Never Too Far Novel

Chapter 1611-1620

He vaguely heard Ellen shouting, “Give me my phone. Stop running!”

Lambert felt his chest tighten at that instant. What if the robber is hostile and hurts her? He immediately found Selena’s number and called back using his friend’s phone.

“Hello? Who is this?” Selena’s voice rang out.

“Lambert here! May I know what hotel your father is holding the birthday banquet in?”

“We’re near Dawn Park. Are you coming over, Mr. Orey?”

He didn’t expect it to be so near to where he was. Because he was also nearby, he guessed that the place where Ellen lost her phone was around here as well.

Although he didn’t know if he could find and help her, he grabbed the car keys and ran out without a second’s hesitation.

Selena hadn’t expected Lambert to call her. However, she couldn’t help feeling disappointed when he hung up after throwing out that question.

Lambert immediately drove his car around Dawn Park, his eyes constantly looking at the street and gate of the park.

His hands-free phone was still on call and he could hear the robber’s footsteps and breaths, as well as Ellen’s voice. He didn’t think she would pursue the robber so persistently.

At the same time, a sweaty Ellen was huffing and puffing at the south exit of Dawn Park. Even though she was running out of breath, she did not give up and always made sure she was at least 50 meters away from the robber.

The robber was a stout man in his early forties. He was running as hard as he could at this moment.

“Stop right there!” Ellen shouted while she chased after him.

“You damn woman!” the robber cursed.

Lambert’s sports car was parked by the side of the road. After he got out of the car with his phone in his hand and dashed into the park, he caught sight of an overweight man running toward him. The man was holding a phone in his hand.

Lambert didn’t care if this was the person Ellen was going after. He stepped forward and grabbed the man before he snatched the phone out of his hand.

“And who the f*ck are you?!” the robber shrieked in surprise as he peered at this scary, tall young man.

Lambert looked at the screen of the phone and even he couldn’t believe how much of a coincidence it was for him to bump into the thief who took Ellen’s phone. He swiftly threw a punch at the robber. Before the man could react, Lambert gave him another kick. “How dare you steal someone else’s phone? I’ll take you to the police station!”

When the thief heard Lambert mention the police station, he turned pale with fright. He knew he couldn’t afford to provoke the young man in front of him. He didn’t think he would have such terrible luck. Not only was he chased after he stole a phone, but he even ended up being punched and kicked.

Suddenly, he brandished a small knife from his pocket and slashed Lambert’s arm with it.

Lambert, who didn’t expect the knife at all, only felt a sharp pain in his arm when the knife scratched him. The robber took the chance to flee.

“Stop!” By the time Ellen caught up to Lambert, her legs almost gave out and she was dizzy from running. She was completely fixated on the robber. However, she lost him when she came running in

this direction. Right as she panted with her arms on her waist, she heard a magnetic and pleasant male voice speak.

“Stop chasing. I got your phone back.”

She whipped her head around and took a glance at the sight that left her dumbfounded.

He was holding her phone and handing it to her. Seeing this, she immediately took the phone and made sure that it was indeed hers.

“What… What are you doing here?” she asked, puzzled.

“I asked your cousin where you might be. I guessed that your phone was stolen in a nearby park, so I tried my luck and came to see if I could find you. Surprise, surprise.” He let out a smile while he hid his injured arm behind his back. He admired her courage in chasing the thief.

He couldn’t help but ask, “It’s just a phone. Is it worth you running all the way?”

“Of course! This phone is very, very important to me.” Ellen tightly held her phone, her joy evident in her eyes.

“Don’t tell me it’s from Young Master Jared!” Lambert made a guess. It was no wonder the thief snatched her phone as it was the latest model.

“Yeah.” Ellen’s pretty face turned pink as she nodded. “It’s from him.”

“Well, where are you heading to? My car is close by. Let me drop you off,” Lambert offered.

Ellen quickly shook her head. “Thank you, but I can just grab a cab, Mr. Orey.”

“I got your phone back for you, didn’t I? Are you not going to buy me a cup of coffee?” he couldn’t help but ask with a smile.

However, at this moment, she suddenly noticed the blood dripping on the ground behind him. Shocked, she hurried around him, only to find that his arm was hurt.

“You’re bleeding!” She froze at that.

“Ah, the robber had a knife. It grazed me when I was distracted. I’m alright. It’s just a small injury.” No longer hiding his wound after he said that, Lambert let the blood freely drip.

“This is not a small injury! You have to go to the hospital and get bandaged!” Ellen quickly persuaded him.

Lambert was caught by surprise and he asked expectantly, “Will you go with me?”

