Chapter 361-370
Chapter 361
“Don’t tell her that I was the one who rmended her, though. Anastasia and I haven’t exactly been
on amicable termstely,” Aliona said to fortify her cover.
“Very well. I’m going to need the client’s name and the address where you’re scheduled to meet her.”
Aliona immediately called Riley for the address. When Felicia had the name and address in hand, she
called the given contact number for confirmation.
The person who answered the call was a girl who made it clear that she wanted a highly personal
arrangement wherein the designer would meet her somece outside thepany building. The
various kinds of businesses avable on the market were locked in gruelingpetition at the moment,
and with the client’s budget being five million, Felicia did not want to let this deal fall through.
As such, she hurried over to Anastasia’s office and found the girl daydreaming after losing her drive to
work. Having heard about the client and the budget she was given, Anastasia agreed and stood up
behind her desk. She then announced, “I’ll be going, then.”
She figured she could use some fresh air and a change of environment.
Felicia nodded. “I’ve already made arrangements with the girl regarding the time and location. Why
don’t you bring Grace with you? Also, be safe on the road!”
“Got it,” Anastasia replied. She had always been the most enthusiastic when it came to her work.
Once Anastasia left the office, Aliona turned back to Felicia’s office and asked if Anastasia had already
gone out.
Upon hearing that Anastasia was about to drive out of the parking lot, Aliona quickly and happily gave
Riley a call. Meanwhile, Anastasia was unaware of the danger thaty waiting for her. Aliona was sure
that she could get rid of the infuriating girl by the end of the day, thereby making room for herself to
slide into Elliot’s life tofort him while he grieved Anastasia’s untimely death, winning him over with
her kindness.
While this was happening, Anastasia and Grace headed out of thepany building. During the drive,
Anastasia called up the supposed client and confirmed that they were meeting up at a cafe to puruse
the details of the order.
Along the way, she and Grace kept up a humorous repartee to pass time, and indeed, it wasn’t long
before the navigation satellite told them that they were drawing close to the cafe. Anastasia parked her
car in the area next to the cafe.
There was only one lot avable, and Anastasia had to back into it. As she did so, she did not notice
the men in the ck vans on either side of her car.
This was all a ploy by Riley; he had arranged for his men to fill up most of the parking lots, leaving only
this particr space.
Anastasia and Grace had only just grabbed their purses and went out of the car when the doors to the
backseat of the van opened up. Without warning, the girls were each dragged into the ck van
closest to them. The men who did this moved so quickly that they did not spare either girl the chance to
cry for help.
Soon, the kidnappers pulled out of the parking lot with one van leading the other. Two burly men held
Anastasia down in the backseat while they hastily worked to bind her wrists and ankles. Following that,
they stuffed a rag into her mouth to keep her from struggling or protesting in any way she could think
of.
Fear and shock lit up in her eyes. She was supposed to be meeting a client, and she couldn’t
understand how she had been ambushed on purpose, thereafter kidnapping her. What about Grace?
What will happen to her? At the same time, she thought about her son. If something happens to me,
who’s going to take care of Jared?
This made her struggle violently, but at that moment, the man next to her took out a syringe and
injected something into her arm. The effects of the drug kicked in and washed over her almost
immediately, rendering her weak. Eventually, she felt her conscious mind slipping into the darkness.
When the two vans had driven away, a ck SUV tailed after them, and inside were Elliot’s
bodyguards. They had been following one of Riley’s subordinates, and never did they think they would
come across a kidnapping incident. More to the point, the dashcam in the car had managed to capture
a full view of the kidnappers and their victims. Right now, the bodyguard in the passenger seat was
reviewing the footage. He paused as he zoomed in on the woman’s face.
“It’s Miss Tillman!” he eximed.
“Quick, get President Presgrave on the line.”
Elliot had only just returned to Presgrave Corporation when his phone suddenly rang. He nced at
the caller ID and answered the call before greeting perfunctorily, “Hello?”
“President Presgrave, we were following Riley’s subordinates and ran into them kidnapping Miss
Tillman and her assistant.”
Having just stepped through the doorway of his office, Elliot’s gut twisted when he heard this. “What?”
“Yes. We are sure that the kidnappers have taken Miss Tillman and her assistant. We are now following
one of the two vans.”
“Very well. Keep a close eye on the cars, and if she’s in even the slightest bit of danger, then you must
do what you can to save her,” Elliot ordered as his gaze grew frighteningly calm, though he might go
berserk with worry at any given moment.
Why did Riley kidnap Anastasia? Is it because she’s the woman I’m in love with?
He didn’t have time to dwell on whatever twisted reasoning Riley might have behind such an operation.
Without another word, he rallied Rey and eight of his bodyguards before they hurriedly followed the
direction in which the kidnappers were moving.
Chapter 362
While they were on their way, Elliot and his men would continuously tune into the information and
directions given by the bodyguards who were tracking Anastasia and her kidnappers. Right now, all
Elliot could do was pray for her safe return. The thought of what those kidnappers might do to her while
shey helpless in the car brought an ominous gleam to his eyes, and he wanted nothing more than to
catch up to that van and kill those kidnappers with his bare hands.
Even though they were elerating at full speed, he still felt like they were going too slow forfort.
If Riley so much as touched a single hair on Anastasia’s head, he vowed that he would st them all to
kingdome.
