Never Too Far Novel

Chapter 1571-1580

Jared said to Selena, “Had you not been recommended by your father, I’d have fired you right now.”

At this moment, Stanley finally found Jared here after spending a long time looking for the man to no avail. He urged at the door, “President Presgrave, it’s time for the meeting.”

Jared darted a look at Ellen. Then, he warned her, “Stay here,” before leaving.

In the office, Selena’s face was livid one moment and pale the next. Looking somewhat ferocious, she looked daggers at Ellen, asking, “What’s your relationship with President Presgrave?”

Having seen through this cousin of hers, Ellen didn’t bother to answer her question. She retorted, “Is that any of your business?”

Selena looked at the young lady before her, who reeked of poverty from her very bones except for her pretty looks. “This can’t be possible! How could you be good enough for President Presgrave? What is it about you that qualifies you to catch his fancy?”

In a rare moment, Ellen’s face hardened, though her expression was already frosty in the first place. She pointed to the door, saying, “Please get out.”

Selena was stunned for a second before she realized she was being chased away—and by Ellen of all people. “J-Just you wait! I’ll make you pay for the humiliation I suffered today!” she threatened. With that, she tossed her head and left.

Exhausted, Ellen slumped into the chair as though she had just fought a war. Resting her head in her hands, she felt an overpowering weariness sweep over her. Her brain was fatigued; her cheeks burned again without her knowing when she looked back on what Jared had said just now. Am I too stupid to notice that he’s been courting me all the time? But has he ever courted me? she asked herself inwardly

in hindsight. Nothing of the sort! Ah, my mind’s confused. Let’s not think about this anymore. Just calm down and do some reading instead!

On the other hand, Selena went downstairs and returned to her desk. She looked at her small office, then at Ellen’s large, spacious office.

She had never felt so aggrieved before and reflected on what Jared had said. So, Jared fell in love with Ellen first and has been courting her since then? And he said Ellen was stupid for not noticing that?

Selena bit her lip. How could Ellen be so lucky? This made her feel kind of resentful, as though her life had been wasted before this. It was like no matter how hard she tried to get luck on her side, she could never be as lucky as Ellen, who met Jared. Indeed, her family was rich, but it was simply nothing to speak of compared to the Presgraves.

She was really green with jealousy. The Presgrave Family’s money had never crossed her mind, but she had always dreamed of having Jared to herself ever since she first laid eyes on him. But now, he actually fell in love with Ellen, a poor relative whom she looked down on the most. That’s even more distressing than death, no? Just in what way is Ellen better than me?

She closed her eyes. Just then, her phone rang; she picked it up and took a look. Seeing that it was a phone call from a rich dandy whom she had gotten to know abroad, she immediately composed herself and answered the phone. “Hey, Charlie!”

“Lena, I heard that you’re back in the country. I have a dinner party this Friday that I’d like to invite you to join.”

“A dinner party? What kind of dinner party is that?”

“It’s a charity dinner that’ll absolutely be fun.”

Selena was someone who judged people by their appearances. Charlie Dune’s family was rich, but she turned up her nose at him because he was over 220 pounds. This time, however, she wasn’t going to give up the opportunity to attend such a dinner party. Hence, she replied with a smile, “Well, then, let’s have fun together!”

“Alright. I’ll pick you up then, so dress up for the party!”

“Don’t worry, I won’t make you look bad,” Selena replied with a smile before ending the phone call. As soon as she hung up the phone, though, she had goosebumps all over in disgust.

Still, she was really in a foul mood today and had to look for something that would make her happy. Getting off work earlier than she was supposed to, she first went back to Ellen’s place to pack her belongings.

Ellen had given Selena the key to her place. At this moment, having packed her belongings there, Selena vented her anger by deliberately messing up the place. Not only that, she even smashed one of its ornaments to pieces.

Seeing how the place looked like it had been ransacked, she couldn’t help but laugh gloatingly. However, just when she was about to leave, Ellen pushed the door open and came in from the outside, having returned from work.

The two women looked at each other. Then, seeing the chaos all over the place, Ellen clenched her fists and burned with anger, saying, “You’ve gone too far, Selena!” NôvelDrama.Org owns all © content.

Selena looked at her disdainfully. She scoffed, “So what if I’m going too far? I haven’t had enough of smashing things yet! Even if I smash everything here, I can afford to pay for it. How’s that?”

Ellen clenched her fists even tighter. Seeing the smashed ornament on the floor, she finally lost the last of her patience. Suddenly coming at Selena, she grabbed her by the hair, pinned her to the floor, and

started beating her, yelling, “Why did you have to smash everything here? This place isn’t mine!”

“Ouch! It hurts! Get your hands off me, damn Ellen!” Selena forgot to fight back; she was momentarily preoccupied with the pain of being straddled by Ellen and pulled by the hair.