She looked at his wound, took out a tissue from her bag, and handed it to him. “Here. Try to stop the bleeding first.”

She folded the tissue and pressed it on his wound. “Forget it!” Ellen huffed. “I don’t think you can drive. I’ll get a cab and take you to the hospital.”

He only felt his heart skip a beat as he looked at her. He wouldn’t stop the woman he fell for at first sight from being near to him.

Even though Lambert knew that she had feelings for Jared, he couldn’t help wanting to get close to her.

“Alright! Let’s go!” He let her send him to the hospital.

She left the park and got a cab to send them to a nearby hospital. After they sat in the back seat, the driver drove as quickly as he could to the hospital. Out of nowhere, he suddenly made a sharp turn. Lambert couldn’t help but fall to Ellen’s side, his tall and big figure falling against her shoulders. Even though their clothes separated them, Lambert still felt his heart beating wildly.

Breathing in, he caught the scent of the mild fragrance drifting off of her body. It wasn’t some expensive perfume, but it was enough to get his heart racing.

Ellen was so focused on getting him to the hospital that she didn’t care when he pressed against her. Instead, she told the driver in front, “Sir, safety first!”

On the other hand, Lambert didn’t care about the speed of the car at all. He was now looking at Ellen’s face from up close. Despite being dressed in ordinary clothes, she couldn’t hide her natural beauty.

Distracted from staring at her, he didn’t hold on tight when the driver suddenly stepped on the break, causing Lambert’s head to hit the back of the front seat with a bang.

“Ouch…” He covered his forehead and resigned to his fate.

They got out of the car when they finally arrived at the hospital. Lambert was especially eye-catching because of the tracksuit he had on.

Ellen paid the money for him. After confirming that Lambert needed two stitches for this wound, Ellen sat down and waited for him at the nurses’ station. At this moment, a nurse suddenly enviously exclaimed to her, “Wow! Miss, your boyfriend is so hot!”

Ellen was left stunned upon hearing that. However, the man who was being patched up inside let out an amused smile at those words.

After the stitches were finished, he stepped out with a layer of gauze wrapped around his arm. Still, that did not affect his overall outlook.

The two proceeded to leave the hospital. At the entrance, a paparazzo suddenly spotted and recognized Lambert. After all, the man was the son of a wealthy family and he was active on social media.

Seeing that he was accompanied by a beautiful woman, the paparazzo immediately raised his phone to take a picture. No matter what, this was a piece of news that could stir the Internet up.

Neither Lambert nor Ellen noticed that someone was stealing shots of them from the time Ellen hailed a cab to them getting into the vehicle.

The car drove back in the direction of the park. “Hop off,” he said to her. “I’ll take you home.”

“It’s alright, Mr. Orey. You should go back and rest. Thank you for today. Goodbye.” After she finished speaking, she continued to ride back home in the cab.

Lambert sighed. The two hours he spent with Ellen didn’t feel enough. He could finally understand why Jared kept such a close eye on her; she was someone whom people easily targeted.

Make sure you keep your eye on her, Jared. The day you cast her aside is the day I will take her away from you, Lambert thought to himself as he walked to his sports car.

At the same time, he was glad that he came. He couldn’t begin to imagine Ellen being the one who was hurt if she and the robber got into a scuffle.

On the other end, Ellen was sitting in the car when she checked her phone. To her relief, it wasn’t damaged. She started fuming when she thought about what Selena had done. What on earth does she want?

Some paparazzo had sold all the materials they captured today to a media company, and that company produced news and posted them on the company’s homepage at lightning speed.

One of the headlines was, ‘The Prince of a Shipping Company’, which made it to the top of the list.

The first thing that showed up as soon as someone clicked on the article was a series of clear photos of Ellen and Lambert. Since the paparazzo took them up close, the photos were not blurry at all. Ellen,

especially, had a high-definition photo taken from the front.

Even a frontal shot taken with the high-definition phone camera made her appear stunningly fresh. They looked like a young couple from the way she was all smiles when Lambert looked at her.

As soon as this news popped up online, the women who liked to pay attention to wealthy families were the first to find out. Selena was zoned out while she drove home. She wasn’t interested in staying when she knew that the elders would be playing cards next.

Her phone began to ring then. She took a glance at it before picking it up. “Hey, Lulu.”

“My goodness, Lena! Your cousin’s pretty capable, isn’t she? She has just seduced Young Master Jared and now, she even got Lambert wrapped around her finger as well! What is she, a sexy guy harvester?”

“What did you just say?” Selena immediately pulled over to the side of the road and answered the call seriously.