Presently, Anastasia was slowlying to her senses as shey on the ground in an abandoned
house somewhere. A sack had been pulled over her head, and she could see nothing but darkness,
though she did pick up the sounds of footsteps and people talking around her.
She struggled to break free of her restraints as she let out muffled cries. “Mmph!”
“Stop struggling. Miss Tillman. There’s no way you’re getting out of here alive,” said a weathered male
voice.
For some reason, she found the voice extremely familiar, but she couldn’t match a face to it.
“You’re just like your mother, scrambling to die by my hands,” drawled a cold voice close to her ear.
Upon hearing this, Anastasia froze. My mother? Why did this man bring up my mother all of a sudden?
Who is he? Judging by his words, he could very well have been my mother’s killer all those years ago.
Who is he? Who the hell is he?
These thoughts mored in her headspace, but just as panic and adrenaline filled her, the man spoke
up once more. “Would you like to know more about your mother before you die, Miss Tillman? She
could have actually escaped death all those years ago.” There was mock sympathy in his tone as he
added, “Do you know who really killed your mother?”
Anastasia was still trembling with fear, but when she heard this, her fear was intermingled with
curiosity. She was desperate, she realized, to learn the truth of her mother’s death.
“The actual person who killed your mother is none other than Old Madam Presgrave!” the man said
insidiously, his voice loud and clear.
Although she had a sack over her head, she still struggled and moved around after hearing this,
indicating that she refused to believe him.
“Skeptical, are we? Hah! Well, let me tell you exactly what she did when she found out that her
precious grandson had been kidnapped!” The man borated icily and acerbically, “Old Madam
Presgrave personally called up the mayor and told him that if he did not save her grandson and left him
for dead, she would cripple the entire stock market. Given Presgrave Corporation’s power, she could
have easily crippled the entire nation’s economy if she wanted to. Hence, she threatened the mayor
and demanded that he bring her grandson back alive. As expected, the mayor took her threats
seriously and quickly called the police headquarters.
“Not daring to dawdle on this, the station dispatched all their avable uniformed officers and ordered
them to bring Elliot back alive no matter what. Your mother happened to be one of those unfortunate
souls who were sent out on the rescue mission. As far as Old Madam Presgrave was concerned, her
grandson’s life was the only one that mattered, and she couldn’t care less about what happened to
your mother.”
Shock rippled through Anastasia as she listened to the story. She could understand Harriet’s fear of
losing her grandson, but she didn’t think that the olddy had so forcefully threatened the mayor.
“As such, your mother got a call from the top brass and went on duty. She could have been spared, but
she dashed out to shield the little boy and took the stabbing in his ce. She was determined to protect
him even though she had taken thirteen stabs to the back and practically bled to death. She sacrificed
herself for the little young master, all because of one phone call from the olddy.”
Anastasia felt like her heart might burst from the grief and pain. Hot tears welled up in her eyes and
spilled over. Is that truly the reason why Mom died while on duty all those years ago?
“Can you imagine how much pain and reluctance your mother must have been in during her time of
death? She was going to leave behind an adorable daughter who was barely even two years of age! I
even heard her whisper, “I’m sorry, Anya…” while her life seeped out of her!”
Anastasia shook her head furiously, not wanting to hear any more of this as torrential anguish seized
her.
“Yet, here you are now, in love with the boy who had been the reason for your mother’s death all those
years ago. Do you think your mother is going to rest in peace in the great beyond?”
The man was crouching right in front of her and rubbing a liberal amount of salt in her wounds. The fear
in Anastasia was now gone, and it was reced by a surge of strong hatred. She knew that the man
was her mother’s killer.
Just then, he let out a bark of ominousughter, and it was such a familiar sound that her mind felt as if
it had imploded with the recollection. The man was none other than Elliot’s uncle, Riley. It had to be
him.
He was the one who killed my mother all those years ago! The sudden realization filled her with anger
as she struggled violently. Although she knew she couldn’t do anything, her instincts were urging her to
unleash vengeance on this man.
Chapter 363
“I heard that the Presgraves have been trying to repay your mother’s noble sacrifice all these years. I’m
sure Old Madam Presgrave sorely regrets threatening the mayor back then; if she hadn’t done that,
your mother would have been spared. The young master’s life is worth more than gold, but that doesn’t
mean your mother deserved to have hers taken away. Sadly, this world will never be fair; the rich
simply buy their way out of death, andmon folk like your mother would simply have to surrender to
fate.”
Anastasia wanted to make Riley shut up and get him to stop talking about all these. She didn’t want to
hear about them at all.
However, Riley was a twisted man who thought his gloriously wicked deeds demanded an audience,
and Anastasia made for an excellent listener. More to the point, the sadistic side of him would never
allow him to let slip the chance to torture someone. The sight of Anastasia’s obvious anguish and
difort filled him with satisfaction that he thought he had long forgotten.
“If I were your mother, I would hate that I’d given birth to an ingrate and a traitorous daughter like you.
You could have had any man you wished, but you chose to love Young Master Elliot, who lived only
because your mother died so gruesomely!”
Stop it! Shut up! Anastasia wanted to scream at him. She knew what Riley was trying to do; he wanted
her to hate the Presgraves.
“Boss, we’re running out of time. Let’s send her on her merry way,” one of Riley’s subordinates piped
up from somewhere.