Ellen held onto a handful of Selena’s hair and refused to let go as she boiled with rage. “So what if you can afford to pay for it? Who let you smash these things?”

Selena had never been treated like this before. She yelled angrily, “Let go of me! Get your hands off me now!”

“Apologize for what you did!” Ellen demanded an apology.

Ellen would rather die than say sorry to her, though. “To hell if I’ll do that!”

“You’re not allowed to leave until you apologize,” Ellen said, pressuring her while continuing to pull her by the hair.

At last, Selena ignored the pain and fought back, pinching Ellen’s waist hard and getting up while the latter was in pain. Then, she struck back by swinging her bag at Ellen, forcing the latter to put up her arms to fend her off. As a result, the metal on her bag instantly cut Ellen’s arm, causing several drops of blood to stain the latter’s shirt red.

“Aah!” Ellen’s face turned pale in pain.

Seeing the blood on her arm, Selena stopped her attack, her hair disheveled. At this very moment, she just wanted to leave here as soon as possible lest Ellen went crazy again. “I’ll remember this,” she didn’t forget to threaten before leaving.

Ellen sat on the sofa and opened her shirt. When she saw the cut on her forearm, a sudden bout of grievance washed over her, causing her to burst into tears for a moment. Crying nonstop, she picked

up a piece of tissue and wiped the blood away as tears blurred her eyes.

Meanwhile, shortly after Selena left by cab downstairs, a man took the elevator at the underground parking lot and went upstairs.

Jared got out of the meeting, only to realize that Ellen had left beforehand. He couldn’t help worrying that she might actually quit her job, so he had no choice but to come over and talk with her to dissuade her from doing so.

He reached the door to her apartment, but just when he wanted to press the doorbell, he noticed that the door was half open and unlocked. As it turned out, Selena had merely yanked the door shut and gone out while leaving in a great hurry just now. Thanks to inertia, the door closed automatically, but it wasn’t locked.

Jared’s heart clenched at the sight of this. How could she be so careless as not to close the door properly? This neighborhood is pretty good in terms of security, but it’s still dangerous if she comes across bad people. He pushed the door open and came in. The next instant, he saw the mess on the floor and Ellen, who was crying and sitting on the sofa with her hand clamped over her arm.

Noticing that someone had entered, Ellen raised her teary eyes in fright to see her boss come uninvited. Startled, she stood up in a panic. The tissue paper plugging the wound on her arm fell off, revealing a bleeding cut that was almost an inch long.

“What happened? How did you get hurt?” Jared quickly came over and grabbed her arm before examining the wound.

Ellen hurriedly shook her head. Not wanting him to worry, she even hid her arm guiltily. “It’s nothing… I just hurt myself by accident.”

“What’s going on with your place? Was it a break-in or something?” Jared looked around the place. Then, recalling something, he went to the living room cabinet and rummaged around in it. As he had expected, he found a first-aid kit, which he took out before walking up to her. “Sit down and let me bandage your wound.”

Ellen had no choice but to sit down.

Jared opened the first-aid kit and took out some cotton balls and a bandage.

At this moment, Ellen couldn’t be bothered by the pain. She wiped her tears in secret, not wanting to appear too fragile in front of the man.

“What in the world happened? How did you get hurt?” Jared asked with a frown, but his hand movements were extremely gentle.

Ellen let him bandage her wound while explaining with a sigh, “Selena messed up my place on purpose before moving out. When I pulled her by the hair and asked her to apologize, she hit me with her bag. The cut on my arm was made by the metal on her bag.”

Jared felt incredibly sick at the thought of Selena. Why is Ellen always surrounded by such ill-bred relatives? “Did she apologize to you, then?” he asked.

Ellen shook her head, saying, “No, she didn’t.” Even so, she was glad to have taken action this time. Even though she got hurt as a result, she was at least not weak anymore.

Jared said, “Just stay away from these relatives as much as you can from now on.” After packing the first-aid kit, he began to help Ellen tidy the place.

Ellen was stunned for a few seconds. Is my boss tidying up the place for me? There’s no way I could be so lucky. “You don’t have to do this, President Presgrave. Let me do it instead.”

Jared stopped her just as she wanted to get up. “Sit there and don’t move.”

“I can do this. I’m totally fine.” Ellen still wanted to stand up and lend a hand.

The man had no choice but to come over and sit her down on the sofa with an authoritative look in his deep eyes. “Just be a good girl, okay?”

Stupefied, Ellen reclined on the sofa as if she had been rooted to the spot. Looking up at the man, she listened to him.

The man tidied up the place dexterously after finishing his speech.

Perhaps Selena wouldn’t have expected that Jared would be the one who tidied Ellen’s place after all the trouble she had taken to smash it up. Finding the broom and the mop in the storeroom, he cleared the broken pieces of ornament away from the floor. After that, he even went to the master bedroom.