“Haven’t you seen it?! There’s a scandal between Lambert and Ellen! A paparazzo caught them.”

“Send it to me quickly.” Selena was shocked. She didn’t expect that Lambert and Ellen would get in touch with each other so soon with just a random phone call, and there was even a scandal about them online!

Soon, a link was sent to Selena’s phone. She immediately clicked on it to check what Lulu was talking about. Before she got to read the article, she already saw a few photos of Ellen and Lambert together at the entrance of the hospital. They seemed like they were in love.

“Damn it, Ellen! You managed to seduce Mr. Orey.” Selena was jealous and annoyed. She had to admit Ellen knew a thing or two about seducing men.

Her gaze soon turned cold as she sneered. Is she betraying Young Master Jared? I’m sure he would be mad if he knew how soon she got tangled up with another man!

Both of them are men who are probably favored by the Big Man above. Ellen might let go of the big fish for the small one and may end up getting nothing in the end! Ha!

While Selena let her thoughts run, she scrolled through her phone to look for Jared’s private number which she secretly photographed last time to send the link to him.

Thinking that Jared wouldn’t find her a busybody, she found the number and sent him the link.

It’s only a matter of time before Ellen is taught a lesson and abandoned! Selena looked forward to how Ellen would end up.

Ellen was someone who didn’t enjoy the Internet much. Because of that, she was still completely unaware of the scandal between herself and Lambert at the moment.

In a luxurious villa, a man who just came back from the gym picked up his phone and glanced at it habitually, only to see a message sent to him from an unfamiliar number.

His phone could filter out spam messages. In other words, the incoming messages he got were usually sent by people who knew his private number. He then clicked on this message and a sentence appeared. ‘Young Master Jared, there’s a scandal about your girlfriend. Check it out!’

Jared immediately pulled his eyebrows together into a deep frown. Despite not knowing who sent the message, he still couldn’t help clicking on the link. Soon, photos of Ellen and Lambert filled up the screen of his phone. His eyes quickly narrowed at the sight of it.

He took a look at the title above and then gazed at the photos before he read the article. From there, he learned that Lambert had appeared at the hospital with his girlfriend, and the media also wrote

about how the couple might have gone to the hospital for some kind of surgery.

Jared’s chest rose and fell erratically after he went through the article. This made his heart palpitate even more than the workout he just did.

Why was Ellen with Lambert? What were they doing at the hospital?

It irked him to see Ellen and Lambert looking at each other smilingly in one of the photos. He got jealous every time she smiled at a man who wasn’t him.

To understand what exactly happened, Jared gave Ellen a call without any hesitation. He was someone who didn’t like to drag matters out. If he had any questions, he would ask them on the spot.

Ellen was sprawled out on her couch reading a book when she heard her phone’s ringtone go off. She swiftly took a glance at it.

Jared? she wondered. Why is he calling me?

“Hi, President Presgrave!” Out of habit, she called him like an employee would their superior.

“Where did you go today? You told me this morning that you don’t have time in the afternoon. Were you with someone?” The man was in full-on interrogation mode.

She was taken aback for a second, but she soon replied truthfully, “I went to my uncle’s birthday banquet in the afternoon. I came home not long ago.”

“Are you sure you only went to the birthday banquet? You weren’t with other men?”

Of course, Ellen didn’t take her being with Lambert too seriously, so she replied without thinking, “Nope!”

“Ellen…” Jared’s voice sank as he growled, “I don’t like being lied to.”

She only blinked. She didn’t understand why he suddenly grew serious. “I… I’m not lying. I only went to my uncle’s birthday banquet this afternoon.”

“Then what’s with your rendezvous with Lambert? You even went to the hospital together? Why didn’t you get me to go with you if you weren’t feeling well?” He finally couldn’t stop his jealousy from showing.

It was only then that a lightbulb went off for Ellen. She was equally taken aback as well. “H-How did you know that Lambert and I went to the hospital?”

He didn’t answer her question as he muttered, “I want an explanation.”

“I can explain! Lambert and I did go to the hospital together, but that was only because he was injured when he helped me. I accompanied him to the hospital to get him patched up.”

“Help you? Did something happen to you?” Jared asked with a frown. His concern for her was stronger than his jealousy.

Ellen tried her best to organize her words before answering him. “So, what happened was, I went to my uncle’s birthday banquet. I left at about 1.00PM, which was also when I received a call from Lambert. The call went on for not even a minute when a robber took my phone. I chased the thief all the way to an exit at the park, and that was when I suddenly met Lambert. He snatched my phone back for me and was hurt by the robber in the process. We went to the hospital after that.”