“I’m sorry, Miss Tillman, but I suppose you share your mother’s ill fortune and will have to die by my
hands. Don’t worry, though. You’ll be reunited with her soon!” Riley chuckled.
Fear and rage coursed through Anastasia like a potent cocktail as she realized that he was nning to
kill her, though she didn’t know why. What good will my death do for him? Is this his way of getting back
at the Presgraves and challenging them? Or does this have something to do with my rtionship with
Elliot? Does he want to take my life so that he can break Elliot’s heart and destroy him emotionally?
While this was happening, half a dozen vehicles manned by bodyguards were speeding over to the
location, driving through the muddy and mountainous terrain as they appeared like ghouls.
Riley’s henchman who was stationed outside the abandoned house as a lookout couldn’t respond in
time, and he quickly cried out, “Boss!” However, when the leading car drove forward and made to
knock him down, he quickly dodged and leaped into the drain that ran along the side of the house. In
the next second, a loud bang filled the air as the car rammed into the front door of the house, causing
the entire wall to cave and topple down.
The man in the driver’s seat was immediately greeted by a scene that made his blood boil.
Anastasia was curled up on the ground with a sack pulled over her head and her wrists bound.
At the sight of the car and the fallen wall, Riley jumped in shock. He knew that Elliot had sent people to
keep tabs on him, but he didn’t think they would arrive so soon. With lightning speed, he grabbed hold
of Anastasia and hauled her up from the ground, pressing a de to her neck as he sneered. “My
darling nephew, have youe for a visit?” he said.
“Let her go,” Elliot thundered with the rage of a hellish creature, his gaze obsidian and mutinous.
“Tsk, tsk. Do you truly love the girl so much? You’ve gone soft, Elliot. I didn’t think the Presgraves were
capable of producing a romantic like you. There goes our family honor,” Riley mocked insouciantly.
Without warning, he ran the de along the baster skin of Anastasia’s neck, drawing a thin line of
blood.
“Let her go, Riley!” Elliot yelled, his voice quivering with rage and panic.
Riley found that this situation was turning out very much in his favor. He scoffed and said, “I’ll let her
go, but on the condition that you immediately transfer fifty percent of the shares in Presgrave
Corporation to me. Otherwise, if I’m going down, then I’m taking her with me.”
Just then, he pulled the sack off Anastasia’s head to reveal her pale and anguished expression. There
was a rag stuffed in her mouth to muffle her cries, but her eyes glistened with tears as she stared at the
man in front of her—the man who would do anything to save her.
“Fine. I’ll give you whatever you want, but let her go first,” Elliot announced firmly with a nod of his
head.
“Have a copy of the agreement sent to me, and I want it to be legally enforceable,” Riley demanded,
seizing this chance to take the portion of thepany that was rightfully his.
Meanwhile, Anastasia was not afraid of death, even now. She hated her mother’s killer with a passion,
and she wanted him to pay for Amelia’s death in blood. Not only that, she didn’t want Elliot to give up
half the ownership of Presgrave Corporation to this devil just to save her.
As such, she stared at him unrelentingly and shook her head ever so slightly, indicating for him to
refuse the bargain.
“I’ll let her go only after I’ve seen the agreement,” replied Riley. With his henchmen surrounding him
and Anastasia, there was no way for any of the bodyguards to advance to save the hostage. Worse still
was that Riley had a de pressed against Anastasia’s neck, and any movement on her part could
mean her certain death by his hand.
Chapter 364
“Do it, Rey!” ordered Elliot.
“President Presgrave…” Rey couldn’t help but mutter. Fifty percent of Presgrave Corporation’s shares
were an enormous amount of assets, after all.
After transferring that exact amount, he was certain how much trouble his president would be in.
Suddenly, Elliot turned around with red eyes while enunciating, “I told you to do it!”
Rey could tell from his gaze that fifty percent of Presgrave Corporation’s shares was nothingpared
to Anastasia’s life.
Since he had to obey Elliot’s orders, Rey quickly returned to the car, grabbed theptop, and started
running the procedures.
When Anatasia looked at Elliot, she saw the nervousness and worry in his eyes. He didn’t even care
about handing over half of Presgrave Corporation’s shares to the person he resented most.
Riley had caused his parents’ death, but in order to save her, he willingly agreed to Riley’s
unreasonable request.
As she shut her eyes, Anastasia recalled a self-defense move that she had learned before. Though she
hadn’t practiced them before, she thought it was worth a try.
After all, she couldn’t let Elliot transfer the shares just like that!
Meanwhile, Riley took a nce at the woman he was threatening, and he took in her pale face as she
shut her eyes. He let down his guard when he saw how weak and feeble she was.
Then, he shifted his gaze to Rey’sptop. Riley wanted to see the legal document of the transfer of
shares immediately since he never expected Anastasia to be worth that much.
In fact, he had underestimated the weight of Anastasia in Elliot’s heart.
At this moment, Rey tapped the keyboard and raised his head, announcing, “It’s done.”
Upon hearing that, Riley got excited. Meanwhile, Anastasia took a deep breath and clutched Riley’s
hand harshly before hitting his arm with her elbow the moment she sensed the knife on her neck
loosening up. Once the knife was shoved about thirty degrees away from her neck, she quickly twisted
her head and ducked to escape from his hold. However, the moment she ducked, she felt a sharp cut
in her ear.