Don’t tell me Selena even made a mess of my bed! thought Ellen. She hurried to the master bedroom. When she saw Jared making the bed and folding up the quilt for her, her pretty face instantly turned scarlet.

As it turned out, Selena didn’t mess up her bed; it was just that she had gotten up late in the morning and forgotten to fold up the quilt before she left for work. At this moment, seeing how the tall figure stood by her bed while folding up the quilt dexterously with his large hands, she felt incredibly embarrassed.

Jared couldn’t help but look around Ellen’s master bedroom. The bedroom was clean and tidy, save for the disheveled quilt, which he folded up without any extra effort.

To think he’s such a homebody who loves tidying up! His parents must’ve done a great job of educating him, thought Ellen to herself.

Just then, Jared turned around and said to her, “Alright, it’s done. Let’s go out and have dinner.”

Ellen felt really sorry for the man. Not only had he tidied her place, but he even offered to treat her to dinner. “Thank you, President Presgrave, but never mind about dinner. Please go ahead with your business if you have something to deal with.” She was shy of scrounging a free meal off him.

Jared couldn’t help but fold his arms across his chest while narrowing his eyes. “Are you chasing me away already?”

“No, I’m not chasing you away! It’s just that you’re very busy, so—”

“Even a busy person has to eat.” Jared cut her short. Then, he ordered, “I’m asking you to have dinner with me, and you’re not allowed to say no.”

Ellen blinked her eyes. He really is the most domineering man I’ve ever seen. Consequently, she had no choice but to go out with him for dinner.

At this moment, Selena had driven home. When she arrived home with her suitcase in her hand, Olivia asked in surprise, “Why are you moving back here?”

“I don’t wanna talk about it. Ellen, that little b*tch! I won’t let her off for this!” Selena replied angrily.

Olivia immediately came over and looked at her daughter with concern. “What happened?”

“She kicked me out of her place, hit me, and even pulled me by the hair! My scalp still hurts right now!” Selena complained furiously.

Olivia flew into a rage instantly. Now that her daughter had gotten hit by Ellen, how could she not be angry? “What? How dare that little brat do this to you!”

“Mom, where’s Dad?”

“He isn’t back yet! Tell me first—why did she hit you?” Olivia dragged her to the sofa and sat down with her.

Selena simply lied, “I just broke a vase of hers into pieces by accident when I moved out, yet she thought I was making a mess of her place on purpose! She came at me, pulled me by the hair, and shoved me to the floor. If I hadn’t fought back in the end, she would’ve plucked out all my hair!”

“Who allowed that brat to do this to you? Who adopted her and her brother back when her parents died? What an ingrate who bites the hand that feeds her!” Olivia swore loudly before attempting to take out her phone. I’ve got to bite her head off for this!

Selena stopped her, saying, “Mom, don’t call her first. There’s one other thing that I want to tell you.”

Olivia sat down again.

Selena’s eyes reddened. She said, “Mom, the man I love, he… he actually loves Ellen! I can’t resign myself to this!”

“Who are you talking about?” For a moment, Olivia wasn’t sure who her daughter was in love with.

“Who else can it be? It’s our boss, of course!”

Olivia was astounded. “Y-You mean that Young Master Jared? Are you saying he’s in love with Ellen?”

Selena replied, “I didn’t believe it at first, but today… When I went to Ellen in the office this morning, he said he loved her and warned me not to bully her. Mom, in what way am I inferior to her?” She was aggrieved and upset, but at the same time, she was also resentful.

“Stop crying, sweetheart,” Olivia said, comforting Selena while holding her in her arms. At the same time, she looked surprised and anxious. Is there such a coincidence? That Young Master Jared is in love with Ellen? Don’t tell me that ghosts really do exist in the world and that this is the work of Ellen’s

dead brother? “Your dad is to blame for this, too. I told him not to get Ellen into that company, but he insisted on doing so,” she said resentfully.

Upon hearing this, Selena couldn’t help but look up in surprise. “Mom, what did you say? You mean it was Dad who got Ellen into the Presgrave Group?”

Seeing that she had let it slip, Olivia had no choice but to admit, “Yeah, that’s right. Your dad got Ellen a job at that company while he was pulling strings for you.”

Selena replied, “How could he do that? It was me who wanted to work there. Why did he have to get Ellen into the company as well?” She was beside herself with rage after listening to this. If Ellen hadn’t joined the Presgrave Group, she wouldn’t have met Jared, and these things wouldn’t have happened.

Olivia replied, “It’s your dad’s fault indeed.” She was vexed, too. I should’ve stopped him back then. Now I have shot myself in the foot. To think Ellen and Young Master Jared hit it off so quickly as to fall in love with each other! No, I can’t let her and Young Master Jared become a couple no matter what, or what happened before will certainly be found out.

“Mom, I hate her guts,” Selena sobbed in Olivia’s arms.