Jared, who was quick on the uptake, immediately took note of the main point. “Why does he have your number? When did you give it to him?”

“No, I didn’t. My cousin was the one who gave it to him without my permission,” she blurted out an explanation. “My cousin is the reason all of this happened. She has Lambert’s number and she made him think that I wanted to know him. H-He called me because of that.”

“Then how could he have coincidentally appeared on the very road you were chasing after the robber?” Jared asked again.

Ellen was sitting on the couch when she solemnly explained like never before. “I asked him about this too. He said that he called my cousin and found out that I was in this park. He happened to be nearby anyway, so he came over. And yes, it really was a coincidence that he bumped into the robber. He took my phone back for me, but he got hurt in return. Please believe me. Lambert and I really met by chance. If it wasn’t for him, I could have been hurt even if I caught up with the robber. I am grateful for him.”

Jared was still upset even after hearing all that. He was skeptical to believe that such coincidences were possible.

“Fine. I want you to give me your answer now. Will you be my girlfriend?” he demanded. He would never have peace of mind if he was not sure about his position in her heart.

“Huh?” the woman choked.

“What’s the matter? Are you going to reject me and be with Lambert?” Sure enough, Jared was consumed by his jealousy. His mood only took a turn for the worse when he heard Ellen’s surprised tone.

“No, no. That’s not what I mean,” Ellen quickly explained.

“Then what do you mean? Is it so hard to say yes to being my girlfriend?”

“That’s not it either…” She blinked. I haven’t actually given it a thought.

“I’m counting down from ten. Make your decision!” After saying that, the man at the other end of the call slumped against his couch. His dark eyebrows were furrowed as he solemnly began to count. “Ten,

nine, eight—”

Left dumbfounded, Ellen couldn’t think at all due to his words. She couldn’t think about anything else when he was threateningly counting the numbers.

“Seven, six, five—”

“Alright, alright!” She cut him off. “I’ll be your girlfriend, so please stop counting!” Her head felt like it was about to burst from the pressure.

“So, you are agreeing because I’m forcing you, huh? You’re not agreeing willingly!” The man suddenly sounded grumpy again.

Ellen had to take a moment before she softened her tone. “No… I’m saying this out of my own free will.”

“Delete Lambert’s number,” a certain man demanded. “Don’t take any more of his calls.”

“Alright, I’ll delete it.” She was as docile as a lamb.

“You are not allowed to like anyone but me from now on.” Jared teased her even more when he saw how obedient she was.

Ellen had to hold her laughter in. She thought that domineering dialogues like this only existed in novels, but there was a real man who was as childish and forceful as fictional characters!

However, she knew that it was indeed because of what happened between her and Lambert today that made Jared jealous. And so, she cooperatively answered him, “Alright, I promise.”

“Let’s have dinner together later.”

“Tonight?” she absentmindedly repeated.

“You’re not allowed to say no.” The man was too jealous for his own good.

“Sure, let’s have dinner together.” Ellen didn’t refuse because she didn’t know what she wanted to eat tonight.

Seeing how obedient she was, Jared couldn’t bear bullying her anymore.

He wanted to hear her confess her feelings on the phone, but he soon decided it would be more meaningful if she said it to his face tonight.

“Mhm. I’m hanging up.”

After the man finished speaking, he made a call to his assistant, Stanley.

“Get rid of all the gossip about Ellen and Lambert on the Internet.” He gave a straightforward order.

“Yes, sir.”

At the same time, after Selena drove home, she sat on the couch with her bag and started to check the scandal online. However, the page returned to the homepage when she clicked on the link again. The entire page regarding the scandal couldn’t be found anymore.

“What’s going on?” She stubbornly continued to type in Lambert’s name on the search entry, but only some news on his participation in some activities appeared. The news about him and Ellen had disappeared.

She quickly called her friend and asked if she could find it.

“You’re right! I can’t find it! Did they take it down?” Her friend on the other end of the call happened to have contact with the media, so she suggested, “I’ll ask around for you! I have a close friend there.”

“Quickly, then. Find out what’s going on.” Selena really wanted to know. She was worried that Jared hadn’t seen it yet. This could be the best evidence that could break Ellen and Jared’s relationship.

Her friend called her back not long after.

“The staff there said that the news was taken down. Someone also warned them to watch out.”

“What? Who was it?”

“My friend didn’t tell me, but she said that any scandals about Ellen are not allowed to be reported in the future, or the media company will be sued. My friend also said that even their boss was trembling in fear. Can you imagine how scary the person who warned them is?”