She didn’t know when Elliot had noticed her struggling, but the man felt his heart stop for a few
seconds when he saw what she had just done. At lightning speed, he stretched out his arm and
engulfed her in his chest.
At the same time, he growled in a low voice, “Are you insane?!”
Due to the pain, Anastasia held her ear with her hand. She was lucky that her ear had only suffered a
light cut, and it wasn’t too serious.
All of a sudden, the people around them seemed to move at the same time. Elliot’s bodyguards and
Riley’s subordinates broke into a chaotic fight.
“Give me the shares! Give me the contract!” Like a madman, Riley rushed toward Rey. All he cared
about was the transfer of shares contract, and he intended to snatch Rey’sptop.
Much to his dismay, Rey was a good fighter. He kicked Riley away and clutched theptop with both
arms. Upon seeing that, Riley screamed like a lunatic, “Give me theptop! G-Give it to me!”
Meanwhile, Elliot let his bodyguards handle the fight as he brought Anastasia out of the scene. He
grabbed a first aid kit from the car and used the medical gauze to stop her ear from bleeding.
At the same time, he couldn’t help but utter while trembling, “You are not allowed to do that ever again.”
It wasn’t a warning; it was an order.
He nearly suffered from a heart attack when he saw what happened earlier.
However, Anastasia seemed to look fragile yet strong as she sat in the backseat of the car.
She looked physically weak, but her gaze and her mentality showed that she was determined and
strong.
Anastasia was afraid too, but at that time, a sudden thought entered her mind. She wasn’t going to owe
him anything anymore.
If she let him transfer fifty percent of Presgrave Corporation’s shares, she would never be able to repay
such a huge debt in this life.
“Your uncle is the one who kidnapped you, and my mother was also killed in his hands, so you cannot
let him escape.” Anastasia looked at Elliot and grabbed his arms. Tears were rolling in her eyes as she
begged, “Send him to the police station and make him pay for what he has done.”
In fact, Elliot had a hunch that it was Riley who kidnapped him back then, but since he was young at
that time, he couldn’t find the real culprit even after years of investigation.
“Alright, I will send him to the police and reopen the case regarding your mother’s death.” Elliot nodded.
He thought that she would be scared and cry in his arms after he helped her bandage her injured ear
Chapter 365
Contrary to Elliot’s expectations, even though Anastasia looked pale, she only held on to his arm for
support. At that moment, Elliot desperately wanted to hold her in his embrace.
However, she retreated instinctively, so he retracted his arm mid-air.
“I’ll send you home first and let my men handle the rest here,” said Elliot in a deep voice.
“Let Rey send me home! You should stay back and catch Riley instead.” After saying that, she closed
the door. Through the car window, she seemed cold and distant.
When he saw that, Elliot could feel his heart throb in pain. Why did he feel like she was miles away
from him though they hadn’t seen each other for merely a day?
What did Riley tell her?
After that, Elliot instructed Rey to send Anastasia back home while he stayed back to settle everything
here.
Never did Riley expect a simple kidnap case to cause him so much trouble. All of his subordinates had
copsed, and he was being pressed to the ground like a losing warrior surrendering in front of his
nephew.
Elliot resembled a young king on the throne, looking down at the man below him in contempt.
“Let go of me, Elliot! I’m your uncle! I’m your senior!” Riley huffed, intending to use his rtionship with
Elliot to escape.
“What did you tell Anastasia? Are you the culprit who killed her mother and kidnapped me back then?”
shouted Elliot.
In response, Riley snickered while saying, “Find the evidence and sue me if you’re capable of it! I won’t
admit a thing.”
Elliot’s eyes darkened at that. “In that case, be prepared to rot in prison!”
From the looks of it, Riley could be sentenced to a few years of jail for the kidnapping of Anastasia.
However, Riley did not panic as he was being detained in the car. Even if he went to prison, he didn’t
have to be scared since he had one more trump card.
His goddaughter, Aliona, would certainly give birth to her son. Sooner orter, the entire Presgrave
Group would fall under his hands.
While they were on the road, Anastasia tried to call Grace. Fortunately, thetter picked up the phone
and told Anastasia that she was found thrown into a ditch by the roadside and was sent to the hospital
for treatment. Thankfully, she was awake now.
“Thank goodness you’re alright, Anastasia.” Grace was so shocked that she nearly cried. She had also
called the police.
Anastasia was grateful for what she had done and told her that she would talk to her in detail once she
got back.
While sitting in the backseat, Anastasia’s mind was filled with Riley’s words. She felt conflicted. Was
she going to me the Presgrave Family for her mother’s death back then?
Back then, Old Madam Presgrave had called the mayor and pressured the police. Because of that, the
police ordered her mother to save a life at the scene. Was her mother forced to save Elliot, or did she
do it willingly?
No matter what, her mother sacrificed her life in exchange for an opportunity for Elliot to live.
However, as her daughter, Anastasia developed feelings for him, and that made her even more
distressed.
Once Rey dropped her off at her house, he reminded, “Have a good rest, Miss Tillman.”
“Thank you, Rey.” After thanking him, Anastasia entered the house and shut the door.
Rey didn’t leave after that, for he had to protect Anastasia until Elliot came over.
