Never Too Far Novel

Chapter 1631-1640

Connor finally came home at 1.00AM. He was shocked when he found Olivia awake, and he asked with a guilty conscience, “Why are you still up?”

“And why are you back at this time?”

“I was drinking and chatting with Carter! I would need to get a picture of his project that I invested in,” he lied. As Olivia was clueless about investments, she took his word for it. At this point, they did not have common topics of conversation despite sharing the same bed.

…

Ellen woke up early in the morning. She visited the flower shop nearby to pick a bouquet of flowers and some decorations for the grave visit. When she was done, she received a call from Jared telling her that he was on his way to pick her up.

At 8.30AM, a black SUV stopped at the entrance to her neighborhood. She hopped into his car, and they took off in the direction of the graveyard with bodyguard vans in tow.

The graveyard was far away in the outskirts and it would take them three hours for a roundtrip. Ellen had a heavy heart on her brother’s death anniversary because she had gradually lost her memory of his appearance, but what stayed with her was his love and protection.

“What’s his name?” Jared asked tenderly.

“Kevin. He passed away when I was seven. I was too young to understand it and did not even say my final farewell,” she explained with a guilty look.

“How did he pass?”

“Brain cancer. End-stage brain cancer. It was too late to treat it.” Her eyes were misty as she recalled the unjust fate that befell her family. First, her parents passed away when she was young, and then, her only older brother could not grow healthily.

Jared felt sorry for her and gave her a sympathetic look. He had never seen anyone with a more miserable fate than Ellen. It seemed that everyone she loved had left her.

“I will be by your side from now on,” he comforted her.

She glanced at him gratefully. “Okay!”

Then, she added, “The last time I saw him was on the burial day. I held onto his urn. It was raining, and I refused to leave the grave. My uncle had to forcefully drag me away.” She vividly recalled the scene from years ago, which she would revisit every year when she visited Kevin’s grave. Each time, she lacked the strength to face his death. The more she thought about it, the sadder she became.

While they waited at the lights, Jared reached out and patted her softly on the shoulder. He also put on some light music to distract her from the painful memories.

He did not know that Kevin was his heart donor because his parents made all the arrangements on his behalf. Moreover, his parents kept the details from him because they didn’t want him to shoulder the burden of knowledge.

Still, the heart donation was a medical miracle, for Jared’s body accepted Kevin’s heart without any complications, as though the two entities were one. Kevin’s heart received a second life in his body.

Due to the smooth process, Jared was not exposed to more information about the heart donor. Plus, he was only ten years old when the accident happened, and the near-death experience greatly affected him, to the point that he wallowed in the trauma for a long time. At this moment, the mention of Kevin did not raise any suspicion.

At the graveyard, they walked all the way to the middle of the hill. Ellen found herself by a grave in a corner overgrown with weeds. She placed the stuff in her hands on the ground and started pulling out the weeds. Similarly, Jared did not care that he was dressed in a luxurious suit and helped her to clean the site.

He glanced at the name on the headstone but did not find any photo of the deceased. The grave was minimalist in design, and even the headstone was a simple rectangular slab that appeared rather miserable and lonely.

“Ouch!” When Ellen was pulling out a bunch of weed with sharp edges, she accidentally cut her finger, after which blood started oozing from the wound.

Jared immediately hurried over and started bandaging her finger with a napkin. “Take a rest at the side. I’ll pull the weeds.” NôvelDrama.Org: text © owner.

Ellen shook her head and insisted, “I don’t need rest. I can do this.”

Jared disagreed, “If your brother knew that you are tiring yourself with that injury, he’d feel bad. Take a seat and let me do it.” He sounded authoritative in his last sentence.

Dazed, she stood aside and pressed against her bleeding finger as she watched him work on the weeds. Although he had never done anything similar since a young age, he wrapped up the chore perfectly. Soon, the grave was clear of weeds.

The bleeding on Ellen’s fingers had stopped. She placed the bouquet in front of Kevin’s headstone and took out a wooden box. She lit up some candles and lay out the decorations in front of the headstone.

Jared was looking at her when he felt a dull pain in his chest. He reached out and pressed against it lightly—the pitiful sight of Ellen made his heart ache.