Selena’s eyes immediately went wide when she heard that. Did Jared take care of it? Lambert couldn’t have been the one who did it, and it’s not like Ellen is capable of doing something like this. After giving it some thought, she decided to shamelessly call Lambert.

“Hello?” Lambert’s magnetic voice rang out.

“Hello, Mr. Orey. I came across news about you and Ellen this afternoon, but I can’t seem to find it now. Did you have it taken down?”

“It wasn’t me.” Lambert actually saw it earlier, but it had been taken down. It was obvious who did it.

“Who else could it be, then?!” Selena pestered. She wanted to get an answer.

“It’s Mr. Presgrave, obviously!”

“Huh?! He wasn’t jealous of you, was he?”

“Isn’t this in accordance with your plan? I’m warning you, don’t use me to hurt Ellen, or I won’t go easy on you.” With that, Lambert swiftly hung up the phone.

Selena’s face turned red in an instant. Even though she was home alone, she felt that she had become someone Lambert hated.

She had also picked up his protectiveness for Ellen from his tone.

I don’t understand. She bit her lip. What does Ellen have that I don’t? Why does every man who sees her end up wanting to protect her?

She understood now that Jared was the one who took the news down and warned the media. The man did so much to protect Ellen.

Ellen, will you still like him if you knew that Jared took away your brother’s heart? Will you still love him then?

Selena suddenly looked forward to the day Ellen found out about it. But at the moment, she couldn’t let Ellen know because her parents took Kevin’s money.

She will still find out the truth one day and when the day comes, she will hate Jared down to the bone!

What Selena didn’t know was that her interference was what prompted Jared to force Ellen into being his girlfriend earlier.

From the beginning to the end, Selena had been of help in Ellen and Jared’s relationship.

She heard a phone ringing right then, but she saw that it wasn’t hers. Whose phone is it? she wondered.

She couldn’t help but go searching in the direction of the sound. When she found a ringing phone in her father’s pocket, she took it and answered the call.

“Connor, Nath was in a car accident! Come here, quick! He has been looking for his dad!”

The phone Selena was holding in her hand fell to the floor with a dull thud. Her eyes widened in disbelief. Who is the woman on the phone?

Who is ‘Nath’?

And who is this ‘Dad’ that ‘Nath’ is looking for?

She was in shock after she answered the call. She was no fool. A thought soon came to mind—the woman on the phone was her father’s mistress, and ‘Nath’ was her father’s illegitimate child.

“How could this be? How could Dad have a mistress and another son?” Selena was overwhelmed by what she had just found out. The first thing she thought of was that she now had a competition over the family property.

She thought that Connor wouldn’t favor sons over daughters. Due to her mother’s body that wouldn’t support another pregnancy, Selena was the only daughter Connor had. She never would have expected her father to have an illegitimate child. In other words, the family’s property would not belong to her alone in the future.

Her head felt like it was about to explode. She couldn’t imagine how angry her mother would be when she found out about this. She doubted this house would still feel like home.

Chewing her bottom lip, she looked at the phone and called back the number earlier.

“Is that you, Connor? Nath was hit by a car and we are at the hospital. I have no money with me. Can you send me some more to pay for his medical expenses?”

“Listen up, you homewrecker—I’ll kill you if you ask for my father’s money again. Take your b*stard son and piss off.”

“Lena, is that you? I know it’s you!” Not only did the mistress not panic, but she also seemed to know who Selena was.

Selena was caught off-guard upon hearing that. “Why do you know my name?” she hissed.

“Of course, I know your name. I met you when I first knew your father.”

“Who the hell are you? How dare you, you homewrecker?!” Selena was so enraged she wanted to tear the woman apart.

“Where’s your father? Nath is his son. He has to take care of our boy.” The woman on the other end of the call sounded righteous when she said that.

“I am my father’s only child. My father isn’t even the father of your son. Try taking what’s mine and I’ll come for your necks!” Selena roared and smashed the phone on the floor.

She hated her father for having a child outside of their home. She was deeply hurt when she felt that she was no longer the apple of her father’s eye.

She used to be proud of being her parents’ treasure whom they pampered and loved, but now she realized how ridiculous her thoughts were.

Looking at her luxurious home, Selena was overwhelmed by the feeling that the money her father had no longer belonged to her.

…

Ellen was preparing for her date with Jared tonight. She picked an off-white dress and put on simple make-up. She was born with a face that looked good both dolled up and without makeup. Wearing less makeup made her stand out more.