At the police station, Riley was arrested for kidnapping, whereas Elliot’s bodyguard handed over all
video evidence so that he couldn’t escape the punishment.
At the same time, Elliot also applied for a re-investigation of his kidnapping case back then with Riley
as the primary suspect. He also called for another investigation into Amelia’s case, the policewoman
who had died in the same year. Thankfully, the police attached great importance to this matter.
Aftering out of the police station, Elliot rushed to Anastasia’s housing area immediately. He called
Nigel, told him what happened today, and ordered him to protect Jared well.
On the other end of the line, Nigel was taken aback by the information. With that, he hurriedly sent
someone to the kindergarten to pick Jared up. He was going to let Jared stay by his side so that he
could take care of him for the next few days.
As she sat on the sofa, Anastasia could feel that the fear of being kidnapped had dissipated, but she
feltplicated emotions. She stood in Old Madam Presgrave’s shoes; if her only grandson had been
kidnapped back then, she would also be willing to do anything to save him no matter how crazy it was.
Chapter 366
Therefore, even if Old Madam Presgrave had threatened to crash the stock market in order to save her
grandson, it waspletely understandable.
Due to such immense pressure, the police force could only do their best to save the young Elliot. After
all, it was their responsibility to do so.
If it weren’t for the continuous pressure from their superiors, would Anastasia’s mother still be alive?
Would Anastasia be able to spend her childhood with a mother without having to lose someone she
loved dearly?
It had been a long time since Anastasia missed her mother so much, and her mother had been an
imaginary figure as far as she could remember. She didn’t even have a single memory of her mother,
for she had only been one year and eight months old back then.
Back then, Anastasia wasn’t aware of anything yet. There were only photos of her mother looking at
her tenderly, and that triggered Anastasia’s emotions as tears started rolling down her face. She felt
heartbroken.
She didn’t resent anyone, but she didn’t want to see anyone from the Presgrave Family either,
including Elliot.
She thought the only thing she could do was to cut her ties with the Presgrave Family and never
involve herself in their affairs anymore. Only then could she return justice to her mother.
Just then, there was a knock on the door, and she could guess who it was.
However, she didn’t want to get up, let alone open the door.
“Anastasia… It’s me. Can you open the door?” It was Elliot’s voice.
The knocks on the door stopped for a while, but they quickly resumed. It seemed that Elliot was
determined to see her, or else he wouldn’t leave.
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After wiping off her tears andposing herself, Anastasia washed up and walked toward the door.
Her gaze wasn’t fixed on Elliot, who was standing outside. Instead, she uttered indifferently, “You
should go. I don’t want to see you.”
Hearing that, Elliot was flustered. He didn’t know what Riley had told her, but it was definitely
something that hurt her deeply.
“Why don’t you want to see me?” Elliot inquired hoarsely.
Anastasia’s eyes instantly turned red as she looked up at him, saying, “I just don’t want to see you.
Don’te and find me, and don’t try to contact us again. You and your family better stay away from
mine.”
“Anastasia…” Just as Elliot wanted to say something, what came in response was a shut door.
As he stood outside, Elliot was perplexed. Anastasia’s words were like needles piercing his heart,
making him struggle to breathe.
He could sense the hint of resentment in her eyes. What on earth had Riley told her?
Why did he make her hate the Presgrave Family?
In reality, that wasn’t the case. Anastasia didn’t hate the Presgrave Family; she just couldn’t ept
what the Presgraves did back then to save Elliot.
If the Presgraves hadn’t done that, would her mother still be alive today?
While closing her eyes, Anastasia realized that Elliot would have been dead at the age of six if her
mother were still alive today.
As that thought came into mind, she felt a pain in her chest that suffocated her.
Anastasia was greedy, for she wanted Elliot and her mother to both be alive.
In a while, she was going to bring her son home, draw lines with the Presgrave Family, and live a
happy life with her son without the involvement of the Presgraves.
Nigel could hear the determination in her voice through the phone, so he sent Jared back to her house
before dinnertime.
“Mommy!” Jared hopped down from the car and ran toward Anastasia.
She carried her son and turned to Nigel, who was getting off the car just then. She said, “Thank you for
taking care of Jared.”
“It’s my responsibility. Are you alright?” Nigel inquired with concern.
“I’m fine.”
“Why is your eat hurt, Mommy?” Jared’s sharp eyes immediately noticed the injury on her ear and cried
out loud.
“I just got a minor scratch. Don’t worry,” Anastasia reassured her son with a smile.
However, Nigel knew what she had been through. His gaze wasced with concern as he looked at
her. “No matter what, Elliot and I will do our best to help you.”
“Thanks. You should go now!” After saying that, Anastasia held her son’s hand and went home.
On the way back to their house, they saw two people who looked rather familiar. “Mommy, aren’t they
Mr. Presgrave’s bodyguards?”
In response, Anastasia denied while saying, “No. They aren’t.”
Though Elliot had already left, his two subordinates were guarding downstairs while Anastasia brought
Jared back home.
She wanted to apply for an extended holiday and not return to the office for the time being.
If they did not approve her request, she would simply resign.
Chapter 367
The next morning, Anastasia applied for time off for her son and called Felicia. When Felicia heard that
she was going to take three months off, she was shocked.
“Did you tell President Presgrave about this?” Deep down, Felicia felt that it wasn’t in her power to
approve Anastasia’s leave.