Thanks to Jared’s company, Ellen did not spend too much time cleaning the grave. After the visit, she went down the hill with Jared. At the foot of the hill, he grabbed a first-aid kit from the SUV trunk and disinfected her wound again.

To ease things for her, he lifted her and seated her in the trunk. She sat there and received his help with the dressing. The bodyguards in the vans nearby did not come down to disturb Jared, as no one wanted to ruin the perfect atmosphere.

When Jared was done bandaging Ellen’s wounds, he brought her downtown where they had lunch. After that, they went to a pet store. He had decided to buy her a cat as a companion after sensing her loneliness on that day.

Ellen had always wanted a cat since she was a child, but she could not raise one because of her living arrangement. Now that she had the time and space for a cat, she would love to have one.

Jared allowed her to pick her pet, and she selected a Ragdoll. To her surprise, she learned that the tiny cat was priced at 9 thousand dollars. Holding the cat, she was dumbfounded at the price, but Jared paid for it without hesitation. Not only that, he bought all the accessories and food for the cat.

Ellen went home with her new pet that day, and Jared followed along to help. The presence of the cat was healing for her, and she could not let go of it when she reached home.

A childlike Ellen had been giving all her attention to the pet, causing a certain someone to feel neglected and upset. When the cat ran up to Jared, he scooped it into his arms and successfully got Ellen to come into his embrace.

He caressed the back of her head, and his hand traveled down to her waist. She was too focused on playing with the cat and did not notice his advances. He gulped and kissed her on the cheek, making her blush.

Smiling, he muttered, “Are you picking the cat over your boyfriend now?”

She realized that she had neglected him, for she did not even offer him a glass of water after he arrived. She smiled at him and said, “I’ll get you some water.”

“Iced water,” he clarified. Without iced water, it would be hard for him to put out the fire that was burning in him.

She grabbed a bottle of iced water from the ice box. At that moment, the cat started meowing for help from Jared’s arms, seemingly out of fear. She put down the bottle and went over to “save” her cat.

Dressed in a black suit, Jared looked imposing despite his young age. It was not surprising that even pets would be scared of the vibe that emanated from him.

“Alright now. Take good care of your cat. I’ll need to drop by the office.” He stood up with the bottled water in hand. She sent him to the entrance with the cat in her arms. There, he suddenly rubbed the cat’s head and said, “Okay now. Daddy’s leaving! Have fun with your mommy!”

Ellen’s face turned as red as a tomato at the suggestive titles. He was pleased to see her shy expression and left her place with a satisfied smile on his face.

…

Connor received a call when he was at home. He was informed that the project he invested 700 hundred thousand into had suffered great losses, and it was impossible to recoup his money. Those were the only liquid assets he owned.

“What? Did all my money go down the drain?” He almost had a heart attack from anger after hearing the news.

Olivia hurried out of the kitchen with a pale face as she fumed, “Did you lose the 700 thousand?”

Connor was not an expert in investment after all. He slumped on the couch, shaking from head to toe, and refused to listen to any explanation from the caller.

“Didn’t I tell you to save your money? Why did you have to invest? Look at what we have left now? We’re going to sleep on the streets,” she reprimanded him.

“Shut up.” His male ego hurt, and he bellowed at her.

Olivia’s mind went blank, and she yelled back at him, “How dare you raise your voice at me?”

In the next instant, Connor grabbed his car keys and left the house. Still puffing from anger, Olivia grabbed her jewelry, including the huge diamond ring, in an attempt to sell them off.

She arrived at the consignment store and waited for the employee’s valuation. The employee merely smiled and returned the ring to her upon first glance. “Madam, we do not accept high-grade counterfeit items.”

“What? What do you mean? This is a genuine diamond ring,” Olivia fired back, looking down at the employee whom she assumed to be ignorant.

“A high-carat diamond ring will come with international certification. Yours is a common Moissanite diamond ring, which isn’t worth much.”

“How much is the market price?”

“You can get it for around 1,000 to 3,000 on the market.”

Olivia’s face turned red in shame and humiliation. She had never thought that his husband would deceive her with a counterfeit item. His profession of love turned into a joke.

She left the store in low spirits. Feeling uncontrollably angry and increasingly spiteful of her husband, who failed in his investments and lied to her about the diamond ring, she dialed his number.