“That little brat will come to a bad end.” Olivia was resentful, too. At the same time, she was even more afraid of Ellen, fearing that she would learn about the truth of what had happened back then and that she would take away everything that they owned right now.

Meanwhile, in the restaurant…

Ellen obediently explained the incident in the morning where she had lied to Selena that Jared had a girlfriend.

Jared had forgotten about it long ago. Instead, he thought she was doing the right thing. She’s keeping me from being pestered by other women. “Alright, let bygones be bygones!” he said, ending the subject. Then, he asked, “Are you still gonna quit your job, then?”

Ellen asked him in reply, “Do I really have to pay eight million in breach-of-contract damages if I resign?”

Jared nodded. “The breach-of-contract damages for your job are more than eight million.”

Ellen involuntarily gulped at once. Then, thinking that she wouldn’t suffer any losses if she didn’t quit her job, she replied with a wave of her hand, “I won’t quit my job, then. I’ll keep on working until you sack me on your own initiative!” There’s no way I can afford such an exorbitant amount of breach-of- contract damages.

Jared couldn’t help but let out a snort of laughter. “Seems like you’re quite sensible.”

Ellen let out a wry laugh. “I’m just doing what suits me best at the time.”

“Are you free this Friday night?” Jared asked her.

Ellen pondered for a moment. She didn’t have to work extra hours on Friday night, nor did she have anything else to deal with. So, she nodded, saying, “I am. Is there anything I can do for you, President Presgrave?”

“Attend a dinner party with me.”

“What dinner party?” Ellen was startled; she had never attended such an upper-class dinner party.

“A charity dinner.”

Ellen’s cheeks burned. She couldn’t help but say honestly, “President Presgrave, I’ve never attended dinner parties before, so I’m afraid I’ll make you look bad. Why don’t you invite someone else instead?”

Jared was both amused and annoyed by her reply. He said, “How can you possibly embarrass yourself in my presence? This is part of your job, so you have to go with me.”

Ellen blinked her eyes before asking for confirmation, “Do I really have to go with you?”

“Yes, you have to,” Jared asserted in an authoritative tone.

Ellen nodded. Mustering up her courage, she replied, “Okay, I’ll go with you.”

At the end of the dinner, Jared drove her home, telling her on the way to go to bed early and be careful while living alone.

Ellen got out of his car after they arrived downstairs outside her neighborhood. She said with a wave of her hand, “Drive safely on your way home.”

Jared told her to enter the neighborhood first. After she had safely entered the neighborhood, he finally made a U-turn and left.

When Ellen returned home and saw how clean and cozy it looked after being tidied, she couldn’t help curling her lips into a smile. Recalling how the man even helped her make the bed, she felt both embarrassed and warm at the same time.

Just then, her cell phone rang. Who would call me at such a late hour? she wondered. She picked up the phone, only to see that it was a phone call from Olivia. Her heart clenched. Don’t tell me she’s gonna give me a dressing-down! Knowing that she couldn’t escape from being chastised, she braced herself and answered the phone. “Hi, Aunt Olivia.”

“Ellen, all Lena did was break that lousy thing of yours to pieces, no? How dare you hit her and pull her by the hair for that? Don’t you have the slightest respect for her? She’s your cousin!” Olivia yelled angrily in a reproving tone of voice. Moreover, she even put the blame on Ellen without listening to her side of the story. Before Ellen could answer, she warned her, “I’m telling you, Ellen, if you dare lay a hand on Lena again, I won’t let you get away with it! I was kind enough to keep you and your brother back then, but little did I think you’d grow up to become such an ingrate! I really regret it!”

Seeing how Olivia talked about her kindness in fostering her and her brother, Ellen had no choice but to reply, “Aunt Olivia, I admit that what happened was partly my fault, but it wasn’t my fault alone. Selena was in the wrong, too.”

Olivia replied, “Ellen, Lena has told me everything. You’ve got Young Master Jared at your back, so you’re turning your nose up at everyone right now, huh? Did you ever think about who was the one that got you into the Presgrave Group? It was your uncle who pulled strings to get you into the company, remember? If it weren’t for our family, you’d probably be working as a waiter in some obscure place now! How ungrateful!” She let out a sneer. “Don’t you worry that you’ll get your comeuppance for that?”

After she finished her speech, Selena snatched the phone from her, saying, “Mom, let me talk to her.” She then said to the other end of the line, “Ellen, I want you to apologize to me.”

Hearing that it was Selena, Ellen bit her lip, saying, “I won’t apologize to you.”

“It was thanks to my dad that you got into the Presgrave Group. If not for my dad, you wouldn’t have gotten to know President Presgrave. Without my dad, your resettlement compensation would’ve been taken by others long ago. Ellen, as long as you apologize to me, I can forget about this.” Selena just wanted to see Ellen bow down to her.

“That’s a different matter, Selena. What about my wound?”