“You can discuss it with him, but if he doesn’t agree, I will resign from the job.”
“Okay. I’ll ask him,” answered Felicia.
Ten minutester, Felicia returned the call. “President Presgrave has approved your request and will
offer you three months of paid leave, but I’m going to miss you so much.”
“Thanks.” Anastasia thought she would miss Felicia a lot too.
“Let’s keep in touch!”
“Sure. Thanks for taking care of me all this while, Felicia,” said Anastasia thankfully.
“Don’t say that. I’m aware that the reason President Presgrave acquired QR Group isn’t that he sees
the growth potential in us; he only did it because of you. Without you, Bourgeois wouldn’t have been so
lucky.” Felicia had seen through everything.
Anastasia’s heart twitched at that, so she asked Felicia, “Do you know who negotiated with the client I
went to visit yesterday?”
It was because her kidnapper seemed to expect her to be there, and it felt like she had stepped into a
trap.
Felicia didn’t know about the kidnapping incident, so she didn’t think much about it as she answered,
“Aliona was the one who negotiated with the client. She was supposed to go and meet them, but the
client specified that they wanted to see you, so I sent you there instead.”
Aliona?
Is she anyhow rted to the kidnapping case? Anastasia furrowed her brows and fell into deep
thought.
She couldn’t figure out if Aliona was rted to Riley or the client, but why was the client assigned to
Aliona first and passed on to her eventually?
“Thanks, Felicia. Let’s meet again soon.”
“Sure!” Felicia replied with a smile.
After hanging up the phone, Anastasia nced at the time. It was time to prepare lunch for her son.
However, there was nothing in the fridge, so she turned to Jared. “Jared,e grocery shopping with
me.”
“Okay!” Jared eximed in excitement.
With that, Anastasia grabbed a parka and put it on him. The weather outside was already at 50
degrees Fahrenheit, so she had to make sure that he wouldn’t catch a cold.
After going downstairs, Anastasia noticed that the bodyguards from yesterday were still standing in the
same spot. When she left, they followed her.
Anastasia allowed them to follow her as she and Jared entered a supermarket to get some groceries.
While Anastasia was picking some vegetables, she heard her son’s excited voice. “Mr. Presgrave!”
As soon as she raised her head, she saw Elliot in a ck trench coat walking toward her among the
crowd. His tall and straight figure moved in an imposing manner. He crouched down and picked Jared
up as the little boy rushed toward him.
Instantly, Anastasia’s mind turned chaotic. She had thought it through for the past two days and made
up her mind to stop seeing him.
At this moment, however, he messed up all her ns.
“Mommy, you should buy extra ingredients! Mr. Presgrave will being over for lunch!” eximed
Jared.
Anastasia felt as if there was something stuck in her throat, but she quickly retorted, “He’s busy. He
can’te over for lunch.”
“Mr. Presgrave, are you really noting over for lunch?” Jared asked Elliot.
Elliot looked at Anastasia, who was picking the vegetables, and asked tentatively, “Are you going to
cook for me too?”
“Nope!” Anastasia uttered without raising her head. She was holding two bags of vegetables as if
comparing them both, but in reality, she couldn’t even focus.
Her attention wasn’t on the vegetables at all.
However, her indifferent reply hit Elliot the hard way. With a sullen face, he turned to Jared and said,
“Your mom is right. I’m busy, so I can’te over to have lunch with you.”
“I really want you toe, though!” Jared pouted.
“I really want toe too!” Elliot offered a helpless chuckle.
Sadly, someone didn’t want him there.
At that moment, Anastasia’s eyes turned red, so she shifted to another area to pick other ingredients.
At the same time, she looked far away, intending to stop her tears from flowing.
Elliot had sharp senses and realized that Anastasia was crying, so he quickly uttered behind her back,
“I’ll bring Jared home.”
Anastasia didn’t respond. When she turned around, she saw his tall figure carrying her son out of the
supermarket.
Chapter 368
Anastasia took a long time topose her feelings. She ended up buying a lot of groceries so that she
could stay home with her son for a few days without having to leave the house.
As she carried a huge bag of groceries out the door, one of the bodyguards came up to her and
inquired politely, “Miss Tillman, do you need help with that?”
“No, thanks.” Anastasia offered a grateful smile. She didn’t have to treat them indifferently, after all.
After struggling to carry her groceries to the lobby of the housing block, she called Elliot and asked him
to bring Jared home.
“Hello?” When the call connected, she could hear his deep and raspy voice.
“I’m beside the lift. Bring Jared over!” said Anastasia.
“Can we talk?” There was a hint of a plea in his voice.
“I don’t want to,” replied Anastasia as she rejected him.
“No matter what my uncle said to you, one thing that will never change is my love for you. You’re
important to me, Anastasia.” Elliot’s voice was hoarse.
“That’s enough, now give me back my son,” Anastasia ordered before hanging up the phone.
If she were to continue the conversation, the decision she had made with much difficulty might
copse.
There was no longer any possibility between them.
At least, they would never be together in this lifetime.
Soon, Elliot held Jared’s hand as they made a turn at the small avenue surrounded by trees. The two
looked identical as if they were father and son.
“Mr. Presgrave, can’t you leave after having a meal with us?” Jared whined.