“Hello?” Connor picked up the call, feeling upset.

“You b*stard! You got me a fake diamond ring for my birthday! And you had the guts to tell me that it’s worth 75 thousand! You immoral jerk!” she scolded him harshly.

At that moment, Connor was not in the mood to engage with her, and he promptly hung up on her. She almost had a heart attack out of anger.

Meanwhile, Connor had thrown himself into the arms of his mistress. Aida was gentler and caring than Olivia. Whenever he was in a bad mood, he would get solace from Aida, and he had just gifted her a real diamond ring worth 15,000 last week.

An incensed Olivia called up Selena to tell her about Connor’s failed investment.

“Mom, what did you say? All of the 750 thousand go down the drain?” Selena was angry as well. It’d be better if Connor could give her the money! She asked, “Mom, do we have any money left?”

“What do we have left? That’s the only liquid asset we have right now! Even our house is mortgaged! Your dad also took out a car loan. We almost spent all the 15 million we have over the years. I wonder where all the money went.”

On the other hand, Selena was privy to the whereabouts of the lost money. She knew that her dad definitely spent a lot on his mistress and their son. He must have spent a significant amount on that son over the years as well.

“Mom, what do we do? Are we going bankrupt? Are we in poverty now?”

Olivia comforted her, “Don’t worry! If we run out of money, we can ask for help from the Presgraves. If your dad is willing to put aside his ego and ask for help from Young Master Jared, he will get a huge sum of money.” Olivia was fantasizing about the perfect outcome.

Hearing that, Selena was pleasantly surprised. “You think? Mom, how much can we ask from the Presgraves?”

“It depends on how thick-skinned your dad is. I think we can at least get another 15 million from them!” Olivia claimed confidently, thinking that the Presgraves were a billionaire family. Jared wouldn’t be alive without us. It shouldn’t be too much to demand up to 30 million as a reward.

“Mom, that’s great! We won’t run out of money then.” Selena’s worries were gone in a second as she daydreamed about the amount she could receive after Connor asked for an extra 15 million from the Presgraves.

“Also, the diamond ring your dad gave me is fake! Gosh, not only has he used up the money, but he also lied to me,” Olivia grumbled to her daughter.

“Mom, remember to keep an eye on Dad’s money. I’m worried that he might spend it on some other woman.”

“Is he keeping a woman?” Olivia asked, but Selena did not want to divulge. At that moment, she needed her family to unite and get the money from the Presgraves. Instead, she said to Olivia, “Oh, I’m just saying. You shouldn’t overthink. Why don’t you and Dad work on getting the money from Young Master Jared?”

“I’ll tell him about it at home tonight.” Olivia put aside their couple arguments, for she needed to urge Connor to milk Jared Presgrave.

Meanwhile, Connor was having a good time with Aida. After she pacified him, he finally calmed down. He looked at the young son by his side. I am fifty years old, and my son is only six. The huge age gap worried him. The son was the hope of the Aguirre Family, and Connor vowed to be with the kid until he was all grown up. Because of that, he needed to figure out how to get money.

Aida knew his situation well. She also understood that Connor was an unambitious man who usually got all his money from a wealthy family. Although she did not know what favor Connor had performed for the said family, she believed that he could ask for more, considering that the family had offered him a handsome 15 million before.

“Connor, let’s not fret over money. You can get more money by asking, right?” Aida badly wanted him to get another huge sum of wealth and give her a piece of the pie. Over the years, she was too comfortable living a life leeching off his money.

Connor had the same thought as well. Given the huge gratitude the Presgraves had shown him, he believed that they would give in to any of his demands even if he went back and asked for more. I’ll just tell them it’s living expenses.

“Okay! I will ask them one more time!” He decided to give it his all for the sake of his son. Hearing that, Aida happily wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. “Awesome! You’re going to get a lot of money! Don’t forget to share some of it with me!”

He patted her comfortingly. “Of course, I won’t.”

However, he forgot that he should have shared part of the money with someone else—Kevin’s closest sister, Ellen. It did not cross his mind at all.

…

With a cat as company, Ellen’s life was not as boring as before. The cuteness of the pet melted her heart, and she loved to hold it in her arms.