Selena replied haughtily, “That little wound of yours is nothing. Also, how much is that thing of yours? I’ll pay you for that, but you have to apologize to me.”

“I won’t apologize to you,” Ellen said stubbornly.

Selena threatened, “You… Fine, don’t come to my place anymore. My parents won’t look after you anymore either. From now on, you’re on your own!”

The words ‘on your own’ pricked Ellen’s heart.

Just then, Olivia took the phone back from Selena. “Ellen, your parents died early, so we fostered you and your brother out of pity. Now that you’ve grown up, you don’t obey us anymore. Not only are you unfilial to us, but you even hit my daughter. Who would dare to marry an ungrateful lady like you in the future? Your husband’s family will kick you out if they learn about this.”

These words didn’t sound unpleasant to the ear, but they were as hurtful as a curse.

Olivia then threatened, “I’m telling you, don’t seek us for help in the future when you need your elders to back you up. We don’t have such a heartless niece. Either you apologize to my daughter, or we’ll sever our relations with you.”

Ellen’s heart twinged; she felt an overwhelming pressure weighing down on her.

“Apologize, you brat! Didn’t you hear what my mom said?” Selena’s voice rang on the other end. Obviously, they were putting the phone call on speaker.

Ellen took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Then, she said calmly to the other end of the line, “I’ll never apologize to you for this.” With that, she hung up right away. Her heart was heavy, and it pained her a lot, but she knew that she didn’t do anything wrong and thus didn’t have to apologize to anyone.

Selena let out a snort in anger when the phone call ended. “Mom, she hung up on us.”

Olivia was stunned, too. She had thought that once she threatened to sever all relations with Ellen, the latter would immediately be scared into apologizing in order to maintain her relationship with the only relatives she had left. However, little did she think Ellen would have the nerve to hang up on her instead. “This little brat has got some nerve, huh?” She was angry as well. “Let’s see who’s gonna care about her when I no longer speak for her in the family.”

Just then, Connor came back.

The instant Selena saw him, she went up to him angrily, asking, “Dad, why did you get Ellen into the Presgrave Group? Do you know how she bullied your daughter?”

“Weren’t you staying at Ellen’s place? Why did you come back?” Connor asked curiously.

Olivia chimed in angrily, “How could you still be in the mood to ask about this? Your daughter got pulled by the hair and beaten up by Ellen today!”

“Why would Ellen hit you?” Connor was puzzled. How could Ellen possibly hit someone with her submissive temperament?

“It was just because I accidentally smashed an ornament at her house. She pulled me by the hair and hit me without hesitation! My scalp still hurts right now, you know,” Selena lied, not at all looking guilty.

Knowing what kind of a person Selena was, Connor knew Ellen must’ve hit her because she had gone too far. “Okay, don’t stay at Ellen’s place anymore. Just stay home with us.”

Seeing that he wouldn’t stick up for her, Selena went upstairs angrily to sulk.

Olivia dragged Connor into the small living room on the first floor. Then, she closed the door, saying, “Connor, we have to watch out for Ellen.”

“Why?” Connor asked in puzzlement.

Olivia replied, “Lena said Young Master Jared is in love with Ellen, so perhaps Ellen will learn about his heart replacement one day. Won’t we be finished when she asks us about it?”

Connor was startled; little did he expect that Ellen and Jared had become so close. “Why would Young Master Jared fall in love with Ellen?” he asked in surprise. He couldn’t understand why Jared would love a commoner like Ellen. After all, the Presgraves were the number-one family of business tycoons in the country.

“In short, Lena heard from Young Master Jared himself that he loves Ellen and wants to court her. Say, Connor, do you think there are supernatural events on earth? Young Master Jared’s current heart belonged to Ellen’s brother. Could the late Kevin have helped her without us knowing?” Olivia said as a hint of unease and panic flitted across her face.

Connor didn’t believe in supernatural events, though. He quickly shot a glare at his wife, saying, “What nonsense are you talking about? How could such a weird thing exist in the world?”

Olivia replied, “I’m just saying! If not, why would Young Master Jared fall in love with Ellen? What is it about Lena that makes her inferior to Ellen? Why does he love Ellen instead of Lena?” She simply couldn’t wrap her head around this. My daughter wouldn’t lose to Ellen in terms of looks and deportment. Could Young Master Jared be blind?

Connor was worried as well, but he thought nothing would happen between Ellen and Jared. As a man, he understood that Jared would end up marrying a lady who matched his wealth and social status. “Don’t worry too much about it. Only we know about Kevin’s heart donation back then, so Ellen won’t ask about it.”

“What if Ellen learns about this one day?”

“If she learns about it, we’ll give her 20 million as compensation. I’ll brace myself and talk to her about it by then.” Connor had already come up with a way out of this. And besides, Ellen was his niece, which

would make these things even easier to discuss. Surely my niece won’t turn against me.