He sounded as if he had asked this question many times before.
Elliot raised his head and looked at Anastasia pleadingly; it was as if he was silently asking if he could
come over to her house to have lunch.
Anastasia looked at her son subconsciously to avoid his gaze. Her tone sounded a little harsh as she
uttered, “Jared, don’t be rude. Mr. Presgrave is a busy man, so let’s not disturb him.”
Just as Elliot wanted to open his mouth, Anastasia’s re left him stunned—it was a cold and warning
gaze.
Since he was left with no choice, Elliot heaved a sigh and crouched down to fix Jared’s cor while
coaxing him tenderly, “Your mommy’s right. I’m too busy right now, so I can’te over for lunch. Let’s
do it next time!”
“When will that be?” Jared quickly asked.
“When I’m not busy.”
“When will you not be busy?” Jared’s childish voice felt like a bullet hitting his chest.
“I…” When Elliot looked up tentatively at Anastasia, she wore an expressionless face, so he could only
turn to Jared and say, “I might be busy for a long time.”
“Alright. It’s time to go home! Mr. Presgrave has to leave.” While holding her son’s hand, Anastasia
struggled with the heavy grocery bag.
Just then, an arm stretched out to take her grocery bag. “I’ll carry it up for you.”
“It’s fine,” Anastasia insisted stubbornly.
Elliot, on the other hand, was adamant about helping her carry it up. “I’m not that busy until I don’t have
time to take you upstairs,” he muttered bitterly, not caring if she was willing to let him help.
This time, Anastasia couldn’t be bothered to argue with him since she knew that she wouldn’t win. She
felt as if something was stuck in her throat, making it difficult for her to talk.
In the elevator, Anastasia had her head hung low. Thankfully, it only took a few seconds to reach her
floor. After opening the door to her house, she uttered to Jared, “Go inside.”
Since he was unwilling to give up, Jared asked one more time, “Mommy, can’t we let Mr. Presgrave
come in for a while?”
Hearing that, Anastasia scolded strictly, “I’ve already told you, Jared. Mr. Presgrave is busy. Why can’t
you listen to me?”
Jared sensed that his mother was upset and reluctantly entered the house. Just as Anastasia was
about to enter the house after taking back the grocery bag, Elliot turned to Jared and informed him,
“Jared, I need to talk to your mom for a second.”
With that, he shut the door. All of a sudden, his stance changed.
His gaze was burning as he looked at Anastasia.
“Why are you treating me so coldly?” Elliot questioned in a raspy voice. He found it unfair to be ignored.
They had announced their rtionship to the public as a happy couple just two days ago, but now, he
felt like she had dumped him and brutally pushed him away.
Chapter 369
Throughout his entire life, Elliot had never been treated this way.
A surge ofplicated feelings crept up Anastasia’s heart as she suddenly dered, “Let’s not meet
again, Elliot. Let’s forget everything that happened before! From now on, we will be strangers.”
The word ‘strangers’ hit him right in the heart.
“Why should we be strangers? I want to marry you and make you my wife. I’ll give you and Jared a
complete family,” Elliot retorted through gritted teeth. His words were unquestionable.
“Do you want to know what Riley told me? I’ll tell you now. In order to save you back then, your
grandmother called to threaten the mayor, saying that if they didn’t save her grandson, she would
cause a nationwide stock market crash and create a financial disaster,” exined Anastasia, her eyes
turning red at the same time.
She bit her lips and continued, “That was why the mayor requested the police force to save you no
matter what, even if that meant taking the life of his officers. Just like that, I lost my mother.”
Tears rolled down her cheeks as she spoke. However, she didn’t wipe them off and red at Elliot in
resentment instead. “My mother wouldn’t have died if she did not go there to save you back then.
Because of you, I lost her.”
As he watched her cry, Elliot felt like there was a fire burning in his heart. It was also his first time
hearing that his grandmother had threatened the mayor to do such a thing.
In order to save him, his grandmother had made such a harsh decision. That exined why his
grandmother was so determined to make Anastasia her daughter-inw, for she must have lived in
regret for her whole life.
“I’m sorry.” Watching her tears flow, Elliot could only feel sorry for her. He had no right to say anything
else, even though he desperately wanted to wrap her in his arms and wipe away her tears.
However, he had lost the right to do so.
After taking a deep breath, Anastasia looked up. Her tears had stopped, and her voice sounded calm
now. “I don’t want to see you or your family ever again. Let’s not contact each other anymore.”
All of a sudden, an unbridgeable gully formed between them. No amount of money or feelings could fill
it up. Perhaps, it would never be able to disappear in this lifetime.
“I’d like to apologize to you and your family on behalf of mine.” Elliot looked at her, his eyes full of hurt.
As she turned away, Anastasia wiped away her tears and retorted, “It’s fine. Just go!”
As if trying to test the waters, Elliot uttered, “If you hate to see me, I promise to never appear in front of
your eyes again.”
Anastasia epted his test and gave him a firm reply, saying, “You’d better keep your promise.”
Her words hit him like a bullet once again.
“Take care, Anastasia.” The look in Elliot’s eyes currently resembled a severely injured animal that was
suffering.
Just like that, Elliot left as she wished.
However, Anastasia felt like she had suddenly lost all of her strength. Crouching on the ground, she let
her tears fall on the ground silently. Her heart was aching so bad that she couldn’t breathe.