She recalled how Jared had referred to them as the “Mommy” and “Daddy” of the cat, a thought that made her blush again.

She played with the cat until evening and felt a little tired. Before she knew it, she had fallen asleep on the couch. As she had been busy playing with the cat, she did not notice that her phone was out of battery. She fell into a deep sleep as her phone shut off.

At 6.30PM, Jared left his office and immediately thought of having dinner with Ellen. He called her number, but all he heard was a mechanical female voice. “Sorry, the number you are trying to call is not reachable.”

He was taken aback and instantly sensed a bad omen. Why is her phone turned off? Did something happen to her?

His handsome features were clouded with worry, and he became more irritated as time went on. He made a few calls to her, but her phone remained switched off.

“What happened to her? Did she go out? Or is she abducted?” He got in his car and stepped on the accelerator, speeding in the direction of her neighborhood.

The thought of perverts targeting a lovely girl, who was all alone, worried him to no end. What if she’s abducted?

He sprinted into dusk in his expensive and cool sports car, forming a breath-taking view of the street. Anyone looking at the car might wonder who the car owner was anxious to meet.

One could not help but wonder about the girl that had commanded such care and attention from the car owner. Meanwhile, the girl in question was sound asleep, and she did not wake up from the long and comfortable evening nap.

At the same time, a figure who hurried into her neighborhood pressed urgently on the elevator button. When he arrived in front of the door, he was panting hard from the rush on his way here out of worry for Ellen.

“Ellen! Ellen, are you home?” Jared banged on her door without a care for the neighbors at that moment. He needed to know if she was home.

Ellen woke up groggily and thought she heard the sound of someone banging on her door in her dream. When she was fully awake, she realized that someone was indeed making a commotion.

Who is it? She tensed up. After taking a peek via the peephole, she immediately relaxed when she saw Jared. She opened the door for him and looked at his anxious demeanor, puzzled. “President Presgrave? What’s wrong?”

He immediately extended his arms and pulled her into a solid hug. He sighed softly and confessed, “I almost got a heart attack because of you.”

She looked even more lost. He appeared to have suffered from a great shock, judging from his tight hug that almost suffocated her. What did I do now?

He finally let go of her and held her by the shoulders. “Why is your phone turned off?”

“Is it turned off?” She rubbed her eyes. “I just woke up. Let me take a look.”

He broke into a smile when he realized that he had misunderstood the situation. It was his first time overthinking and worrying about a girl.

After checking, Ellen found out that her phone was indeed dead. “I’m sorry. My phone is off. I probably took too many photos of the cat. That’s why the phone shut down when I was asleep.”

He sighed and ordered, “Keep your phone on at all times.” His heart had been pumping wildly from the scare.

“Alright. Got it. I promise I will not turn off my phone, and I will keep an eye on the battery level every day.” She raised her hand and swore. Meanwhile, the cat had climbed onto Jared’s shoes and was purring at him. He bent over to change into home slippers and scooped the cat into his arms, caressing it.

“Are you hungry?” he asked. She shook her head. “Not really. I just got up. What about you?”

“I’m not too hungry too. Let’s have a late dinner later.” He lay on her couch and checked out the cat in his arms. Its features were distinct, and it was as lovely as its owner.

“Meow!” The cat rubbed itself against him and rudely peed on him.

“Gosh!” Taken by surprise, he sensed the wetness seeping into his clothes and reaching his skin. Thankfully, he did not throw the cat out of shock. Ellen rushed over to check on him, and she covered her mouth giggling when she saw the stain on his white shirt.

Angry but amused, he laughed along. “This little rascal! I’m going to teach you a lesson!”

He immediately unbuttoned his shirt. While scolding the cat softly, Ellen looked up and witnessed him taking off his clothes. His muscular and sexy upper body was exposed in front of her.

Her pretty eyes widened in shock, and she quickly turned her back on him. Gosh! How could he take off his shirt just like that?

“A-Are you taking a shower?” she asked.

“I am.”

“But I don’t have clothes for you at my place!” she reminded him.

“Not a problem. I’ll have Stanley send over some fresh clothes.” He made a call to Stanley and gave his orders. Half-naked, he narrowed his eyes at her. “Why? Is my body not attractive enough?”