“What? You’re going to give her 20 million? How much will we have left, then? We just asked the Presgrave Family for 50 million three years ago. We can’t ask them for more in the future!”

Connor counted the money he had earned from his investments and concluded, “By then, you and Lena can just cut down on your expenses!”

“How is that possible? I’ve already gotten used to this life. I can’t start being thrifty now. Besides, Lena still has to get married and needs at least 10 million for her dowry!”

“Okay, okay, I’ll work hard to save up.”

“Do you think you can find a profitable project with your skills? I don’t believe it!” Olivia said disdainfully.

Connor’s mood soured. “Either way, it’s decided.”

Upon seeing her husband swing the door open and leave, Olivia couldn’t help but place her hands on her waist and thought that she would never let Ellen find out. If not, her 20 million would disappear into thin air.

…

In the blink of an eye, it was Friday. As Ellen sent a cup of coffee to Jared’s office, he handed her a name card right as she was about to leave. “Go to this place at three this afternoon.”

Curious, she took the name card and saw that it belonged to a dress shop.

“I’ve already notified the owner of this shop. You can just go and try the gowns on and pick whichever you like. I’ll pick you up for the party at half past five.”

Ellen had been worried about this, but she was surprised to see that he had already taken care of everything for her.

“Okay.” She nodded.

Jared glanced at his watch and asked, “I’m going to have lunch with a few clients. How about you?”

Ellen smiled. “The cafeteria, of course! The food there is hearty and delicious.”

As the president, Jared had never tried the cafeteria food, mostly due to his status.

“Really? In that case, take me to try it out one day.”

“Sure!” Ellen agreed, more than willing to take him there.

“All right, remember to be there at three,” Jared reminded as if fearing that she would forget.

However, she would never forget, and she was even looking forward to it. After leaving his office, she searched the shop’s location and saw that it was not that far away.

Selena had been at work these days as well, but she was just a little distracted. Fortunately, she had a knack for controlling men, so her work was covered by her male colleagues. For lunch, she dined with the wealthy Charlie as she had to accompany him to the dinner party that night, and she managed to borrow an evening gown from him for the occasion.

Charlie had been pursuing Selena for quite some time. To him, women were only fun when they were new, and Selena had been leaving him hanging, which kept him interested.

“I’ll take care of your gown. My aunt has a dress shop, so you can just go over and pick one.”

“Are we buying it or renting it?” Selena asked with a smile.

“Of course, we’re renting it! There’s no need to buy it when you’re only going to wear it once.”

Although Selena was filled with contempt at his words, she still said ingratiatingly, “You’re so kind, Charlie.”

“All of the people who will be present at the party tonight aren’t ordinary folks. I had to rely on my dad’s connection to get an invitation too.”

Hearing that, Selena felt her heart skip a beat, wondering if Jared would be there.

“In that case, all of the guests tonight are the influential people of Averna!”

“That’s right. You’ll meet many powerful people.”

The person Selena wanted to see the most was Jared. She hoped to meet him tonight, and she would be wearing a beautiful dress as well, so she would surprise him with something different. Even if she couldn’t see Jared, she could still make use of Charlie’s position to meet other rich people, so she had a backup plan.

At around three, Ellen took a cab to the dress shop. The car stopped at the entrance, and she gasped at the shop’s grandeur upon seeing the majestic building.

She had just entered when one of the staff greeted her. “Good afternoon, Miss. Are you here to try on some gowns?”

“Yes!”

“May I know your name, Miss?”

“My name is Ellen Reiss.”

As soon as Ellen finished speaking, she was met with a surprised look from the attendant lady, who was thinking to herself, So, this young lady is the important guest who’s supposed to come in at three to five today!

In order to accommodate her, the store was closed to other customers during this time. Just who exactly was she?

As Ellen walked into the dress store, she expected it to be the same as any other clothing store, with customers coming in to pick and try on their clothes. However, she did not see a single customer in the entire store, which made her somewhat uncomfortable.

“Miss Reiss, what would you like to drink? Coffee, tea, or water?”

“Water, please,” Ellen replied with a smile.

Shortly after, four tall and beautiful attendants surrounded her with respectful looks in their eyes, making her feel a little nervous. With them, they brought a glass of water along with a plate of fruits and dainty pastries.

“Miss Reiss, please enjoy some fruits and pastries! In the next two hours, we will serve you to the best of our abilities. You can tell us if you have anything you’re looking for, and we’ll try our best to fulfill all of your needs,” an attendant with a sweet smile said to her.

Just then, an older woman who was dressed even more luxuriously heard that the important guest had arrived, and she practically jogged over from the second floor. She didn’t treat Ellen negligently just because she was dressed plainly, but she bowed and apologized as soon as she arrived, “My apologies, Miss Reiss. I’m the shopkeeper. I’m sorry I couldn’t greet you personally, but now, I’ll be at your service.”