After staying outside for a while, she entered the house. She quickly pretended to be in a good mood
when she saw her son sitting quietly in front of the TV.
“Jared, shall I make fried chicken wings for you today?”
“Okay! Has Mr. Presgrave left?”
“Yup. He’s left.” After saying that, Anastasia entered the kitchen and started cooking. While chopping
the ingredients, she identally cut her finger since her mind was distracted.
Fortunately, she was quick to realize this and only caused a scratch. Shaking her head, she freshened
herself up so that she could take care of Jared.
The next morning, Anastasia received a call from her dad saying that he would being over to see
Jared and have dinner with them.
When Francis arrived, he brought a lot of toys for Jared. After all, he adored his grandson very much.
As he sat on the sofa, Francis smiled in contentment. “Jared is finally going to have aplete family.”
Anastasia, who was wiping the table, suddenly halted her actions. After she raised her head, she
turned to Francis and said, “Dad, I broke up with Elliot.”
“What? Why did you break up with him?” Francis couldn’t help feeling shocked.
“We’re not meant for each other, and I’m not good enough for him.” Anastasia made up a random
excuse.
Unconvinced, Francis questioned, “What do you mean you’re not good enough for him? Does he look
down on you because you have a child?”
Chapter 370
Anastasia quickly exined, “No, Dad. It has nothing to do with him. He adores Jared, but I don’t like
him anymore.”
Somehow, she felt bad for Elliot when her father scolded him.
Francis was once again surprised. “Why do you not like him anymore?”
As she raised her head to look at her father, she wondered how her father felt about losing his wife and
being forced to live on with his only daughter.
“Dad, have you ever hated the Presgraves?”
After pondering for a few seconds, he responded, “What’s the use of hating them? Your mother was
responsible for saving them back then, after all.”
“Do you think it would’ve been possible for Mom to live if she hadn’t been so devoted to her job?”
Anastasia inquired as she sat beside Francis.
“Why do you ask? Did you break up with Young Master Elliot because you can’t ept the fact that
your mother sacrificed to save him?” Francis was now looking at her with a heartbroken expression.
“Yes.” Anastasia nodded.
“However, I know your mother. If a child was going to be killed in front of her, she would’ve definitely
gone out of her way to save him.”
“Is it possible that she rescued him under pressure? He was the only heir of the Presgrave Family, after
all.” Anastasia looked at her father, knowing that he must not have been aware that Old Madam
Presgrave had threatened the mayor.
“The situation was very chaotic and critical at that time. The kidnapper grabbed Young Master Elliot by
the neck and was about to cut his head off. Who would have the heart to see such a tragedy happen?
Your mother was the closest to him, so she knocked the killer down with all her might before pulling
Young Master Elliot into her arms. The kidnapper then stabbed her like a madman. Later on, the others
rescued Young Master Elliot while the kidnapper was shot dead on the spot. Sadly, your mother passed
away.”
Anastasia closed her eyes and imagined the scene before her. She began to cry because she was so
heartbroken.
“Alright. If you can’t ept it, let’s cut ties with the Presgraves. As long as it doesn’t make you sad,”
Francisforted her. He could understand her feelings.
After dinner, Francis offered, “Why don’t you work at mypany? I should teach you how to manage
thepany now.”
“Are you sure you want to hand thepany to me, Dad?” Anastasia looked at him. After all, he had
another daughter as well.
“I can only count on you. Do you think I can put my hopes on Erica?” Francis sighed. “She has been
spoiled and pampered since young, so she only knows how to spend moneyvishly. At least there is
some hope if I pass thepany to you. I just hope you don’t treat your sister badly in the future.”
All of a sudden, Anastasia felt burdened. She nodded and answered, “Okay. After I send Jared to
school tomorrow, I’lle by the office.”
She added, “I also have one more thing to tell you; I’ve found the main culprit behind Mom’s death
already. He’s Riley Presgrave, Elliot’s uncle.”
“What? Are you sure?”
“He was the main culprit behind Elliot’s kidnapping case, and Elliot will re-investigate his charges. If
they require your cooperation in the future, please cooperate with them so that we can arrest this
murderer and bring Mom justice as soon as possible.”
“Okay, I will give my full cooperation if needed.” Of course, Francis wouldn’t let the murderer go.
After sending her father off, Anastasia’s phone rang. When she nced at the name on the screen,
she quivered slightly.
It was Elliot.
After taking a deep breath, Anastasia picked up the phone. “Hello?”
“The police will summon you tomorrow to make a statement. Does Jared have a ce to go?”
“I’ll be sending him to school,” Anastasia replied.
“Okay, do you need me to apany you tomorrow?”
“No. I’ll be fine,” Anastasia refused and hung up.
After sending her son to school early the next morning, Anastasia rushed to the police station with
Grace to make a statement.
They exined the whole process of the kidnapping incident. Anastasia’s subsequent experiences
were also recorded, but she did not mention what Riley had told her.
When they came out of the police station, they bumped into Elliot.
Anastasia was aware of when he had arrived, as well as why he was waiting there.
“Hello, President Presgrave,” Grace greeted in surprise.
“You should head back to thepany first, Grace!” Anastasia said to Grace.
“Sure. I’ll be taking my leave, then.” Grace didn’t want to interrupt the little couple.