Ellen blushed when she heard his words. You are attractive! I just can’t bring myself to gawk at you.

“I didn’t mean that,” she mumbled. From her swift glance just now, she could tell that he had a well-built body.

“Why aren’t you taking a few more looks when you have the chance? Do you think I show my body every day to others?” he poked fun at her, and she giggled. Still, she had her back against him. “No.”

Not giving her another chance, he headed into the attached bathroom in her bedroom half-naked. She blushed embarrassedly again when she realized that he was using her bathroom, even when she had a guest bathroom at her place. He clearly didn’t want to use the latter.

When Jared was showering, Ellen took her time to “school” the cat. Twenty minutes later, she heard the doorbell ringing, and she opened the door with the cat in her arms. Stanley had arrived to deliver the fresh clothes.

“Miss Reiss, here are some clothes for Mr. Presgrave,” he explained and gave her a bag.

“Stanley. Sure. I’ll hand it to him, do you want to come in?” She smiled at him. He quickly waved at her and said, “No, no. I have something else to attend to.”

With that, he left Ellen’s place hurriedly. Interrupting the date between Mr. Presgrave and his beloved woman is courting death.

Ellen walked to the living hall from the entrance with the bag of clothes in her hands. Her eyes widened again at the sight of Jared wading out with only a towel wrapped around his waist. Water was dripping from his hair. Droplets clung to his body and accentuated the outlines of his muscles. His long legs could be seen beneath the towel, and she could not help but wonder if the towel was the only garment on him.

While thinking, she handed him the bag with clothes as her face reddened. “Stanley sent you this.”

He smiled at walked into her bedroom. His back muscles were a work of art—his broad shoulders and narrow waist were the epitome of the male form.

Ellen was flustered by the sight of a man’s half-naked body, which was a first for her. Even though she watched enough half-naked men in movies, seeing one in real life was eye-opening and shocking.

She took a deep breath to calm down. Soon, she heard his footsteps from behind. Turning around, she saw him emerge from her room in a casual outfit, looking clean and smart.

“Let’s go! I’ll bring you to dinner,” he said, feeling hungry. She let go of the cat and followed him out.

At Connor’s home, Olivia did not give him trouble when he arrived home. Not only that, she prepared dinner for him and waited until 9.00PM.

“You’re home. Have you eaten?”

Connor was still in a bad mood. After experiencing the warmth and care of his mistress, he was increasingly annoyed by his wife, who was aggressive and loud.

“Let’s forget about the 750 thousand! Investment returns are never guaranteed anyway.” Olivia was no longer hung up on the failed investment but added, “We are running low on cash! We still need to

service the home mortgage and your car loans. We can’t skimp on Lena’s dowry as well. But where should we get the money from?”

Connor understood what she was hinting at. He lit a cigarette and drew on it before saying, “I will meet with Young Master Jared tomorrow and try to get some money from him.”

Olivia was glad to see that her husband had thought it through. She sat down beside him happily and agreed, “Yes. Yes. I have the same thoughts. His family is wealthy. They could help us out.”

“I’ll see if I can bring this up! You shouldn’t go and meet them. You might mess things up.”

Olivia quickly agreed, “Sure. I won’t go.” However, she didn’t tell him that she had left a bad impression on Jared earlier. Moreover, Connor should be the one to ask for money because he was Kevin’s uncle.

“Sigh! Our family has lived this comfortable life for a long time. What would we do without the money? It’s hard for me to get a job at this age, and it’s the same for you. We can’t lower ourselves anymore,” she lamented, as though her remarks would inspire Connor.

Connor had been worrying over the same problem. After a few decades of living comfortably, he could not stand the idea of working any job anymore. His only aspiration was to sit back, make investments and wait for the returns.

Therefore, if they ran out of money, they wouldn’t be able to return to their old, affluent lives.

It was easy to go from frugal to extravagant, but difficult the other way around.

“All right, I’ll visit Presgrave Group tomorrow! I’ll see what I can do about getting the money.” Connor was confident.

“No, you can’t go to Presgrave Group. Have you forgotten about the fact that Ellen is working there? You must request to meet Young Master Jared outside and not inform him that Kevin is Ellen’s brother,”

Olivia reminded Connor.