Ellen was thoroughly dumbstruck. It was as if she were as distinguished as a princess. Why were these people being so respectful and polite to her?

“It’s all right, you’re being too courteous. I’m just here to try on some dresses.” Ellen waved her hands, indicating that she had no objections.

“Miss Reiss, do you wish to head upstairs now to pick out your dress?” the shopkeeper hurriedly asked.

“Okay, I’ll take a look,” Ellen said before getting up. After all, her purpose was not to sit around and enjoy the tea, but to pick an evening dress for the dinner party.

After heading up to the second floor, she couldn’t help but gasp in awe at the sight of the shiny beaded evening dresses that could only be seen in movies or on celebrities. Here, not only could she admire these dresses up close, but she could even touch them.

“How beautiful!” She couldn’t help but gasp.

“If you see anything you like, Miss Reiss, we will be here to help you put them on.”

“Thank you, I’ll have another look.” Ellen hadn’t made her choice yet as the dresses were all too beautiful, and she felt dizzy just from looking at them. It was as if any of them would easily make her a fashionista if she put them on.

“Do you have a favorite color, Miss Reiss?”

“I-I like blue,” she replied.

“We have blue dresses here as well. You can take a look here and choose the ones you like. Of course, we have other colors that are perfect for you too,” the shopkeeper carefully suggested. She noticed that Ellen had an innocent and lovely appearance, so she figured a short evening dress would look good on her as well.

Ellen said to the shopkeeper, “Miss, can you help me pick a few dresses that suit me? I’ll try them out to see how they look.”

The shopkeeper had been waiting for these words, and she skillfully picked ten different dresses for her, after which Ellen began to try them on. Each dress displayed a different effect on her, but there was no doubt that she had a good figure with a slim waist, pale skin, and an excellent bone structure which was well suited for wearing evening dresses.

She had tried several long gowns, and they felt very dignified and beautiful to her. However, they were troublesome, and she was not used to wearing them, so she gave short dresses a shot instead. A knee-length dress decorated with crimson roses stunned her. It was as if her body was infused with a fiery glow, and it was gorgeous.

However, the shopkeeper then suggested that she try other dresses. The next dress she tried putting on was a top-heavy and sleeveless gown with a white laced skirt on the bottom. It was pure yet sultry and showcased her long, slender legs perfectly.

Ellen tried on another black dress that was seductive and playful yet carried an air of mystery. While she looked at her stunning reflection in the mirror, the shopkeeper highly recommended this dress. Ellen liked it as well; it was simple and modest, and it wasn’t flashy either.

On top of that, the diamond belt around her waist was a huge bonus that brought out all the advantages of her body. The top of the dress showcased a playful V-neck, and the cinched waist as well as the bottom of the dress displayed her slender legs. In the end, Ellen opted for this dress.

Ellen thought she had chosen a dress that wasn’t very impressive, but she wasn’t aware that the designers of this dress were top-of-the-line, and that the diamond belt that matched her waist alone was already worth eight figures.

Then, she began to do her hair. Her long and dark hair surprised the hairstylist, who hadn’t seen long hair that hadn’t been dyed with chemicals for a long time. Ellen’s hair was black and smooth, emitting a natural glow in the light.

“Miss Reiss, I’ll do your hair for you!”

“All right, thank you.” Ellen nodded.

“Have some water, Miss Reiss.” Another attendant thoughtfully served a glass of water for her.

After Ellen said her thanks, the hairstylist began to get to work. Although it was a simple braiding process, she meticulously tended to every single strand of hair to create an elegant hairstyle for Ellen. The hairstylist worked on styling her hair into a soft and sweet updo that would enhance her face, and gradually, her demeanor changed.

The next step was makeup. The makeup artist didn’t cover her assets but enhanced her beauty even more by focusing on her best features. Soon, the plain girl in the mirror disappeared and was replaced with the reflection of a gentle and sweet young lady. Her slightly curled hair cascaded down her shoulders, showcasing her wonderfully sculpted rosy cheeks, making her unbelievably beautiful. Even the surrounding attendants couldn’t help but silently gasp to themselves, thinking that Ellen was stunning when she dressed up.

Soon after, it was time to select her jewelry and high heels. She went for a pair of simple diamond studs which did not steal the limelight away from her dress but lined her hair and small earlobes with a glittering light. On her wrist was a small bracelet, and she wore a thin chain around her neck. Each piece of jewelry did not stand out from the others, but silently highlighted Ellen’s beauty.

Time went by without her realizing it, and after Ellen tried on her shoes, it was as if she had become a different person.

“Miss Reiss, we’ve prepared some afternoon tea for you. Please enjoy,” the shopkeeper said.

After serving the desserts, the attendant left, leaving Ellen the perfect opportunity to rest and drown in her thoughts on the sofa in front of the second-floor French window.