Her long hair was casually flowing down her shoulders. With her hair framing her petite face, she gave off the feeling of a young and lively lady.

At 5.30PM, she received a call from Jared saying that he was on the way.

After the call, she went out to wait for him at the gate of the housing area with her bag in her hand. Out of nowhere, a middle-aged woman stepped out of a car with her assistant and handed a business card to Ellen, who was waiting for her ride. “Miss, I am a manager for an entertainment company. You are very beautiful. Are you interested in entering showbiz?”

Ellen didn’t expect to meet a talent scout like this. As such, she couldn’t help but smile and wave her hands in rejection. “I’m sorry. I’m not interested in joining the industry.”

“But I think being a celebrity will suit you well. Moreover, you have a distinguishable appearance. As long as you agree to it, we can immediately package you and make you a dazzling star.” The woman really wanted Ellen to sign with her and she refused to leave. She thought that Ellen might be short on money, judging from the simple outfit she had on.

However, the woman heard the low roar unique to sports cars at this moment. She couldn’t help but turn around, only to see an expensive sports car elegantly driving up to Ellen. Seeing this, Ellen politely refused the woman again. “Thank you, but I really am not interested.”

After she finished speaking, she opened the door of the passenger seat of the car and got in. The manager quickly leaned over, and she saw the noble and charming man exuding the air of a wealthy family’s son in the driver’s seat. She instantly understood then.

Ellen wasn’t short on money at all! Even with all the artists she handled, the manager didn’t have the resources Ellen did.

“Who were they?” Jared asked out of curiosity.

“Talent scouts. They were asking me if I would like to enter the entertainment industry. I have met many people from this industry before.” Ellen was not surprised by their approach.

“Don’t pay attention to this kind of people in the future.” Jared was angry for some reason. These people often claimed that they were scouts when all they did was look for beautiful women to send to ‘unclean’ places.

“Mhm, I know,” she murmured with a smile.

When Jared stopped at a traffic light, his eyes shot up and down at the woman beside him. There was an impure light in his eyes. She’s so charming even though she’s casually dressed, he mused.

He decided to buy more pretty clothes for her after they had their dinner. He wanted her to wear nice clothes for him to see every day.

“Where are we going?” Ellen asked.

“A steakhouse on the top floor of a hotel.” Jared went out of his way and chose a romantic place. He wanted to book the place out at first but knowing how she disliked it when it was too quiet, he requested a private room as usual.

Of course, Ellen knew about this luxurious hotel. She had seen on the Internet that there was an upscale steakhouse there and today, she was lucky enough to experience it herself.

The upscale steakhouse was on the 88th floor.

She followed Jared to the private room. After they opened the door, they found an extraordinarily warm private room where there were flowers and candlelight, and there was a faint fragrance in the air. The most beautiful thing about this view was the night scene seemingly made up of gold after the lights were turned off.

She sighed in contentment. “It’s gorgeous.”

The corners of Jared’s mouth curled into a smile. “I can take you here often if you like it.”

“That won’t be necessary. Enjoying a good time like this every once in a while is what makes it memorable! Part of the fun will be lost if I come here to eat every day.” Ellen was not greedy, but she was in the best mood tonight.

A certain man felt suffocated when he thought of what happened between Ellen and Lambert, but he couldn’t blame Ellen anymore.

Lambert was the one approaching her intentionally. Just like Jared, Lambert had all kinds of ways to see her if he wanted to.

Her only fault is that she is too damn attractive, he lamented.

“There is something I don’t know whom to tell. Can I tell you?” Ellen asked the man sitting across from her.

“I’m all ears.”

“I-I discovered something by accident last time. It is my uncle’s secret.” Ellen had been keeping it to herself for too long and she couldn’t wait to confide in him.

“What is it?” Jared was interested to know what she had to say.

“I think that my uncle has an illegitimate son and a mistress, but my aunt doesn’t know about it.” Ellen then propped her chin on her palm and whined, “I thought my uncle was an honest and dependable man. I was surprised when I found out he cheated. I can’t brain this!”

He noticed Ellen’s disappointment in the opposite sex and he immediately frowned. “Not all men are like that,” he quickly reminded her.

Her beautiful eyes suddenly shifted in his direction. “You mean you won’t do something like this?”

“Of course!” He insisted solemnly. “I will only love one person. I’ll never betray or hurt my woman.”

He then added, “I’m talking about my feelings for you.”

Ellen froze for a few seconds. She didn’t think Jared would so passionately confess his feelings and reassure her just because she was thinking out loud for a bit.

“Yea, you’re right.” She smiled. “I can’t throw the whole basket of eggs just because I found one rotten egg.”