Connor realized that his wife was correct. “All right, then I’ll invite him out to talk.”

“Honey, If Young Master Jared asks who his heart donor is, tell him Kevin is your illegitimate son. Don’t tell him he’s your sister’s son. Kevin will be considered one of us in this way,” Olivia suggested.

Connor’s heart raced as he realized Olivia’s words were making sense. If Young Master Jared inquires, how should I introduce Kevin? Olivia’s suggestion is superb. I’ll have a perfect excuse to ask for money if I say Kevin is my child.

That night, Connor had insomnia; he tossed and turned, unable to sleep. He was considering how to approach Young Master Jared, whom he had never met before, as he heard from his daughter Young Master Jared appeared to be unkind.

Perhaps the son of a wealthy man would take kindness for granted. What if he refuses to give me money if I ask?

Connor had to come up with some plausible justifications. He had already made up excuses such as being duped by friends and family. Furthermore, he would say that his family’s financial situation had deteriorated, so he was hoping that Jared would send his family some money to allow him to continue living since he was once Jared’s savior.

Connor also intended to pledge to Jared that he would never seek money from the Presgraves again in this life. He planned to mention how difficult it was for them to decide to donate Kevin’s heart following extubation. Young Master Jared must be made aware that the decision to save him was done out of kindness, not greed.

The more Connor thought about it, the more he believed he could complete his task, and he fell asleep in a trance at 4.00AM. During his sleep, he dreamed of a bloody Kevin appearing, which made Connor

collapse in front of Kevin and cried, “Stay where you are, you brat! Don’t you dare to step closer!”

“Why didn’t you give my sister the money? Why?” Kevin asked, his eyes red, in a childish tone.

In the dream, Connor shoved Kevin away, saying, “You are already dead. Why do you care so much?”

Although Connor was struggling in his dream, he still had the advantage of seniority. He then said to Kevin, who continued to bother him, “I am your uncle, and your mother is my sister. Don’t even think about killing me.”

“Why didn’t you split the money with my sister? Why?” Kevin asked once again.

“My life is going downhill now. Ellen has the relocation fund, and she’s not short of money. Stop bothering me, or I’ll curse you,” Connor warned harshly.

“Ah! No!” He awoke screaming in his dream when Kevin roared and jumped on him.

Connor’s scream startled Olivia, who hurriedly asked her husband drenched in a cold sweat and panting like a cow, “What’s the problem, honey? Did you have a nightmare?”

He wiped the sweat off his forehead only to find it was just a dream, and the panic in his heart gradually faded. He got to his feet, lit a cigarette, and headed to the balcony for a smoke. Kevin’s questioning flooded Connor’s mind, making him frustrated and troubled.

He felt little remorse, as money could distort one’s mentality, turning a good-hearted person selfish and causing them to lose temperament.

Connor had been engulfed by greed. He was just concerned with making enough money to live a comfortable life, but he was so stingy that he refused to share his money with others.

Connor was plagued by an unspoken fear: running out of money and being bankrupt.

Who will care for my son? What will happen to my lover?

Honestly, I’m terrified of dying poor and having nothing, so I must get a massive sum of money and save it for retirement. I don’t want to live in poverty anymore.

Since Ellen is pretty, she can get married easily in the future. She will have a wonderful husband to look after her. Furthermore, she is in college now and can support herself. She won’t be starving or short on cash because she has the relocation fund to herself.

For this reason, I will not give Ellen a penny after obtaining the money from the Presgraves.

Connor waited until sunrise, and after breakfast, Olivia dressed him in an older suit and said to him as she put it on for him, “Connor, our family is counting on you to speak up. We will be too shy to ask for extra money again, so I hope you try to get more money this time.”

“I can ask for only 15 million, and no more than that. They might reject us,” Connor said.

Olivia’s eyes twinkled as if she had bagged the 15 million. The Presgraves will be generous and straightforward without delays if they are willing to give the money. As long as Connor asks for it, we can receive the money this afternoon!

Olivia was entirely over the moon as she fantasized about the money being given on the spot. She had already planned what she would buy with the 15 million—fashionable and luxurious items.

However, Connor was troubled because, after living a magnificent life for the previous ten years, he now had to kneel and beg for money, and it was making him uncomfortable.

