself to bother him. But now, she could always send him a message whenever she wanted as Jared claimed that she came first no matter what.

Therefore, even if he might be in an important meeting, he would suspend it and deal with her matter first.

Ellen has the privilege, Jared thought.

Ellen would never expect morning sickness in the early stage could be that bad. In just a few days, she felt her losing her appetite, and every meal she had tasted so bland.

Besides, she had been craving sour foods the whole time after she got pregnant. Due to that, she lost weight in only a couple of days.

At the same time, she was nervous and anxious as she was about to see her future parents-in-law. It might be due to the television series she watched, but she had the impression that most of the ladies of the house, especially wealthy ones, weren’t friendly.

At 3.30PM, Jared was at the airport, waiting for his family at the exit dedicated to the VIP guests. He raised his hand to read the time on his watch from time to time. I can’t believe we haven’t seen each other in more than a year. He was supposed to live with his parents last year, but a business trip changed his plan, so he spent his days in another country by himself.

Therefore, if his memories served him right, he and his parents had spent more than one year away from each other. I miss my precious little sister too.

After a long wait, a group of bodyguards in suits showed up at the VIP exit. Following them was a couple who walked hand-in-hand, and behind them was an adorable girl who carried a bag on her back. Finally!

“Dad, Mom!” Jared waved his hand at them in excitement.

“Jared!” Willow ran past her parents and toward Jared with movements as gentle as a butterfly. Even though the siblings were separated from each other for a long time, they spent their youth in each other’s company. The moment Jared was in arm’s reach, she nudged him with her head.

Jared raised his hand to ruffle her hair before calling out to her fondly, “Hey, kiddo.”

There were reporters all over the airport at the moment. When Elliot and his family made such an entrance, the reporters watched them agape. Then, they all shifted their attention to the couple in the center. Some who happened to know Elliot and Anastasia instantly recognized them.

Isn’t the couple over there the president of Presgrave Group and his wife? What a coincidence to meet them here! The reporters snapped some photos even though they could only share the photos among themselves. After all, the reporters in the country were well aware that they shouldn’t spread the news about the couple without permission.

“Look at Jared. Our son has matured a lot.” Elliot gestured for Anastasia to look at Jared.

His words reminded her of a divergence between them back then. He planned to let Jared handle things on his own while she was reluctant to leave her son. At last, she agreed with Elliot only because she trusted his judgment. As she stood before Jared right now, she finally realized that Elliot was right.

“You’re right. Jared is a capable man now. I should stop worrying about him,” Anastasia agreed with Elliot. After that, she turned to look around. When her gaze landed on Willow, her heart lurched.

I wonder what kind of man my adorable daughter will meet in the future. When she made sure Jared could take care of himself, her concern shifted to Willow. She’s already twenty.

The siblings got in one of the cars while their parents took another. Once the car rolled down the highway outside the airport, Anastasia was met by the familiar views. Memories flooded her mind and she gladly welcomed them.

The siblings in another car had quite a catching up to do, especially Willow. She was curious about Ellen, but she urged her brother to share the love story between him and Ellen with her.

Since there was enough time, Jared told her the story from the beginning. The shock upon learning that Ellen was the younger sister of Jared’s life savior gradually subsided into surprise. It’s a small world!

“Jared, it’s destiny.”

“I agree with you on that. We are meant to be.” He believed that everything happened for a reason. Even though Kevin has passed away, Ellen has me to take care of her and protect her for the rest of her life.

“That’s sweet of you. By the way, Ellen is an amazing woman! I heard she’s a chess champion. Do you remember the time I was learning to play chess? It gave me a headache and I had to give up on it. Thus, you can imagine how much I respect her. She’s practically my idol right now!” Willow was already adoring Ellen.

“I’m sure both of you will become good friends,” Jared remarked as he could tell Ellen and Willow were birds of a feather.

Later, he brought his parents and sister back to the villa. Ellen was living in New Town for her convenience.

“Jared, take Ellen with you tonight. We’ll have a family dinner together,” Anastasia reminded Jared.

“All right. I’ll pick her up,” Jared replied.

She nodded. After seeing him off, she returned upstairs with Willow in tow. Then, she unzipped her suitcase before taking out two velvet boxes and opening them. In the boxes lay two necklaces made of rare gems.

“Wow, Mom! Did you design them yourself? They look elegant and beautiful!” Willow was surprised because she had never seen them in her mother’s jewelry box.

“You’re right. I designed them myself. Back then, I got two high-quality gemstones by chance. One was blue and the other was red. By the time I received them, I was already thinking about gifting them to my future daughter-in-law and my precious daughter. Now, it’s time to give them to you.” After that, Anastasia grabbed one of the boxes and gave it to Willow. “Here, this one is yours.”

Willow happily took it before wrapping her arms around her mother and pressing a kiss to Anastasia’s cheek. “Thanks, Mommy!”

“Still calling me ‘mommy’, huh? You’re already a big girl.” Even though Anastasia teased her daughter, she was secretly enjoying it. She remembered the days back when Willow was just a toddler. The chubby cheeks and the sweet voice calling out to me! I miss them so much!

After Willow was slightly older, Anastasia even thought about getting another child. However, she gave up on that thought right after because taking care of Jared and Willow alone took up a lot of her energy.

Therefore, she would rewatch their childhood videos from time to time.