“Of course.” Jared agreed completely with this.

Hearing that, Ellen couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re nervous, aren’t you, President Presgrave!”

And he was rightfully so. He was worried she would think of him as someone who would cheat on her just because of her uncle.

“Darling, don’t think too much. Everyone is a different person.” He reached out and caressed her head.

Ellen was taken aback for a moment before she realized that she had been laying her emotions on him. With a smile, she murmured, “Alright. I won’t think about it anymore.”

“Eat your food. I’ll take you shopping after dinner.”

She nodded and obediently ate with him. When they were eating, she noticed that dinners for the wealthy were unlike those of ordinary people. Instead of large portions, each plate of food was carefully

cultivated and prepared according to its nutritional value. Although the food came in different varieties, the quantity was just right to fill someone up.

After eating, Jared took Ellen to a large shopping mall beside the hotel. His bodyguards were shadowing them from a safe distance, and they kept in mind not to disturb their young master’s love affair.

Jared first brought Ellen to a large jewelry store, and he didn’t even ask for her opinion as he picked out some jewelry on the counter by himself.

She only watched him without saying anything. I’ll choose something with him. He might be getting a present for someone.

Right then, Jared saw a nice piece and he said to the attendant, “Please show me this one.”

The attendant felt her heartbeat speed up the moment she met his eyes. She quickly went to get the necklace he wanted while also taking out a tray. Jared placed it on his palm to take a good look at it first before he turned to Ellen. “Try it.”

She blinked a few times and immediately scooped her long hair to the side. Jared then put the necklace around her neck. Although the necklace was not very expensive, its design was simple and elegant. It was just right for a young lady. Property of Nô)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

He scrutinized her with narrowed eyes for a moment before nodding in satisfaction. After he took off the necklace, he informed the attendant, “I’ll take this one.”

At that point, Ellen was even more sure that it was a gift. Since he asked me to try it on, is he going to give it to a young lady? It’s a fashionable necklace, after all.

She followed Jared when she saw him walking forward again. It wasn’t long before he saw another one and asked the attendant to show it to him. He tried it on Ellen’s neck again. “This one, too.”

Noticing Jared’s extraordinary outfit and discontinued watch which were all from famous brands, the attendant thought to herself, A big fish! As such, she quickly recommended, “We have many more beautiful pieces of jewelry in the VIP room. Shall I show them to you?”

Jared nodded at that. “Sure. Bring them here.”

As the attendant glanced in the direction of the manager, the manager immediately asked the attendant to take out pieces from the collection. More than 20 different styles were brought out in a short time. Under the light, each piece of jewelry was a work of art. Each of them was beautiful.

Ellen was having a visual feast as she stood off to one side. Normally, she would never have the opportunity to see so many rare necklaces, and it was even harder for her to see such a big and real gem.

“This, this, and this.” Jared pointed at three different accessories.

The manager immediately beamed. This customer fancies three pieces at a glance! However, Jared’s next words put a grin that stretched to both his ears.

“Other than the three I mentioned, wrap everything else up for me,” Jared instructed authoritatively.

All the attendants in the store were stunned at that instant. Who is this rich man?! Why is he buying jewelry as if he is at a supermarket?!

Ellen had never seen such an impulsive buyer before as well, and she put a hand over her red lips to cover her shock.

“Sir, would you like the other two you picked earlier?”

“Yes.” Jared nodded.

“Understood! We will get you the bill right now.”

As six attendants worked together to count the total at the register, Jared held Ellen’s hand and walked over. He then opened his wallet which he took out from his pocket. Everyone could see how his wallet was filled with gold and black cards. He swiftly pulled one out and handed it over.

“Sir, that will be a total of 34.5 million,” the attendant happily chirped in a loud and clear voice.

“I’ll pay by card.” Jared passed the attendant a card.

The attendant took it with excited hands and wasted no time in swiping the card. The receipt printer next to them immediately spat out a long receipt with the prices of expensive jewelry on it.

The attendant put Jared’s purchase in three bags for him. After Jared reached out to take them, he said to Ellen, “Let’s go!”

Ellen followed him out of the store. Jared then hooked a finger at the bodyguards not far away and immediately, two bodyguards trotted over to take the bags from him.

The attendants in the store were all swooning over Jared when they saw this. They were envious of the woman who stood beside that dreamboat of a customer. They could tell that he bought everything for her!

Even though she didn’t dress as someone from a wealthy family would, that pure aura of hers that hit them in the face belonged to a beauty with a superb temperament!