Finally, Connor left the house. He chose not to drive and instead called a cab. Once he got into the cab, he called the chairman of the Presgrave Family, with whom he had been in contact for a long time.

“Hello, Mr. Connor. I was in the middle of something just now. What’s the matter?” Benjamin said on the other end of the line.

“Hi, Mr. Stark. Is it alright if I meet with President Presgrave? I’d like to discuss some things with him.”

“Do you mean our young president?”

“Yes. I would like to meet the Young Master Jared. I heard he’s back and is now working in the Presgrave Group.”

“Yes. He has, in fact, taken over the management firm. Have you got any questions for him?”

“Uh… I’ve recently experienced some troubles. I had an investment failure, and I would like to seek help from President Presgrave,” Connor answered shamelessly.

“I see. Sure. Let me check with President Presgrave, and I’ll get back to you.”

“Okay. Thank you for your time,” Connor responded.

He took a deep breath after hanging up the phone. Begging for money was not an easy feat.

If Young Master Jared agrees to help us, I will demand more money so that I do not have to beg again!

After the conversation with Connor, Benjamin immediately dialed Jared’s number, and the call was answered within seconds.

“Hey, Ben.”

“President Presgrave, good day. I just received a call from Connor Aguirre. He said he wanted to see you.”

“Connor?”

“Yes, he was your donor’s legal guardian. He appears to be in financial difficulty and is likely hoping for your assistance. Would you like to see him, President Presgrave? Otherwise, would you like me to let him in?”

Jared had no idea who was Connor. However, Jared grew intrigued and wanted to learn what kind of family background his donor came from.

“Please make arrangements for me to meet him,” Jared said.

“Okay. Can I schedule the meeting for half-past ten?”

“Yeah.”

Following that, Benjamin called Connor back to inform him of Young Master Jared’s decision. Connor was relieved when he learned that Young Master Jared wanted to meet with him. He could also sense by Benjamin’s tone that Young Master Jared was excited to see him.

Perhaps Young Master Jared is feeling thankful for his donor? Connor was confident that he could get Jared to send him some money.

As Benjamin had requested, Connor arrived to wait in the coffee shop across the street from the office. Connor was thinking about how to make Kevin’s life experience sound more authentic.

Jared emerged from the underground parking garage and parked his sports car outside the coffee shop. Benjamin had arrived at the coffee shop. “President Presgrave, you’re here,” Benjamin said, taking a step forward.

“Where is Connor?”

“Mr. Connor is in Private Room No.3 in the café. Do you need my company?”

“No. Please wait outside. I’ll come to you if I need to,” Jared stated.

Benjamin nodded and walked Jared to the private room. He then ordered a cup of coffee and waited outside.

Connor quickly calmed himself when Jared knocked on the door. He had been waiting nervously for Jared to enter.

He was fascinated at the sight of Jared as the door opened. Young Master Jared is a fine-looking man!

“Hello, Young Master Jared. Nice to meet you. My name is Connor Aguirre,” Connor introduced himself.

“Hello,” Jared greeted formally.

Connor was thrilled, so he made sure the waiter poured some water for Jared. After sitting down, he asked politely, “Are you busy, Young Master Jared? I hope I am not disturbing you.”

“Not at all! You must be Selena’s father, am I right?” Jared asked. Selena indeed resembled her father.

“Yes, Selena is my daughter,” Connor answered. He didn’t care much for his daughter, so he was unaware Selena had left an indelible impression on Jared negatively.

“Okay, I see. Why do you wish to see me?” Jared asked indifferently as he stared at Connor.

When Connor saw that Jared had finally inquired about his intentions, he couldn’t help but rub his hands under the table. He plucked up his courage and explained, “Well, I owe a lot of money after years of failed investments, Young Master Jared; I’d like to ask you for another sum of money as a reward fee, so that I may get through my financial challenges.”

Connor was acting shamelessly.

“How much do you want?” Jared inquired, his brow furrowed slightly.

“I’m hoping to get 15 million from you, Young Master Jared.” Connor lifted his index finger.

After hearing Connor’s words, Jared understood that his parents had given him 15 million as remuneration. Sixteen years later, Connor was now asking the same.

