A Second Chance at Forever

Chapter 1426
Bernard’s hand moved with lightning speed, the gun in his grip barking death as he dropped a goon in black with a single shot.
Just as he was about to pivot and target another, red laser dots danced across Eleanor’s body.
At the same moment, the gun in the hand of the black-clad assailant pressed coldly against Eleanor’s temple.
“Mr. Law.”
Three controllers, cradling their rifles, emerged slowly from the panic room within the safehouse.
“The terms laid out by Sector 2-5, Mr. Law. Comply, and your wife goes free. Otherwise...”
One of the controllers hadn’t even finished speaking when the goon pushed the gun harder against Eleanor’s head.
“Don’t hurt her!”
Bernard’s heart raced with fear at the mere posturing of the thug. It was clear now that his concern for Eleanor surpassed even
his own life.
Even the slightest scratch on her, and he would be beside himself with anxiety.
“Come at me, leave her out of it.”
The icy resolve in Bernard’s eyes had melted away, replaced by desperation. The leverage they held was Eleanor’s life, and it
paralyzed him.
“We might spare her, but you have to atone with your own life, in front of us.”
The words struck Eleanor like a death sentence. She gazed at Bernard’s handsome face, shaking her head slowly.
“Don’t be a fool.” He’d been hurt too many times for her. already; she couldn’t stand to see him play the hero again.
The love and concern that shone in Eleanor’s clear eyes warmed Bernard’s heart.
“Don’t worry, I’ll be okay.” After soothing Eleanor’s fears, he shifted his intense gaze from her to the three controllers.
“I’ll atone, but I won’t be your sacrificial lamb.”

The Siren Syndicate had done some dark deeds in their quest to cleanse the corporate world, like when Gianna sent Teresa
Hyde to fend for herself in the wilds of Montana, or when Bernard himself had Josef Caporal thrown in jail to be taught a harsh
lesson. But since he had taken over, he had never allowed the senseless slaughter of others, certainly nothing as brutal as Area
Opaca’s bio-engineered vendettas.
Bernard admitted the Syndicate’s guilt, but not to the extent that it warranted death.
However, as the Syndicate’s leader, he knew a price must be paid.
“I’ll fire a shot in penance, then you let her go.”
With that, Bernard raised his gun, turning it on himself, and without flinching, fired into his shoulder.
Bang-
The gunshot echoed deafeningly through the corridor, shattering the silence of the safehouse and piercing Eleanor’s ears and
heart in a single moment.
The whine of tinnitus filled her head as she looked on, dazed, at the man standing tall despite the bullet wound.
“Don’t be afraid.” His words reached Eleanor after a long delay, her vision blurred with tears as she saw the crimson blood
flowing down his shoulder, soaking his pristine white shirt beneath the dark suit jacket.
With every drop that fell, it hammered a sharp pain into Eleanor’s heart.
“Bernard!”
Frantic, she struggled against the goon’s hold.
But the assailant held her firmly, preventing any movement.
Helpless, Eleanor could only gaze at Bernard from a distance, realizing in that moment that her existence was his Achilles’ heel.
Bernard caught the self-reproach in her eyes but shook his head slightly, signaling he was fine.
Then, with lightning-fast reflexes, he redirected the gun and, capitalizing on the moment of confusion among the controllers, took
down the goon!

He quickly drew a golden knife and hurled it at one of the controllers’ forehead, all in the span of five seconds. As the remaining
two controllers regained their senses and pointed their guns at Eleanor, Bernard had already dashed through the bulletproof
glass door, sweeping Eleanor into his arms..
The bullets missed their mark, hitting the wall instead. Their faces turned ashen, the controllers raised their guns again, but
before they could fire, Yates’ twin pistols barked, each bullet finding a target.
As the two controllers hit the ground, Yates holstered his guns and turned to look at Bernard and Eleanor, now in a tight
embrace. His eyes narrowed slightly at the sight of Bernard’s wounded shoulder, a mix of surprise and newfound respect
coloring his expression. Bernard’s marksmanship could have resolved the situation without self-harm, but in order to settle the
Syndicate’s karma, he chose to bleed.
Yates’ gaze shifted from skepticism to admiration. A man like Bernard, he realized, truly deserved Eleanor’s love.