Seeing the bodyguards leaving with the bags, Ellen asked Jared curiously, “You bought a lot. Are they gifts for someone?”

He gazed at her with starry eyes and replied naturally, “These are all for you.”

She pointed at herself in disbelief. “For me?” She felt a gush of blood rushing to her head the moment she heard his words.

“Am I supposed to give them to some other woman?” he asked in return.

“But… This… I can’t accept them. I can’t accept such expensive jewelry.” Ellen didn’t even hesitate as she rejected him, her hands waving quickly.

Jared reached out to grab her fluttering hands. “You cannot refuse my gifts.”

“No, no, no! Mr. Presgrave, we can go back and return it now. If you want to give me a present, just one will do!” She anxiously held his arm, but he pulled her into a hug instead.

“Didn’t you agree to be my girlfriend? To be my girlfriend is to accept my gifts. Let’s go! I have to buy you clothes and bags. This is what I should do as your boyfriend.”

He had never dated before. In his understanding, he had to buy as many presents as he possibly could to keep his girlfriend happy.

Ellen bit her red lip. “But I didn’t tell you to buy me anything!” she whispered. “So, don’t do it!”

“Do I even need to wait for you to tell me something like this?” To him, he would fail as a boyfriend if he waited for her to tell him what she wanted.

Jared had become excited due to the shopping trip and besides, he discovered that buying her things made him several times happier.

“Come on! I only want to spend my money on you.” He led her towards the rows of shops owned by international brands. To him, buying the entire mall wouldn’t take much thought, much less buying her

clothes, handbags, and the like.

After that, Ellen began adding her opinion during their purchases. She did not stop him from buying her anything, but she hoped that he wouldn’t go overboard. Without her stopping him, he would pick out those he didn’t like and get the whole rack of clothes.

It was 9.30PM before she eventually got home. The bodyguard carried the packages filled with her purchases into her home, and they occupied her entire couch. He left immediately afterward, refusing to interrupt his young master’s date with his paramour.

Ellen felt helpless yet thankful at the sight of all those packages. She couldn’t even stop him at the rate he was spending his money on her. Jared, on the other hand, was satisfied by what he had done. If she hadn’t dragged him home, he could have continued the shopping spree due to the constant feeling that he hadn’t bought her enough clothes.

She got up and asked, “Do you want some water?”

“Yup!” He nodded, feeling somewhat thirsty after the trip.

She used her cup to fill some water for him, and he took it from her and drank from it without any hesitation.

“I’ll get someone to fit in a safe in your home tomorrow. You should put some of the more valuable jewelry into it.”

“I think you should take them home first. I may lose sleep with them here,” Ellen suggested while looking troubled.

Jared laughed out loud and asked her intently, “Really?”

“Maybe,” she replied honestly.

He put down the cup and narrowed his eyes. “Why don’t I sleep here tonight?”

Ellen was taken aback and began to blush. Since he had bought her so much today, she would feel guilty if she refused him. This was probably how he found her weakness.

“I only have a guest room here and it would be far too uncomfortable for you. Just go home!” she pointed out.

Jared could see that she was too embarrassed to refuse him. He had bought all those things willingly for her. It was not to get any repayment.

“Alright, then! I’ll take the jewelry back and bring them here tomorrow when the safe has been built,” he murmured in a low voice.

Ellen nodded. She could keep the clothes and everything else, but the jewelry was far too expensive and would be safer in his home.

He stayed for a few moments more before she escorted him to the door. Then, he turned and looked at her quietly through the door before she bravely got on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. “Goodnight. Be careful when you’re driving.”

His lips curved upwards to form a satisfied smile as he sensed the love that she bore toward him.

After sending him away, Ellen began to organize the new clothes, shoes, and handbags occupying her couch. They had bought far too much, and her closet was now extremely full.

…

Connor had a great time at his birthday party that night as well. His wife Olivia had been publicly given a necklace as a present from him. It was already 10.00PM before the couple returned from the karaoke

bar with their friends. When Olivia took the necklace to her daughter’s room, Connor had already fallen asleep due to his drunken state.

“Lena, why didn’t you come when we invited you for dinner?” Olivia asked her daughter.

“I wasn’t in the mood,” Selena answered. Seeing her mother’s happiness made her feel sympathetic toward her mother while simultaneously hating her father.

‘What’s wrong? Look at this. Your father gave this to me today. Is it pretty? I heard it cost more than 500,000!”

Selena didn’t think that it cost that much, not to mention that the jewels embedded in it looked fake. However, she didn’t feel like revealing that as she knew that she wouldn’t end up well if her parents got divorced.