“What’s your relationship with the donor?” Jared was determined to understand the entire situation. He wondered if it was worth it to pay him another 15 million.

Connor suddenly thought of his wife’s prediction. Young Master Jared is really asking about my relationship with Kevin! “The donor of your heart is my illegitimate son, sir. The heart you have right now is my son’s,” Connor said hastily.

“I couldn’t make a life-or-death decision at the time, but I heard you were also in danger and urgently needed a heart donor. I reasoned that I would save you since my son was untreatable. Even though his body was not intact when buried, I believe I made the correct decision in saving you,” Connor continued solemnly.

Connor wiped away his tears as he finished speaking. “I have frequent dreams about my son until this day. He asks me why I treat him this way, and all I can say is that he should rest in peace. He should leave everything behind in this world and live blissfully in another.”

Jared’s forehead creased in sympathy at Connor’s words.

“Please accept my heartfelt condolences!” Jared consoled.

“Although my son has passed away, he at least allowed you to grow up healthy. It’s worth it, and I’m very pleased,” Connor said with a guilty tone and his gaze set on the ground, leaving Jared at loss.

“I was able to survive because of your decision at that time. I haven’t personally thanked you yet,” Jared said.

“No, no. It is my honor to save your life. Your position is respectable, and you make an important contribution to society. It’s the wisest decision I’ve ever made,” Connor flattered.

Jared realized his heart donor was Connor’s biological son. No wonder my parents have been there for him in every manner over the past ten years.

“May I know what your son’s name is?” I should pay my respects to my donor one day.

Connor could make up Kevin’s identity, but he couldn’t fake the name on the contract he signed back then. Although he desperately wanted to claim that Kevin’s surname was Aguirre, he didn’t dare.

“This illegitimate son of mine took after my brother-in-law’s surname because he was fostered at my sister’s home since he was a child. His name is Kevin Reiss,” Connor explained.

Jared was clutching the handle of his teacup. His fingers tightened slightly when he heard this name. “What did you say?” he asked, gazing at Connor.

“What did you say his name was?” Jared blurted out for confirmation.

“His name is Kevin Reiss! He should have taken after my last name, so his actual name should have been Kevin Aguirre,” Connor said.

Jared was shocked to the core. He was sure that Connor was lying. Kevin was not his illegitimate child; he was Ellen’s brother!

Connor was lying because he wanted to claim all the credits for saving Jared to ask him for compensation.

However, Jared did not immediately expose Connor’s deception since he did not know how much Ellen profited from the 15 million his parents had paid Connor at the time.

Ellen and Connor had every right to divide the money evenly, but she was only seven. She was most likely unaware of the presence of this sum of money.

“Young Master Jared, I recently ran out of funds. I wouldn’t have sought help from you if I weren’t in this desperation. Could you assist me?” Connor circled back to his original intention.

He wants money.

Jared glanced at this grieving man who couldn’t disguise his avarice. “Is it okay if I get back to you this afternoon?” Jared pretended to be deeply contemplative.

“Are you willing to assist me, Young Master Jared?” Connor inquired quickly.

“If you need help, I will gladly offer my assistance.” Jared nodded. “U-understood. I am facing some difficulties. I am struggling in life. My wife and I are on the verge of divorcing, so I’m in great pain.” Connor’s eyes grew red as he spoke.

However, it was all for the show in Jared’s eyes. He now had a load of problems to sort out.

“I have a meeting to attend, so I’ll leave now.” Jared stood up to exit.

Connor was disoriented and took a piece of paper to wipe the tears from his face before carefully reviewing his acting abilities, thinking there should be no mistakes.

He was already looking forward to the thrill of receiving a large amount of easy money this afternoon.

Jared emerged from the main lobby of the coffee shop, saw Benjamin enjoying coffee, and said aggressively, “Ben, come here!”

Benjamin was enjoying his coffee when he heard Jared’s command. He almost spat out his coffee out of shock. What’s wrong with President Presgrave? Why is he so worked up?

“Yes, President Presgrave?” Benjamin immediately put down his coffee and dashed over to Jared.

“Join me in the car.”

Jared escorted Benjamin into the car. He turned sideways as he got inside the car and asked, “What was the name of my heart donor back then?”

“Kevin Reiss! Did you not know?” Benjamin answered.