Just then, an attendant came over with a cup of coffee. Ellen asked curiously, “May I know if there are any other customers at this time?”

She only asked because, during the time she had spent in the store, she noticed that she was the only customer there.

The attendant let out a laugh. “Didn’t you know, Miss Reiss? You’re the only customer we’re attending to from three to five. We aren’t taking other customers during this time.”

Ellen’s alluring eyes widened. “Huh?”

“Enjoy your drink, Miss Reiss.” Upon saying that, the attendant left with a smile.

Ellen, on the other hand, was unable to recover to her senses. If she was the only customer in such a large store, did it mean that this time slot had been reserved for her? It must’ve cost a lot to reserve such a grand dress store for two hours! Ellen covered her face, inwardly thanking Jared for how kind he was to her.

At the same time, in a different dress store, Selena was picking out her evening dress as well. She, on the contrary, acted haughtily and tried on several of their best dresses before she left with a red and tight-fitting dress, having decided to go for a provocative look.

She had to be on her best behavior tonight and seize the opportunity to escape Charlie’s clutches for a better target. Besides, she was still hoping that she could see Jared tonight. It would be great if he’s there, she thought.

At around five o’clock in the evening, a gray sports car pulled out from Presgrave Group and sped into the sunset, resembling an elegant leopard as it raced through the crowd of cars.

At the same time, in the dress store, Ellen sat in front of the window and flipped through a magazine with the setting sun in the distance. As the pedestrians walked by and glanced upstairs, they couldn’t help but stop in their tracks and wonder whom the young lady sitting up there was.

Under the sunset, the gray sports car parked in front of the dress store. Upon seeing it, the attendants understood that the driver had come to pick up Ellen. They only knew that this guest had spent a fortune to reserve the store for two hours but did not know what he looked like. They guessed that he must be a man in his forties as the wealthy ones were usually of this age.

However, when the door of the sports car was pushed open and they saw the young man stepping out of the car, the attendants were instantly filled with envy. The rich man who had reserved their store was a handsome and stunning young man.

He was perfect in every sense of the word: he had the grace, the right looks, and the perfect body. He was simply the legendary Prince Charming himself. At the same time, they could finally put a face on the male leads of the novels they read.

Although he was only wearing a simple black button-down paired with a grey suit, he was still stunning from every angle. Blown away by his looks, the attendants were only able to return to their senses after a long pause, and they rushed forward to welcome him.

“Welcome, Mr. Presgrave. Miss Reiss is ready now,” the attendant said with a smile.

“Where is she?”

“In the tearoom on the second floor.”

“I’ll go and see her.” Saying that, Jared glanced at his wristwatch and noticed that there was still a lot of time left.

Jared took the stairs and walked to the tearoom on the second floor with the guidance of the attendant. When he arrived, he lightened his footsteps, his gaze drawn to the girl sitting in front of the window.

The light from the French window enveloped her body, and the simple little black dress complemented her remarkable figure to the fullest. The light from the setting sun highlighted her fair complexion, making her skin a little translucent with a slight blush. Her small nose and moist red lips looked extremely delicate as if she were a doll.

It was as if Jared’s heart had been thoroughly seized by something, and he couldn’t focus on anything except her.

Meanwhile, Ellen sensed someone’s arrival. Thinking that he was an attendant, she raised her eyes, only to jump in surprise when she saw him.

“You’re here, President Presgrave.” Ellen stood up before greeting him.

Jared looked her up and down, an approving smile inexplicably appearing at the corner of his lips as he said, “Not bad. You look good.”

Ellen grew shy from his words. It was her first time dressing up so grandly in front of him, but at the same time, she was elated that he was able to see her in a better light.

“Let’s go!” he said to her.

Ellen stood up and lifted a small pink bag next to her. It was small and delicate, enough to hold her phone, and beautifully embellished with diamonds. She took a step after him, and as they arrived at the

stairs, Jared extended his hand toward her. Realizing that he wanted to hold her hand, she reached over graciously and allowed him to lead her down the stairs.

As the attendants watched the pair, they thought to themselves, I didn’t know a couple that looked so good together existed!

“Have a safe trip, Mr. Presgrave.” The shopkeeper respectfully walked them to the door with the attendants in tow.

Jared nodded and led Ellen to the car before he opened the door to the passenger seat and helped her in. After she had taken her seat, he got into the car as well. Soon, the gray sports car revved and entered the sea of cars, the sight extraordinarily dazzling.

At the same time, Selena was waiting for Charlie in a cafe. She felt a burst of disgust upon seeing his rotund figure of two hundred pounds, but she still smiled charmingly to welcome him. Charlie took the opportunity to reach out and hold her, pulling her closer to him, and his eyes fell on her V-neck, revealing an ill-intentioned look.

“I’ll be in your care tonight, Mr. Dune!” Selena said as she got into his car, daydreaming about all the good things that were about to come her way tonight.