A Second Chance at Forever novel (Eleanor and Bernard)

Chapter 1381

Bernard couldn’t help but let out a bitter chuckle; he felt like he was a pawn in some sick cosmic game.

His laugh, paired with the bloodshot look in his eyes, didn’t seem to faze Yates.

“I will give you ten minutes to think it over,” Yates said, then turned on his heel and left the sterile, white

lab, his entourage of suited goons trailing behind

him.

Only Peterson lingered, waiting until Yates and the others had left before leaning in to whisper to

Bernard, “Just play along for now, and once you’re out, you can explain everything to her.”

“Boy, do you think I’m deaf?” Yates’ menacing voice came from outside the door, making Peterson

clamp his mouth shut and quickly step out of the lab.

Yates removed his mask, revealing eyes that simmered with malice, as he glared at Peterson.

“You’ve just earned yourself another twenty lashes,” he ordered coldly.

Peterson, slightly afraid of his grandfather, nodded his head in resignation and murmured, “Yes, sir.”

Yates looked away, directing the others.

“No.3, head to the control room and initiate the program; I’ll need it later.”

“The rest of you, secure the chip in the mobile unit, and then destroy the chip lab.”

Once he’d finished issuing orders, Yates pulled out his phone and sent a message to all the operatives:

no one was to speak of the chip or Bernard’s ordeal at Area Opaca ever again.

He singled out Sheldon Pine, who, miles away in his office, furrowed his brow at the cryptic message.

Ever since Bernard’s capture, Yates had been dishing out these bizarre orders.

After the directive, Yates returned to the lab, resuming his imposing stance over Bernard, who sat with

his eyes tightly shut.

“So, what’s your decision?”

Bernard’s eyelashes quivered slightly, but he offered no other response. Yates wasn’t in a hurry; he

settled back into a couch, patiently waiting for an

answer.

Bernard knew that the only way to free himself from the chip’s control was to accept the deal,

contradictory as it seemed to the promise of unlimited freedom 1-1 had initially offered. The offer might

seem to favor Bernard, but the true beneficiary was 1-1 -clever enough to secure his own interests

while grasping Bernard’s weak spot.

Bernard had navigated the cutthroat business world for years, and now he faced a formidable

opponent. A sardonic smile played on his lips, like a soulless vessel, hollowly amused.

“Eleanor’s unlucky to have a grandfather like you.”

“She may be unlucky, but without the Siren Organization, she wouldn’t have faced these tragedies.”

Pauline had been a victim of the Siren Organization. If she hadn’t been killed, Eleanor’s mother

wouldn’t have remarried to Cameron, and Eleanor and her sisters would’ve been spared their

hardships.

Bernard opened his eyes, facing the masked man with a sudden urge to ask him what Eleanor’s

misfortunes had to do with the Siren Organization. But just as quickly, his interest waned.

Now, it wasn’t just that Yates had a vendetta against the organization. Bernard had his own score to

settle, and whatever the reason, he wouldn’t let his brothers lie here in vain-he would have his revenge.

With that thought, Bernard’s gaze on Yates turned icy, layered with hatred enough to burn through his

protective suit. But being in a position of weakness, he reigned in his anger.

“You want me to agree to your terms, then take off that mask.”

“Eleanor will tell you everything she knows when she arrives tomorrow. Let her speak for herself.”

Even if he couldn’t hide the fact that he was the founder of Area Opaca, letting Bernard know his

identity prematurely would surely alert Eleanor

tomorrow.

Yates was not one to act against his own interests, so today’s negotiation did not involve revealing his

identity in exchange for the founder of the Siren Organization.

Judging by how Eleanor had negotiated, she seemed to know already. When the time came, Yates

would find a way to use Bernard to probe for information indirectly.

Yates kept everything under control, indifferent to Bernard’s fate. And Bernard, with deep eyes like a

wild beast lurking in the shadows, looked back, his glare full of dark promise.

“If you dare to let me go, then I agree to separate from her. But to treat her cruelly? That’s impossible.”

She feared his emotional coldness, a mistake he couldn’t afford to repeat. When the time came, he

would talk to her kindly; he would never be indifferent again.

That was the concession Bernard was willing to make. If Yates pushed any harder, he might provoke

the lion about to awake, and the backlash wouldn’t be pretty.

“Alright, I agree, Yates said decisively, shutting down any further discussion.

“But if you try to explain things to her afterward, or if you attempt a reconciliation, I will activate the

program to your chip and terminate her pregnancy. Even if the child is born, I will make sure it doesn’t

survive!”

With those chilling words, Yates stood up and strode to the control room to reprogram the chip in

Bernard’s brain, ensuring that once released, Bernard would be under his thumb.

After Yates left, Bernard turned his head slightly, his long lashes casting a stark shadow in the harsh

light, as desolate and lonely as his spirit.

His grandfather had once said that his undying love would be his greatest vulnerability, and he wasn’t

wrong. Eleanor and their child were his weaknesses.

Yet, as a husband, he couldn’t bear the thought of his wife suffering the slightest bit. So even though

they were vulnerabilities, they were also the solitary beams of light that propelled him through the

darkness.